Well, here I am back from my Nova Scotian summer holiday and have I ever had a wonderful time!!!! During the past three weeks I have eaten some pretty incredible things . . . indulging myself at whim with all the things that I can't get over here, tasty treats from home . . . once every three year gastronomical delights!

Things like . . .




A good feed of my mom's homemade baked beans . . . all molassessy and scrummy, served with oodles of homemade bread slathered in lots of cold butter . . .




Several Hot Turkey Sandwiches . . . a real Canadian treat, with lots of tender turkey, tasty gravy, fluffy mashed spuds and carrots . . . along with cranberry sauce and some incredibly delicious coleslaw! Not once, but twice . . . ahem . . . Have I mentioned that I am a bit of a glutton?



The naughty indulgences of Pillsbury Pizza pops, North American Hot dogs, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner, Crispy Crunch chocolate bars . . .



And that old childhood favourite, Cap'n Crunch Cereal . . . yes . . . a big tasty bowlful every morning. *blush*




An incredible Cassoulet cooked by my son . . . rich and chock full of deliciously tender pieces of duck and smokey sausage . . . oh my but was it good . . .




A gargantual feast of Chinese Fried Chicken wings at the local Chinese Buffet place . . . oh sure, I had a few other things . . . like wontons and chicken balls . . . not to mention some beef and broccoli and noodles . . . but it is the wings that get me every time. They are one of the things I really look forward to eating when I am back home in Nova Scotia . . .



AN incredibly rich and delicious vanilla and choclate swirl soft ice cream at a roadside ice cream parlour in Berwick Nova Scotia, served up in a waffle cone . . . such a treat on a hot, hot, hot day!! I can't believe I ate the whole thing!!



Oh so yummy rich and tasty Date Cream Pie, with a buttery crust and fluffy meringue topping. This was some good eating!



A feed of buttery, fresh Nova Scotia local Peaches and Cream Corn . . . I just couldn't get enough of it. I think I ate 4 ears!



The best pan fried Haddock I have ever eaten, served up in a little local restaurant on Long Island, just off of the Digby Neck. It was cooked perfectly and served up with a tasty side order of delicious mash and fresh valley vegetables. Oh my, but this was good, seriously good!



My mom's fresh dinner rolls. Does anyone ever make rolls as good as your mama??? I don't think so!!




A wonderful salmon dinner at a friends house . . . marinated all day in his secret marinade, and then cooked on a cedar plank over the barbeque, this was fabulous!! Served with fresh locak green and yellow wax beans and some tasty roasted potatoes,onions and carrots. I went back for a second helping of the salmon, it was soooooo good!! (I know . . . me bad!)



Sweet and tasty local valley Strawberries, with oodles of cream and sugar on top. Ahhh . . . the taste of a Nova Scotia July . . .



You can't travel in the maritimes without feasting at least once on a tasty Lobster Roll. Lobster is as cheap as chips back home and most places have a Lobster Roll on the menu, filled to overflowing with rich and tasty Maritime Lobster . . . even McDonald's serves them!



And last but not least the most heavenly Coconut Cream Pie on the planet . . . rich and creamy and stogged full of lovely, sweet flaked coconut . . .

Yes . . . I ate every single crumb . . . and enjoyed every mouthful!

Pssttt . . . I also managed to tuck in several Turkey Subs from our local Sub Way, filled to overflowing with lots of pickles, hot peppers and um . . . olives, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and umm . . . yes . . . turkey! (We won't talk about the Cherry Cheese Danish from Tim Hortons or the iced caps!) Guilty as charged.

The diet starts today.

Or well . . . maybe not.

I'll be right up front and tell you now . . . my mother makes the best potato salad on the planet. Full of flavour and texture, and not over loaded with cloying mayonnaise.

I have to admit my regular potato salad does come a close second, if I don't say so myself, but even so . . . it never quite tastes as good to me as hers does . . . or maybe it is the memory of the taste of her's that makes it an unachievable goal . . . somehow reality never does quite live up to the memories of things does it??



