I for one want to know as much as I can. I want to feel the satisfaction that comes with growing my own food. I want to have the confidence to identify all those edible plants.  I mean how cool is it to make something delicious with something others consider a pest? Damn cool I say. 

And so, enter stinging nettle. It’s one of those things I’ve heard about but only recently started eating. I’ve seen it in several markets and decided it was time. Stinging nettle, or rather urtica dioica, is a flowering plant found all other world that, you guessed it, stings the bejeezus out of anything that touches it. Well, honestly I didn’t find it that stingy though I wasn’t the one picking it either. It’s long been used as medicine, drank as tea or eaten as food. Nothing scary there. Generally you soak or blanch the nettle to get the sting out before consumption but apparently some folks fancy a little mouth sting. The World Nettle Eating Championship in the UK sees participants pick and eat as much raw nettle as they can. Now that’s just cray. 

Likened to a mild cross between spinach and cucumber, there are loads of recipes on the big ol’ intranet for nettle, most notable soup and pesto. My first bag of nettle got made into gremolata, a roughly chopped condiment of lemon zest, garlic and usually parsley. It was lovely on some grilled salmon. But then last weekend I hit up the Historic Brewery Market to find one of my fav stalls, Four Seasons Farm, back for the Spring/Summer season. Besides the awesome greens, they had giant bags of nettle for mad cheap. I kind of had to. 

So, it was back to the drawing board. I haven’t been able to indulge my cookbook lust for a long time now so I turn to the library. Lately, I’ve been quite taken with the books Jerusalem and Plenty from Yotam Ottelenghi. Fresh ingrediens and mad flavour make both these books home runs. If you’re looking for a few to add to your collection, I’d put my money on these. I’ve tried several recipes thus far and they’re all awesome. And like I said, this isn’t some sponsored post. I just love these books. I mean, hell, the Ottolenghi team has several restaurants, cookbooks, even an online store with preserves and spices. If that ain’t enough to convince you, here’s a small glimpse into their philosophy:

It’s full of harmonious contradictions: it’s vibrant and bold yet familiar and comforting; it’s beautiful to look at yet close to its original form; it’s full of surprising drama yet always comes together as one; it’s noisy yet peaceful, lip-smacking yet warm, simple yet daring.

Totally my style.

These stinging nettle fritters are based on a recipe for leek fritters in Plenty, the vegetarian of the two, so in no way is this some amazing recipe I dreamt up. It’s essentially the same with nettle in place of the leeks and the omission of parsley simply because we didn’t have any. Man, were these some good. Though I’ve made fritters before – and I guess ‘fritter’ is simply anything fried – these were a new experience. Crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside. Perfectly savoury with just the right balance of spice. Though if you want to make something that tastes like nettle – where you’d recognize it as nettle – this isn’t it. This could easily be spinach or any other green for that matter. But if you’re looking to make something delicious whether it’s nettle or leeks or spinach, then this is a winner. 

In the book, he also whips up a dipping sauce with yogurt, sour cream, lemon, cilantro and parsley. I’m sure it would have been delicious. I went with yogurt, lemon, cilantro, tahini, and garlic because that’s what we had. Simply mix or buzz it all together in a food pro and bam, dipping sauce. There are a few steps but nothing super complicated. 

If you’re looking for other ways to use nettle, think spinach. Once it’s soaked or blanched, you can pretty much go nuts. Nettle frittata, nettle soup, nettle pizza, anything. I also highly recommend heading over to Kitchen Vignettes for Aube’s nettlekopita recipe including a swanky video. That’s spanakopita – the delicious spinach and feta phyllo parcels – with a good dose of nettle instead.  With more than half the bag of nettle awaiting my next move, this may very well be it. Or perhaps nettle cordial. I guess you’ll have to wait and see. And for the record, nettle is mad nutritious. If you’re looking to get in the nettle game though, you better act fast since the leaves can generally only be eaten in Spring. Tick tock people. 

