Beets For Borscht Ode To Ontario Agriculture Week...

Happy Ontario Agriculture Week! 

Give me a B for Beets. Another B for Borscht 🥣! What better way than to celebrate with a beautiful soup honouring the many precious treasures from our mother earth! 🥕.

The first time I made this beautiful borscht, it also had kidney beans. I was inspired by a Ukrainian family recipe by a senior, in a collaborative community published cookbook titled "Hot Pot Cookbook" that reflects the plethora of cultures in Bathurst-Finch, an area with a huge high school Northview I have done many food events and culinary work in.

A group of community agencies wanted to celebrate the different heritages by socially engaging local low-income seniors and this food project came about. It is a free cookbook full of recipes contributed by seniors embraced by North York Harvest Food Bank, operating the Bathurst and Finch Community Food bank which is the largest food program in the neighbourhood. They asked older clients of the food bank to contribute hand-written recipes to be put into a box. A total of 48/60 were selected, tested and published. The food bank serves a large number of Russian-speaking seniors about 700 households a month. Read more about it here.

Last week I toured the Holland Marsh area with ambassadors at Produce Made Simple hosted by Holland Marsh Growers. At our final stop Gwillimdale Farms, we received a generous goodie bag filled with their farm produce 🤗! Scanning the fresh assortment of beets, carrots, onions and potatoes, amidst this fall weather, borscht came to mind and it was this Ukrainian-inspired version. Sweet and tangy, with a dollop of mayo, it's a comfort vegetarian haven!

Ukrainian Borscht

Work with cooked beets on a non-porous plate or cutting board such as glass so not to stain. Gloves help too.

дуже смачний! (Delicious! in Ukraine). The natural sweetness of beets is divine-tasting!

B for Beauty!

Here with Produce Made Simple ambassadors at our first stop in Holland Marsh- The Muck Research Station, a part of Guelph University. This region is the largest area of organic (muck) soil developed for agriculture in the province and one of the most intensive areas of agricultural production in the country.

and one of the most intensive areas of agricultural production in the country which is why the University of

Guelph established a research station here

Field research is conducted in both mineral and organic soil. The emphasis is on discovery research in crop protection and production, to contribute to improved integrated pest and crop management in their plant pathology lab, controlled greenhouses and cold storages. They conduct insect counts, isolate target conditions when diseases occur, and optimize spray time to reduce costs and unnecessary chemicals on food and in the environment. Yay! R&D are unsung heros! 🎵🎶🤗.

Onions are ready when the tops droop.

Vegetable crops grown in Holland Marsh such as carrots (cello-types or jumbos), onions, lettuce, celery and Asian vegetables are the focus here at Muck Crops Research Station.

On the field with some jumbos 🥕🥕...

#Repost @producemadesimple with @repostsaveapp ・・・ For those of you who may be new here, let us tell you a little bit about who we are! Produce Made Simple is owned by the non-profit Ontario Produce Marketing Association. Our goal is to inspire and educate others to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables as much as we do. Eating fresh produce tastes great! To help us achieve this, we've partnered with amazing food writers and bloggers this year, and we just toured the Holland Marsh Area! Did you know that The Marsh is one of the most intensive areas of agricultural production in the country and grows over 40 different varieties of vegetables?

Our next stop was at Springh Farms. Shane Singh is a second-generation grower, producing a variety of greens that appeals to a higher end and diversified population. Amongst the regular lettuces, he grows red and green oak leaf lettuces, as well as herbs, swiss chard, kale, bok choy and dandelion greens.

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Neat rows, and rows and rows...

He has broaden his customer base by also selling to retailers, food service, direct to consumers via farm stands and CSA box programs.

Aren't these gorgeous radishes, grown with love.

Grower Shane Singh

Our Suzie and Nicole collecting fresh goodness for our group.

Swiss chard in the front, kale in the background.

Gwillimdale Farms is one of Ontario's largest grower-packer-shippers of root vegetables, specializing in carrots, onions, beets, parsnips and potatoes. As an industry leader and family owned business, they have made investments to improve the quality of food distributed in Ontario, as well as improve the sustainability of their farms.

Visiting Gwillimdale's packing facility.

Over onto our lunch venue in their private Fair View Barn with Little Red Catering Co.

It was a delicious lunch! 

I loved this parsnip and pear soup starter with the exquisite table side tea pot pour.

Thank you for this awesome canvas bag filled with fresh goodies!

I used your carrots, onions and potatoes in Japanese curry teaching a cooking class with seniors. 

Who doesn't love curry? But it's all about the fresh produce that goes in it!

Japanese Curry with Chicken and Potatoes

And of course, the makings of this beautiful Borscht.

