Te amo Portugal!

Braving the rain!

Last week we tried our hand at Portuguese food, which not many people have tried. We opted to make the signature Portuguese soup-Caldo Verde, which really just means "green soup".

From the looks of it, being packed full of nutritious kale, it sure fits it's name! Of course, we served the soup with a lot of crusty bread.

It's not a Portuguese meal without bread!

We also enjoyed a bean salad with tuna, or Salada de Feijao Frade com Atum that really pleases the Portuguese at home.

We had our first dessert, and we made Arroz Doce, or Portuguese rice pudding, with loads of cinnamon. It's my personal recipe, so I hope you all enjoy it! We were also graced with some home-made banana bread which was ultra moist, and made with love.

Bunny, our resident Pet

Our growing gardens

Caldo Verde

1 bunch                                 Kale, very thinly sliced                              1 bunch

6                                      potatoes, peeled and chopped                                   6

1                                             onion, chopped finely                                          1

6 cloves                                  garlic, chopped finely                               6 cloves

2                                              chorizo, sliced thinly                                           2

2 L                                                        water                                                     2 L

2 T                                                      olive oil                                             30 mL

To taste                                       salt and pepper                                     to taste

1. In a large stock pot sweat onion and garlic.
2. Add potatoes and water and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
3. Use a hand blended to puree the soup.
4. Add chorizo and kale.
5. Season to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Branco, P. and Sine, E. (2012). Caldo Verde. Personal Recipe. 

Salada de Feijao Frade com Atum

4 cups                         black eyed peas, cooked or canned                            1 L

9 oz                                    tuna, packed in oil, drained                                 9 oz

2                                                  eggs, hardboiled                                               2

½ cup                                              olive, black                                        125 mL

1                                         onion, sliced in half moons                                      1

5 T                                                      olive oil                                             75 mL

3 T                                            white wine vinegar                                    45 mL

2 cloves                                        garlic, minced                                     2 cloves

4 T                                              parsley, chopped                                     60 mL

To taste                                       salt and pepper                                     to taste

1. In a small bowl, whiskl oil and vinegar.
2. In a large bowl, combine beans, onion, garlic and 3 T of parsley.
3. Pour in dressing and toss to coat.
4. Fold in tuna, season with salt and pepper and cover.
5. Refrigerate to allow flavours to blend.
6. Top salad with eggs and parsley.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Leite, D. (2009). Portuguese Salad of Black-Eyed Peas with Tuna. Leite’s Culinaria. Retrieved from http://leitesculinaria.com/7757/recipes-portuguese-salad-black-eyed-peas-tuna.html on June 6, 2012.

Creating a beautiful entrance into the garden space from the kitchen

Arroz Doce

½ cup                                             Arborio rice                                       125 mL

1 ½ cup                                                 milk                                              375 mL

1                                                   cinnamon stick                                                1

3 peels                                          lemon, peeled                                       3 peels

¼ cup                                                   sugar                                               60 mL

2                                                        egg yolks                                                     2

1 T                                                       butter                                               15 mL

To decorate                             cinnamon, ground                            to decorate

1. Blanch the rice with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes.
2. Simmer milk with cinnamon stick and lemon peels.
3. In a medium sized pot, add the milk gradually, ladle by ladle, letting the rice soak up the milk between ladles.
4. Add sugar.
5. Temper the egg yolks and add them.
6. Add butter.
7. Pour into serving dish, and sprinkle cinnamon on top in a design.

Makes 4 servings. 

Sine. E. (2012). Arroz Doce. Personal recipe. 

Our First "Family Cook Up" Day

Erin teaching how to make a salad roll, and you can
see the first radish harvest of the season on the table! 

A few weeks ago we had our first Family Cook Up day, where the families get to take a break from digging in the soil and they get to be involved in making the meal. We chose to do something fairly simple, and easy for people to pick up and do on their own at home. 

Salad rolls are very cost effective, and you can really customize them to suit your own taste at home, and you can fill them up with infinite flavour combinations. 

Soup seems to be a go-to dish right now, especially with the crumby weather we have been having. 

Now..... if only I could remember to bring a LADLE! 

Vietnamese Salad Rolls

4                                              rice paper wrappers                                           4

½ package       rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water and drained   ½ package

1 cup                                             bean sprouts                                      250 mL

2                                            green onions, julienned                                         2

1                                                 carrots, julienned                                              1

2 leaves                                  lettuce, in 4x3 pieces                               2 leaves

8 cups                                               hot water                                                 2 L

½ package                           tofu, smoked and sliced                        ½ package

¼ cup                                  cilantro, leaves picked off                              60 mL

¼ cup                                      cucumber, julienned                                   60 mL

¼ cup                                         mango, julienned                                     60 mL

12                                           shrimp, small, cooked                                        12

1. Have everything ready in ‘mis en place’
2. Put hot water into a bowl or sauce pan large enough to hold the rice paper wrappers.
3. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for a second to soften.
4. Lay the wrapper flat on plate or counter and fill it with desired fillings.
5. Fold the edges in first, and roll the salad roll semi-tightly.
6. Serve with sauces.

