These are a few of my favourite things!

Looking for a few holiday baked goods for host gifts, or to store in your freezer for a snowy January afternoon apres-ski/skate? Put the kettle on, crank up the holiday music and bring on the heat. Create your own holiday hits with these traditional recipes... with a twist. And remember, everyone looks good in an apron...anytime! It's the universal, "I am helpful" uniform.
Enjoy!

Sugar Plum Spice Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. finely ground Celestial Seasonings Sugar Plum Spice Herbal Tea leaves from about 4 tea bags (This is a Holiday Tea sold only at Christmas time. It is sold at the Bulk Barn and grocery stores in the tea section)

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

½ c confectioners’ (icing) sugar

1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest (that’s orange rind)

Whisk together flour, tea and salt in a bowl.

Put butter, confectioner’s sugar and orange zest in a bowl and beat together with an electric mixture (or your own brute strength!). Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; or lightly floured cutting board and shape into logs. Roll each log to 1 ¼ inch in diameter. Each log will be about 9 inches in length. Roll up each log in parchment paper and twist the paper ends-like a Christmas cracker. Freeze logs—just until firm, about 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 350F. With a sharp knife, cut logs into ¼ inch thick slices. Space about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets at half-time, until edges are golden, about 13-15 minutes in total. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight containers for up to five days. They freeze well and make lovely gifts. Gift idea: place cookies in a canister-style tin, wrap the tin in Christmas paper and place a bow on top…or place in small festive cookie tins. The great feature about these cookies is: they are so darned tasty, cute and svelte-like!

Sambuca Pannetone (Italian Christmas Bread)

Bake in the bread maker using the Sweet or Specialty option or make two small round loaves by using the Dough cycle and bake the dough in two 6-inch springform pans

1/3 c currants or raisins

1/3 c diced dried apricots

1/3 c Sambuca liqueur

1 c water

6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled (Psst: This is equal to ½ c butter, less 2 tbsp)

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ c dry milk powder (I use dry buttermilk powder, available at the Bulk Barn)

3 1/3 cups Canadian all-purpose flour or white bread machine flour

¼ cup gluten flour (Bulk Barn)

3 tsp bread machine yeast

¼ c lightly-toasted (and cooled) pine nuts

¼ c slivered, lightly-toasted (and cooled) almonds

3 tbsp sugar for glazing

In a small bowl, soak the raisins and apricots in the Sambuca for 1 hour or more. Drain well and reserve the sweet liquid. Set aside.

Place the ingredients [except the nuts and soaked fruit] in the bread machine pan in the order given. Set the pan in the chamber. Set the bread maker to the 2 lb loaf size. Choose Specialty or Sweet as the menu function. Press start. When the “add ingredient” beep sounds, open the lid of the bread maker and add the drained fruit, pine nuts and slivered almonds. Close lid. Once the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the machine to a cooling rack.

Glazing the bread:

Prepare a glaze by combining the reserved liqueur with enough water to make ¼ c liquid. Place liquid in a small saucepan and add 3 tbsp sugar. Heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and bubbling slightly. (Watch carefully!) Brush the warm bread with the warm sugar mixture and let this gorgeous masterpiece cool to room temperature before slicing. It makes lovely host gift OR you may choose to toast it and eat it all yourself!

As an alternative to making one loaf in the breadmachine, you can make to small round loaves which you can bake in the oven. Here’s how: Set the breadmaker menu cycle to DOUGH. Add the ingredients when the “add ingredients” beep sounds. When the dough cycle is complete, remove dough and place on a cutting board. Slice dough evenly in half. Shape each piece into a round ball and flatten slightly to a disc shape. Lightly spray grease two small 6 inch spring form pans. Place each disc into each pan.

To set dough to rise:

Cover the surface of each dough piece with plastic wrap—the wrap should be touching the dough to act like a skin. Place the two pans on a cooling rack and place over a pan of hot water and cover with a heavy tea towel. (This creates a warm, humid, draft free environment to help the dough rise.) Let dough rise until double in size. This bread can take a long time to rise because the fruit and nuts hinder the rising process.

Preheat oven to 350F. Set oven rack to the middle section of the oven.

The dough could take 1 hr or more to rise. To test for baking readiness, lightly press your fingertip into the dough. If your fingerprint impression remains, it is ready! Be careful not to over-rise the dough.