More soup on the horizon... and it's Creamy Potato, Parsnip and Leeks 🥣.

Going through my big potato bag of white rounds... Although they are of the waxy type, thin skin and low in starch, I still wanted to make this soup (waxy potatoes yield a gluey texture). So for silky creaminess, I doubled up and countered with added mashed potatoes (waxy is actually preferred for a smooth mash) for balanced texture and body. What a harmonious trio with parsnips for sweetness and leeks for delicious onion flavour! So simple. So divine!

I love this piece on Produce Made Simple site about potatoes. In a 2013 study, the majority of respondents said that they do not believe potatoes to be “nutritious”, nor “a good source of energy”! Well... they are naturally fat free, low in calories and gluten- free. A medium sized potato (150 g) is just 110 calories and really helps to satisfy hunger. It even has 3g of protein! Potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, a good source of vitamin C and a source of fibre and folic acid. So go on... Eat your potatoes 🥔🥔🥔.

Creamy Potato, Parsnip and Leeks

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls...

I've had my fair share of cabbage rolls over the years, pouring over restaurant and European store hot counter reviews to find that perfect-tasting one. I've tried different cuisine versions from Romanian, Russian, Hungarian and Polish. With styles in tomato sauce, with creamy mushroom sauce, red pepper oil or dollops of sour cream. Served large comfort in a meal and small elegant as a cocktail appetizer at a wedding. 

For someone that gets inspired from eating a tasty, and then immediately makes plans to replicate it, I just can't believe it's taken me this long to try my hands on making them. They really are one of the simplest things to make, budget- and family-friendly but yields that big impact at the table with its comfort hearty-all-in-one appeal with meat, rice and vegetables. After all the pouring over and tastings, its the Polish ones bathed in a thin tomato sauce I adore most.

Delicious first attempt! A recipe keeper!

Yes, cabbage rolls can be rolled small and served as an elegant cocktail appetizer. These rolls were made to the traditional recipe provided by the Hungarian bride at her backyard catered wedding. An event I tended to, assisting my friend Chef Frederick Oh one summer.

Deliciously prepared with nappa cabbage.

Roncesvalles' Cafe Polonez, an institution in the Polish community for 30 years serves up some of the best tasting cabbage rolls ever-- mmmmm!! Stuffed with meat and rice with a tomato sauce and this creamy veggie delight with just mushrooms and rice! So goooood!!

Cafe Polonez in Roncesvalles.

Hai sa mancam! Let's Eat! Romanian cabbage rolls! The ones I got on the right from ABC's hot counter were filled with pork and vegetables, but they aren't my favourite. Maybe it was the slather of red pepper oil that didn't agree? 

This friendly store- ABC Euro Delicatessen in Scarborough, carries mainly Romanian products
but also imports from Hungary, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, Spain, and Germany.

This night was a medley of sorts from East European store Yummy Market specializing in Russian foods- from fresh bakery, deli counter, freezer and hot table for dinner. I got cabbage rolls called "Golubtsi", but it wasn't memorable. They are typically served with a side of sour cream.

Russian specialty Yummy Market

Hastings Snack Bar's lovely owner Ania handmakes and dishes her food out with love 💞.

This place is an outstanding must!! Do yourself a favour. And Go! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️. The cutest lunch counter ever. 😊

Hastings Snack Bar owner Ania.

Ahh, the Hungry Tata's Lunch as mentioned in my last post (I opted for both mushroom sauerkraut, and meat perogies served with sauteed onions and sour cream, a juicy Polish kielbasa sausage with a dollop of Polish mustard, a huge beef and pork cabbage roll slathered in tomato sauce, and a countering tangy sauerkraut with gherkin pickle)... them perogies and cabbage roll were hands-down ones of the best I've ever had 😊.

Hastings Snack Bar

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls (adapted from Spend with Pennies)
Makes 16 large rolls

1 medium head green savoy cabbage
1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dill weed (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, and more for garnishing
1 can (425 mL) diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice (I used converted brown rice)
1 egg
1/3 cup tomato sauce or pasta sauce 

Sauce:

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup

Core the cabbage and remove the stem. Separate the leaves, and boil in a pot of water about two mins. or until soft. Set aside to cool.

Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by five mins. so its slightly underdone. Set aside.

Coring the head cabbage with a paring knife.

Skillet boiling cabbage leaves in batches. Drain well.

Cook beef, pork (or turkey), onions, garlic and seasonings until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup of tomato/pasta sauce, salt & pepper. Stir in egg. 

Mix tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Double up for small leaves. Repeat with remaining cabbage.

