Freshness Delivered To Your Door with Metro Ontario - Raw Shaved Asparagus Salad

Grocery Shopping is one of those polarizing tasks, either you love it or you hate it. I fall into the former category. Being someone who often works from home, I have the luxury of going to my grocery store on off-hours when it's nice and quiet, when I can stroll around the aisles, taking my time to look for new products and great sales. Not only that, it's often an excuse to take a very welcome break from my laptop screen.

"I'm that weirdo who takes a solid five-minutes to select a pineapple"

I generally enjoy the grocery shopping experience, giving myself the opportunity to get inspired for new recipes, but also to hand-select my produce so that my asparagus are not too thin and not too thick, with nice and tight flowers on the ends, my eggs are not broken, and my bananas are bright yellow with no bruising. I'm that weirdo who takes a solid five-minutes to select a pineapple, pressing the bottom of each one and aggressively sniffing to determine which one smells the sweetest (which is a great trick if you've never tried it!).

As much as I typically enjoy the grocery shopping experience, there's no doubt that some days it's a joy and some days it's a straight up chore. When life gets busy, I find myself wishing that I could teleport my produce and pantry items right to my door. My wish essentially came true this week, as Metro Ontario launched their new eCommerce platform in the GTA! Metro's new online grocery store promises to deliver freshness right to your door, with Metro's exclusive Tri-Zone delivery trucks that allow you to select the 2-hour time slot that works for you and your schedule, with the option for same-day delivery when ordered before 1:00 PM. With a lot on my metaphorical plate these days, there was no better time for me to test out the new platform!

As asparagus is just beginning to come into season in Canada, I was inspired to make one of my favourite Spring recipes, a Raw Shaved Asparagus Salad with fresh mint. This dish is beautiful and delicious on its own, but I love it all the more when topping crostini, spread with tangy goat cheese. I also figured that asparagus would be a good test for seeing how Metro's specially-trained personal shoppers would fare when selecting my produce.

"Our personal shoppers are as picky as you are"

Right on schedule, my groceries were delivered straight to my condo unit door (I didn't even have to go down to the lobby!) by a very friendly Metro employee (you always get extra points in my books for having a smile and being friendly!). With the claim that "our personal shoppers are as picky as you are," I dove into the grocery bag to scope out my asparagus. Indeed, I couldn't have asked for more beautiful asparagus! Just as I had hoped, they were not too thin, not too thick, with nice and tight florets on the end. They also passed the cracked egg test, with all dozen remaining intact.

I truly couldn't have asked for a more stress-free and smooth experience trying out the new platform. With any new launch, there's often kinks that need to be worked out, but I was pleasantly surprised at how successful my experience was. I trust Metro's personal shoppers to look, touch, smell, and press the produce just as I would, and can see myself taking advantage of their online grocery on a more regular basis.

Visit Metro.ca to test out the new platform and let me know what you think in the comments!

Note: The dressed asparagus salad keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days! 

Ingredients:
2 lb thick asparagus spears, trimmed & peeled into ribbons
Salad Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mint, cut into very fine ribbons
salt and pepper to taste
Salad
2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
shaved parmesan cheese, for garnish
Crostini
8-10 thin slices baguette, cut on a bias
olive oil
about 1/2 cup goats cheese
flakey salt for garnish

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, and mint, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, add asparagus ribbons. Add 3/4 of dressing and toss. Taste, and add remaining dressing as needed. 
3. Divide salad in half. Plate half garnished with pistachios and parmesan cheese shavings and serve as a salad.
4. Use the remaining half of the salad for topping the crostini. Lightly brush baguette slices with olive oil and lightly toast or grill. Spread evenly with about 1-Tbsp. goats cheese each, and top evenly with remaining asparagus salad. Garnish the crostini and salad with flakey salt. Serve immediately (see note above on how long dressed salad keeps).

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:

The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored

Honey Vanilla Peach Freezer Jam

There is no better season in Ontario than peach season! It's hands-down the best ever, and I'm willing to fight anyone who says otherwise. I go peach crazy as soon as the first local peaches appear, and find myself buying baskets of peaches every few days to keep up with my consumption. It's such a short season, so you really can't blame me for wanting to take advantage as much as possible, as well as extend the season in any way I can.

My trick for extending peach season this year is to turn those fresh and juicy wonders into jam that I can enjoy well into the fall and winter. Every single morning I start my day with an egg and toast, and being able to make peaches apart of that breakfast every day for the next eight months makes me giddy!

The freedom of playing around with different flavours was also what drew me to making jam. I wanted to infuse some other flavours into my peach jam to make it a little more complex and unique. When I think of some of my favourite ways to enjoy fresh peaches in the summer, they almost always involve honey and vanilla. I love making simple desserts with fresh peaches, by grilling them up and topping with a drizzle of honey and either fresh vanilla cream or French vanilla ice cream. To mimic those flavours in my jam, I substituted some of the white sugar for organic honey, as well as adding some pure vanilla extract.

While this jam is certainly sweet when trying straight from the jar, its perfect on top of buttery toast! Play around with different ways of serving this jam to make it your own! Think of glazing tarts, topping plain yogurt, or stirring into smoothies! Let me know how you play around with this jam in the comments below.

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh peaches (about 2 cups chopped, or about 3 medium peaches), peeled, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 package (57g) Original Certo Pectin Crystals
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Metro Irresistibles Organics Pure Honey
1/2 tsp Metro Irresistibles Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash enough jars/containers and lids that will hold approximately 1 1/4-pints of jam (most canning jars come in 1-pint, 1/2-pint, and 1/4-pint sizes) with very hot water, and dry thoroughly. Set aside. 
2. In a medium saucepan set to medium-low heat, add peaches. Cook and crush using a potato masher. Mash until peaches have reached desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Add lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir to combine. Bring to a boil at high heat.
4. Stir in sugar, honey, and vanilla and return to a boil. Cook for 1-minute. 
5. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-minutes, stirring occasionally. 
6. Pour into warm, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top to allow for expansion. Cover with lids and let stand at room temperature for 24-hours or until set. Keep jars in freezer for 8 months, or until ready to enjoy! Jam will hold in the fridge for about 3-weeks. 