When dough is ready, remove wrap and brush the tops of the bread lightly with milk and place in the oven to bake at 350F for approximately 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

When done, remove from oven and carefully remove from the spring form pans. Place on cooling racks and brush with prepared glaze (see above). Let cool

For a gift, wrap the outside of the bread in waxed paper, place bread on a festive disposable paper plate, wrap the plate and bread in clear cellophane and tie up with a pretty bow.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread or Buns!

(For 2 lb bread machine loaf or 18 round buns)

1 ½ cups water

¼ cup skim milk or buttermilk powder

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ cup molasses

2 tbsp butter (room temperature)

2 cups whole wheat flour for the bread machine

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or white bread machine flour

¾ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup 7-grain or 12-grain cereal (Bulk Barn)

1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast

Put the ingredients in the breadmachine pan in the exact order given above. Place the pan into the bread machine. Select the 2lb loaf size and select the Wholewheat cycle. Press start.

To make buns:

Select the Dough cycle on the breadmaker after inserting the pan. When the Dough cycle is complete and signal beeps, remove dough from the breadmaker.

Divide dough into 18 evenly sized dough pieces. Using your primary math skills: divide dough into three even size pieces, then divide each third into six pieces. Be sure to cover the dough to be worked with plastic wrap. It should be touching the dough to act like a skin.

To shape each bun, knead each piece lightly: Push dough away from you with your thumbs, then fold over on itself, then repeat. Then, holding the dough piece in your hand, gently pull the dough from the top of the ball and push this into the underside, as if you were shaping a mushroom. Then gently roll the round dough piece under the palm of your hand (on a cutting board) with your fingertips gently touching the cutting board surface, as though you were rolling the dough in a round cage or playing a shell game!

Place each round ball on a large pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Place balls about 1 inch apart. No worries if they are touching, they will just bake together. Also, remember to cover dough to be worked or baked with plastic wrap at all times. This prevents a skin from forming on the dough.

Preheat oven to 350F. Set oven rack to middle of the oven.

Set dough to rise:

Place pan of dough balls over a cookie rack, resting on top of a warm pan of water. Cover dough balls with plastic wrap (touching the dough) and a heavy tea towel. The objective is to create a warm, humid and draft-free environment. Let rise until just double in bulk (about 35 minutes).

When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, brush with milk and sprinkle with a little oatmeal and lightly press into dough.

Bake in centre of oven for 25-30 minutes. These buns make a lovely tower of buns on a round, festive tray, wrapped in cellophane and tied up with a pretty bow. Brings a whole new meaning to Nice Buns!

German Partybrot Buns

(Use the bread maker Dough option)

This recipe will win you rave reviews! It can be used as a base and shaped into many types of buns. It is also a good recipe to teach children how to knead dough and basic math division skills.

1 c milk

4 tbsp butter melted

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp salt

4 c all-purpose white Canadian flour

2 ½ tsp bread machine yeast (Bulk Barn)

Topping:

1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp milk mixed with a fork

1 tbsp EACH sesame seeds and poppy seeds

Assemble all ingredients in the bread maker chamber in the order listed. Select the “Dough” cycle and press start. When the dough cycle is finished, remove dough and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes under a tea towel.

Divide the dough into 19 equal pieces. Cover with tea towel while shaping each piece into a smooth ball. (To shape a ball: knead each dough piece gently with your thumbs: push dough away from yourself, fold over and turn. Repeat until smooth and satiny. Pull dough from the bottom to top of ball and push into the centre of the ball, like a mushroom. Roll between palms for a smooth, round ball. Cover dough while working.

Grease a spring form pan (about 9 ½-10 inches in diameter) with a little cooking spray. Arrange the shaped rolls in the prepared pan by making an outer ring of 12 rolls and an inner ring of six rolls, placing the last roll in the center of the two rings. Cover the rolls loosely with spray-greased saran wrap. The wrap should be placed grease side down touching all of the dough but loose enough around the edges to let the dough to rise and expand freely. Cover with a tea towel. Preheat oven to 350F. Let the dough to rise on a cookie cooling rack over a pan of hot water placed over the vent burner of the oven while the oven is preheating. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes. Set timer and don’t allow rolls to over rise or they will “fall” before you bake them.

