[Sunday Dinner] Lamb and chanterelle casserole

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

One of my favourite products in summer is a great Saskatchewan resource, the amazing Chanterelle! Chanterelles have a very short season so this is the time to get your fix of these delicious yellow fungi. Keep them in the fridge in a brown paper bag for up to two weeks and just before you want to use them fill a bowl with cold water, trim the stem and dunk the mushrooms under a few times to get rid of any grit/leaf material then use straight away. The combination of wild mushrooms and lamb is perfect for the cooler summer evenings.

Ingredients

• 8oz Chanterelles trimmed and washed (SaskMade)
• 1 packet ground lamb (SaskMade)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 tsp chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp mustard (SaskMade)
• 2 shallots diced
• 1 large clove garlic chopped (SaskMade)
• 8oz baby carrots sliced (SaskMade)
• 1 pint chicken stock
• Salt & pepper
• Cornstarch to thicken

Method

• In a casserole dish place the carrots, mushrooms, shallots, garlic.
• Place the lamb into a bowl and add the parsley, mint, thyme and mustard mix well and season with salt and pepper
• Make into golf ball size balls and place on top of the vegetables.
• Pour on chicken stock and cover with a lid.
• Bake in a preheated oven 365F for 45 minutes.
• Strain off the liquid and thicken with cornstarch then pour back over the lamb.
• Serve over rice/potatoes/pasta.

[Sunday Dinner] BBQ Cedar Plank Trout, Wild Rice & Pickled Salad

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

SaskMade is just oozing product right now, and to be honest this blog was a hard one to decide on. There are so many choices on the shelves but I went with some local trout, wild rice and veggies…my way!

BBQ season is in full flow and to make a change from the usual steak or chicken, try cooking some trout. Planked fish is a great way to make a meal for a small group with little clean up involved. On top of that, the plank imparts a lovely smokiness.

Trout is a fish which requires a variety of strong flavours that can cut through the richness. I added the brown sugar for some sweetness and the light pickling of the vegetables is a crisp, refreshing addition.

This recipe uses trout but of course if you happen to be at the lake and catch a pickerel or two, this would be the perfect way to cook them next to the water!

SaskMade Shopping List

• Wild West Steelhead Trout Fillet
• Floating Gardens Fresh Dill, Mint
• Floating Gardens Fresh Tomatoes
• Floating Gardens Fresh Chard
• Grandora Gardens Mini Cucumbers
• Golden View Colony Fresh Radishes
• Northern Lights Wild Rice

 

>> Planked Trout <<

Ingredients

• Cedar plank
• 1 trout fillet
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 3-4tbsp soft brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Method

Soak the plank in water for at least 30 minutes

Place the trout on the plank, season with salt and pepper then sprinkle the fresh dill and brown sugar over.

Light one side of the BBQ on a medium high heat, around 350F, then place the plank on the opposite side and close the lid.

Cook for about 25 minutes then increase the heat to lightly caramelize the sugar.

 

>> Pickled Veggies <<

Ingredients

• 3 baby cucumbers
• 6 radishes
• ½ basket tomatoes
• 3 tsp fresh chopped dill
• 1 tsp fresh chopped mint
• 4 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup white wine

Method

Mix together the wine, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, dill and mint.

Thinly slice the cucumber and radish, add to the vinegar mixture and let pickle for an hour. Cut the tomatoes in half, add to the vinegar and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Drain and serve.

>> Wild Rice <<

Method

Cook the wild rice for about 40 minutes, until tender. When the rice is almost finished cooking, get a sauté pan and add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of canola oil. Sauté the chard until tender then add in the wild rice. Season with salt and pepper and the juice of ½ lemon or to taste.

This is a great little dish and it will taste even better with a glass of chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

[Sunday Dinner] Deep fried cheese with tomato chutney and Saskatoon berry mustard dressing

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

Locally made cheese is a rare commodity in Saskatchewan and I’m not fully tuned in to the reasoning behind this. Although a few brave souls are starting to pop up selling said locally made cheese.

So a lovely summer treat for me is to take a ripe Camembert style cheese and cover it in panko crumbs and fresh dill then pop it into my deep fryer. I actually double crumb mine and then put the crumbed cheese into the freezer for half an hour. This will help ensure the cheese stays where it should and doesn’t end up oozing into the frying oil.

