RESTAURANT NEWS
It's all about taste.
Some of us live to eat whilst other eat to live. I love food and flavours and will go out of my way to find the perfect food item. My wife, although she enjoys good food, would be content to satisfy her need for nourishment by whatever is handy and available.
The modern world of fresh produce has done us foodies no favours. Nearly everything we find in the produce section of the supermarket has been designed for shelf life, transportability and appearance. Before genetically modified food, our produce came from hybridized plants that were specifically developed to meet those criteria's. That beautiful and tasteless giant red strawberry developed in the late sixties at Davies University, was all about productivity, beauty and transportability. To achieve this we sacrificed fragrance, sweetness and texture. The tomato is another classical example of this awful transformation. We are bewitched by the beautiful "hothouse on the vine Tomatoes" on the supermarket shelf. It is almost perfect in size and dramatically red. I could easily forget the fact that it is, (probably medicated and chemically fed) if it had some taste. The fact is that this beautiful produce is tasteless. And it's tasteless because the producer did not have flavour or your health as a consideration when selecting his seed. Production, appearance and profit were his only considerations.
Now, in truth it takes two to tango. The average consumer is uneducated about produce, has little time and in some cases could not care less. Younger consumers have a better excuse than us old-timers in that they have seldom experienced fruit and vegetables as they were before factory farming and supermarkets. They were raised on the modern stuff and have no past references with which to make objective comparisons. To add insult to injury, they have learned that there is a wide variety of pungently flavoured concoctions on the supermarket shelf that will add flavour to their meals. Their life-styles do not include the time to seek and prepare fresh produce, eat it graciously and enjoy their simple flavours. I know this sounds quite cavalier, but the modern young lifestyle has sacrificed gracious home cooked meals for activity and entertainment. Fortunately there is a discernable group of younger families moving in the right direction.
As for those of us who have experienced an older lifestyle and can remember when the aroma of tomatoes filled the room or the sweet pungent flavour of a warm strawberry freshly picked from the garden there is an alternative. Grow it! If you do not have a piece of ground then ask your friends if you can share in their garden vegetable patch offering some sweat labour in return for a modest share in produce. Considering their busy lifestyles your children would be delighted to share their gardens and the work that goes with it and divide their crop. If it is just simple home grown pesticide and herbicide free vegetables you are looking for, then buy the favourite seeds available at your garden centre. However, if you are into heavenly flavours you will have to do some homework and look for heirloom or the original (wild) seeds. Your rewards will be substantial.
Last year I grew a tomato called Dark Prince. It was black and green and certainly not very attractive but the flavour was amazing. You could smell the tomatoes in the kitchen. The fruit was firm with small seed compartments and it sliced beautifully. I would butter a slice of fresh rye bread; slice one of these tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella cheese. Add to this a few basil leaves, freshly ground pepper, a pinch of grey salt, a drizzle of your favourite olive oil and top off with a little squeeze of lemon juice. Ecstasy was sitting outside and enjoying this tasty repast with a glass of crisp white wine. Without the pungent flavour of that heirloom tomato it would not have been the same.
I was so impressed with those tomatoes that this year I contacted a seed grower who had over forty varieties of wild and heirloom tomatoes. I asked him to select ten varieties and they were to be based on taste and not on appearance. I will be growing those tomatoes and using them in the restaurant this summer and canning the rest.
Just for the fun of it I would like to issue a challenge to all like minded foodies to grow an outstanding flavourful tomato. On the first Saturday of September we will have a tomato tasting contest. Registration will be by e-mail sent to pat@pasu.com. Subject must be tomato contest. The rules are that you must grow it yourself and it must be free of all herbicides and pesticides. There will be prizes for the best three entries.
VINAIGRETTES MADE SIMPLE
Thomas Keller is one of the great chefs and exceptionally well trained and disciplined in the art of modern cuisine. We use his recipe for our vinaigrette and the credits go to him .If you can find his book, "Bouchon", buy it.
Quote:
This is our basic vinaigrette, three parts oil, one part acid, pared almost to its essentials-no shallots, no salt and pepper-so that it can be used like a sauce base. The mustard adds flavour and strengthens the emulsion. Any number of ingredients may be added to it, depending on how it is to be used. Most often it is used to dress greens that have been seasoned with salt and tossed with fresh herbs.
¼ cup smooth Dijon mustard
½ cup Red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups of canola oil. (I prefer grapeseed oil. It is lighter in flavour and healthier and less chance of GMO.)
Combine the mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in ½ cup of the oil. Don't be tempted to add all the oil to the blender or the vinaigrette will become too thick. It should be very creamy.
Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 1 cup of oil. (The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Should the vinaigrette separate use a blender to re-emulsify.)
End quote.
We use this as our base adding salt, cracked pepper, garlic, fresh herbs and fruit. Try it!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Seafood Evening
Sat. 9th April
A gourmet 7 course meal including fresh Oysters, Lobsters, Prawns and other succulent sea-food delights. Our Seafood is flown in fresh from Granville Island, therefore this will be a ticketed event.
RESERVATIONS ESSENTIAL
$85 per head (Actual cost without Service and GST is $70.50)
INCLUDES GST and service on the meal.
This is fantastic value for a meal. I went to a middle of the road restaurant and the entre prices ranged from $26 to $48. Based on Calgary's prices this meal would be about $130 without Service or GST. Hope to see you there. Maximum seating for that evening is 50.
SUNDAY BUFFET IN APRIL
With the exception of Easter weekend.
April is designated as Grandparents month. For every two full paying adults we will take 50% off the adult fare of accompanying grandparents. So Grandpa and grand ma it for half price if accompanied by two adults paying normal fare. Reservations essential. Our new born lambs are due In April.
BOUTIQUE NEWS.
MASSIVE CLEARANCE SALE
We have so much new stock coming in that we having a massive clearance sale to make room. There are some really good deals to be made. Some of our jackets are 40% to 50% off and there are many other treasures to be found. This sale ends the end of April.
Can't get to the Farm?
See us at the Calgary Horticulture Show
9th & 10th April at Spruce Meadows.
April Lambing.
