Here’s an EASY, colourful, and delicious vinaigrette recipe to brighten your table over the holidays. It’s welcomed back at my table year after year. “Toss it” with mesclun greens or arugula, and “top it” with Three-Seed Brittle Recipe in Edition 290 -Dec 2nd, 2021, of Town Crier.

“Holy… Holidays,” I made this salad two weeks ago for American Thanksgiving when our son was with us here in Fenelon. It was so good! The original recipe is from the November 2021 issue of Bon Appetit. I’ve never been a big fan of raw kale as I find it too tough and fibrous. But if you follow my lead and sprinkle the kale with salt and massage it to render it tender, well it’s a different story. Note my variations below, which I know will be super delicious the next time I serve it. And by-the-way, I used walnuts as that’s what I had on hand.

This brittle is all about caramelized maple syrup embedded with three different seeds. By brittle standards, it’s thinner, softer, and only mildly sweet; no sticky stovetop mess. Enjoy it as a snack, served over yogurt, or over oatmeal. It would be wonderful as a garnish over orange-colored soups, or even over an arugula and orange or beet salad. I think it would be a nice compliment to a cheese platter too. I am very happy to have stumbled across this recipe by Rebecca Katz!

Ontario freshwater pickerel seems to be available year-round. Its flavor is sweet and mild. Sesame seeds add a unique texture that juxtaposes nicely with its small firm flakes. Caramelize lemon wedges (or slices) alongside the fish for some “wow” appeal and serve with simply blanched broccoli. Your dinner entrée will easily be ready in under 30 minutes.

Homemade dressings can be made in minutes, and if you make lots you can have lots of salad throughout the week. Simple or fancy, once you start making your own salad dressings, you will never go back to bottled.

I find dry roasting sturdy vegetables on a grill pan, without any oil or salt, to be a stirring way to dress up a hardy winter salad! Note how the vegetables are then steamed to finish cooking. Here’s one combination of vegetables that goes alongside any protein, such as steak, lamb chop, or chicken.

Here’s what can be done with a few kitchen staples, some cooked white beans, kale, and a Parmesan rind. Steps such as cooking down tomato paste for extra flavor, blending a portion of beans with stock for body and creaminess, adding a parmesan rind for rich & satiating deliciousness, sautéing the kale to tenderize it, and chopping fresh herbs for a punch of flavor & freshness, all may seem tedious but please take note as they are tips for achieving heightened flavor and texture, and ultimately a satiating dish.

This week I replicated the tomato soup I enjoyed while in France last month. I started by roasting the last of the tomatoes from my garden. My version is mildly spicy and quite satisfying.

These Parmesan crisps could not be easier to assemble and are guaranteed to ‘wow’ everyone at your table, including yourself! Serve them as a garnish on salads, soups, pasta dishes, or double the recipe and enjoy as hor d’oeuvres with hot pepper or sweet garlic jelly. The sweet garlic jelly from Kawartha HERB Gardens is superb!

It’s soup season; time to take full advantage of the copious ground and root vegetables that are local and seasonal. Squashes are my favorites. But I love to mix it up. Mix a variety of squashes and root vegetables like carrots together with onions, ginger and garlic, and warm spices. Always so satisfying and delicious. Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

During my trip to France earlier this month I enjoyed carrot salads as side dishes. I was delighted as I had forgotten how much I enjoyed a carrot salad and how simple and quick it is to prepare. It’s so commonplace in France that I felt compelled to pass a recipe on to my fellow residents here in Fenelon Falls!

I’m writing this Gazpacho recipe on the last day of summer as I still have an abundance of cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and zucchini. Gazpacho is a soup made of raw, blended vegetables. Serve Gazpacho fresh out of the blender at room temperature and it will burst with fresh flavours from the garden. Serve it chilled on the hottest of summer days.

This recipe has been part of my culinary repertoire for decades. I continue to serve it as it’s delicious. I find it to be quite adaptable. Serve it as an appetizer with crostini or crackers, or sliced as an entrée in the form of a loaf. It can also be served as a savory pie in a crust.

I had a massive sage plant this summer, so my husband decided to pull half of it out of our garden without notice. Yikes! I quickly went to work and made sage pesto. I froze most of it and will pull it out during the cooler months.

This recipe is a celebration of seasonal tomatoes and fresh herbs. Any variety of tomatoes will do although Romas (Italian tomatoes) tend to have more flesh and less water which is ideal.

The star of this summer vegetable skillet? You guessed it, it’s zucchini. Co-stars? Fresh corn, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs, all because I adore taking advantage of what’s abundant and colorful at our local farmer’s markets and from my own vegetable garden. Extra inspiration for this dish? A former colleague took a similar recipe with quick-pickled onion to the feedfeed. Fun!

Homemade popsicles are delicious at any age! Typically I make them the virgin way, with seasonal fruit and local maple syrup, but sometimes I add vodka or Rosé wine. The possible mixes are endless! Popsicle making can be a fun activity with kids. My children have fond memories of picking raspberries and strawberries with their great grandfather and making these popsicles with the “fruit” of their labour. These popsicles would even make a refreshing and easy happy hour treat or dessert. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family has over the years.

It’s zucchini season, they’re plentiful and inexpensive so serve them up! Here is a vegetable side dish that goes with pretty nearly any summer main dish.

This recipe came together on the fly with seasonal produce I had on hand. It was so fresh and delicious that I’m passing it along. Shout out to my daughter for the mint addition, which really makes this salad!