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario. 

Listening To:
Kanye West - Ghost Town

Fish Tacos with Ontario Corn Salsa

Summertime is the season for food festivals, and I don't think there's any other dish that I associate with food festivals more than a delicious fried fish taco! Some of the best fish tacos I've consumed have been in the summertime, with friends and loved ones, enjoying a Toronto food festival. While food festivals are less my jam these days (or maybe just the long lines and lack of shaded spaces for my poor fair skin), I still love to enjoy a great fish taco in the summer inspired by my festival-going days, but now I make my own! Combining crispy fried fish with one of my favourite summer flavours in Ontario, fresh corn, my fish tacos are a great balance of flavour and texture, and are perfect for a hot summer night!

The corn salsa is key in this recipe, providing that much-needed hit of sweetness, freshness, acidity, spice, and texture to counteract the heaviness of the fried fish. The sweetness is found in those sweet and juicy Ontario corn kernels (there's nothing like them, is there?!) that are really the star of this salsa, and maybe even the whole dish! To dress my fresh grilled corn I like to add a pop of freshness from cilantro and tomatoes, some acidity and heat thanks to pickled jalapeños and their pickling brine, as well as lime, chilli powder, and red onion.

To balance out the rest of the flavours for our final taco, we turn to our toppings! Chipotle-Lime Aioli is a condiment that has become just as essential in my fridge as mustard and pickles, and it also works incredible in this taco to add a smokey and creamy element that ties the whole dish together. The remainder of the toppings can be adjusted based on your own personal preferences, but I enjoy the crunch from thinly sliced red cabbage, as well as lots of fresh cilantro, and of course hot sauce!

Make your corn salsa in advance to speed this dish up. Your tacos will come together so quickly you can even make them on a weeknight to give yourself a special mid-week treat! I hope you enjoy them as much as Chris and I did!

Ingredients:
For the Ontario Corn Salsa
3 ears Ontario corn, husks and silks removed
1/4 - 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, finely chopped (adjust the amount depending on the level of heat you prefer)
1 Tbsp pickling brine from pickled jalapeños
juice from 3/4 of a medium lime
1/4 cup red onion
1 small tomato, small dice
1/2 tsp chilli powder
light drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Fried Fish
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
kosher salt
3/4 cup beer (lager works great!)
1 large egg
peanut oil, for frying 
1 lb cod, cut into 8 even pieces (may substitute other white fish)

To Dress Your Tacos

6-8 corn tortillas

Metro Irresistibles Chipotle-Lime Aioli

fresh cilantro

red cabbage, thinly sliced

hot sauce

Directions:
Ontario Corn Salsa

1. Preheat BBQ or grill pan and lightly oil. Place corn directly on grill and cook about 2 min per side. Cool.
2. Cut corn niblets from cob and place in a medium bowl. Reserve your corn cobs for another use (how about making corn broth for a chowder!).
3. Add pickled jalapeños and pickling brine, lime juice, red onion, tomato, chilli powder, and a drizzle of olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Cover and transfer to fridge until ready to dress tacos.

Fried Fish

1. In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, paprika, chilli powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. Transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl.
2. Add the beer and egg to the mixture in the large bowl, and whisk until smooth.
3. In a large pot (I used a dutch oven) or wok, add peanut oil so it reaches 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the pot. Heat oil to 350ºF. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 250ºF, and line 2 baking sheets with paper towel and a wire rack. Place one in the oven or toaster oven and the other at the stove.
4. Place all of the fish pieces in the large bowl with the beer batter and stir to coat.
5. Working one at a time, pick up a piece of fish and allow any excess batter to drain off. Place into the medium bowl with the dry mixture, and toss to lightly coat. Carefully place in the hot oil (letting the fish fall away from you) and fry until evenly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Place on the stovetop wire rack to drain, and lightly salt. Transfer to the prepared pan in the oven to keep warm. Continue with remaining fish, making sure to not crowd the oil.*

* I like to work with two pieces of fish frying in the oil at a time. Crowding the oil will drop the temperature, resulting in an oily batter.

Assembly

1. To assemble your tacos, heat tortillas (one at a time) for 1-2 min per side in a medium pan at high heat. 
2. Squeeze about 1-2 Tbsp Irresistibles Chipotle-Lime Aioli on top of tortilla, and top with fried fish, corn salsa, cilantro, cabbage, and hot sauce. Enjoy!

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario. 

Listening To:
Let's Eat Grandma - Falling Into Me

Ontario Black Cherry, Feta, & Arugula Salad

The time for Summer salads is here! One of my favourite ways to utilize the abundance of fresh fruits over the summer months in Ontario is with beautiful summer salads, and I'm not just talking about fruit salads! I adore the way the flavours of fresh and juicy Ontario fruits play against the peppery heat from arugula, and either a salty bite of feta cheese, or a creamy taste of fresh mozzarella or burrata. These types of salads are uncomplicated, while still being interesting, beautiful (both visually and in it's flavour!), and are just so damn delicious you'll want to enjoy one every day!

I'm not including an exact recipe here, instead choosing to give you a guideline, as summer salads are all about utilizing what you already have on hand. This recipe was inspired by a big ol' bag of fresh Ontario cherries that I wanted to eat for more than just dessert and snack. While mixed greens are an easy option to have on hand in the summer months, I opt for keeping arugula in my crisper, as I find that peppery hit to be a more exciting contrast from the sweet flavours from the fruit. With sunflower seeds already on hand in my cupboard, I chose to sprinkle a few of those over for some crunch, but I actually think pumpkin seeds (sometimes labelled as pepitas) would be an ideal seed for this dish. Play around with whatever fruits, produce, nuts, and seeds you have in your kitchen or in your garden and find a summer salad that suits your tastebuds! Let me know what creation you've made by telling me about it in the comments, or sending me a pic through Instagram (you can find me @gingerrosefood). Looking forward to seeing your summer salad creations!