When fully risen, carefully remove plastic wrap. Brush rolls with egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle alternately with sesame seeds and poppy seeds (like a checkerboard pattern). Bake in 350F oven on upper middle rack position for 25 minutes. Turn around pan after 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom of pan. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing sides from spring form pan. Remove sides of pan and then slide (don’t lift) buns from pan bottom to cooling rack. Cover loosely with tea towel. Serve warm or wrap when cooled in heavy tin foil to reheat or for transport.

Candy Cane Biscotti

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes

For glaze (optional)

¼ cup crushed candy canes

¼ cup red decorating icing

Heat oven to 350. Combine butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and baking powder; continue beating until well mixed. Stir in crushed candy. Divide dough into fourths on lightly floured surface. Shape each fourth into 9 x 1 1/2 inch round logs with lightly floured hands. Place logs 3 inches apart onto lightly greased or parchment paper lined large cookie sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 325. Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.

Carefully remove logs to cutting surface. Cut each log into 1/2 inch slices with sharp serrated knife. [Discard ends] Arrange pieces on same cookie sheet, cut-side down.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, or until cookies are light golden brown and crisp on both sides. Place onto cool rack; cool completely. Makes 24 biscotti.

Optional glaze:

Place cooled biscotti on wax paper. Warm ¼ cup red decorating icing in the microwave to a runny consistency. Drizzle glaze over top in a zigzag pattern with a fork. Dip each cookie in crushed candy canes. Allow glaze and topping to set before storing in an airtight container for up to one month, or freeze for several months.

Salute to World War II Foodies

Remembrance Day is a day of reflection. A time to think about the sacrifices men and women made for us during times of war. During World War II, while Canadian soldiers were fighting valiantly overseas, many Canadians on the home front were doing their part to support the war effort too. In 1939, Britain called upon Canada--its strongest partner--to provide not only soldiers and war machines but food as well. This might sound like a simple picnic request at first blush, but then imagine being asked to produce the food, preserve it and ship it—unscathed—thousands of miles across the North Atlantic! Without flinching, the unflappable Canadians replied "Sure…what’s a few more folks for dinner, right?"

Across Canada, researchers, farmers, food industry experts and Canadians jumped on board and contributed to the war effort by collaborating to come up with the most efficient and safe ways to deliver all kinds of food, including perishables, to Britain. They discovered new ways to make milk and egg powders and designed just the right packaging to keep the food dry and safe during long cargo shipments. They invented special refrigerated cargo containers, like giant picnic coolers, that could be placed on ordinary shipping vessels to ship meat—particularly Canadian bacon that the British liked so much. Before this, huge, gas-guzzling and very expensive refrigerated vessels were used to transport perishable foods overseas to Britain. The clever Canadian researchers also invented wax and plastic lined cardboard boxes and bags for frozen foods, just like the boxes we see today containing frozen pizza and hungry-man-dinners in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. So the next time you’re snacking on ice cream from a rectangular-shaped ice cream tub, enjoy an extra scoop and give the little tubbie a little salute for leaving a smaller environmental footprint than its round, cylindrical cousin. Yes, these food experts also discovered that when space is at a premium you can pack in more square or rectangular packages than round shaped packages. Remember that the next time you’re reorganizing your kitchen cupboards or sock drawer!

While all this research was going on in Ottawa and across Canada between federal government departments, the food industries and farmers, everyday Canadians were also doing their part. Young women knit, purled and whirled thick wool socks for the Red Cross for the soldiers overseas while the government urged families to grow Victory Gardens in their backyards and neighbourhoods to provide food for themselves. This explains why my Mother can knit socks, mitts and slippers with her eyes closed!

Food rations were introduced by the government in Canada in January 1942. Foods on the ration list were added over time and included butter, sugar, meat, coffee, tea, and chocolate. The food ration system was designed to keep farmers working on their land and to ensure that each person would have the same portion on their dinner plate as their neighbour or the soldier fighting at the front.

Canadians were encouraged to make simple meals using vegetables from their Victory Gardens, stretching their meat rations with entrees like meatloaf and making good use of their leftovers—if there were any at all. In honour of Remembrance Day, may I suggest these simple recipes to mark the day? As we honour the soldiers who fought for our freedom, let’s take a moment to also salute those who shared their knowledge and food expertise to bring us the high-quality food products we enjoy today.

French Canadian Pea Soup

You will need a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker.

1 lb yellow split peas

250 g smoked pork hock, skin removed (ask your butcher if you can’t find one)

3 carrots diced in circles.

