super stellar

it has been a great week in the kitchen... almost relaxing & i even squeezed in a social life. last week was crazy hectic getting ready for an elaborate hors d'oeuvres spread (hence the absent blog update), a few special orders & baking a 5th birthday cake.

i still have a birthday cake to make tonight but compared to usual, that's way ahead of schedule.

since i wasn't preoccupied with catering jobs, i was able to restock some frozen favourites. the new main course is brisket & blue featuring getaway farms beef. i picked up 18 pounds this week & braised it overnight with leeks, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, pears & red wine. it's incredibly tender & flavourful. it's paired with creamy blue cheese gnocchi & kale from my garden.

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disco soup is also back - aka beet, parsnip & pear. it has such a fantastic colour that it just looks like a party! it's also vegan, gluten-free & paleo.

i made a batch of chicken stew as well - this is perhaps the hardest item on the menu to keep in stock. it's just classic comfort food - homemade stock, free range chicken, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery, brussels sprouts, peas & herbs.

there're about 10 more flavours on the menu right now too, the complete list is posted on the front of my freezer door at the market & they're all $7 no matter the flavour. there's definitely been a chill in the air this week & soup season is upon us once more.

but if you're not ready for that just yet, there are three salads to choose from as well.

broccoli - the same as always

quinoa - curried hummus dressing, crunchy veg, peanuts, cilantro

beet - wheatberries, shaved fennel, red onion, white wine vinaigrette, kale from my garden, goat cheese & candied walnuts. it's a got a bit of extra flare this week.

and as usual my table will be filled with sweets - and the goat's milk fudge will be hiding underneath.

ok back to the kitchen. i look forward to seeing you all over the weekend.

saturday 7am-3pm

sunday 9am-3pm

yeah that's right, the market closes at 3pm not 4pm, make sure to come early so you don't miss out!

cloves are the new black

it smells like thanksgiving around here today. i have been a veritable pumpkin pie production facility for most of the day. the pies will be available tomorrow at the market, i have lots of pre-orders to fill & the rest will be available on a first come first serve basis. they're not overly sweet & kicked up with lots of cinnamon, cloves & warm chai spices perfect with a side of foxhill or deedee's vanilla ice cream. they are $15 a piece.

cloves also made an appearance in my 'thanksgiving pies' - part deux. last week was turkey & dressing, this week is pork with sweet potato casserole. at pretty much every family gathering we have turkey, ham, dressing & sweet potato casserole, hence my two versions of 'thanksgiving pie' (think shepherd's pie not chicken pot pie). 

my grandma makes the best ham of all time. i'm not normally a ham fan but she bakes a boston butt for hours with lots of mustard & cloves and it tastes like magic! instead of a ham i've made pulled pork with getaway farm meat & incorporated all of the same flavours. it's all mixed up with peppers & swiss chard from my garden to up the nutrients.

then i made a version of my aunt's sweet potato casserole. i added parsnips & turnips from elmridge just to make it a bit less sweet & a bit more interesting. there's some vanilla, cinnamon & it gets topped with candied walnuts. i'm pretty pleased with the final product.

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there are still lots of turkey & dressing pies and if you have a vegan coming to dinner, the lentil shepherd's pies are great seasonal option (only a few larges left).

if you're all holiday-ed out there are plenty of other options too:

chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies

moroccan meatballs

chipotle pulled pork with succotash & sweet potatoes

smokey mac & cheese

vegan thai green curry

beef shepherd's pies

there are a few smalls of the jerk chicken & sesame ginger pork left too.

for a lighter option or a cleanse on tuesday, the soup selection is slowly being replenished too:

carrot, apple, ginger

curried butternut squash

vegan vegetable stew

white bean, lemon & kale

black bean & corn chili

baked beans

roasted pepper, tomato & chipotle

thai turkey & rice

beef stew

chicken stew

seafood chowder

the salads this week with be traditional broccoli, curried quinoa (vegan) and mustard & dill potato (vegan).

the baking was a little insane this week too. i think i went completely overboard on cupcake production so i reeaallllyyyy hope everyone is hungry. flavours this week are:

pumpkin-maple

chocolate

chocolate-mint

vanilla

pink grapefruit

banana-peanut butter

red velvet-raspberry

gluten free pumpkin spice

i also have over 100 cupcakes to decorate for a wedding tomorrow!

oh & check out the cake i made earlier this week:

perhaps my favourite one yet!

 my family dinner isn't until monday so i'll be at the market for regular hours:

saturday 7am-3pm

sunday 9am-3pm

hope to see you all over the weekend!