Mom always started her potato salad the day before she was going to serve it. She would boil a big pot of potatoes, in the skins of course, to help retain all that lovely potato flavour and vitamins. I can still see her patiently standing at the counter peeling them once they were cooked and then cooled. Once peeled, she would cube them into precise little cubes . . . along with peeled cucumber in the same size, chopped celery and hard boiled egg . . . with perhaps a tiny bit of grated onion, depending on the mood she was in. A bit of salt and pepper and some Kraft Salad Dressing and it was done. Simple, and yet oh so good for supper on a warm Sunday afternoon . . .



We often had it in the summer, with a dollop of cold tinned salmon fixed on the side of the plate, some sliced ripe juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers . . . and her famous coleslaw, that we could never get enough of . . . sigh . . . summer on a plate.



I find that over here the potato salad is always always drenched to the hilt in mayonnaise or creme fraiche, and has decidedly almost no flavour at all. The potatoes hard and dull . . . and severely lacking in seasoning. Where is the tang? Where is that earthiness that potatoes should taste like? I make my own regular potato salad much in the same way as my mother did, and it is far better than anything I have tasted here. Sorry England, but your potato salad does not quite cut the mustard!



I don't always want a mayonnaise based potato salad though . . . sometimes I long for a vinaigrette dressed potato salad, done in the fabric of the French Tradition of my father's side of the family . . .



The potatoes fork tender and pre-dressed with a bit of stock and wine while they are still warm . . . so that they absorb that lovely salty tang. A final simple vinaigrette dressing of herbs . . . spring onions, dill, parsley and basil . . . a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper . . . and an emulsion of white wine vinegar and good olive oil is all it needs.



The flavour of the potato shines through . . . and that is what you want really . . . in a potato salad. The earthy sweetness of new potatoes enhanced with the tangy herbed flavour of a delicate vinaigrette. A big plate of this along side some lightly steamed and dressed spring asparagus, some sliced ham and perhaps some salted radishes . . . a crusty loaf and butter to mop up all the tangy crumbly potato leavings on the plate at the end . . .

This is bliss . . . pure, and utter bliss.

There is a time for my mother's potato salad . . . but today was not it . . .



*Herbed Potato Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

I love this salad, with it's tangy vinaigrette dressing and punchy herb flavour. I could just sit and eat a huge bowlful of it and nothing else!

2 pounds of new potatoes (I used Jersey Royals
this time, but any new potato will do)
2 TBS dry white wine
2 TBS good chicken stock
3 TBS white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
2/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 TBS extra virgin olive oil, salad quality
4 spring onions, minced
2 TBS minced fresh dill
2 TBS minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 TBS shredded fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then drop in the potatoes. Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just fork tender. Drain well in a colander and then let sit for about 10 minutes or so until you can handle them. If they are very large, slip the skins off if you wish, or you can leave them on. It's up to you. (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) Cut the potatoes into quarters if they are large, or halve if they are smaller. Place them in a medium bowl and toss together with the wine and chicken stock while they are still warm. The warmth of the potatoes helps them to soak up this preliminary dressing. (If you don't do alcohol, use all chicken stock.)

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until totally emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes. Add the spring onions and herbe and season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper. Toss gently together. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!

Ahhh . . . the perfect baked potato. Crisp and slightly salted on the outside, and creamy white and fluffy on the inside.

The first meal I ever had in England was a Jacket potato, served at one of those fast food kiosks at Euston Station. We were waiting for the train to take Todd and myself up to Chester, and it was a long wait. We were both starving. I had never seen anything like it in my life. The potato was enormous and came wrapped in silver foil, sitting in a styrafoam type of bowl/box. Split open, right through the foil, and mounded with oodles and ooodles of cheese.



I know . . . I was playing it safe. I had never heard of the toppings they suggested on the menu before . . . things like Tuna and Sweetcorn, Coleslaw, baked beans etc. Cheese seemed to be the least wierd to me.

