The key to successful winter gardening is knowing the average date of the first killing frost in your region and planting winter vegetable crops early enough to reach their full maturity before that frost. Gardeners here grow over 20 kinds of hardy winter vegetables. They know what to grow, when to plant (late June to early August) and they employ simple cold protection methods like cloche covers. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Cooking
Savory Shrimp Pancakes
Blogging is one of my passions and another is eating good food with family and friends. Although we cannot eat break bread together in cyberspace we can still share what we eat and how we prepare it. One of the most effective ways to form internet relationships with other bloggers in various social networks is to share recipes.
Usually, at least once weekly, I find myself craving pancakes. So I make sweet pancakes for breakfast and cover them in real homemade butter and real Canadian maple syrup.
However, on long weekends like this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, I prefer to eat brunch, rather than eating both breakfast and lunch, so I make my favorite savory pancakes recipe.
Savory Shrimp Pancakes
Pancakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 lbs shrimp, deveined and finely chopped
- 3 ounces green onions, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1 1/2 -2-inch lengths
- 1 small carrot, cut into fine julienne
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 tsp vegetable oil (extra virgin olive oil is best)
- chives or dill for garnish (optional)
Dipping Sauce – combine and serve cold on the side
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp golden brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
(1) In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, water, and eggs and mix gently until just combined. Add the shrimp, green onions, carrot, garlic, and salt and fold together briefly just to combine.
(2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and, when hot, coat with 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add 1/4 of the pancake batter and use a spoon to spread into a 6 to 8-inch circle, trying to get the filling ingredients as evenly spread out as possible.
(3) Cook about 4 minutes and once the pancake has begun to set and is golden brown on the bottom, flip the pancake to the other side, pressing with a spatula to compress ingredients.
(4) Cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes longer, transfer to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm while you prepare the remaining pancakes.
(5) Once all of the pancakes are ready, cut them into wedges and serve warm, sprinkled with the chives, and sesame seeds, and serve the dipping sauce in small bowls for dipping.
Note: You can substitute the shrimp with salmon, tuna or chicken and be creative with the veggies. Try using zucchini, celery, bamboo shoots, etc.
Farmers Market
The Farmers’ Market has become a major event right through the summer, attracting both locals and visitors to the island. Dozens of local farmers sell fresh produce and many local artists, craftspeople and artisans display their work for sale. If you want to buy local produce or crafts, you won’t have to go far to find what you are looking for on Saturday morning.
I work at our local Farmers’ Market every Saturday and I really enjoy the opportunity to socialize with friends and to buy high quality, locally grown organic produce and herbs.
Do you shop at at local Farmers’ market?
Why Shop at the Farmers’ Market?
The food is at its freshest because it doesn’t have to travel hundreds of miles to get to you. Local producers can select their produce varieties for taste, rather than their ability to travel.
You can help ensure that local farmland will stay in production. You can talk to the people who grow or make your food and they can and will respond to your needs, tastes, and questions.
More than a marketplace, it’s a social gathering where friends and families meet.
May/June
Asparagus, Artichokes, Cauliflower, Cherries, English Peas, Fava Beans, Fresh Herbs, Green Onions, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, New Potatoes, Radishes, Rhubarb, Salad Greens, Spinach, Strawberries, Turnips
July
Apricots, Beets, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Cucumbers, Garlic, Green Beans, Green Onions, Herbs, Leeks, Lettuce, Nectarines, Peaches, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Raspberries, Salad Greens, Spinach, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips
August Apples, Apricots, Artichokes, Beets, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery Corn, Cucumbers, Currants, Garlic, Herbs, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Melons, Nectarines, Plums, Potatoes, Raspberries, Salad Greens, Shallots, String Beans, Summer Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes
September
Apples, Basil, Beets, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chives, Cilantro, Corn, Garlic, Grapes, Hazelnuts, Kale, Kiwi, Leeks, Melons, Red & Yellow Onions, Parsnip, Pears, Fall Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radish, Swiss – Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Walnuts, Winter Squash 
October: Apples, Beets, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Garlic, Grapes, Hazelnuts, Herbs, Kale, Leeks, Melons, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes, Winter Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Walnuts
Kids Can Do It Too!
Today my friend Ella has made a great post on smarter food choices for kids. I began typing a comment on her blog but it grew into a blog post so, without further adieu here is Kids Can Do It Too!
The very fact that parents are purchasing processed “food stuffs” for their kids, rather than teaching them how to feed themselves by preparing real food lunches and snacks reveals how the food industry has sucked in and mucked up the last three generations. In fact, what immediately comes to mind is the “quality time” slogan of the ’90s. Well, it’s past time for us all to reject such bogus sloganeering and face the truth.
There is no substitute for the actual time parents/caregivers spend with kids and there never will be.