#cityharvest, cupcakes & turkey

so, i only made one new main course for this weekend and thought i was going to have a pretty mellow week in the kitchen. i was wrong.

at the last minute i decided to add a soup, had three special orders for sweets & am still getting ready for City Harvest.

first off, City Harvest is happening tomorrow!!! get your stretchy pants ready. there is so much tasty grub on special all around the city. the weather's supposed to be glorious & it'll be just the perfect day for walking around & enjoying some delectables.

you can visit the i love local hfx website for a list of all the events & specials.

i'll be teaming up with obladee wine bar for the day. in addition to their usual array of fantastic cheeses & charcuterie, they will have a 'market medley' salad on the menu tomorrow night... made by me! for $5 you'll get a taste of roasted elmridge beets, caramelized noggins fennel, maple glazed walnuts, marinated wheatberries, the dutchman's dragon's breath blue cheese & a sprinkling of riverview herbs microgreens.

for city harvest i'll also have a bit of a special on mini cupcakes - the baker's 1/2doz will be $5 tomorrow only. oh & it will feature the return of pumpkin spice cupcakes.

i did a little playing around this week & i will have them in BOTH the gluten-free & gluten-full varieties!

now i know thanksgiving isn't until next week, but i cooked a turkey this week (i have other plans for next week). a beautiful 16 pound free range bird from shani's farm. i turned it in to one of the most popular dishes i make: turkey & dressing pies! think shepherd's pie but with all the flavours of a turkey dinner. the bottom layer is turkey breast, gravy, peas, carrots, leeks & brussels sprouts. the top layer is potato & bread dressing with sage & dried cranberries.

comme ca:

don't feel like dirtying every dish in your kitchen or slaving away/stressing all day? you're welcome, i did it already ;)

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next week i'll be tackling another seasonal dish. it's the pulled pork & sweet potato pie dish that i've done before, based on my grandma's baked ham recipe & my aunt's sweet potato casserole. it's all of my favourite thanksgiving flavours wrapped up in one. the pork's already on order from getaway farm!

i also whipped up a batch of thai turkey & rice soup. now that cold & flu season is upon us, this one is pretty handy. i made an overnight turkey stock enriched with lemongrass, cardamom, star anise, garlic, ginger & chillies so it's not your typical turkey soup. the veggies are carrots, celery, peppers, bok choy, green onions with some coconut, lime, thai basil, green onions & jasmine rice.

as with all the soups/stews/chowder/chili it's $7/500ml container.

this week i'll only have three types of salad with me at the market.

broccoli - same as always

quinoa - spicy curry & peanuts

sweet potato - avocado, lime, cilantro

the sweets selection will be the same as usual too (minus lemon bars this week)

breakfast cookies

snickers brownies

maple walnut bars

hello dollies

goat milk fudge

CUPCAKES!!!

ok i have loads of work to do today, better get to work. hope to see you over the weekend... perhaps even after the market as i eat my way around the food truck rally!!!

so much to eat

ok, i have a lot of food. over the summer i let inventory wane while i focused on catering. now that fall is here i've been busy, busy, busy replenishing stock. this week i added two new main courses & a soup to the menu.

the moroccan meatballs have become one of my bestsellers. the meatballs are seasoned with garlic, ginger, coriander, sumac, chillies & parsley. they're nestled in a tomato sauce with fennel seed, olives, dates, roasted red peppers, zucchini & kale from my garden. the side dish is harissa quinoa with toasted almonds, citrus & green onions. it's a super tangy, flavourful dish & it's gluten-free to boot.

