Take advantage of harvest season
Rustic Kale and Squash Pie
Fall is when our rooftop garden at Ricardo Media is looking its very best — bursting with eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, kale and more. In Canada, our harvest season also means abundance: I live for that moment when all of a sudden everything’s ripe at the same time. And I love nothing more than cooking up a new crop of recipes inspired by all that fresh garden produce.
Ricardo Tested Our fall-inspired menu finds ways to enjoy this season’s bounty in simple, fresh and healthy ways. Take this rustic kale and squash pie: Once the pie filling is made (hello kale, leek, garlic and — yes! — bacon), just roll out the crust (made with wholewheat flour and fresh thyme), pop onto a baking sheet, and after a generous dab of thyme, sour cream and a brush of beaten egg, your new favourite savoury pie is oven-ready. Whole Wheat Pastry Dough 1/2 cup (70 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (70 g) whole wheat flour 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme 6 tbsp (85 g) cold unsalted butter, diced 3 tbsp (45 mL) sour cream Pie 1/2 cup (75 g) chopped bacon (about 3 slices) 2 cups (280 g) peeled and diced butternut squash 1 tbsp butter 8 cups (175 g) thinly sliced kale, stems removed 1 cup (95 g) thinly sliced leek, white part only 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) water 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme 2 tbsp (30 mL) sour cream 1 egg, beaten Thyme Sour Cream 3/4 cup (180 mL) sour cream 1 green onion, chopped 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme In a food processor, combine flours, salt and thyme. Add butter and pulse until butter forms pea-sized pieces. Add sour cream and pulse again until dough just begins to form.
Remove dough and shape into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
With rack in middle position, preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a 12 x 17-inch (30 x 43 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a non-stick skillet over high heat, brown bacon and squash in butter for 5 minutes. Add kale, leek, garlic and water. Cook for 5 minutes or until kale is al dente. Add nutmeg and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Let cool.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 14-inch (36 cm) disc about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
Place dough on prepared baking sheet. Spread sour cream on dough up to 2 inches (5 cm) from the edge.
Spoon cooled filling onto sour cream. Fold edges of dough toward the centre over the filling, forming pleats. Brush dough with beaten egg.
Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool before serving.
Meanwhile, to make the thyme sour cream, in a bowl, combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Top each pie slice with a dollop of thyme sour cream.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Paprika Dip
Ricardo Tested Think you don’t like fried green tomatoes? Think again. These green gems are sliced, breaded in a cornflour mix and then lightly fried for the perfect autumn appetizer — especially when served with more veggies and our favourite sidekick: a paprika dip perked up by hot sauce and the tang of lemon juice. Dip 1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise 1/4 cup (60 mL) plain Greek yogurt 1 tsppaprika 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Hot sauce, to taste Tomatoes 1/4 cup (30 g) corn flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1/8 tsp paprika 2 eggs 1 cup (60 g) panko bread crumbs 2 green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices Vegetable oil, for frying For the dip, in a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the tomatoes, in a shallow dish, combine corn flour, salt, sugar and spices. In a second shallow dish, beat eggs. Place bread crumbs in a third dish.
Dredge tomatoes in flour mixture. Dip in eggs. Press and coat in bread crumbs.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 inch (1 cm) of oil, making sure to maintain the quantity of oil throughout cooking. Fry half the tomatoes at a time for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly season with salt. Let cool.
Serve fried tomatoes with the dip and raw vegetables, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Tofu with roasted garden vegetables and cilantro dressing
Ricardo Tested A comforting, healthy weeknight bowl I could eat over and over? Introducing grilled tofu with roasted garden vegetables and cilantro dressing — a dish that’s bursting with roasted carrots, radishes, broccoli, carrots and spinach. Drizzled in olive oil and then baked for 15 minutes, the vegetables are less spicy, sweeter but still satisfyingly crunchy. And the cilantro dressing with honey and a hint of Dijon takes the whole dish home for the win. Roasted vegetables 3/4 lb (340 g) small carrots 2 cups (190 g) Romanesco cut into small florets 8 radishes, halved 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil Tofu 2 tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 1 lb (454 g) firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices and patted dry Cilantro Dressing 1 cup (35 g) cilantro (leaves and tender stems) 1 cup (25 g) baby spinach 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) water 2 tsp (10 mL) honey 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard Topping 1 cup (35 g) cilantro (leaves and tender stems) 1 cup (25 g) baby spinach 2 tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey Salt and pepper With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the carrots on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Add Romanesco and radishes. Drizzle with remaining oil (1 tbsp/15 mL). Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes more or until vegetables are al dente. Let cool. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a glass dish, com- bine vinegar, honey and coriander seeds. Set aside marinade.
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Oil lightly.
Brush tofu with remaining oil (1 tbsp/15 mL). Season with salt and pepper. Grill half of the tofu at a time, 2 minutes on each side. Add tofu to marinade. Let cool. For the cilantro dressing, in a blender, purée all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, add cilantro, spinach, vinegar and honey to grilled vegetables. Serve onto plates with tofu and drizzle with dressing.
Makes 4 servings.
Seared Salmon with Bulgur and Beets
Ricardo Tested Who said simple can’t be sensational? Our (extremely good-looking) seared salmon with bulgur and beets recipe celebrates the root vegetable in the simplest way (sliced thinly with a mandoline), is quick to assemble and is dressed for success. Beets are especially sweet when they’re freshly harvested, so we went for a couple of different varieties (Chioggia and yellow, for instance). And because we try to eat root-to-tip as much as possible to minimize waste and maximize taste, we used the beet juice to colour the bulgur — an unbeatable combination. Bulgur 3/4 cup (180 mL) beet juice 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup (90 g) fine-grain bulgur wheat 1/2 lemon, the finely grated zest 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil Vegetables 2 beets of various colours (Chioggia and yellow), peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline 8 Brussels sprouts, broken into leaves and blanched 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice 1 tspchopped fresh dill 5 tomatoes of various colours (Green Zebra and yellow cocktail), cut into wedges or sliced, as desired Salmon 1-1/2 lb (675 g) skinless salmon, cut into 4 pieces 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil In a saucepan, bring the beet juice and salt to a boil. Add bulgur. Cover, remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Add lemon zest and olive oil. Set aside.
In another bowl, gently toss the beet slices, blanched Brussels sprouts, oil, lemon juice and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook salmon in oil for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve tomatoes and bulgur onto plates. Top with beets, Brussels sprouts and salmon. Drizzle with remaining vegetable vinaigrette.
Makes 4 servings.