Note: I have not included specific measurements, as I encourage you to work with what works for you!
Ingredients:
arugula
pea shoots
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Ontario black cherries, pitted and cut in half
feta cheese
salted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
fresh ground pepper
Maldon Salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl lightly drizzle the arugula and pea shoots with olive oil and balsamic. Toss together gently with your fingertips. Place along serving dish (I like to use a platter as opposed to a bowl so the other ingredients don't fall to the bottom).
2. Top the dressed greens with cherries, feta cheese, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, fresh ground pepper, and Maldon Salt. Serve immediately.

Listening To:

Summer Games - Drake

Making White Peach Sangria with Polar Ice Ontario Peach Vodka

The Spring and Summer seasons in Ontario are most definitely my favourite for more than just the beautiful weather, but for the incredible abundance of fresh and local produce available. Ontario produces some pretty spectacular fruits and vegetables during our warm months, but the one item that I look forward to more than anything is Ontario peaches. 

If you've ever had a ripe and juicy Ontario peach in August, you know that we make some of the best! Insanely sweet and flavourful, with juices that run down your chin, Ontario peaches are a treat in themselves, and an ingredient that I love to take advantage of in both sweet and savoury applications. 

With a few more weeks to go before I can get my hands on some Ontario peaches, I was delighted to get to try Polar Ice Vodka's new Ontario Peach Vodka! Made with 100% Ontario-grown peaches, and quadruple distilled and triple-filtered for a pure and smooth taste, this vodka is delicious on its own with some soda water and ice, but is taken to new heights when made into a fresh summer cocktail. 

On a beautiful summer day there is no beverage that I crave more than sangria! I love how refreshing and easy-drinking sangria can be (particularly for someone like me who doesn't drink a whole lot!), and I love catering the flavours in my sangria to the season. Polar Ice was kind enough to also provide me with a few recipes for using their new peach vodka this summer, and low and behold, they included a White Peach Sangria recipe! 

The most recent long weekend was the perfect opportunity to try the recipe out with some friends on my balcony in the sun. With Ontario peaches still a few months away, I chose to use frozen peaches for this batch, as well as some other berries that I had on hand in my fridge. I also added a little bit of ginger to give the sangria a bit of a zing, and some mint from my balcony garden for more freshness. The sangria turned out absolutely delicious! I loved how the Ontario peach flavour shone through the cocktail, making me even more excited for peach season. 

I will definitely be making this sangria again and again throughout the summer, but am also looking forward to playing around with different cocktails using Polar Ice Peach Vodka. I love the idea of adding a shot of peach vodka to a peach or ginger kombucha for a lil' kombuchatail, or making a boozier version of a bellini by adding both the peach vodka and Prosecco to peach nectar. As someone who's not a big drinker, Polar Ice Peach Vodka was a great option for me! I loved the smooth taste and the natural peach flavour, as I think we all know (and hate!) when an infused liquor has that awful artificial taste to it. This product is a limited edition flavour, sold exclusively in Ontario, with a limited number of bottles produced, so get your hands on it while you can and let me know what you think in the comments below. I would love to hear your suggestions for what other cocktails I can make with it! 

White Peach Sangria

Ingredients:

fresh or frozen peaches (and any other fruit you have on hand that you may want to add)

2 Tsp. fresh ginger, grated (optional)

a handful of fresh mint leaves (optional)

1 cup Polar Ice Ontario Peach

1 750 mL bottle of Pinot Grigio

1 L ginger ale

Directions:

1. In a large pitcher/vessel, gently muddle the fruit with the ginger and mint (optional).
2. Add Polar Ice Ontario Peach, Pinot Grigio, and ginger ale. Stir, add ice, and enjoy in the sun! 

Listening To:

Vince Staples - Big Fish

Raw Shaved Asparagus Salad Two Ways

Being such a food-focused province, the winter months have a way of taking its toll on us Ontarians, having to endure months and months of minimal options and repetition when it comes to local produce. There's no better sight than the first discovery of local asparagus at the market, as it has become a signifier for the beginning of Spring and all of the seasons big, fresh flavours for Ontarians.

With asparagus at its peak in the Spring, there's no better time to turn off the heat and play around with different raw preparations for this healthy and flavourful green. Serving asparagus raw allows its true flavours to shine through, as well as taking advantage of its fantastic  crunchy texture. This recipe lets asparagus act as the star, dressing it in a light vinaigrette that highlights asparagus's natural flavours, without overwhelming it. More than that, this recipe gives you the option of serving the salad two ways; standing along, garnished with pistachios and parmesan cheese, as a light accompaniment to lunch or dinner; or as an appetizer, using it as a topping for goat cheese crostini.

This article was originally posted in Fredi Magazine. CLICK HERE to check out the spread!

Tip: Save any remaining dressed salad to add into an omelette the next day!

Ingredients:
2 lb thick asparagus spears, trimmed & peeled into ribbons
Salad Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mint, cut into very fine ribbons
salt and pepper to taste
Salad
2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
shaved parmesan cheese, for garnish
Crostini
8-10 thin slices baguette, cut on a bias
olive oil
about 1/2 cup goats cheese

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, and mint, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl, add asparagus ribbons. Add 3/4 of dressing and toss. Taste, and add remaining dressing as needed. 
3. Divide salad in half. Plate half garnished with pistachios and parmesan cheese shavings and serve as a salad.
4. Use the remaining half of the salad for topping the crostini. Lightly brush baguette slices with olive oil and lightly toast or grill. Spread evenly with about 1-Tbsp. goats cheese each, and top evenly with remaining asparagus salad. Serve immediately. 