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Now, there’s a lot of information out there like even the Canadian gov on how to properly clean, store and cook fiddleheads since they have been known to cause some pretty intense food poisoning. Now, I’ll be honest. They’ve never made me sick nor do I take any extra special precautions. I do buy from reputable farms who clean and rinse the crap out of them like my man Pelley of Fiddle Hop Farm. They never last more than a day or two so storage isn’t an issue. But when cooking them I certainly do not boil or steam them for the recommended 12-15 minutes. Mushy vegetables are the last thing I’m going to eat and the reason why I think a lot of people hate vegetables like asparagus or brussel sprouts. Tender crisp is where it’s at. So a quick blanch then some frying should do the trick. But if you’re weary, boil those suckers for as long as you see fit. 

Come Spring we generally pair those fiddleheads with a good dose of butter and bacon because what can’t be made awesome with butter and bacon. I mean really. But this season, we wanted to shake things up and hit those ferns with something new. Lately, I’ve been getting into Thai and Asian cooking. There is just something about how they balance flavour. Sweet, spicy, bitter, umami, and sour are all invited to the party. It’s a nice change from the bland or overtly sweet and greasy food we’re known for here on the East. 

Inspired by the cookbook Pok Pok, from the restaurant in Portland, Oregan of the same name, I decided to pair the fiddleheads with chiles, garlic, and shrimp paste, the basis of many a Thai dish. Add to that crispy fried shallots and you’ve got a killer Spring side dish. With but a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes, this couldn’t be easier. Plus, if you opt to buy crispy fried shallots at the Asian grocer – and you do – you can even skip that step. Though you’ll then have to try to stop yourself from eating the whole bag. 

With another bag of fiddleheads in the fridge, we’re thinking Chinese next. Spring is some delicious. 

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These bad boys are totally my kind of chips. Sure I had to stand at the stove, frying batch after batch but damn was it worth it. Besides, have you seen the price of vegetable chips? 5 bucks a bag just isn’t in my budget. What is, however, is the plethora of roots grown in Nova Scotia. We’ve got carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, potatoes, celeriac, sunchokes, and, my new fav, parsley root. I first saw parsley root at my all time favourite market stand, Hutten’s Family Farm in the Historic Brewery Market. I’m constantly gushing over their variety and this is no different. Hell, I generally have to ask what many of the vegetables are. It certainly makes for one exciting Saturday morning, never knowing what new local delicacy I’ll come home with. And parsley root? Big winner. It reminds me a lot of celeriac with parsley notes thrown in. A touch bitter, highly aromatic and almost nutty, I was instantly smitten. You could pretty much use it anyway you would celeriac or potatoes for that matter or just follow suit and get your deep fry on. 

Listen, I’m not saying go to the nearest big box store and get yourself a deep fryer. What I am saying is that this is the perfect example of how so called ‘bad’ foods can fit into your everyday. Yes, I ate deep fried chips for supper alongside a hot dog. An all pork, no preservative, no mechanically separated “parts” hot dog but a processed hot dog all the same. The difference is that we don’t eat like this everyday. Mornings start with oatmeal and fresh juices like today’s grapefruit, apple, beet, carrot, ginger deliciousness. We eat meat but a few times a week. Greens are always in the fridge. Salads are our jam. So one dinner of deep fried goodness isn’t going to make us feel anything other than satisfied. There is also a deeper connection and perhaps a respect that comes from making the food ourselves. 

It seems quite fitting that yesterday was also No Diet Day. Recognized around the world, it’s a day to celebrate diversity and acceptance of all bodies. It’s a day to say goodbye to diets and instead welcome a healthy balanced approach to living. I think our lives – from the decadent desserts to the salads full of raw crunchy local vegetables – are balanced. Sure we go through times of overindulgence or imbalance but it doesn’t take long before our bodies tell us to get our act together. I think a big factor for us is that we rarely eat processed food. It’s no big secret that processed foods are laden with sugar, salt and chemicals. Though I’m no scientist, I’d wager a guess that the obesity crisis – and make no mistake there is one – is a war waged by the food giants and processed food is their weapon of choice. We need to take back our food and bring hope to the millions of Canadians battling obesity. It’s a complex issue and I’m certainly not saying I have all the answers. What I do know is that we need to eat real food, you know actual fruits and vegetables. We need to get back in the kitchen. Maybe we’re not going to start with deep fried vegetable chips but having to make those snacks yourself is a sure fire way to eat less of them isn’t it. 