This job needs my mulberry fall 9 X 13

Shave off the thick layer cabbage stems, for leaf pliability.

Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 90 mins. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

TIP: Leftovers are very freezer friendly. Just pop them in freezer bags and you’ve got cabbage rolls on a whim when you don’t feel like fussing in the kitchen.

So exciting!

Wahhh!! 1-1/2 hours later these leafy chubs came out piping hot and smelling like heaven!

Gorgeous, shiny and teeth-sinkable (OMG, making up my own delish jargon lol)...

Dinner is happily served. A simple side green salad is all we need to round the meal out.

The mixed pork and beef and the rice was soft and comforting with a nice cabbage leaves yield bathed in slightly tangy sweet tomato sauce. Hearty! Flavoursome! A keeper!

Two large cabbage rolls and side greens constitutes a nice meal.

I made a second version a la cream of mushroom inspired by Cafe Polonez with leftover soup in my small convection oven (with four cabbage rolls). My son and I really liked the creamy mushroom topping. Tastes so succulent and complements the ingredients so well.

Full Recipe: 

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls (adapted from Spend with Pennies)
Makes 16 large rolls

1 medium head green savoy cabbage
1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dill weed (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, and more for garnishing
1 can (425 mL) diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice (I used converted brown rice)

1 egg
1/3 cup tomato sauce or pasta sauce 

Sauce:

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup

Core the cabbage and remove the stem. Separate the leaves, and boil in a pot of water about two mins. or until soft. Set aside to cool.
Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by five mins. so its slightly underdone. Set aside.

Cook beef, pork (or turkey), onions, garlic and seasonings until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup of tomato/pasta sauce, salt & pepper. Stir in egg.
Mix tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9x13 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Double up for small leaves. Repeat with remaining cabbage.

Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 90 mins. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

TIP: Leftovers are very freezer friendly. Just pop them in freezer bags and you’ve got cabbage rolls on a whim when you don’t feel like fussing in the kitchen.

Catchin' Up, Chillaxin' And Discovery... All In The Name of Food

Once my cooking programs were finished for the term, I knew exactly how I wanted to take advantage of two solid weeks before the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Catchin' up, chillaxin' and discovery.... All around food, but of course. I've been promising peeps to cook together or cook up some of my homemade specialties, and yeah, you bet I delivered. Been a discovering time too. Some awesome outside eating finds- torched pressed sushi (yum), Hungarian potato pancake stuffed with Hunter's pork goulash, sauerkraut and mushrooms perogies. But most importantly, I made sure I spent lots of me time, as part of practicing self-care which I value so much. You can bet yoga and kickboxing was right up there with everything else. So while we now head onto festive celebrations, I've got fond memories of these special moments captured with peeps who are dear to my heart and stamping it right here with a fun food compilation. 

Camera roll please....

Shopping and cooking day with my Jamaican-Chinese friend David. He wanted to learn how to make Chinese restaurant-style meatless dishes and we did protein-rich tofu three ways. Shopping is an important part of cooking new dishes. If you are not familiar with the ingredients and the various formats they can come in (example tofu- silken, medium, firm or soy sauce- light, regular, dark- what's the difference), grocery shopping can be super daunting. For more check out my post on Learn To Cook Series: Start With How To Shop. 

We got hot and sour soup and mapo tofu (we added green beans and edamame) on the stove.

David approves... YASS!

Furthermore, we made Korean-inspired tofu, sweet potato noodles, nappa, and chives dumplings- steamed and pan-fried. Check out my dumplings post for this vegetarian recipe, a ginger and curry meat versions (Chinese- and Indian-inspired).  

David gave me a piece of this overly delicious super boozy and moist Jamaican rum cake his mom makes for him every year. Speckled with fruit, it is addictive and perfect served with tea. YUM!

Jamaican Rum Cake

It's always a great day when I spend time with this beauty, my bestie forever! Dim sum in Cantonese means to touch the heart... and I can't think of a better way to catch up doing just that. When I am the most busiest that's when I realize I miss my good friends the most. There was no doubt that during this solace, I needed her to be in it. This moment was the perfect recipe in my break.

Dim Sum Queen (Lawrence and Yonge) is super in attentive hospitable service and serving up delish all-time dim sum classic favourites. Totally Recommend!

Pan-fried turnip cakes and beancurd shrimp and chives rolls.

Curry cuttlefish, sauteed snow pea leaves, steamed dumpling and my fave steamed chicken feet.

Dinner with my super artist brother Marten Go. Check out his remarkable Preserved Dragon's product offerings-- posters, prints, statues and his extensive line of 80s era film character custom illustrated and printed tees. We were celebrating because I referred my friend to get her son's hockey team logo put onto the entire teams' hoodies. A rare moment treasured dearly as we are both so busy. His latest project-- artwork for a much anticipated documentary released next year for RoboCop- RoboDoc :D. Congrats bro- so proud of you!!