Listening To:

Kendrick Lamar - Loyalty 

Fresh City Farms Ready-To-Eat Jars

Cooking is my thing. It's my stress reliever, my creative outlet, my pride, my joy, it's my world. While I love to cook as much as possible and share my creations with you all, it's not always a reality for me to get to cook every single meal. Short-cuts and quick-fixes are the only way I can get through a busy week without losing my mind sometimes. I'm often juggling a few different projects at once, which means a lot of running around, and bursting in the door well past dinner time, in a hangry stupor, searching for anything that can satiate me quickly! It's so easy to make poor choices when I'm caught in a hangry state like that, turning to my guilty pleasures (that always feel so good at first, and then inevitably leave me feeling disappointed) like a box of mac & cheese, a McDonalds meal, or just some good ol' peanut butter toast. Like I said, those options always seem like a good idea while I'm preparing them, but they always (and I mean always!) leave me feeling lousy and let down in the end. 

While I've been getting better at meal prep as of late, I still have those days where I need to have a meal on hand that's ready to go and will leave me feeling my best. With that in mind, an email from Fresh City Farms, inviting me to try out some of their new Ready-To-Eat meal jars came at the most opportune time!

Having visited Fresh City Farms two-acre Organic farm at Downsview Park (right in the city!) a few years ago, I knew first-hand the care and thought that they take in producing and sourcing some of the best produce you can find in Ontario. While they don't source all of their ingredients for their Ready-To-Eat jars from their own farm, they take great care to select almost exclusively certified organic ingredients, with exception of a few local producers who are not certified organic.

Beyond being impressed by the attention and importance that they place on having high-quality produce, I was also dazzled by the great selection of Ready-To-Eat jars that Fresh City Farms carries in their shop. With so many delicious sounding options (that fit a variety of different diets), the hardest part of the whole process was buckling down and getting decisive about my order. I wanted to try them all!! I ended up ordering the Butter Chicken Bowl (a total no-brainer!), Makhani Tofu Biryani, and Falafel Salad, with jars for Chris to try out as well for a second opinion. I also threw in some Tonica Kombucha, red beets, rutabaga, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Green Zebra Kitchen. What a haul!

With my order placed, I was a little concerned that I would run into problems with my delivery. Both myself and Chris were going to be out the day our order was to be delivered, and my condo clearly states that they will not accept any deliveries that include non-perishables. I left instructions for the delivery person to call our buzzer and leave the order outside of our unit door. Even still, I wasn't sure that either Chris or myself would even be available to answer the buzzer to let the delivery person in. I was stressed! Luckily my stress was completely unfounded, as the delivery process was as smooth as can be! I got a phone call from Fresh City Farms to confirm my order was being delivered, and they were able to get into my building without any issue. Chris came home to find a lovely Fresh City Farms cooler bag, expertly packed with temperature controlled lunch bags and ice packs. For someone who works in marketing, Chris was seriously impressed!

I came home from work that evening completely starved and ready to dive into my Butter Chicken Bowl! A quick trip to the microwave was all my bowl needed to be ready to eat. It was such a perfect meal to come home to. I loved the big, bold, and comforting flavours of the butter chicken sauce, and the chicken was perfectly cooked and tender. With the jars being quite large, I even had some leftover as a snack the next day!

While the Butter Chicken jar was definitely my favourite, the other two jars were really tasty as well. Though I have to admit, I did end up adding some extra ingredients to the Falafel jar to bump up the flavour a little bit. I added chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of tahini, and a little hit of cayenne pepper for heat. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I wanted a little bit more brightness, creaminess, and heat. I LOVED it after that! I have also been totally obsessed with kombucha since trying Tonica Kombucha from my order, and have been drinking it like a maniac ever since! My favourite flavour is their peach kombucha. I was also shocked by how delicious the Peanut Butter Cups were from Green Zebra Kitchen. My goodness, they were sooooo good! Not only were they tasty, they're also healthy and provide a quick energy boost thanks to the hit of protein in them. 

I am so happy with how my experience with Fresh City Farms went! It was easy, convenient, delicious, and at a fairly reasonable price-point considering the quality, organic certification, and delivery right to your door! I would highly recommend looking into their delivery service if you're anything like me and are looking for tasty and convenient options that will leave you feeling great in the midst of a busy week. Thank you so much to the lovely people at Fresh City Farms for reaching out to me and allowing me the opportunity to try their products!

This post was written in partnership with Fresh City Farms. All opinions and photographs are my own. 

Listening To:
Kendrick Lamar - XXX

Happy Canada Day 2016!

Happy Canada Day to this beautiful country that I am so grateful to call my home! Happy 149th, you don't look a day over 100!

Listening To:
The Tragically Hip - Fireworks

A Fresh Experience With FRESH Wines

I am a total sucker for beautiful design. This should come as no surprise considering my emphasis on aesthetics in my food photos, as well as my extensive and, what some may consider obsessive, pinning on Pinterest. I believe that good design can be an effective tool in helping brands deliver their message and tell their story, which was why I was so intrigued to attend A Fresh Experience, an event celebrating the launch of the FRESH Wines rebrand put together by my friends at the iYellow Wine Club. The event, which was held at CB2 on Queen West, showcased five new FRESH VQA wines, with each wine reflected in a corresponding food pairing installation. The installations, which were designed and executed by event and design agency Love By Lynzie, were thoughtfully created to reflect each of the wines with which they were paired. 

I was happy to have my friend Alex Orlando by my side to stroll through each of the installations with me and take in all of the sights, sounds, and tastes of the night. As we entered the buzzing CB2 space, we were immediately greeted by the smiling iYellow team and were handed a glass of FRESH Wines Sparkling Rosé, with notes of raspberry, cherry, apple, and pink grapefruit. What may have been the most striking of all the installations, the food pairing for the Sparkling Rosé featured a backdrop of vibrantly-coloured balloons, to reflect the bubbles in the sparkling wine, as well as freshly-spun cotton candy "clouds," and big, fluffy peonies. 

My favourite wine of the evening, the Sparkling Riesling, came next as we made our way to the white peg board, studded with citrus slices and paper bags of citrus and Granny Smith-flavoured candy corn. The peg board was created to allow the fragrance of the citrus to waft through the area, reflecting the notes of tangerine, green apple, mineral citrus, and lemon-lime zest that the Sparkling Riesling featured.