To accompany this I made a tomato and rosemary chutney. I also tossed some pea shoots in a simple vinaigrette of Saskatoon Mustard and Camelina Oil. It gave me a strong enough flavour to cut through the rich oozing cheese and to be honest the results were delicious, especially with a glass of wine.

Here’s the recipe so grab some cheese and get frying!

Shopping List

• Floating Gardens Cherry Tomatoes
• Floating Gardens Fresh Dill & Rosemary
• Herschel Hills Stranraer Cheese
• Gravelbourg Saskatoon Berry Mustard

 

>> Fried Cheese <<

Ingredients

• 1 wheel of Stranraer cheese cut into four wedges
• 2 eggs
• 8 oz panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour

Method

Dip the cheese into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs and lastly the dill.
Repeat the egg and crumb again to double crumb the cheese, place on a tray with parchment paper and pop in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Deep fry till the crumbs are golden and serve.

>> Cherry Tomato Chutney <<

Ingredients

• 1 basket cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 shallot chopped
• 4 oz red wine vinegar
• 5 oz brown sugar

Method

Place in a saucepan and simmer until it begins to look like syrup. Puree and chill until needed.

>> Saskatoon Berry Mustard Vinaigrette <<

Ingredients

• 1 tsp mustard
• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Mix well and toss pea shoots until thoroughly coated.

[Sunday Dinner] Tomato, goat's cheese and pesto salad

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

So how was your long weekend? Too short that’s right.

Well we got home Monday from Edmonton and needed a fast and tasty salad to have with dinner. Although it wasn’t actually Sunday it felt like it, so I decided to keep it really simple.

Tomato and basil is a classic flavour combination so a large plate of various tomatoes topped with basil pesto and creamy goats cheese, now this is my idea of Summer!

Pesto originated from Genoa in Northern Italy but nowadays is found anywhere you can grow fresh basil. And normally olive oil is used in salad dressings and pestos, but Camelina Oil is a recent discovery and works well in this fragrant paste.

Tweak yours with more garlic, more cheese, more basil however you like it. We just added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and mopped up the remaining juices with crusty bread. I’m pleased to say Summer in Saskatoon has finally arrived!!

Ingredients

• 1 basket tomatoes
• 1 bag basil
• 1 bag arugula
• 1 tsp M& M fresh minced garlic
• 75g pine nuts
• 75g parmesan cheese
• 3 tsp crumbled goat’s cheese
• Three Farmers Roasted Onion and Basil Camelina Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• Slice the tomatoes into interesting pieces or chunks and plate, season with salt and pepper.
• Make the pesto by adding a few basil leaves, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse. Slowly pour in the Camelina Oil while the machine is running until it gets to a dressing-like consistency.
• Drizzle pesto over the tomatoes and place torn basil and arugula leaves on and around, finish with crumbled goat’s cheese.

[Sunday Dinner] Bison Bacon & Garlic Pesto Pasta

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

SaskMade was closed for a few days recently, undergoing some refurbishments, so I was very interested to see the end result. When I opened the door there was a lovely wooden floor stretching from the front to the rear and masses of open space, perfect for browsing. Nice job!

I was actually limited for time so I looked for some ingredients that would make a quick supper and there it was, locally made pasta. Everyone loves pasta right!

I also checked out the freezer and found some bison bacon (never used this before) and a jar of garlic “pesto” from the shelf. I hit the kitchen to see what I could turn this small batch of ingredients into.

Bison is a very popular meat being lean and packed with flavour. It worked great with the pasta and garlic pesto so this is one hearty meal for the last days of April’s cool weather.

Ingredients

• 1 package bison bacon shredded
• 12oz. heavy cream
• ½ jar garlic pesto
• 2 cups uncooked pasta
• 2 shallots finely diced
• 4 handfuls baby spinach
• Canola oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water and drain. Add the garlic pesto and cream, simmer to the desired thickness.
• In a frying pan add a glug of canola oil. Sauté the shallot and bison for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time.
• Then add the spinach, parsley and dill; cook until they wilt. 
• Place the pasta in a bowl, top with the bison bacon mix and finish with grated parmesan.