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the second main course is something brand new - vegan thai green curry. the sauce is chock full of all my favourite flavours: garlic, ginger, coriander, chillies & coconut. the veggies are zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, tomatoes & green beans with some tofu for protein. it comes with a side of jasmine rice seasoned with cardamom & star anise.

small $9 large $18

the new batch of soup is actually an old favourite - carrot, apple, ginger. it's vegan & gluten-free. i start off with the aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger, celery, spices), fire in the carrots & apples, add a touch of tomato paste, let it simmer for a couple hours and then finish it off with some coconut milk. oh & then puree it & pass it through a strainer so it's super smooth.

$7/500ml serving

other soups in the freezer are:

curried butternut squash

black bean & corn chili

tomato vegetable stew

white bean, lemon & kale

baked beans

roasted red pepper & chipotle

chicken stew

beef stew

seafood chowder

there are also four salads to choose from.

broccoli - same as always

beet - fennel, pears, garden greens, pickled onions, goat cheese

sweet potato/corn - it's a hybrid with peppers, avocados, lime, tomatillos, chipotle, cilantro

quinoa - my favourite version with a curried hummus-y dressing, cukes, carrots, celery, snow peas, basil, cilantro, peanuts

then, as usual, there are a ton of sweets. no spicy brownies this week but everything else will be there.

i'm surprised i'm even finished prepping at this hour. i spent the entire morning putting together an order for wedding cupcakes & a small wedding cake. i complain a lot about making cakes but it is pretty satisfying when it's all said & done. i was quite pleased with today's effort.

oh & check ca!

got a new mixer today. i stripped the gears on one of mine a few months ago & have been doing everything in just my artisan (?!?!?) this should make prep a little smoother.

k time for sleeping, hope to see you all over the weekend.

#whataweek

so it's a little late. apologies but i took the night off. i just got home from a jaunt to the valley. had a quick pit stop in windsor to ride the zipper at the fair & then spent the evening at luckett vineyard for some bbq, corn boil & bluegrass action. all in all, a pretty 'country' kind of night & lots of fun!

now, it took some serious preparation through the week to secure a friday night away from the kitchen. this week i cooked like crazy & the freezers are brimming. i'm still working on replenishing my selection of small entrees but it's getting there.

i made giant batches of beef stew, seafood chowder & chicken stew. the chicken stew is the best batch i've ever made. the stock made all the difference. i roasted the bones until my whole house smelled like fried chicken & then put the stock on to simmer for 24 hours. the stew itself is packed with loads of hearty vegetables & herbs from my garden.

all soups, stews & chowders are $7 for a 500ml serving.

i also used that epic stock to make a new batch of chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies. the filling starts out with double smoked bacon; then i add loads of leeks, celery & garlic; then i make a quick roux & lots of stock to make a rich sauce. i add the broccoli at the very end so it doesn't overcook & season it up with fresh herbs. 

this mixture gets topped with puff pastry & they're ready to go.

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there's also a new batch of jerk chicken on the menu. the last batch sold out faster than any other dish to date. the chicken marinated for two days in homemade jerk seasoning with citrus, warm spices & 5 habaneros. it's bbq'd & served up with grilled pineapple salsa, black beans & rice. it's slightly spicier than the last batch but i think i can still up the ante. feedback is always appreciated.

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there are four salads on the menu:

broccoli - bacon, red onion, red peppers, almonds, sunflower seeds

quinoa - grapefruit, fennel, kalamata olive, kale

corn - tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, chillies, lime, cilantro

beet - fennel, asian pear, pickled red onion, kale, wheatberries

$5 each for 375ml

& of course there will be the usual assortment of sweets. oh yeah, i bought a new food processor this week so banana chocolate chip cupcakes with peanut butter frosting with be back in the mix.

ok see you over the week!

happy friday the 13th

it's early evening & i'm almost completely finished my prep! this is a great friday the 13th indeed.

