Chef
Bruce Wood's Recipes of the week
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| My
name is Bruce Wood and I have been a chef since 1984. I did
my apprenticeship in Toronto at the Hazelton Café and
attended George Brown college when it was still in Kensington
market. This is when my love for all things local started
to really take hold.
I would
wander the market on my breaks looking for new and exciting
foods to work with and meet many vendours and local food producers.
I moved to Ottawa in 1992 and worked in several restaurants
before winding up at Mariposa Farm. Working for the owners
Ian & Suzanne was one of the most liberating culinary
experiences any chef could ever experience. For 3 years I
wrote the menus for Sunday lunch and all the functions using
only products from the farm or other small local food producers
and farmers.
We developed
a series of succesful cooking classes featuring these local
products. In September of last year I left the farm to get
married and am currently teaching at Algonquin College where
I have taught part time for the past 4 years. I also do guest
appearances on Rogers and the new RO and teach in many small
venues around Ottawa. I am very excited to be involved with
Bryson farms and look forward to finding new and wonderful
ways to prepare the fruits of their labours. |
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There
is a method of cooking fresh vegetables known as large pot blanching.
This method ensures crisp tasty vegetables that retain a brilliant
colour. The important thing to remember is to have a bowl of
ice water beside the stove this ensures that the cooking stops
immediately and the vegetables retain most of their nutrients
and colour.
- Top
and tail the beans and wash well
- Bring
a large pot of salted water to the boil (I recommend about
3 tbsp. of salt for every litre of water)
Have a bowl of ice water beside the stove
- If
you are cooking a large batch of beans do it in two or three
steps ~ you should not blanch more than about two handfuls
of beans at a time
- Plunge
the beans into the boiling water as soon as the water returns
to the boil cook the beans for one minute and remove to
the ice water
- Cool
thoroughly and remove the beans from the ice water
- Place
the beans in freezer bags and place as flat as possible
on a tray
- Label
with the date and freeze for up to three months
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Spicy
sauté of summer beans and zucchini |
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I like
simple food. When the Bryson basket arrives every week the
variety and beauty of the assorted vegetables amaze me. I
do not however wish to embellish them overly. You want to
taste the vegetables not the garnish. |
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One half
pound fresh beans, topped and tailed (any variety will work
if using larger varieties like runner beans trim them down
to the same size as the other beans)
Two large
zuchinni, washed and cut into sticks about the same size as
the beans
Two tbsp.
organic canola oil (Orphee from Quebec is an excellent brand)
Two cloves
garlic, peeled and mince
Pinch dried chili flakes
2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs ~ basil, parsley, oregano or summer
savoury
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
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- bring
a large pot of salted water to a boil
- heat
a frying pan until hot but not smoking and add the oil
- begin
sauteeing the zuchinni
- meanwhile
plunge the beans into the boiling water and cook for one
minute
- drain
well and add the beans to the pan with the zuchinni
- add
the remaining ingredients and cook for one minute
- remove
and serve
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Mixed
up Bryson beans pickled with lemon and summer savoury |
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One
of the best ways to chase away the winter blues is to do some
preserving in the summer and fall. Then on a cold blustery winter
day open a jar of this bottled summer and smile as you crunch
happily away. These beans are great with cold meats and cheeses.
Use wide mouth mason jars and pack the beans on their sides
so they look pretty when they are finished. The recipe makes
about three jars of beans. |
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2
lbs. Mixed beans, topped and tailed
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp. pickling salt
1 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. pickling spice
3 strips of lemon rind, from organic lemons
3 branches summer savoury or dill
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- combine
the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring
to a boil
- in
a separate pan of boiling water blanch the beans for one
minute drain and cool under cold water
have a canner with boiling water ready to process* the jars
- boil
the empty jars for one minute and remove, drain any water
from the jars
- place
1 tsp. Pickling spice, a piece of lemon rind and a branch
of summer savoury in each jar
- Pack
in the beans and pour in the boiling brine to within one
half inch of the top
- seal
the jars and process the entire jar for 15 minutes
- remove
and cool
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*
to process preserved foods ~ when preserving food it is important
to ensure that there will no growth of bacteria. The two ways
of making this happen are through fanatical attention to cleanliness
and heat. Make sure all tools and jars are washed well before
starting the process. Second boil your jars in a canning kettle
the idea is to always pack hot food into hot jars. Make sure
you inner lids are boiled to soften the seals and when sealed
immerse the jar into enough boiling water to cover the jar by
one inch. When the water returns to the boil boil for 15 minutes
for 500 ml. Jars. Remove to a clean tea towel laid on the counter
and cool completely. |
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