It seems a little crazy to write an actual recipe for this so here’s the deal. First, thinly slice those root vegetables. Obviously I used my mandolin for the fastest prep of all time. Peel or no peel is entirely up to you. I more often than not leave the peel on because I happen to like fiber. Now, get yourself a jug of oil, something with a higher smoke point than say olive oil. We even strain and save our deep fry oil for the next use. You’ll need enough to fill whatever pot you use a couple of inches. Hopefully, you have a thermometer because the easiest way to know when that oil is ready is by temperature. Ideally, you start frying around 350-375. Place some chips in – a few handfuls, don’t overcrowd – and cook til crisp. I can’t tell you the exact time because each root will be different. If you’re unsure, simply try one. Drain on some paper towel and fry the next batch. Season with a little sea salt and that’s pretty much it. If you’re a chips n’ dip fan, forgo the grocery store crap and whip one up yourself. It can be as easy as yogurt, lemon zest, and a pile of chopped green onions.  If you want something with more punch, the Food Wife recently posted a recipe for sunchoke chips with a chunky blue cheese aioli. I knew we were meant to be together.

I should also remind you to be safe. Deep frying isn’t for the weary. Things can quickly get out of hand if you’re not careful. If you’re scared, perhaps roasted roots are more your thing.  

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I had originally planned to share this recipe last week when it graced out dinner table but then obviously life happened. Dinners for us are inspired not only by our seasonal produce but also by flavours found in cuisines the world over. Sure, our Nova Scotian cuisine is flavourful in it’s own right with the sweet blueberries at the height of the season, the salty Atlantic kissed seafood and the molasses baked beans of our childhoods. But what would we do without the aromatic spices of India or the salty Mediterranean olives or the umami rich Asian dishes? I’d probably die of culinary boredom. A week in our life means Mexican carne asada tacos one night and Korean bibimbap the next. Obviously we have our pizza and pasta go-tos like anybody else but we simply love the variety that comes from exploring different cuisines. Sometimes I even think I may have some sort of dead taste bud syndrome, forever needing more and more flavour. There is nothing I hate worse than bland food, especially if I’m paying for it at a restaurant. 

There is just so much flavour to be found everywhere. Take this Indonesian fried rice. Have I been to Indonesia? Nope. Would I kill to go there? Probably. The only problem is that I’d want to eat everything. I guess it’s time to set the record straight. I haven’t been anywhere. No pizza in Naples. No croissants in Paris. No ramen in Japan. I’m a total foodie fraud. Though there was that 8 month stint in Australia and New Zealand. It was the first time – and hopefully not the last – I ever travelled. It was easily some of the best times in my life. It was there that I first encountered nasi goreng, the supposed national dish of Indonesia. It wasn’t even a little Indonesian restaurant that turned me onto this flavour powerhouse but rather a package of noodles. Yup, processed, packaged, sodium laden noodles. This wasn’t your average North American Mr. Noodles. I actually hate that shit. Love the noodles – ramen in fact – but those salty seasonings just don’t cut it. The ones I fell in love with in Auz were different. Packed full of balanced flavour and served with their own little packet of crispy fried onions, I was immediately impressed. Let’s however get one thing straight. It’s not like I was choosing to eat Mr. Noodles day after day. Backpacking means living on the cheap. There were no fancy hotels, no six course meals. For the most part, we ate fresh produce from the market, homemade sweet potato curry, and said noodles. 

On those rainy days with Brent at work and my cooking shift already finished for the day, I’d put on a movie in the tent – that’s where we lived for 6 of those 8 months – and get to work on my humble noodle dinner. Don’t tell but I totally fired up the small camping stove in the tent with a door open of course. Anyway, those noodles became as much a part of that trip as days spent on the beach. Actually called mie goreng, the taste of those noodles stayed with me. I even recreated the rice version during my last few years planting. I’d fry up pile after pile of rice on the giant flat top, adding in soy sauce, honey, curry, and tamarind for a totally bastardized version. Bastardized or not, those planters ate that shit up. I’ve even been asked for the recipe. 

These days with a pantry piled high with exotic ingredients, I went to work creating the real deal. I mean not that I’ll know if I get it right but when it’s this flavourful who cares really. So flavourful is this dish in fact that I’m keen to eat just this for dinner. That’s a big deal since I generally don’t go for rice. Ask Brent. He’s even been known to beg for a side of rice with dinner. Unless it’s a creamy rich risotto or some sticky vinegary rice served alongside sashimi, I’m just not a rice person. That was until this dish made it’s way into the rotation. 