Oh, we had baked potatoes at home, but we called them baked potatoes. Somehow the term Jacket Potato sounds exotic and even more delicious. Back home we would more than likely top them with some butter, sour cream, chopped spring onions and bacon bits . . . and they would be for the most part an accompaniment to a main course . . . usually a steak . . .

Sometimes my mom would even dig out the insides and mix the potato flesh with cheese, butter, onion and milk . . . and then she would stuff it back into the skins. Those were one of our favourite treats when I was growing up. We'd each get one half of a potato, and it was never enough . . . we were always left wanting more.



I had never heard of them being used as the whole entree.

It was good. Hot, filling and very cheesy. The potato could have been cooked better through. Wrapped in foil, it was for the most part steamed . . . you couldn't really call it baked . . . but when you're starving, you're just not that picky.

Once you have tried a tasty baked potato, that has been washed, lightly salted and then baked in a hot oven directly on the oven rack . . . once you have bitten into that crisp brown and salty skin, covering a beautifully fluffy rich centre . . . you'll never settle for a second rate tinfoil steamed potato again.

Seriously.



You want a nice fluffy type of potato to begin with . . . something like a Maris Piper, or a King Edward, my personal favourite. Waxy potatoes just won't do. They don't fluff up, but remain solid. You also want a biggun. That's if you are going for a whole meal experience. You can do smaller ones of course, and in truth the small ones are quite tasty when baked in the convection oven.

The toppings are where you get to let your imaginations run wild, and where you can turn this delicious beast into a full meal instead of a pale accompaniment . . . Tinned baked beans, hot and steaming and slathered with grated cheese, which melts into all that beany goodness, which in turn is soaking into that potato fluff. Tuna salad, with lots of chopped red onion, mayo and celery, spooned onto the top and into that creamy white fluffy crevice. If you are feeling really brave, add some sweet corn, (it's not as strange and inedible as it sounds) . . . A nice fat tub of coleslaw (I like the cheese coleslaw) ladled on top, all crunchy and saucy, just perfect with that soulful mealiness beneath . . . simple cheese, bacon and onion, along with a splash of sour cream . . . perfection, simple butter, sea salt and pepper, bliss . . . bliss . . . bliss . . .



I love that name . . . Jacket Potato . . . it sounds like something all dressed up and fit for a king.

In truth . . . this is fit for a king. Simple??? Certainly. Common??? Definitely not. Nigel Slater recommends Karate chopping it open, but me, I'm not that brave. I just hack it open with a knife . . .




*Jacket Potato with Chili and Cheese*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Comfort food at it's best.

2 large baking potatoes
sea salt
410g tin of chili con carne
(I used Stagg)
2 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Scrub the potatoes well and then while they are still damp, dust them lightly with the sea salt and allow to air dry for several minutes. Prick in a few places with a fork so that they don't burst in the oven and then place them into the heated oven, directly on the oven rack.

Bake until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. (They will yield lightly when pressed with a gloved hand) This will take between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the variety and size of your potatoes.

About 10 minutes before the potatoes are done, empty the chili into a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through and bubbling. Grate the cheese on the large holes of a box grater.

Take your baked potatoes from the oven. Cut an x into the top of each and squeeze them slightly to fluff up the insides. If you want, now is the time to fork in a bit of butter. Place the potatoes onto two heated plates. Spoon the hot chili over top of each, and sprinkle on the grated cheese, dividing it between both potatoes. Serve immediately.

Apium graveolens is a tasty plant commonly known as celery, or celeriac, depending which part of the plant is being eaten. We often eat the roots, or celeriac. We love it mashed with cream and herbs, it makes a fantastic gratin and as a soup, it's just lovely. (I make a mean Celeriac, Apple and Stilton soup that is to die for!)

The seeds are wonderful in salads. I always like to add a few to my coleslaw and they are fabulous in a vinaigrette dressing.

Dieters love celery, as it is relatively low in calories, being mostly water. It's when you add the cheese or the peanut butter topping that it ceases to be real diet food. I think because it is normally eaten by dieters that it gets a bit of a bad rap, not to mention it's also really hard to eat quietly.



