Recipe Zest

 Ingredients 3/4 lb pork chops 3 tbsp butter 1/2 cup morel mushrooms, trimmed and halved 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 shallot, chopped 1/4 cup marsala wine 1/4 cup cream 1 dash Worcestershire 1 dash nutmeg Lemon juice to taste Green onions for garnish 200g egg noodles Method Salt and pepper pork chops, and add to cast iron skillet on medium heat with some butter.  Cook on both sides until browned, and nearing medium doneness (about 140F).  Remove from skillet Add remaining butter and morels.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes until morels are softened Turn heat to medium-low, and add garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes Add marsala wine and cook until alcohol has burnt off, about 1-2 minutes Add cream and turn heat to low.  Add Worcestershire, nutmeg and lemon juice.  Add pork chops back to skillet.  Cook until cream has thickened.    Remove from skillet, garnish with green onions.  Serve immediately over egg noodles Notes The original recipe called for brandy. 

Ingredients Grilled lamb Lamb chops 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Lavender honey 2 tbsp lavender buds (see notes) 2 tbsp honey Cannellini beans 1/3 cup dried cannellini beans 1 sprig rosemary 1 clove garlic, crushed Method Add the beans, rosemary and garlic to a pot and bring to boil.  Simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, until beans are soft.  Smash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to create a more creamy texture.  Remove rosemary and any large garlic pieces remaining Rub the rosemary and garlic into the lamb chops.  Salt generously Grill lamb over high heat to 130F Rub lavender buds between finger and thumb and add to honey.  Heat over low heat until fragrant Serve lamb with lavender honey, cannellini beans, and a side of greens.  The original recipe calls for garlic scapes  Notes Entirely based on a recipe by Strawberry Plum We first had lamb with lavender honey in Dubrovnik , it was amazing Heather has a bag of loose-leaf lavender tea.  We just

Ingredients 1 bunch Hakurei turnips 1 bunch radishes Olive oil Method Preheat oven to 425F Scrub turnips and radishes Trim turnips, reserving the leaves Trim radishes (I think you can eat these leaves too but we just discard them) Halve the turnips and radishes.  For larger one you may need to quarter.  The idea is to have all the pieces relatively the same size so they cook evenly Toss with olive oil and place on baking sheet, with a flat side down Bake for about 15 minutes until the down side is golden brown Turn turnips and radishes, add leaves on top, and bake for another 5 minutes Notes Entirely based on recipe by Just a little bit of Bacon

Ingredients 1 lb uncooked chicken parts (see notes) 4 cups water 1 small onion, chopped 1 carrot, diced 1 celery rib, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 sprig parsley 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs thyme Method Add everything to pot.  Bring to boil, then very gently simmer for 90 - 120 minutes Pour stock through strainer.  Place container in sink of cold water to cool down, then place in fridge for at least three hours Skim off fat from top Notes We get our butcher to quarter a whole chicken.  I use the leftover bones plus the chicken wings to create the stock The less water the better -- everything should be crammed into the pot and the water just to cover Based entirely on a recipe from Serious Eats We freeze the chicken stock using a silicone ice cube tray

Ingredients 2 pickerel fillets 1 bunch ramps 4 strips bacon 2 lemon wedges Method Wash and trim ramps.  Cut white stems from leaves, reserving both parts Grill pickerel over high heat, skin side down Fry bacon Add ramp stems to wok with a little water over medium heat and cook for a couple minutes.  Add leaves and cook until wilted Serve with lemon wedges Notes Ramps are only in season in Toronto in late spring for a couple weeks.  We overdose on this recipe during the two weeks

Ingredients 2 chicken legs and thighs 1/3 cup mixed Italian olives 1 sprig rosemary 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup chicken stock Method Grill chicken legs until done (about 180F) Move chicken legs to skillet over medium-low heat Add rosemary, olives, wine and chicken stock.  Bring to boil and let simmer for a couple minutes Serve with roasted hakurei turnips and radishes Notes We like serving with the chicken stock on the side, although most pics on the web show the chicken served in a plate-bowl with the stock poured over top Went really well with a white Tuscan.  It was the LCBO listing that put us onto this main