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 stalk celery, very finely chopped

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp oregano

Place peas in bowl and add enough cold water to soak for at least 12 hours. Drain, rinse well and place in slow cooker. Add 7 cups water, and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 6 to 8 hours until soup is hot and bubbling.

With a slotted spoon, remove pork hock, then remove meat from the bone, cut into chunks and return to pot. Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve immediately.

Chickpea Meatloaf (Takes about 1.5 hrs to bake in the oven-NOT the slow Cooker)

I love this recipe. It uses chickpeas and has a lovely nutty flavour! It takes about 1.5 hours to bake.

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

500 g extra-lean ground beef

2 cups cooked chickpeas (on 19 oz tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained will do)

¾ cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

½ cup chili sauce or ketchup

2 tbsp ancient grain mustard

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot red pepper sauce

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oven to 350F.

In a food processor combine onion and garlic until pureed, or chop well by hand. Add chickpeas and chop finely.

In a big bowl, combine onion mixture, chickpeas, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, cumin, salt, pepper and parsley. Knead together lightly by hand.

Transfer mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Optional toppings may now be added:

Option 1) Combine 2 tbsp chili sauce and 1 tbsp mustard. Spread over loaf.

Option 2) Shred 1 cup mozzarella cheese and spread over loaf

Continue baking loaf, Uncovered, for another 45 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer, internal temperature should be 160 F. Cool for additional 30 minutes before removing from pan and serving.

Baked Parsnips and Carrots

Why not experiment and add slices of rutabagas or white turnips, squash..or anything else from your Victory Garden!

2 parsnips

4 carrots

1 tbsp butter or margarine

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Pinch of cumin

1 tbsp water

Peel parsnips and carrots by cutting them in half to make two inch sticks, then cut lengthwise into strips. Place in 9x 13 baking dish and dot with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cumin and add water. Cover and bake in 375F oven for 50-60 minutes or until tender. Makes 4 servings.

Potato Leek Soup

Slow cooker should be about 5 quarts.

2 tbsp butter or olive oil

3 leeks – just the white parts, trimmed and well-rinsed, then sliced

1 onion chopped

4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes

6 cups chicken bouillon broth

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

½ tsp black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup half and half table cream

Crumbled cheese such as Stilton, Blue cheese, Gouda or Cheddar.

In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and onion. Reduce heat to medium low, then cover and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes. Transfer this to slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients except the Half&Half and the cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6. When the vegetables are tender, using a hand blender, puree the soup in the slow cooker. Wear an apron and be careful—it is very hot!

Stir in cream, cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until it is heated through. NOTE: I you would like to refrigerate or freeze the soup, do not add the cream. To serve, reheat the soup in the slow-cooker and add 1/ cup of water, then add the cream.

To serve: place crumbles of cheese in the bottom of serving bowls and ladle soup on top.

Blueberry-Raspberry Crumble

Use a 3-6 quart slow cooker

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup cold butter cut into small cubes

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Note: no need to defrost berries if they’re frozen

2/3 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp lemon juice

In a bowl, combine flour, nuts and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until well blended and mixture is the size of small peas.

In the slow cooker, combine berries, maple syrup, cornstarch and lemon juice. Toss lightly to coat the berries. Sprinkle flour mixture over the berries. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. It is ready when fruit is tender and juices bubble. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

A quintillion reasons to love Quinoa

Yo! Have you tried chisaya mama (Mother of All Grains), otherwise known as Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa)? The Inca considered the crop to be sacred and worshiped its magical qualities. It also sustained the appetites of many hungry Inca soldiers with its incredible protein power and essential nutrients. Quinoa originally grew in the Andean Region of South America, in the land now known as Peru and was first harvested for people to eat about 3000 to 4000 years ago. It is a species of the Chenopodium family and mostly grown for its edible seeds. It is called a pseudocereal, meaning it is a broadleaf plant, not a grain. Other examples of pseudoceral plants are: amaranth, love-lies bleeding, red amaranth, Prince-of-Whales feather and buckwheat. These “grains” are sometimes referred to as “Anciant Grains” because they originated long, long ago. Modern-day cereal crops are known as grasses and some well-known, commercially grain crops include: Barley, Corn, Oats, Rice, Rye, Sorghum, Wheat and Millet.

