BEET BREAD PUDDING

One of my favourite foods of late summer are beets. Besides the traditional preserves of pickled beets and plain canned beets, here is a favourite recipe.

Beet Bread Pudding can be substituted as a stuffing and this year I cooked it as the dressing with a turkey dinner. The colour is wonderful although the picture is a rather poor reflection of that.

Ingredients:
cooked beets
bread, dried
onion
a bit of chicken stock
seasoning: salt, pepper, then it's up to you. In this version I used italian because that is what I had on hand. You could also use basil, savoury, marjoram etc.

I simply combine:
5 - 6 cups torn dry bread
2 cups chopped/diced cooked red beets
1/2 cup diced onion
1 or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
a bit of stock to moisten
seasoning to taste

Just mix it all and put in a greased baking dish (i used a loaf pan this time) and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes

Where oh where is the summer?

Oh my gosh! Where did the summer go? Suddenly the thirty something has been replaced by about 5 degrees. Today we had rain, then hail and the sky was very black but with a beautiful rainbow this morning.

I haven't quite finished harvesting but not much to do, just dig the potatoes. All in all the garden did fairly well except for some reason the cucumbers just recently produced cucumbers. I enjoyed growing things even if there was not a lot of yield.

I am now so busy back at the school, teaching a home ec course and doing  the hot lunch program with the kids. So much work some days I just don't stop from the time I get there, around 7:30 am till I leave sometime after 4:00 or 5:00. Some days all I think about is food, food and more food. Kids are liking the food though, and enjoying being in the kitchen. That is very gratifying.

Wild Manitoba Blueberries

Monday, we were all hanging off the sides of our chairs melting from the sweltering, humid 36 degree celcius weather. Ice tea by the pitcher and moving as little as possible got most of us through it nicely.

Actually, I don't really mind the heat. I just remember those days of minus 40 and the north wind that January and February brings to Manitoba and a little heat is welcome.

 This morning had the feel of mid-October and it seemed that it might be a good time to check if the wild blueberries were ready for picking.


I invited a couple of girls ages 8 and 5 along for the excursion and they were both very excited to participate. One got so excited she spilled her breakfast cereal on the floor.

We bundled up in hoodies, toting bug spray just in case, and headed for the hills...sand hills that is.

After about a 15 minute drive we arrived at out first spot and eagerly climbed out of the van.

The pickings initially were sparse but the kids were still

 excited to find berries as this was their first berry-picking adventure. We tried a few spots and after half an hour we managed to cover the bottom of 3 margarine containers. It was time to move on. We drove to another spot close by and there were even less. Undaunted, we agreed to drive a little farther and try one more spot.

Ah, sweet success! Although we were probably a week or 10 days early for picking, we got enough to make blueberry pancakes for 4 and put a margarine container in the freezer.

We'll return in a week or 2 to try again. Anyone who has ever picked wild bush blueberries will know why they sell for $40 for a 4 litre (about a quart) ice cream pail. It takes a long time to fill a basket. Sometimes I make a blueberry syrup from my pickings. I have also used them in muffins, cake and this year I may try a version of my brandied cherries with the blueberries. However you choose to have them, they are wonderful!

Wild Manitoba Blueberries

Monday we were all hanging off the sides of our chairs sweltering in  humid 36 degree celcius heat. Personally, I didn't really mind the heat 'cause I just think of those minus 40 days in January and February where the north wind blows in off the river and the heat doesn't feel bad at all.

This morning the weather had reversed itself and it kind of felt like a day in mid-October. So, it seemed as though it might be a good day for picking wild blueberries.

I invited a couple of girls, ages 8 and 5 to go with me on the excursion. First time picking for both.

Wild Manitoba Blueberries

Feels Like Winter Woolies Time

Container Garden Update

Zuccinni almost ready to eat

The zuccinni plant and more

Mesculin mix did well with a bit of re-seeding

Both green and yellow beans have already been harvested. The purple were planted later and aren't ready yet

The little garden is doing well: zuccinni, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots white and orange,

cucumbers, beans and more 

My Manitoba Container Garden

Zuccinni, the first time I have planted this in a pot. I think there will be enough zuccinni for the whole building. We had a week of warmer than usual weather around May 24th so I started planting then although I usually wait till early to mid June. It got cold again after I planted but everything seems fine, thriving in fact. Also shown in the next picture, potatoes and tomatoes and carrots.

