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