Before making our way up the grand staircase to the second level of the space, we took in the stunning fruit salad station, which illustrated the tasting notes of fruit salad, citrus, peach, floral, and pear in the FRESH Moscato that was being poured. Though I'm not normally a fan of moscato, finding it a little too sweet for my palate, I actually really enjoyed this one as it was more on the off-dry side. 

The feminine and vibrant theme from the first level of the food installations took on a more seductive and romantic vibe with the final two wines of the event. The FRESH Satin Red (with notes of red berries, mild oak, and light pepper) installation emulated the tone of evening passion, with a dramatic bed dressed in sequinned black sheets, and dangling, lip-stained wine glasses.

The final installation for the FRESH Crisp White, showcased the lively "adventure" quality that the wine embodied, with mouth-watering cheese boards resting atop vintage suitcases. The Crisp White exhibited bright notes of honeysuckle, green apple, and pear.

Both Alex and I had a great time at the event, and felt so inspired by all of the installations. You'll be glad to know that FRESH Wines is available at the LCBO, with each bottle sold at a very approachable price, particularly for VQA wines! I hope to grab a bottle of that delicious Sparkling Riesling to ring in this long weekend! Cheers to Ontario VQA wine!

To learn more about FRESH Wines and to check out each of the gorgeous new labels, be sure to visit the FRESH Wines website! 

Listening To:
Mike Will Made It - Nothing Is Promised (ft. Rihanna)

Metro Seasonal Lunch: Discussing Local Purchasing Initiatives with Foodland Ontario

Photo by Jeffrey Wright

Welcome back summer! As much as I love to rejoice as soon as the summer solstice hits, I have to admit that being a pale ginger kid, I actually prefer the weather in the spring and fall, as opposed to the scorching and humid temperatures that we can expect in the summer in Toronto. Though, yes, I do prefer spring and fall, my absolute favourite thing about summer in Toronto is being able to enjoy all of the incredible local produce that we are so lucky to grow here in Ontario. 

"Locally grown produce allows consumers to put a face to their food, granting them the opportunity to find that personal connection with each meal." 

There's no doubt about it, Torontonians are caring more and more about the food they're feeding their families. People want to know where the food is coming from, how it was grown, and who grew it. For most Canadians food is more than just sustenance, it's a way of showing love, giving to others, and telling a story. It's no coincidence that there are three meals in a day, beginning, middle, and end, just like a story. In order to build on the story of each meal, consumers want to be able to make a connection with the food that they're eating. Locally grown produce allows consumers to put a face to their food, granting them the opportunity to find that personal connection with each meal. 

Photo by Daniel St. Germaine

After waiting so many months for our rainbow of Ontario fruits and vegetables to come back into season, it's understandable to want to have a fridge and counter full of locally-grown goodies at all times. Though farmer's markets are definitely "on-trend" right now and seem to be popping up all over the city, it's not always easy to find access to locally grown goods every day for each meal. Yes, most of us have a local market that's easy for us to get to, but most of those farmer's markets only run once a week, which means looking elsewhere for Ontario-grown foods. 

With so many Torontonians demanding access to locally grown foods, grocery stores are beginning to take note. I recently had the opportunity to attend a seasonally-focused lunch hosted by Metro Ontario, celebrating their new local sourcing initiatives in partnership with Foodland Ontario. The event, which was held in the beautiful exposed-brick Burroughs Building, invited attendees to enjoy a three-course seasonally-inspired meal, and learn about the innovative shopping experience that Metro is beginning to create for their consumers. 

Understanding the importance of having that personal connection with the food their customers are purchasing, Metro has taken it upon themselves to improve the shopping experience. By sourcing more of their fresh foods locally, as well as providing visual aids both in store and in their weekly flyer, Metro has made it so simple for customers to not only easily access Ontario-grown foods, but also effortlessly find those local foods with ease in the midst of their busy schedules.

The Meal

The event was a stunning reflection of Metro's new initiative, celebrating the beauty of our bounty here in Ontario. The three-course meal showcased the big bold flavours of Ontario by focusing on simplicity. The lunch began with a Field of Greens Salad, speckled with Ontario sprouted beans (which also reflects this years International Year of Pulses), red beets, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan cheese, tossed in a maple walnut vinaigrette. Though the Ontario Beer-Brined Chicken and Ontario Rainbow Trout looked exquisite, I had selected the Egg Yolk Ravioli for my second course, having always been intrigued by the surprising dish. The extra-large raviolis were lightly tossed in browned butter and pecorino, and topped with pea shoots to allow the subtle flavour of the ricotta and Ontario green pea filling to shine. The rich and creamy texture and flavour of the egg yolk, kept intact inside each ravioli, tied the whole dish together, and added a welcome surprise as the ravioli was cut open and the yolk oozed out. To end the meal, we were presented with a dazzling finale of Goat's Milk Panna Cotta with vibrant strawberry and rhubarb, dehydrated pink peppercorn meringue, and mint.  

More than just a fantastic meal, I was so taken by the gorgeous tablescape that was created exclusively for the event. The large, glass-topped table had individual panels all along its length, which were each filled with a different Ontario vegetable, creating a rainbow of Ontario produce beneath each table setting. The attention to detail in the execution of the decor was truly spectacular and left me feeling inspired!

Being a huge supporter of the impressive wealth of flavour we are so lucky to enjoy in Ontario, this was such an enjoyable event for me to attend. I had so much fun getting to talk to the engaging Metro and Foodland Ontario representatives about the exciting work that they're doing, and revelling in the uniqueness and quality of Ontario cuisine. I'm looking forward to this coming Saturday, where I will be joining the Metro Ontario team once again to watch chef Anthony Rose create a mouth-watering dish, utilizing Ontario produce, on the Metro Master Class stage at Taste Of Toronto! Who else is going to be there? Tweet me: @thisgingerrose so we can connect! 