I can't imagine making a soup or stew without adding at least a few chopped stalks. It adds a lovely flavour in my opinion. And a tuna fish or chicken salad sandwich just wouldn't be that good without chopped celery added in my opinion!



Today I'd like to show you a rather unique and unsual way of using it. These scone like whirls are quite, quite tasty . . .

It goes without saying that wrapping this crunchy vegetable in scone dough, rather takes away from it's fat busting qualities . . . but what the heck!



*Cheese and Celery Whirls*
Makes 10
Printable Recipe

Very pretty with a lovely green celery swirl in the centre. They make an excellent accompaniment to a soup meal and are wonderful as a tea-time savoury. Wonderfully light and very tasty!

340g self rising flour (2 1/3cup)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry English mustard powder
56g butter, softened (1/4 cup)
115g mature cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large free range egg, beaten
5 fluid ounces milk
3 to 4 stick of celery, trimmed and coarsely chopped



Pre-heat the oven to 220*C/425*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and mustard powder in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add most of the grated cheese, reserving a small amount for sprinkling on top before baking. Mix together the egg, milk and garlic and then stir this into the flour mixture, mixing in well until everything is well mixed together. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Pat or roll out into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle. Scatter the celery over the surface. Roll up like a Swiss Roll, starting at the narrow end. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place flat side down on the baking tray. Sprinkle each with some of the reserved cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and well risen. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Note - I'm not sure why this happens but from time to time the flour doesn't seem to absorb as much of the liquid as it should. This could be down to the brand of flour used, the humidity etc. IN any case, only add as much of the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture as will give you the consistency of a soft dough. Sometimes you may need more of it than at other times.

I love fennel. It's one of my favourite vegetables. I am a real licorice lover and so I love it's mild licorice taste. It's wonderful braised and roasted, but my favourite way to eat it is raw.

There are two types of fennel. One is grown for it's seeds, which are delicious in sauces, and the other is grown for use as a vegetable, the most common type being Florence Fennel, which has a bulbous base, stalks which closely resemble celery and feathery fronds on top.



Did you know that there are male and female bulbs? The males are taller and more slender with the females being shorter and more bulbous. I like the females myself. Crisp and slightly sweet, fennel is wonderful served raw in salads, and meltingly mellow and soft when braised, roasted or grilled. It goes wonderfully with other crisp vegetables and is most delicious with fish. A whole salmon stuffed with fennel and roasted is absolutely wonderful.



The bulbs should be heavy and white, firm and free of cracks, browning, or moist areas. The stalks should be crisp, with feathery, bright-green fronds. You can keep fennel for a few days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic, but try not to keep it more than a day or two because the flavor diminishes as it dries out.
I made a delicious slaw yesterday with some fennel that I picked up at the local green grocers at the weekend. I think I'll have the rest of it for my lunch today. This was really good.


*Carrot and Fennel Slaw*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious slaw makes a light and refreshing change from regular coleslaw. I use my mandolin to slice the fennel and my box grater to do the carrots. But you could use the slicing and grating discs in a food processor as well, which would make really quick work of it. I love the mustard in the dressing. It adds a lovely bite to it. Adjust accordingly if you don't like things with a bite. Make the dressing first so that the flavours have time to really develop.

1 small to medium sized fennel bulb
3 cups peeled, shredded carrots (about 4 to 5 large carrots)
1/2 cup of minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
DRESSING:
5 TBS fresh orange juice
1 TBS of White Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt



Place all the dressing ingredients into a glass jar with a lid, and give it a good shake. Set aside.

Remove the top greens and stalks from the fennel bulb. Save the feathery greens for the slaw. Trim off any bruised or tough pieces. Quarter the bulb and then cut out the core. Shred half of it using a grater, mandolin or food processor. Reserve the other half for another use. You should have about 1 cup of grated vegetable. Place it into a medium sized bowl, along with the carrot, onion, chopped fennel leaves and coriander. Toss together to mix. Just before serving, give the dressing a good shake and pour it over the slaw. Mix well and serve.