                                               Peanut Sauce                                                 

½ cup                                    peanut butter, creamy                               125 mL

1 tbsp                                               soy sauce                                            15 mL

1 tsp                                               sambal olek                                            5 mL

Enough to thin down                      hot water                   enough to thin down

1 clove                                          Garlic, minced                                       1 clove

                                                       Spicy Sauce

½ cup                                          Thai chili sauce                                     125 mL

2 tbsp                                               lime juice                                            30 mL

2 tsp                                           rice wine vinegar                                     10 mL

2 tsp                                                     water                                               10 mL

Makes 4 servings, one salad roll each.

Adapted by Erin Sine, 2012. Adell  Shneer and the Canadian Living Test Kitchen. Vegetarian Salad Rolls. Retreived May 29^th, 2012 at www.canadianliving.com/food/vegetarian_salad_rolls.php

Aimee tending to the seedlings in one of our gardens

Miso Soup with Mixed Vegetables

 3 tbsp                                             Miso paste                                           45 mL

¼ package                                  soft tofu, cubed                               ¼ package

1                                            spring onion, cut thinly                                         1

2 tsp                                             dashi granules                                       10 mL

4 cups                                                  water                                                     1 L

½ cup                                     broccoli, small florets                               125 mL

¼ cup                                               baby corn                                           60 mL

½ cup                                  baby bok choy, chopped                               ½ cup

½ cup                                            bean sprouts                                         ½ cup

Garnish                                        cilantro leaves                                      garnish

1. In a sauce pan, mix together dashi and miso paste and a small amount of water.
2. Add the rest of the water.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Stir in vegetables and tofu.
5. Cook vegetables until tender crisp and serve.

Makes 4 servings, at 1 cup/serving.

Idea created by Otto Chan, and recipe adapted by Erin Sine, 2012. From allrecipes.com/recipe/miso-soup/detail.aspx 

Take a culinary trip with us to Morocco!

Lunch was another hit with the Eden folks today! And coupled with the beautiful Vancouver "riviera" sunshine, this day was all we could have asked for to be productive and humble gardeners.

We had the first "meat day" today, with Moroccan marinated salmon patties, with the marinade called 'chermoula' . The patties were paired with tomato and cucumber salad and couscous with currants.

Enjoy these recipes and come see what we are planning for next week's Family Cook Up day, where EVERYONE will participate in the cooking!

Salmon Cakes with Chermoula Marinade

6                                                     cans salmon                                                  6

2                                                     spring onion                                                  2

1                                                    garlic, minced                                                 1

¼ bunch                               cilantro, finely chopped                            ¼ bunch

¼ bunch                        flat leaf parsley, finely chopped                     ¼ bunch

¼ tsp                                                     salt                                                   1 mL

1 tsp                                             cumin powder                                          4 mL

½ tbsp                                             chilli paste                                          7.5 mL

1 tsp                                           turmeric powder                                        4 mL

½ tsp                                            sweet paprika                                          2 mL

3 tbsp                                                 olive oil                                             45 mL

½                                                   lemon, juiced                                                ½

1                                                       egg, mixed                                                    1

1. Chop all ingredients except salmon and egg finely, or blend.
2. Add to canned salmon and egg.
3. Heat frying pan to medium-high heat.
4. Form patties, and add to frying pan.
5. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve alone or with yogurt.

Makes 6 servings, 2 patties each.

Adapted by Erin Sine from Poh’s Kitchen. April 14, 2012. Chermoula. Retrieved May 24, 2012 from www.abc.net.ca/tv/pohskitchen/stories/s2871358.htm

Moroccan Tomato and Cucumber Salad

3 cups                              tomatoes, seeded & chopped                         750 mL

3 cups                                      cucumber, chopped                                 750 mL

2                                         spring onions, sliced thinly                                      2

1                                                garlic clove, grated                                             1

¼ tsp                                            cumin powder                                          1 mL

pinch                                             curry powder                                          pinch

pinch                                                  nutmeg                                               pinch

1                                                    lemon, zested                                                 1

3 tbsp                                                 olive oil                                             45 mL

1 tbsp                                         red wine vinegar                                     15 mL

¼ cup                                              mint, fresh                                           60 mL

To taste                                              pepper                                            to taste

To taste                                                 salt                                               to taste

1. Mix everything together and check for seasoning.

Makes 6 servings.

Adapted by Erin Sine from Kayotic Kitchen. June 14, 2010. Moroccan Tomato Salad. Retrieved May 24, 2012 from www.kayotic.nl/blog/moroccan-tomato-salad

Couscous with Currants & Carrots

2 cups                                   chicken broth, unsalted                              500 mL

1                                                carrot, finely diced                                             1

¼ cup                                                 olive oil                                             50 mL

1 tbsp                                            grated ginger                                        15 mL

¼ tsp                                                 turmeric                                               1 mL

1/8 tsp                                             cinnamon                                           0.5 mL

¼ tsp                                                   cumin                                                 1 mL

1 cup                                     whole wheat couscous                              250 mL

½ cup                                                currants                                          125 mL

¼ tsp                                                     salt                                                   1 mL

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring broth to a boil.
2. Add carrot, oil, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin.
3. Boil until carrot is tender-crisp, about four minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in couscous, currants and salt.
5. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes, until couscous is soft and liquid is absorbed.
6. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Gerry Kasten, RD. (2012). Couscous with Currants and Carrots. UBC FNH 341 Course Manual.