What makes Quinoa so outstanding in its field is its uniquely nutty flavour and best of all, its high nutrient content, boasting essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. According to the USDA Nutrient Database, 100 grams of uncooked Quinoa yields 14g of Protein, 7 g of dietary fibre, 4.6 g of Iron and plenty of Vitamin B1, B2, B6, Folate, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Zinc. It is a perfect alternative for people who are gluten-intolerant or allergic to wheat and is also known for building muscle, promoting weight loss and stabilizing blood sugar.

So what’s not to love? Well, during the European Conquest of South America, the Spaniards turned up their noses and gave it the thumbs down, labelling it “food for the Indians”. They banished the Incas from growing Quinoa and forced them to grow wheat instead. Why? Because the Spaniards recognized that this mighty crop gave the Inca armies great strength and stamina. Of course they claimed it was because the Incas used it in non-Christian ceremonies. Being tactful folk…the Incas simply obliged. Perhaps they knew this mighty and resilient food gem would make a resounding comeback thousands of years later among North Americans looking for sustainable non-animal protein food options.

A great cookbook to get you started is Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. I am a huge fan of their recipes for Ginger Molasses Cookies, Bocconcini and Oregano Salad, and Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I have successfully adapted a few of my own recipes using quinoa flour in cookie recipes and quinoa instead of couscous, rice or bulgur. If you have a Bulk Barn or a health food store near you, be sure to explore all the various colours of Quinoa, flour options and flakes and adapt away! Just remember, it has no gluten in it so I wouldn’t attempt making bread or muffins entirely with Quinoa flour. Gluten, which is in wheat flours is needed to help bread rise.

Here is my Quinoa Pistachio-Chocolate Shortbread recipe and another (below) for Spicy Cookies adapted from my Grandmother Upton's recipe:

Quinoa Pistachio-Chocolate Shortbread

½ cup butter

½ cup granulated white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Quinoa Flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp orange zest (orange peel finely diced)

*¼ cup chopped pistachios

2 squares dark chocolate chunks- roughly chopped (preferably 2 wrapped squares of Baker 100% Pure dark chocolate)

*Other optional additions: blanched almonds, chopped dried cranberries, etc.

Topping to brush on shaped cookies before baking:

1 egg yolk, beaten

¼ c granulated sugar

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg, vanilla and orange zest and mix well. Stir in flour and knead by hand until dough comes together. Add a little more flour if dough is too sticky.

Cover and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from refrigerator. At this point you may roll the dough into 1” size balls by hand OR roll the dough out flat to ½” thickness and cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. If making balls, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten carefully with a fork dipped in water or a smooth bottomed glass lightly dipped in water.

Brush with a little egg yolk and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT let them brown! Remove to cool on a cookie rack.

Spicy Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Quinoa flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar (found in the spice section-this is a dry white powder)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

(For flattening dough balls have ready: a small bowl of water and a small bowl of granulated white sugar)

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cream together sugar and butter. Mix in egg. In a separate bowl, mix well together flour, soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to sugar and egg and stir well to form a smooth dough. Shape dough into 1" balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a flat bottomed glass lightly dipped in water, then dipped in small bowl with white sugar to flatten each ball. OR, flatten with a fork lightly dipped in water.

October's pick: The Pumpkin starring in Pulp Non-Fiction

Mini-pumpkins make darling little centrepieces, place card holders (just make a deep slice and slide in the card) and romantic Fall tealight candleholders (slice off top, hollow out seeds and voila).

Now, let me regale you with a few tales about this robust October starlet and a few intriguing recipes for muffins, soup, cheesecake and even pasta!

Imagine...it’s October 1535. You’re Jacques Cartier navigating your way up a very big river. Yes, you know it's the St. Lawrence River but stay with me.... Peering through your scope you see scattered patches of large, bright orange round things sitting in the riverbank fields ahead. Hmm? Have you been at sea too long or, are you about to be invaded by an army of very pudgy, misshapen aliens with a serious camouflage problem? Being a seasoned world explorer you pull over and ask the local native people what these orange things are. “Isqoutm squash, monsieur,” they reply. Translation: “Pumpkins”. And so, you and your French confreres are introduced to the monster member of the Cucurbita family, her siblings being the petite squash and svelte-like cucumber. The French named this mysterious large melon the Pepon, then Pompon. The English changed it to Pompion, and finally, the Pumpkin.