Want to stay up-to-date with all of my foodie adventures? Be sure to follow me on Instagram!

Listening To:
Drake - Controlla 

Guilt-Reduced Apple Pie Muffins - Part Two

Maybe I'm basic, maybe I'm a typical "white girl," or maybe there's just something incredibly infectious about indulging in the beauty of an apple orchard and pumpkin patch on a sunny fall day. 

There's no question about it, the number of photo ops at a pumpkin patch are abundant, but more than just finding the perfect Instagram shot to smack a filter onto before anxiously awaiting "likes" from the masses, I love my family's annual tradition of going to St. Andrews Scenic Acres for apple and pumpkin picking because it's just that, a tradition. My mom and I have been visiting the Milton farm for as long as I can remember, and each year as the first Fall chill permeates the air, I feel that same familiar stir to escape the bustle of the busy city and head into the country to appreciate the most striking season that our beautiful province has to offer. 

With a large bounty of Cortland apples in our bags, and a successful day of farm-photo-ops behind us, inspiration for Fall apple recipes was running high. For weeks those farm-fresh apples found their way into pies, salads, tarts, and what has been my favourite, Guilt-Reduced Apple Pie Muffins. 

You may recall in July of 2012 when I first made my Guilt-Reduced Apple Pie Muffins as a compromise to making apple pie, something I had never had much success with. I adapted a recipe for dessert-worthy muffins, giving it a healthier twist with the addition of whole wheat flour and apple sauce and reducing the amount of sugar. Though these muffins are still reminiscent of a moist apple cake, with their doughy interior and crispy crumble topping, their healthy spin make these babies perfect for a quick breakfast or snack on the go!

Side Note:

With a new fancy camera slung around my neck, I couldn't help but want to capture a new shot of the muffins to show how much I've learned and grown as a photographer in these past few years. I still have so much to learn and lots of practice to take part in, but I'm so incredibly proud of how far I've come, so much so that I couldn't help but take it personally when I recently brought my new camera out with me as I joined a group of girls for an afternoon get together. The moment I pulled out my camera (that still feels like a foreign object in my hand as I continue to learn its many intricacies) I heard a chorus of "oh so that's how she get's such good photos." Ouch. After nearly a year of working hard (yes, working) on perfecting my food photos, immersing myself in research, experimentation, note taking, and lots and lots of practice, I found it pretty offensive to have people credit my art to being a result of having an expensive piece of technology in my hand. Yes, my new camera has done wonders for my photography already, but guess what, for all these years I have been using a point and shoot and have gotten nearly the same results. I'm sure it wasn't meant as a dig, for all I know that could have been their way of complimenting me, but it felt pretty crappy. 

Ingredients:

Topping

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Muffins

1 cup + 2 Tbsp loosely-packed brown sugar

2/3 cup apple sauce

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

3 cups shredded firm and tart apples

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Make the muffin topping by stirring together brown sugar with flour, rolled oats, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, apple sauce, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
4. In a separate large bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Some of the whole grains may get caught in the sifter so just toss the remnants in with the rest of the flour after. 
5. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Fold in shredded apples, until just combined.
6. Evenly scoop batter into a prepared muffin tin (greased or lined with paper muffin liners) so that the batter reaches 3/4 of the way up the cup. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Listening To:

Drake - Hotline Bling

Ontario Heirloom Tomato Tart for Fredi Magazine

Ontario's summer bounty is upon us and with it brings a surge of inspiration to create mouthwatering dishes that celebrate our most anticipated season! There's nothing like stalking through your local farmer's market to seek out what fresh treasures await you, and there's no treasure I appreciate more than Ontario heirloom tomatoes! Check out my latest article and recipe for Fredi magazine on one of my favourite ways of taking advantage of gorgeous Ontario heirlooms this summer!

Check out my recipe here!

Listening To:

Real Estate - Easy

Dairy Goodness Great Cream Challenge - Fall Harvest Veggie Challenge: Creamy Vegetable Gratin

Another year of the Dairy Goodness Great Cream Challenge has come to an end for me. Although I have been participating in the Great Cream Challenge for the past few years, this year was particularly special for me, getting to showcase not one, but three cream-filled recipes! Participating in the challenge is always a blast, but there's really nothing like getting to say you've WON a challenge! I felt so lucky to have won the Comforting Mac & Cheese Challenge with my Fresh Onion Mac & Cheese, and to have come so very close this time around in the Fall Harvest Veggie Challenge with my Creamy Vegetable Gratin (701 votes ain't too shabby!).

When coming up with my recipe for this past months challenge, I wanted to come up with something that utilized an assortment of different Fall harvest veggies, but was also incredibly comforting. With scalloped potatoes being one of my favourite Fall comfort foods (my mom makes it every Thanksgiving!), I wanted to make my own version of that, but kicked up using an array of different vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and even a layer of sautéed kale! I give you my Creamy Vegetable Gratin! 

I loved all of the different layers of flavour that goes into this dish, with the star ingredient, cream, along with gruyere and parmesan cheese acting as the creamy glue to hold the casserole all together. This dish would be a fantastic addition to your family's Thanksgiving meal coming up this weekend! Give it a try and let me know how it goes! 