Cucumbers and melons or squash. I didn't mark the pot and can't remember what I put in the one in front. These will need thinning as the season progresses.

A mix of lettuce (mesculin) that did not come up well. I have now reseeded it and will see what happens. Behind the lettuce is a pot of swiss chard that seems to be thriving. Really, you can grow things just about anywhere in anything.

Beans: a pot each of green, yellow and purple. I will add more seeds to the pots later to keep these producing later into the summer.

A few pots of herbs in front of the beans. One of the advantages of container gardening is the ability to move pots around if they don't like the place they are currently living.

A group shot. I am fortunate that my apartment building provides this nice pad area for container gardening. The hose is close by hung in a branch of a tree. I even have a few pots hanging from the branches when I ran out of room on the pad.

Pp

Another group shot. You can see how well the potatoes on the right are doing. I planted them a little differently this year. I started by planting the seed potatoes in the bottom half of the pot, then added more earth as the tops grew. I have heard it increases the yield. We'll see in the fall, I guess.

For those who have never grown your own fresh veggies before, it's actually quite easy. You simply cannot compare the taste of fresh vegetables to store-bought. Second best would be organically grown market veggies.

If you don't have a plot of ground, it is easy and fairly inexpensive to grow a few veggies in whatever containers you have lying around. The containers can be traditional flower pot types or basically anything that is clean and will hold soil while providing good drainage. You can use things like a piece of eavestroughing to grow lettuce, radishes, onions, swisschard, etc. Wooden or plastic boxes of various sizes can be used for tomatoes, potatoes, beans, zuccinnii, carrots and more. I have grown strawberries in small containers and hanging bags. Recycle shopping bags can be used. Poke a few holes for drainage, fill with soil and plant away.

There are many books and quite a lot of online articles available to give you ideas or planting information.
If you are on a tight budget, you can take seeds from produce you buy and start your own plants. If you are in most of Canada or the northern USA it might be getting a bit late for that depending on the end of your growing season.

Herbs can be started in pots and moved indoors before winter frosts arrive. But hey, let's not think of winter frosts just yet, ok?

I will be happy to share any growing tips I can think of, just contact me at this blog.
One important thing about container gardening is that it will probably require quite a lot of watering. My garden gets a lot of heat as it is right against a brick building with exposure from south and west and a bit from the north. It is hot! Beets don't really do well in that much heat or at least mine didn't last year.

This is a really great way to get a little bit of almost everything. I usually get enough for a few meals of each thing and sometimes enough to freeze or preserve.

I also watch the farmers markets and am happy to receive or trade for surplus veggies my neighbours may have.

Good luck and happy growing!

Alex's Rhubarb Pie

Late spring and early summer in Manitoba usually brings an abundant supply of fresh rhubarb. If you don't grow your own, someone is often happy to give you some especially in exchange for a pie. Sometimes you will find some growing in abandoned homesteads where once hardworking prairie housewives gathered it to make their pies.

This recipe was given me by an older gentleman after I gave him some rhubarb to make his pies. I think it is the best rhubarb pie I have ever eaten. I am happy to share it with you.

I always make a large batch of pastry and portion it and freeze it so when I want to make something like this I just pull one from the freezer and let it thaw for about 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. You can use your own favourite pastry recipe or a store bought one if you prefer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Filling:

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2 Tablespoons (heaped) flour

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Combine first 4 ingredients, mixing very well until all the rhubarb is well coated, then add egg and mix again.

Topping:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar (heaped)

4 Tablespoons flour (heaped)

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine (generous)

 Blend this together as you would blend shortening or lard into the flour for pastry or biscuits

Put the filling into an unbaked pie shell;  9" works well.

Sprinkle the topping over it.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes then lower temperature to 325 degrees for another 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before cutting. Can be served as is or topped with ice cream or whipped cream..

