You say Tomato... On CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Nadia Kidwai, I presented tomato recipes.  The tomatoes are just perfect right now and here are two dishes in which to enjoy them.

Tomato Saffron Poached Trout

(Makes 4 servings)
1 shallot minced
1 tbs olive oil
1 chopped tomato (a wide variety available now in season at Fertile Farm at St Norbert's Farmer's Market)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Saffron*
1/4 red pepper flakes
1/2teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 cup dry white wine (optional)
¼ cup orange juice (makes a very fresh flavour)

4 trout fillet pieces (Watersong Farms and available at Gimli Fish)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté shallot in olive oil and cook until translucent. Add tomato, Saffron, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, tomato puree and wine. Cook on medium heat until well incorporated. Add Trout Fillets on top of sauce. Cook on high for a minute (varies by thickness of fish) and turn fish pieces over. Continue cooking until fish begins to flake. Remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy!

Turkish Roasted Tomato Pomegranate Salad

For each salad,

2-4 tomatoes (Roma, Black Russian, cherry, etc.), sliced in half or, if larger, into 4 slab slices

pinch of salt of each tomato half

pomegranate, seeded

Pomegranate Molasses (I prefer Sera brand)

drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Set oven to 200ºF or lower.  Place each tomato slice onto a baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over each slice, and bake in the oven for several hours, or, until mostly roasted but still plump.  Cool or eat immediately with pomegranate molasses, seeds, olive oil, seasoning, with some bread. 

Enjoy!

Duq'qah/Dukkah/Dukah, etc

Recently, I added a new spice blend to my repertoire.  I love it.  Duq'qah is an Egyptian blend, often with ground hazelnuts, and spices, to be used in olive oil as a dip, rub, etc. 

I have been so pleased with this blend.  Mine has ground pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika in the blend and it works in so many ways.  I use it as a dry rub, in marinades, on flatbread with olive oil and a pinch of salt, on popcorn, or corn on the cob.  I tossed it with broccoli, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roasted that in the oven. Spectacular!  I put it on nachos and was delighted.  It goes on and on.

You will find my Duq'qah spice blend, and others,  at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday.

Some uses of Duq'qah;

Food Safety is local. Get to know your producer on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Laurie Hoogstraten, I featured local beef sausages, in response to a recent report on sausages in Canada not being what is labelled.  This is generally never the case when buying from your local producer, butcher, farmer, etc. 

Get to know your local producer!  I featured the beef breakfast and beef smokies of Manitoba Beef, locally produced grass-fed beef.  When you speak to to butcher, or the farmer at the market, you can be guaranteed that you are getting the product that you expect, in fact, they were great!

Local Halal butchers offer the products that you expect as well.

Featured below are beef breakfast sauasages and smokies by Manitoba Beef.  Also featured are Cook's Creek Kimchi, and Nature's Farm eggs.  These products are all available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Enjoy!