Tip: Cut down on prep time by slicing all of the vegetables excluding the Yukon Gold potatoes in advance! 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, divided (plus more for greasing the baking dish)

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced divided

10 large leaves of kale (curly or black), chopped small

salt and white pepper to season

2 cups 35% cream

1/2 onion, make sure the root is still intact

1 bay leaf

4 cloves

3 sprigs thyme, divided

1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large Yukon Gild potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded Gruyere 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 medium yellow zucchini (summer squash), thinly sliced lengthwise 

3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp butter. When butter is melted and begins to foam, add the shallot and sweat. Add 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant (20-30 seconds). Add the kale and reduce to medium-low. Cook until kale until wilted, tossing occasionally. Season with salt and white pepper and set aside.
2. While the kale is cooking, prepare the cream. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and set to medium heat. Cut a slit into the half piece of onion and stick a bay leaf inside. Poke the cloves into the onion and submerge in the cream along with 1 sprig of thyme. Right when steam begins to come off of the cream, remove from heat, remove onion  with spices and herbs, and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400º. Butter and 11x7-inch glass baking dish and add a spoonful of the flavoured cream mixture. Add 1 layer of sweet and yukon gold potatoes, making sure to lightly overlap the slices. Season lightly with salt and white pepper, and drizzle in some of the cream. Top with a light layer of Gruyere and Parmesan. Repeat process of layering in different slices of vegetables (a different vegetable on each layer), seasoning, and adding cream and cheese until vegetables reach the middle of the dish. Add the kale mixture to make the middle layer of the casserole, and repeat the vegetable, seasoning, cream, and cheese layering process until the vegetables reach the top of the baking dish.
4. Melt the remaining butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add in the remaining minced clove of garlic, the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs, and panko breadcrumbs. Toss to coat. Sprinkle on top of the layered vegetables, along with any remaining cheese. Bake for about 60-minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Serve immediately.

Listening To:
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon Live 1976 (Stevie SLAYS this performance!)

VOTE! The Great Cream Challenge: Fall Harvest Veggie Challenge - Creamy Vegetable Gratin

Hey foodie friends! If you don't follow me on Twitter and Facebook (what the heck? Follow me already!) you may not have heard that I am once again participating in the Dairy Goodness Great Cream Challenge this month! This month is all about embracing that chill in the air, with this rounds theme being The Fall Harvest Veggie Challenge. For this challenge, I wanted to create a recipe that utilized many different Fall harvest veggies, but was also incredibly comforting. With scalloped potatoes being one of my favourite Fall comfort foods (my mom makes it every Thanksgiving!), I wanted to make my own version of that, but kicked up using an array of different vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and even a layer of sautéed kale! I give you my Creamy Vegetable Gratin! 

I loved all of the different layers of flavour that goes into this dish, with the star ingredient, cream, along with gruyere and parmesan cheese acting as the creamy glue to hold the casserole all together. This dish would be a fantastic addition to any Thanksgiving meal! Please take a moment to VOTE for my recipe before the contest comes to an end on Tuesday September 30th (my birthday!). 

Click HERE to VOTE for my Creamy Vegetable Gratin in the Great Cream Challenge!

Listening To:

Arcade Fire - Deep Blue

Recipe Testing with Roasted Golden Beet Soup

Ever since I was a little girl, my food hero has always been my Oma, my mothers German mother. My foodie admiration over my Oma had to have started with her sneaking me naughty treats that I wasn't supposed to have, behind my mothers back when I was just a wee little gingy. My foodie admiration for my hilarious Oma grew as I started helping her out in the kitchen, rolling and cutting cookie dough, beating eggs, dusting icing sugar on treats, and so much more. I adored my Oma's cooking as a child, but I didn't see her as the cooking and baking wizard that she truly is until I started really playing around in my own kitchen all by myself. It was only then that I realized how special her natural knack for creating the most satisfying of comfort foods really was. She had a way about making flavours explode in your mouth, seasoning and adding her secret little touches until the dish was just so. It was this natural knack for seasoning and flavouring that I always admired and aspired to have myself, and one that comes to mind almost each and every time I find myself in the kitchen.

It was last week after I unexpectedly had a free weekday to myself to play in the kitchen, that I was faced with three golden beets the size of my head, that I purchased from Pete's Fresh Organics at the sip & Savour Ontario Farm & Artisan Market, that my Oma's cooking once again popped into my head. One of my Oma's most beloved signature dishes is her out-of-this-world beet borscht. Made with beef shank and lots of love, her beet borscht is one of the most delicious and satisfying comfort foods to ever touch my tongue. So naturally, at the sight of those giant, golden beets, I could think of nothing else but trying to create a golden beet soup that maybe, just maybe, might compare to my Oma's infamous borscht. 

Having cooked mainly with red beets in the past, and after seeing lots and lots of golden beet salads and not a whole lot else in my research, I was a little weary at whether golden beets would work just well as red beets when made into soup. Some sources stated that golden beets are sweeter and more flavourful than red beets, while other sources stated the exact opposite! I had no idea if the golden beets would work at all, but the only way to find out was to try! 

With a cool chill in the air, I didn't feel like venturing out to get groceries, so I decided to make the soup using only what I had on hand. To mimic the meaty flavour of the beef shank in my Oma's soup, I sautéed some chopped bacon, cooked the onion in the bacon fat, and re-added the bacon back into my soup while it simmered, as well as adding a rich beef stock. I also chose to grate the beets after being roasted to create the same texture that my Oma's red beets had in her borscht. I added basic flavour enhancers like salt, white pepper, a bay leaf, and garlic before and while the soup was simmering, thinking that that would be everything I needed to achieve a flavourful soup. I was wrong. After simmering for a half hour, as I kept tasting and lightly adding salt and pepper, my soup still tasted very bland and lack-luster. It was here that I lost all chance at posting an exact recipe for the blog right away as well as replicating my Oma's borscht, as I began to transfer cups of the soup to various different pots, and play with different arrangements of seasonings and spices in each one, finding the perfect combination that could make soup worthy of serving to anyone but myself. 

A little lemon juice, grated ginger, cayenne pepper, cumin, a whirr of the immersion blender, and a quick strain through a sieve got my soup to a place that I can say was absolutely incredible! It was when I decided to follow my intuition and trust my taste buds, as opposed to trying to copy someone else's dish, that I was able to achieve greatness (yes, the soup was THAT great!) and something that I could be proud to say was uniquely my own. 

This soup was a great lesson in cooking inspiration. It showed me that although something may spark an idea in the kitchen, you have to trust yourself and your taste buds above all else, and be willing to take some chances every now and then in order to get the results you crave. My Oma's tried and true comforting German recipes will always inspire me in the kitchen, but it's her natural kitchen wizardry, and knack for going with the flow and trusting her instincts that has truly shaped me to be the cook I am today. No, my Roasted Golden Beet Soup didn't taste anything like my Oma's beet borsht, but it was just as delicious and may just spark some other passionate foodie to try and replicate in the kitchen!