Our native people though were the real discoverers of the pumpkin’s many virtues. High in fibre, heart-friendly potassium, vitamins A and C, and good-for-you antioxidant beta-carotene, pumpkin was used as a daily food staple in the native people’s diet long before the colonists landed in North America. In these pre-marshmallow times, as a delicacy, the Native Indians would roast long strips of pumpkin over an open fire. Hollowed out pumpkins also performed double-duty as biodegradable, disposable and nutritious roasting pots in the hot ashes of dying fires. No pot scrubbing required!

But it was the Irish who revealed the pumpkin’s inner magical spirit. Always in pursuit of life, liberty and luck, Irish settlers to North America began the tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns and placing a piece of coal inside to light up the creation, as part of their Samhain holiday on October 31st to welcome back dead souls. They used turnips in the old country but quickly discovered pumpkins were much easier to hack up in a hurry.

These days pumpkin seeds are used to deworm humans, to prevent prostrate cancer and to relieve burns—not surprising since pumpkins are comprised of 80 per cent water.

With the pumpkin being a lifesaver in so may ways, it’s easy to see why the wise Fairy Godmother reserved a pumpkin carriage to whisk away the one-shoed lady to life-altering bliss in the children’s fairy tale, Cinderella. And, we have lived happily ever after with the pumpkin ever since!

Try these pumpkin pleaser recipes to get you started.

High Fibre Breakfast Pumpkin Muffins
Dry ingredients:
¾ cup bran
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup raisins or currants

Wet ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg unbeaten
½ cup canola oil
½ cup plain yogurt

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add pumpkin, egg, oil and yogurt and stir until just combined. Tip for muffin success: after adding wet ingredients to the dry ingredient mixture, only stir the mixture 17 times! Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake in 400 F oven for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool in tin on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool on a cookie rack. Makes 12 muffins.

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Soup
(Serves six)
You will need a 5-6 quart slow cooker to make this recipe.
3 cups chicken stock
1 28 oz or 796 ml pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch of nutmeg
1 14 oz or 400 ml coconut milk
1/2 tsp lime zest
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
In the slow cooker combine chicken stock, pumpkin, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder and nutmeg. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours OR on high for 2-3 hours until it is hot and bubbling. Stir in coconut milk, lime zest and juice. Serve in individuals bowls and garnish with cheese and cilantro.

The Crowd-Pleaser Pumpkin Cheesecake
This recipe is easy to make but allow yourself enough time to bake and cool the cake, then chill it overnight. You will need a 9 inch spring form pan and an electric mixer.
Crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
(PC English style Gingersnaps crushed in a food processor work well)
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp granulated sugar
(Reserve a tbsp or two of this mixture to sprinkle over the baked cake, if desired)

Filling:
3 250 g pkgs light cream cheese, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp EACH nutmeg and ginger
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp bourbon, if desired

Crust:
Combine ingredients. Press firmly onto bottom and ½ inch up sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill for 1 or more hours.
Filling:
In a large bowl, using a electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugars until very smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, until just blended. Beat in pumpkin, spices, milk, cornstarch and bourbon, until thoroughly combined. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes or until center of cake is just set. Remove cake from oven and run a knife around sides of pan. Cool at room temperature on a cookie rack. Chill, covered, overnight. To serve, remove sides of pan and garnish as desired with crumb mixture, whipped cream or whole pecans or pralines.


Tasty Bacon-Pumpkin Pasta
Serves 4-6
3-4 cups dry penne pasta (or your favourite pasta)
2 cups pumpkin puree (1 large tin)
6 strips bacon
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
¾ cream or whole milk
pinch of sage
pinch of nutmeg

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Toasted chopped pecans for garnish, if desired

Boil penne to al dente. In a deep fry pan cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels to absorb grease and dice into thin strips. Discard all but 1 tbsp bacon fat from fry pan. Lower fry pan heat to med-low and cook garlic in remaining bacon fat. Stir often to prevent it from burning. Add the pumpkin, parsley, sage, nutmeg and cream. Stir until warmed. DO NOT BOIL. (If you wish, reserve some of the sauce and Parmesan cheese for another meal at this point.) Drain pasta. Stir Parmesan cheese into pasta, then stir in sauce. Mix well and serve immediately. Top each serving with toasted chopped pecans.

Bon Appétit!

The Good Apple - In Memory of Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

....Steve Jobs and his Apple products made creative and sensible thinking, cool.

