Don Genova's Blog

(photo courtesy Over A Tuscan Stove)  This past week in my ‘Exploring Local Foods’ course we were talking about honey and tasting mead, but as part of the tasting I also served some fresh goat cheese along with my preserved fig condiment.  Some students liked it so much they demanded the recipe. 

I actually made two kinds of preserves with my figs this year.  One calls for simply simmering them in sugar with lemons and putting the whole mess in a jar and capping with some sort of liquor.  It comes from my friend Judy Witts Francini’s blog, Over A Tuscan Stove.

My only mistake was not letting the figs come up from the bottom of the pot while they were cooking.  You can definitely stir them gently so they don’t scorch on the bottom.

This next recipe was for a fig mostarda, a condiment that goes well with meats and cheeses.  My figs were almost overripe, and although I brought the mixture to a setting point, it didn’t set, but I canned it anyway and it is delicious spooned from the jar.  The recipe is a little weird, but if you have any experience with canning you can figure it out.  You need to page down to get to the English version on the page:
http://notitievanlien.blogspot.com/2007/11/mostarda-di-fichi.html

The course is now at an end.  Thanks to everyone who took part, and watch this space for more classes coming up in 2009!

This week in my Exploring Local Foods Course I welcomed three guests:
Kristen Jordan of Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse, and Ann Aylard and Cathy Rasmussen of the BC Fruit Testers Association.

We tasted 4 excellent ciders and a little treat that I whipped up from a recipe that Ann and Cathy passed along for Danish Apple Bars, a little bit different than your basic apple dessert recipe.  Hope you enjoy it as well:

Danish Apple Bars
courtesy Isabel Tipton
from BCFTA Fruit Recipes (BC Fruit Testers Association)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg yolk and milk to make 2/3 cup liquid
1 cup crushed cornflakes
4 large apples – at least, peeled, sliced thinly

2/3 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg white

Glaze:
1 c icing sugar
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla         

Sift together flour and salt
Cut in shortening until crumbly
Mix 1 egg yolk and enough milk to make 2/3 c liquid
Slowly add egg/milk mixture to the flour mixture
Stir lightly to take up liquid
Divide dough in half.
Roll 1 half on greased 12 x 17 cookie sheet
Sprinkle with crushed cornflakes
Spread sliced apples thinly over cornflakes
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
Cover with other half of dough, pinching edges together.
Beat egg white until stiff and brush on pastry
Bake @ 400 F for 35-40 minutes or until done
While warm drizzle with glaze
Serve warm or cold.

* Can substitute pears, probably not Bartlett’s, and ginger for the cinnamon

This month I’m teaching a course called ‘Exploring Local Foods’ for the University of Victoria at the community kitchen at the Thrifty Foods Tuscany Village store in Victoria.  Last night featured guest speakers Tom Henry, a Metchosin farmer and editor of Small Farm Canada magazine, along with Lyle Young of Cowichan Bay Farms and Farmhouse Poultry, a processing plant he built when many of the other plants on Vancouver Island were shutting down.  They talked about how they raise and process their animals and the state of small-size agriculture on Vancouver Island.  While they talked, I cooked.  A Moroccan chicken tagine using thighs and boneless chicken breasts Lyle brought from the plant.  Delicious!

So here’s the recipe:  This was originally made with lamb shanks, so just substitute an adequate number of thighs for the number of guests, I would say at two good-sized thighs per person would be right.

Braised Moroccan Lamb Shanks
(serves 4)

This dish is a ‘put-it-in-the-oven-and-forget-it-dish’ for the most part and is easily expandable to accommodate a crowd.  Preserved lemons are not a ‘must’ for this dish but add an intriguing flavour.  They are available in most Mediterranean or Middle Eastern  markets, or you can find a few recipes to make your own here:

Ingredients:
4 large lamb shanks (ask for the really meaty parts)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 preserved lemons, cut into 4 pieces each
8 pearl onions or shallots, peeled
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into two pieces
1 large bulb of fennel cut into chunks (optional)
8 large cloves garlic, peeled
8 dried apricots
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups red wine

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof pot.  Brown the shanks on all sides, then add all the lemons, vegetables and spices and enough red wine to cover the shanks.  Cover the pot and put it into a 350-degree preheated oven for at least 2-3 hours.  Check once an hour to see if you need to add any more wine, or water if preferred.  The shanks are done when they are fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.  Remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods before serving.  Serve in a bowl with the juices on top of couscous, or mashed potatoes.  Serves 4.