apologies for the absent blog update last week, but i was completely swamped getting ready for the halifax crafters pop up & finishing up some special orders. last saturday was one for the record books - finish set up at the seaport by 6:45, rush to dartmouth to set up from 7-8, work 8-5, pack up, go back to the seaport to pick stuff up, drive home, unpack, crash. pretty hectic & exhausting but i got it all done & had a great day on the 'darkside.'

tibs was a great venue for the pop up & pretty convenient given how much caffeine i needed that day. it seems that there's a really great community vibe over there & i definitely need to make the trip across the bridge more often.

there were also special orders to be taken care of - two cakes & an extra 100 cupcakes between three orders.

this was an underwater themed birthday cake & matching giant cupcake 'smash cake.' i think the ombre is becoming a bit of a signature style. i was on a bit of a streak there with cakes to make every friday night. it practically feels like i have the night off without one on order for tomorrow & my kitchen doesn't look like this!

i still have 50 wedding cupcakes to decorate for tomorrow but that's sort of become second nature.

a buddy from the market is getting married tomorrow so i was enlisted to make cupcakes & pulled pork... 50 pounds of pulled pork!!! i did two flavours: sesame ginger & blackberry chipotle. the blackberry chipotle is loosely based on a recipe we did on road grill - the bbq show i was on on the food network.

it turned out really well. i smoked the shoulder with applewood & mesquite for about six hours, then braised it for another seven, then shredded it & mixed in loads of the tangy sauce. this one might make its way on to the blackboard soon.

since i was making sesame ginger pork for the wedding, i decided to double it up & make a bunch for asian-inspired pulled pork dinners. this one has been absent from the menu for awhile but has always been one of the best sellers. it's getaway farm pork with lots of ginger, garlic, sesame, soy, sambal, lime & 5-spice. it's paired with jasmine rice, roasted broccoli, peppers, sprouts & bok choy.

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this week i also mixed up the salad selection a little bit. there are NO beet or sweet potato salads, but there are:

broccoli - almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, bacon

potato - cucumbers, celery, green beans, radishes, dijon dressing, dill

vegan & gluten-free

quinoa - curry, ginger, lime, peanuts, peas, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, celery, tomatoes

vegan & gluten-free

fresh corn - tomatoes, peppers, green chillies, tomatillos, lime

vegan & gluten-free

& of course there are loads of sweets.

goat milk fudge

breakfast cookies

snickers brownies

maple walnut bars

 lemon shortbreads

hello dollies

cupcakes!

hope to see you all over the weekend & that your friday the 13th has gone as smoothly as mine :)

catering, special orders, deliveries...

this week is one of my busiest yet. i have 120 wedding cupcakes & two birthday cakes on order for tomorrow. then i'm doing all the food for a wedding of 75 on sunday. plus i got a call on monday to cater for 30 on tuesday(!!!) & i did it.

this week my focus has really been catering. thankfully i have lots of meals in the freezer as i've had neither the time or the fridge space to make anything new for the market. there will still be lots of fresh salads & baked goods, just no new main courses. 

here's what's on the menu:

beef shepherd's pie    small & large

brisket & blue   just large

moroccan meatballs    just large

chipotle pulled pork   small & large

sweet & sour meatballs    just large

jerk chicken    small & large

chipotle chicken    small & large

chicken pot pie    just small

lobster mac & cheese    just large

smokey mac & cheese    small & large

vegan curry    small & large   

lentil shepherd's pie    small & large

also, due to my catering obligations on sunday, i WON'T be at the market that day so please make sure to come by on saturday to stock up.

next week is also looking pretty crazy too. next saturday i'll be at a halifax crafters pop-up show at two if by sea over in dartmouth.

i've done a couple of shows with the crafters already at the olympic centre. it's a really great crowd with a ton of fun stuff. i'm quite excited for this adventure. we have very limited space so i won't be bringing any frozen goodies but will have lots of lunch options, gift certificates, bbq sauces & the usual assortment of sweets. i'll be missing the saturday market at the seaport but will have some lovely ladies holding down the fort. i'll be back to my usual schedule soon, i promise.

ok back to the grind, dinner rolls, focaccia, cake decorating, a mountain of potato salad, cedar-planked salmon...

see you tomorrow :)