Just imagine if Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs hadn’t chosen “Apple” as the brand name for their computer company way back in 1976. The personal computer might not be where it is today, IBM might still be telling us to “Think” and we’d probably be downloading our favourite tunes to Lemons. Those smart Steves, must have known naming their little company after the most popular fruit in North America would guarantee success. No other fruit bears quite the same healthy, virtuous, down-to-earth reputation among North American consumers as the apple, known everywhere as a portable, reliable, nutritious snack, and packed with Vitamin A and C. The McIntosh apple, by the way, is the all-time favourite among consumers and coincidentally, the name of the two Steves’ first generation of computers. Yes, there’s something highly resilient and entrepreneurial in the name McIntosh. The Steve and Steve team enticed people to take a bite out of the PC market, buy their Macs and “Think Different. ”

Similar to Steve Jobs' success, the apples from the very first McIntosh Apple tree, grown in the Ottawa Valley 200 years go, took a bite out of the apple market.

Rumour has it, John McIntosh, the son of Scottish immigrants discovered an overgrown orchard on his property near Ottawa and transplanted 20 of the healthiest seedlings to new ground. Only one tree survived and the apples from this singleton drew the praises from his admiring neighbours. With a stubborn entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to capitalize on his find, McIntosh learned how to successfully duplicate the apple of his eye. At first, apple growers did not want to grow the “Mac” because it was susceptible to pests and disease. By the early 1900’s, however, as spraying techniques were more widely used, the little McIntosh became more virulent and very popular among apple growers and consumers alike.

Today, tart and tasty McIntosh apples are cultivated in nearly every apple growing area of North America, including Eastern Ontario.

A few tips about apples:

• It takes four apples to make a glass of pure apple juice.
• Three medium apples equals about 1 lb. (500 g).
• One medium apple yields about 1/4 cup (175 mL) sliced apples

Try these recipes to explore this Fall’s bounty:

The Steve Jobs No-Fail Spicy Apple Tart

Use McIntosh, Cortland, Spy or Newtown Apples.

Pastry:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp white sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

¾ cup cool butter

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 tbsp water

Filling:

6 cups (7-8 medium sized apples) peeled, coarsely grated apples (no need to core!)

2 cups white sugar

¼ cup white flour

1 tsp cinnamon

icing sugar

Pastry: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in egg yolks with water; stir into flour mixture to form a soft dough. Using fingertips, spread dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of 11” flan pan or fluted glass dish, patting gently.

Filling: Combine all ingredients except icing sugar. Spread mixture evenly over pastry. (After filling the pastry, make a tin foil ring to place over the edges of the pastry to protect it from burning.) Bake at 375 F oven until apples are tender or about 45 minutes. Be sure to turn and check after 20 min and place the foil ring on the pastry edge if necessary to prevent burning. Let cool. Sift icing sugar over top. Serve with frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Apple Oka Bites

12 slices smoked bacon

1/4 cup grainy mustard

2 Ontario Apples cut into 24 wedges

250 g Oka cheese, cubed into 24 pieces

(Or, try other cheeses like Gorgonzola or Stilton for savoury substitutes)

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon in batches until cooked through, limp but not crispy. Place on a paper-towel lined plate to soak up fat and let cool. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut each strip of bacon in half to make 24 small strips. Spread each strip with 1/4 tsp mustard and wrap around an apple wedge and piece of cheese. Secure with toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Arrange bites on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven just until bacon starts to bubble and cheese begins to melt, about 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve immediately or refrigerate and quickly reheat under the broiler. Makes 24 pieces.

Apple, Carmelized Onions and White Cheddar Pizza

2 tbsp butter

2 onions, sliced into 1/4 rounds

2 Ontario Apples, cored and sliced into wedges

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 pkg. frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed

1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions until caramelized and softened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in apple wedges and cook 5 minutes longer (apples will be firm and a light golden colour). Season with salt, pepper and vinegar. Let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 400°F . Roll puff pastry into a flat 10-inch square. Cut a 1/2-inch strip from each side. Brush the edges of the remaining pastry square with water and arrange strips on top, trimming, to form a border (or pizza crust) on all four sides. Using fork, prick bottom of pastry all over. Arrange onion and apple mixture inside border. Sprinkle with cheddar and thyme.

Bake in the centre of preheated oven until pastry is puffed and golden and cheddar is melted and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4-6 servings.