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Farm Friday

Farm Friday

Every Friday we go to Southlands for my daughter's therapeutic horseback riding lesson. It is part of a beautiful heritage farm, and there is always something to see, smell and sometimes even taste around there. There's a magic path around the orchard and the vegetable gardens, where chicken and lambs roam free among the old apple, pear, plum and quince trees.

Whenever I decided to leave my phone in the car, I regret it because I always find something along the way that I want to photograph and find inspiring. So I figured I'll try to start a little corner for the farm treasures I find every Friday, which is usually a very short day for me that needs to pack a punch - and usually find not time whatsoever for blogging.

Today I saw the quinces ripen on the tree and also purchased a pound from the farmer's stand at the barn. I decided to poach them in white wine, brandy, honey, lemon peel and juice, bay laef, cardamom, juniper berries and rose petals. As I type this, my house is filled with this aromatic melange of spices, herbs and fruit. And tomorrow these quinces will be served at my Thanksgiving dinner table as part of a quince and blue cheese salad.

Before I forget - here's the poaching recipe for this particular made-up poaching juice:
1 cup white wine
1.5 cups water
1 shot of gin
1 shot of grand marnier
2 shots of brandy
2 bay leaves
15 green peppercorns
6 juniper berries
5 rose buds (dried)
3 green cardamom pods, whole
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 Tbs honey
1/2 cup sugar
2-3 Quinces

Bring all ingredients to a boil, then add wedges of quince, and simmer for 30 minutes.


Coronation Grapes + Blue Cheese Muffins

Coronation Grapes + Blue Cheese Muffins

1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 cups spelt flour *2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
50gr (about 1/4 cup) blue cheese, crumbled (i.e.: Rockfort, Danish blue cheese, Blue Claire by Little Qualicum Cheeseworks)
1/4 cup grape seed (or other vegetable) oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
72 Coronation grapes or so, removed from the stems (about 1/2 cup). 

- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Sift together dry ingredients.
- Add crumbled cheese and stir together. 
- Beat the eggs lightly. 
- Measure oil and buttermilk and add to the eggs.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir just until well blended (over stirring will dense the consistency and add too many air pockets!)
- Butter a 12-hole muffin pan, and spoon the batter into the pan, dividing the batter evenly.
- Press about 6 grapes onto the top of each dollop of batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm with butter or slices of cheddar cheese or wine-marbled cheese (i.e.: Tipsy Jill by Little Qualicum Cheeseworks).

Note: You may also mix the grape into the batter; however, this might result in some fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan. And the muffins won't look quite as pretty!

* Whole wheat or white flour will do too. I personally like spelt for many sweet breads, cakes and muffins as it gives off a nutty and melt-in-your-mouth moist texture to these baked goods. Besides, it's a healthy alternative to wheat for those who tend to be a bit sensitive to it (and I'm meeting more and more people who do, as a result of wheat in North America being genetically engineered or else with an unusually high level of gluten). 

Coronation Grapes + Blue Cheese Muffins

Sniff or Treat Halloween Tea Party + Lucky Draw Announcement


Here are some of the highlights of the Sniff or Treat Halloween Tea Party that occurred yesterday afternoon. Hopefully the sights and the stories will convince you to be among our guests next time (if you happen to live or visit in the erea).

But first of all, let me announce the lucky winner among the guests who signed the guestbook - who will receive a 5ml travel roll-on perfume oil of Black Licorice perfume.
We numbered the guests based on the order they signed the book, and than got Random.org to pick them. The lucky winner is guest no. 8, who's no other than (drum roll)...

James Sherrett!

Congratulations James, I hope you will enjoy the sweet smell of Black Licorice and come to many more parties!Black Forest cupcakes (left) and Spider Eggs (right) which really are almonds covered with dates and rolled in roasted black sesame seeds.

Pomegranate tarts, with strawberry creme fraiche or lime curd; and fig tarts in a match-cream cheese filling.

Pumpkin tarts with lavender-orange shortbread crust.

Blue Cheese & Concord Grapes scones, Fennel & Golden Sultana scones, served with Devonshire cream and various jams and preserves, such as:
Bluebarb by Karin Brauch of Preserved BC Sunshine
(created with Vancouver unsprayed rhubarb, wild Cloverdale blueberries and married with a hint of Okanagan white wine).

Spiced Eggplant Confiture
(I made them myself based on a Morrocan recipe)

Raspberry Jelly by Naturally Rooted

Tea sandwiches: in the picture you see the tarragon-orange-fennel tea sandwiches, made with organic cream cheese and freshly grated orange zest and tarragon herb, and finely sliced fresh fennel bulb.
We also made cucumber-wasabi sandwiches, carrot-ginger, and deviled-egg-salad ones.

Fresh Mission figs and homemade biscotti (anise-almond; chocolate-hazelnut)

Kurogoma cupcakes, with black sesame cake and a matcha-cream-cheese frosting.

Teas served:
Hulnejan (the witche's brew)
Roses et Chocolat
Lapsang Suchong (ArtFarm)

And last but not least - the presentation touched on the connection between the spirit world and incense and plant essences; how incense was and still used to communicate with the spirit world and with loved ones that passed away, and smelling some of the essences of resins and woods used from ancient times for making incense: opoponax, myrrh, frankincense, costus, agarwood and more. We also smelled cade oil, which has a smoky, camp-fire scent and is similar to the Lapsang Suchong we drank in the party. And lastly, we burned a Japanese Kyara incense stick (the highest quality of oud) of the kind that is burnt on a daily basis in home-shrines for the family ancestors, and myrrh resin because of its connection to earth and embalming the dead in Egypt.

And below are some pictures of the guests at the party:







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