* Note: Because I have only made this recipe once and there was so much seasoning play involved, the recipe is not exact yet. I am hoping to make it again soon so I can post an exact recipe for you to try, but until then, I welcome those familiar and confident with seasoning to have a try at making this. You're going to have to do a lot of tasting, have a lot of patience, and add your seasonings and spices little by little, but if you trust your intuition, I think you will too will be proud of your final product! 

** Beets may be roasted and grated in advance, and left in the fridge until ready to use.

*** Remember, when seasoning you can always add, but you can never take away! Use a very light hand when seasoning, and always taste before adding more!

Ingredients:

3 very large golden beets (or enough beets to equal 3 very large beets), greens cut off

olive oil

2 strips of bacon, diced small

1 tbsp butter

1 small yellow onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced or pureed

4 cups beef stock

1 bay leaf

sour cream stirred with a little lemon juice to garnish

Seasoning to play with:*

salt and white pepper to season

approximately 2 tsp lemon juice

approximately 1 pinch cumin

approximately 1/2 - 1 tsp grated ginger

approximately 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Rub beets in olive oil and place in baking dish. Bake for 1 hour to 1.25 hours or until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool. When cooled, rub with a dry paper towel to remove skins. Grate roasted beets into a bowl and set aside.**
2. In a large soup pot, add the bacon and turn heat to medium - medium/low. Cooking, stirring occasionally until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
3. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil and the butter into the soup pot. When heated, add in the onion and sweat, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic in the 30-seconds of cooking.
4. Add in one cup of the beef stock to deglaze the pan, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Add the remaining 3-cups of stock. Add bay leaf and grated beets. When warm, taste, and season with salt and white pepper. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 30-minutes.
5. Remove bay leaf and puree using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor to puree until smooth. Strain and press the soup mixture through a sieve, and re-heat, if needed, on the stove. Taste and season a little at a time with the lemon juice, cumin, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt and white pepper. Continue tasting and seasoning until just right!***
6. Ladle into serving bowls and top with a drizzle of the lemon sour cream. Serve hot. 

Listening To:

Michael Jackson - Beat It (or should I say "Beet It?" hah!)

Market Inspired: Tomato & Cream Cheese Tart

Although it states right up there in the title that this a market-inspired dish, it is actually much more of a Food Hack-inspired dish. These past two weeks have felt like the part of my heart and my head where creativity lies have been hooked up to a defibrillator and have been shocked back into gear. It was only a few short weeks ago that I was crying on my boyfriend Chris' balcony, forlorn over what felt the apparent loss of my creativity and motivation. I was standing at a fork in the road with one direction pointing towards a sensible, steady office job, and the other up in the clouds towards this strange foggy dream that I've been chasing, and I was distraught over the fact that I was just about ready to give up the latter. It's a weird and unexplainable fact of life that Florence Welch so eloquently wrote into one of her hit songs: "It's always darkest before the dawn." No, this past month hasn't been my darkest of times, but it's certainly been confusing as hell, as I've tried with all my might to make sense of combining what I want out of my life (creative stimulation, passion, joy, success, freedom) with what I need out of my life (money and stability). 

Life is like opening that stubborn tight-fitting lid on a jar. Right when you're about to give it all up and quit or ask for help, the lid pops loose! And that's exactly what happened with me. Right when I felt so incredibly lost and unsure of myself, opportunity knocked in the form of a contest that had "this is your dream Danielle!" written all over it! The Kraft Food Hacks competition that I wrote a little bit about in my last entry, would be an absolute dream come true. More than a dream, I can see a reality in it. I can see my future in that role, and that alone was the push I needed to get myself back into gear, and feel that spark that I felt I had been missing as of late. 

On Monday night I participated in Round 2 of the competition, a Twitter party/Interview where finalists and other party guests were asked a series of eight food-hack-related questions to test our originality and creativity, engagement and personal presence, and relevancy of our answers to the questions asked. Although it was my very first Twitter party, and it was at first extremely overwhelming, I feel confident that I put my best face forward and maybe (just maybe!) I could be chosen as one of the three finalists to be judged in Round 3. 

With Food Hacks on the brain last night, I could think of nothing else but creating something hack-worthy and delicious with the leftover Homemade Fresh Garlic & Herb Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese that I made for my Peeling Lots of Garlic Hack that I demonstrated in my video submission. I also had beautiful, colourful tomatoes from the sip & Savour Ontario Farm & Artisan Market leftover, as well as some shallots, basil, and puff pastry that needed to go. A match made in heaven! The tart was quick-as-can-be to prepare and came out looking and tasting restaurant-worthy, thanks to the creamy addition of the flavourful cream cheese and the pop of the sweet juice of the market-fresh tomatoes. This food-hack is a definite winner in my books! 

Note: My puff pastry doesn't look quite as "puffed" as it should because the tart was a very last-minute idea, so I had to do a quickie thaw, which affects the rise of the dough.

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry 

125 g Plain Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese (1/2 a package), softened

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp each basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, green onions, finely chopped

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

a drizzle of olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsp dry white wine
4 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade 

salt and white pepper, to season

Directions:

1. Stir together the softened cream cheese with the crushed garlic and chopped herbs. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium-sized pan to medium-low heat. Coat the pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until very soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium and add the white wine. Continue cooking until wine has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside
3. Preheat oven to 400º. Roll out the puff pastry to make slightly larger and thinner. Use your discretion.
4.  Spread the cream cheese over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch - 3/4-inch border. Season with salt and white pepper. Top evenly with the cooked shallots. Top evenly with the cherry tomatoes and season lightly with salt and white pepper. Bake for 30-minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Top with fresh basil and serve immediately. 

Listening To:

The Muppets - So What'cha Want (Muppet Version)