The Garden

It's taking a long time for us to see some warm weather here on the prairies. A couple of days ago we had a storm with a prolonged onslaught of hail and we all thought maybe we would have a tornado.

Anyway, enough whining about the weather, which I can't do anything about anyway!

Where I live, even though it is a small town, they will not allow any garden space to be dug up. So, I plant things in containers. There are definitely pros and cons to this style of gardening.
First, I am definitely restricted to the amount of produce I can grow. This has been additionally hampered by the new apartment rule that we can only put pots on a small cemented area. Also, my landlords are a little chemical-happy, wanting to spray Round-up before they lay the cement tiles. I know a lot of people are happy to use chemicals, but I am not.

So, I have moved all my already planted pots about a hundred yards away from the area until they complete their chemical onslaught.

I planted a little earlier than usual this year as the weather seemed warm at the time. One can only hope it returns to that soon.

So far, I have planted: green, yellow and purple beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes. This year I added squash and cucumbers to the mix. Not sure how they will do in pots but we will see. I also will be adding some herbs and peppers, just waiting for warmer weather.

So You Want To Own A Restaurant

Earlier this evening I watched online and episode of "Kitchen Nightmares" with Chef Gordon Ramsey. As a former restaurant worker, I enjoy the show. He kind of reminds me of a chef I used to work for in the catering business. I have noticed a common theme in the shows, people start or buy a restaurant who know absolutely nothing about the business. Correct me if I'm wrong, please, but I don't think people usually buy any other kind of  business that they know nothing about....do they?

It is, however, a common theme among restaurant owners. The line goes something like this:
1. I was spending a lot eating out so I thought I may as well buy a restaurant of my own
2. I was walking past this cute place one day and I just had to have it
3. I thought it would be a great way to hang out with my friends

PLEASE DON'T BUY A RESTAURANT FOR THESE REASONS

Seriously, if you're thinking of buying or starting a restaurant of your own go work in one for a minimum of six months. If you are still thinking about it after that time do another six months. Work in the front end (where the customers are) and the back end (kitchen). Find out if you really like:
a) working weekends and holidays when everyone else is generally off
b) working early mornings and late evenings
c) standing long hours on your feet
d) smelling like food and possibly booze when you go home
e) eating on the run because you don't have time to sit down and relax to eat

However, if after all this you love it, really love it, then do it!

Savoury Pancakes

This recipe is a quick and easy meal for lunch or supper.
Ingredients:
pancake batter
4 chopped green onions (or any other kind of onion)
12 - 15 smallish chopped cooked shrimp or use the canned ones if you don't have anything else
1/2 chopped pepper (doesn't really matter which colour) use hot ones if you like them
Italian seasoning to taste
Sour Cream

Method:
Make pancake batter your own or store bought, about 3/4 cup batter per serving
Add chopped ingredients and seasoning

I like to use a large cast iron pan. Heat for a few minutes low to med heat. Add a bit of oil to prevent sticking
Pour one portion of the mixture and cook as you would any other pancake. Flip once when the first side has browned.

Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on top
Yield: 3 - 4 pancakes

Note: You could probably substitute chopped, cooked chicken in place of the shrimp or use crab meat, lobster etc.
 Prep time about 5 - 10 minutes
Cook time - less than 5 minutes per serving

Slowcooker Pork Stew/Soup

This is a quick and easy meal to prep. Once assembled it cooks on its own while you are away at work or overnite while you're sleeping. The recipe makes 2 large or 4 smaller portions.

Ingredients:
2 pork chops cubed
1 onion chopped or sliced
2 celery stalks chopped 
2 potatoes cut into medium chunks
2 - garlic cloves, peeled, and crushed or finely chopped
1 bay leaf
Water to cover
Depending on your slowcooker, choose low, med or high. Mine has only 2 settings so I cooked mine on high over nite.
Add some cabbage roughly chopped near the end of cooking time (I actually put mine in at the beginning and it was ok, but soggy.
When everything was cooked I found the taste to be too bland so I added a can of tomato soup and a tablespoon of beef boullion.