Though not entirely vegetarian, nasi goreng makes for a quick, one pot meatless meal. If you happen to have leftover rice, you’ve got dinner in mere minutes. It’s apparently traditionally served with chicken and shrimp but with this much flavour I’m cool with just the eggs. Fried or scrambled, you’ll want to #putaneggonit for sure. One word on ingredients. Both dried or fresh red chillies and tamarind can be found in most grocery stores. With but some soaking, the sweet and sour dried tamarind fruit is used in loads of dishes including the popular pad thai so I suggest you get acquainted. On the other hand, shrimp paste, the sweet soy sauce kecap manis (if you opt to buy it), and fried onions are an Asian market find. If you’re in Halifax, Tian Phat on the Bedford Highway is like my candy store. Packed full of interesting ingredients, you’ll find all you need to cook up everything from Thai to Vietnamese for mad cheap. 

If you’re into flavour like us, this dish hits almost all of them: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and umami. It’s even awesome cold the next day.  Perhaps some day I’ll get to taste an ‘authentic’ nasi goreng but until then I’ll keep exploring in my own kitchen. 

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Though some find the local market selection a little boring when Winter rolls around, I, on the other hand, am digging it. All those hearty roots, ridiculously versatile not to mention downright delicious any way you cook them. Celeriac, or rather celery root, is at the top of my list.  

Modelled after a French tartiflette, this gratin gets celeriac in addition to the potatoes plus onions, smoked bacon ends from the boys at Getaway Meat Mongers, a bit of cream, and Canadian Fleur en Lait cheese instead of the traditional Brie-like Reblochon. I first tasted tartiflette at none other than our local French charcuterie shop, Ratinaud. It was legit. But lardon, potatoes, cream and cheese? I mean c’mon. The French really have food nailed.

This dish brought tartiflette to a whole new level. Maybe it was the celeriac. Maybe it was that sweet, fruity semi-soft cheese made in Ontario.  Or just maybe there was no way this couldn’t be irresistible. Be warned, however. This celeriac gratin is rich and cheesy with just the right amount of greasy. If you can resist eating it all straight out of the skillet, it’s perfect as a main for 3-4 alongside a nice big salad.  Either way, celeriac will have you on team root vegetable in no time. I imagine many of the Winter roots – beets, sweet potatoes, squash – would be equally delicious layered between cheese and bacon.  It’s exactly the kind of comfort food to keep you warm all Winter long. 

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I’m not quite sure how that happened but here we are. You know what that means? Time for the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. 

Unlike many this time of year, I’m not going to go on about my New Year’s resolutions swearing off this and only eating that. Health isn’t the number on a scale or even the size of your clothes. For me, health is about eating real foods, the kind grown in the ground by hard working folk. It’s about having a healthy relationship with food where cheat days and guilt don’t exist. It’s even about the pleasure that comes from cooking or the ecstasy of that perfect bite. A life where food is mere sustenance is one I never want to live. Now that’s not to say I eat sugar and butter with abandon but when I do, I sure as hell don’t feel bad about it. 

How about we all resolve to make up with food this year?  I mean, resolutions don’t get any better than this.

I will eat all food groups, most notably bacon. 

I will not cheat on my food. We’re in love.

I will never feel guilty eating anything. Not that burger and certainly not that cake I just ate for breakfast.

I will embrace moderation. 

I will eat real food grown close to home though the occasional bag of chips or hot dog is going to happen. 

I’ll gather around the table with friends and family as often as possible, celebrating the joy of food and cooking. 

There you have it. With resolutions like this, 2014 is all mine. And don’t think the irony of me starting the year off with a salad post is lost on me. I simply happen to love salads. Besides, I’ll probably eat bacon for supper. 

From warm roasted potatoes to cold rice noodles, I believe anything can make a salad. Though if your idea of a salad is that 1980s bowl of iceberg, chopped tomatoes and cucumber all smothered in Ranch, then we’ve got some work to do. Salads round here come in all forms – warm, cold, roasted, grilled, fruity, cheesy, and never boring. Lately, roasted roots are taking the place of all those Summer tomato, a heartier salad perfect for those days when it seems there’s no end to Mother Nature’s wrath. With a market full of local beets, celeriac, parsnips, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots, I see many a Winter salad in 2014. 