It's Thai Food at Kub Khao Thai Eatery in Scarborough. Starting with these amazing appetizers- curry puffs, chicken toast and bouncy succulent shrimp donuts! Such unique shareable plates that tasted incredible!

Refreshing balanced tart and savoury Papaya Salad and the best Pad See Ew I ever tasted. Smoky sweetness just hits all the right spots.

Lunch date with my friend Arlene. She was raving about Pho Restaurant in her hood, and she didn't steer me wrong. The entire meal felt light just right, not at all heavy. Probably cause the broth in both the pho and satay noodle soups were clean, using real ingredients and no extra unnecessary seasonings for flavour. Interesting that the raw beef slices in the pho were enveloped with lots of minced ginger, but still mildly so... for flavour #1 but also to cut out any distaste you sometimes get from raw meat. Very delicious taro cha gio spring rolls (light, crispy and non-greasy) and lovely goi cuon shrimp and pork rice paper rolls. Will certainly have to take the family one day soon!

My first.... torched pressed sushi experience. A treat to myself after a productive day of gift shopping. I've heard of this amazing little shop in my hood (on Yonge near Steeles) but haven't visited yet. Torched sushi is Oshizushi ((押し寿司), translated means “pressed or boxed sushi.” Originally from the Kansei region of Osaka, traditionally, this type of sushi-making is a method where a wooden box is used to pack fermented fish and rice tightly together for preservation. Aburi (炙る) style refers to “flame-seared” sushi, where the fish is partially charred on the top with a blowtorched. I ordered the lunch combo one that came with miso soup, carrot and cucumber salad topped with fried leek and taro strands, 3 each of the most delectable moist charred tops sushi-- shrimps with mayo, salmon and spicy salmon. I was pretty floored with the new taste experience-- succulent and creamy with a touch of smokiness. While I really enjoyed it, I prefer fresh sashimi and sushi more. Definitely will try it again!

Torched Pressed Sushi

Hi Michael!! My vinyasa yoga instructor over at Saana Yoga Thornhill. Been missing his Monday classes due to my culinary program with seniors but as soon as I had the day free, I bounced to his class armed with beancurd mushroom rolls I've been promising him! 

The beancurd mushroom rolls- steamed or pan-fried.

Yay! Yoga with the lovely Sandy at Saana :D

Gotta keep up with the fitness going especially during busy times. Its so easy to get caught up with this and that, and not find the time for yourself. Me time, includes my own head space to immerse into my workouts whether its meditation, yoga, pilates or kick boxing. Seeing the gains everyday... yay! yay! :D

Richard over at Era Ageless Bayview is my adorable specialist for all my skin care needs. I've been promising him dumplings (he is a gyoza fan) and I made sure I got some over to him at my next appointment. These are curry beef nappa dumplings turned up crispy when pan-fried! He loved them-- YAY!

Polish and Ukaranian cuisine is my love these days. Discovering with my family the breadth of its cuisine- to start... appies borscht soup with dumpling to perogies- boiled or pan-fried.

OMG, Cafe Polonez sauerkraut mushrooms perogies with onion oil are to die for!

Enjoying an assortment of classic specialty dishes over at Roncesvalles Cafe Polonez, an institution in the Polish community for 30 years!

Hungarian Potato Pancake stuffed with pork goulash with three kinds of salad.
Pork schnitzel topped with mushrooms, meat perogies and sauerkraut sausage salad.

Cabbage rolls-- mmmmm!! These are some of the best I've ever tasted! Stuffed with meat and rice with a tomato sauce and this creamy veggie delight with mushrooms and rice! So goooood!!

And of course, knowing me I gotta try them out at home myself. Well frozen-bought for now, until someone can share with me their recipes. I've got the sauerkraut mushrooms and bacon potato perogies topped with a onion and bacon mixture cooked in butter and over to the right, beef and pork pelmeni (a Russian perogy- thinner skin and smaller), served with mustard and sour cream at the table.

The perfect Polish-inspired plate- cabbage roll, perogies, sauerkraut, pickle, olives and cabbage salad.

And the sweet finale, a wicked kick start to the holiday festivities-- building gingerbread houses and decorating ugly but pretty sweaters over at Thorncliffe Public School with 50 newcomer grades 4s & 5s.

Started off the session with Waldorf apple, celery and grape skewers for a quick snack.

The lovely spread of home sweet home! Great work everyone :D

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday with your loved ones!!!