In the first of many, beautiful local carrots become caramelized and sweet, the perfect backdrop for a seasonal salad. Peppery arugula, sweet pomegranates, crunchy pumpkin seeds and a smooth dressing of orange and miso round it out. Arugula is perfect added to pretty much anything – a salad adorned with a poached egg, a pear and prosciutto pizza or most recently roasted tomato pasta. If you’re not on team arugula yet, you should be. Plus, in Australia they call it rocket.  It’s the coolest green out there. I imagine, however, any of the dark, leafy greens of late would also be nice in its place. 

Whether it’s an interesting salad or a creamy butter laden pasta adorning your table today, resolve to love every bite and never look back. That Julia Child had it right you know. “People who love to eat are always the best people.”

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I’d wager many of you already have squash on your holiday table. Lucky dogs. I love everything about squash and rarely leave the market without one. While simply slicing up that squash and roasting it with some olive oil, salt and pepper will do the trick, you could also mash it up with a whole slew of ingredients. There is certainly nothing revolutionary about what I did. I simply recreated the flavours of squash ravioli without all the work of, you know, squash ravioli. Creamy roasted squash with but a touch of nutmeg and maple syrup gets all cozy with decadent sage brown butter, walnuts and goat cheese. That sweet potato casserole bordering on dessert just met it’s match.

A huge bonus is that this is easily prepared a day in advance. Simply throw it in the oven before dinner, say 15 min, then take it straight to the table, garnished with the nuts, goat cheese, and sage. I imagine it’d be great with pecans or hazelnuts as well as pretty much any cheese. Well perhaps not mozzarella or cheddar, more like ricotta, gouda, parmesan, pecorino or I bet even blue.  

Squash, welcome to the table. 

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Meet celeriac. This gnarly fella, otherwise known as celery root, is in my opinion the best of celery. It has a great subtle flavour that’s perfect mashed, roasted, fried, even pureed in soup. Pretty much any way you’d eat a potato. Though raw celeriac, shaved thinly, is quite nice too. 

I don’t know about you but I love me some latkes. Who doesn’t love golden brown, crispy fried potato pancakes? With more flavour than the traditional potato, these latkes are crazy easy especially since celery root is much less starchy. The batter comes together quickly with but an egg and a few tablespoons of flour. I didn’t think I could love celery root anymore but man, was I wrong.

Though perfect on their own, these celeriac latkes could also handle a good dollop of sour cream, even ketchup if that’s your thing. I decided on a remoulade, a classic French condiment much like tartar sauce though way tastier. Usually made with mayo and a handful of delicious ingredients, that thick Greek yogurt wouldn’t stop staring at me every time I opened the fridge. The great thing about condiments like remoulade is that they can handle whatever you throw at them.  My thick yogurt version was bursting with sweet gerkins, crunchy shallots, salty capers and the brightness of lemon zest. It may be my new favourite condiment.

These latkes make a great side for virtually any meal but if you really want to nail this, poach a couple of eggs like we did and make a brunch of it. Does #putaneggonit ever get old? Never.

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If you haven’t noticed by my instagram feed or even this salad post, I have a tendency to put corn in everything. Salads, tortilla soup, ramen, chile, salsa, you name it. The stuff is even amazing on a pizza. But there was one recipe I’ve been dying to try for some time now. I know you’ve all been seeing the photos. Those images of Mexican street corn smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce are all the rage right now. It just had to happen.

The first batch of local corn we acquired got slapped on the grill then lathered in a sriracha lime butter which may actually have been better than this. Don’t get me wrong this shit is legit. Cheesy, salty, creamy, savoury, sweet, tangy. But there was something about that sriracha butter. In fact, if you find yourself in Maitland tonight, stop into Bing’s for their 3rd Anniversary Party. This gal is cooking up some small plates including none other than fresh local corn all smothered in sriracha lime butter, green onions, and a dusting of feta. Yeah, dusting. It’s a thing. 

 So before you get sucked into the pumpkin vortex, shove some corn into that face of yours. 

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