Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me

Ontario peaches are ripe and ready for eating. I have made 20 jars of jam so far and thought I would try my hand at canning peaches as well this year. It's a bit time consuming but I think it will be worth it in the dead of winter when we enjoy fresh-like peaches. I am sure they will taste way better than canned peaches from the store, and the great thing about making your own is you can control how much sugar goes into the canning syrup. I will report back in the winter on how they taste.

Curried Potato Salad

Perhaps its my partial Irish ancestry but I love potatoes. I also love potato salad, but it can be a bit bland and boring after a few picnics. Curry powder and some peas spice up this version, and you can leave the mayo behind of you like. It tastes great both warm and cold.

INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 small potatoes
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp oil (or use some vegan mayo)
- 1 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup thawed frozen peas, or cooked fresh peas
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

METHOD
1. Boil potatoes until tender. Rinse under cold water for a few mins, then cut into chunks. While still warm, toss in the rest of the ingredients. Serve warm or cold.

Tomato and Tofu Salad

I wish I could come up with a more imaginative name for this dish because it is way tastier than the title suggests. We are finally getting ripe cherry tomatoes out of the garden and this simple salad is a perfect way to enjoy their sweet flavour.

INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes and dabbed dry
- 1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 15 cherry tomatoes (or so), halved or quartered
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp basil (or some chopped fresh basil)
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Place tofu in a bowl with shallots, then add oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Let marinate for 30 min or so. Add tomatoes and herbs, and season to taste. Mix well and serve.

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms

When Isa posted about grilled oyster mushrooms from her trip to NYC I figured I would take a stab at them. Oyster mushrooms have a delicate texture but are still tough enough to stand up on the grill. At first I wasn't sure how to season the shrooms, but eventually settled on a garlic and herb infused oil. This was a good call. These are absolutely delicious with plenty of BBQ flavour with subtle flavours from the oil. I also like them because they can be enjoyed for what they are instead of trying to masquerade as a vegan version of a meat dish.

INGREDIENTS
Garlic and Herb Infused Oil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 6 sun dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped
- oyster mushrooms (get the large bunches, like you see here); as many as you want to grill
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and reduce heat to med-lo. Add basil and tomatoes and let simmer for 20 mins. Strain thought a fine sieve into a glass container. Obviously, this makes more than you will need here, so just keep the extra for another time.
2. Cut the mushroom bunched in half both vertically and horizontally (so the bunch is not too thick and as much of the mushroom can touch the grill as possible). Brush generously on all sides with the oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat grill on high. Grill mushrooms 4-5 mins per side. Resist the urge to flip over--just let them sit there and get some good grill marks.
4. Serve. You can trim off the tough end, or just cut off the more tender parts as you eat.

On Food Blogs and Photography

Several people have recently posted comments asking how I take my pictures, advice for a good food blog, etc. So, I thought I would write a wee post addressing just that. First off (you will be disappointed to know), I know absolutely nothing about photography. The only reason my pics are passable is because I invested in a 50mm f 1.4 macro lens for my Canon Digital Rebel camera. In fact, I bought it for a research trip to Philly so I could take snaps of historical documents in low light conditions (they don't allow flashes or tripods at the Historical Society). I like to think I have an eye for what is a good photo, but I have no idea about f-stops, apertures, etc. I try to take pics outdoors so I can get good light, but this gets tricky in the winter when it is dark by the time supper comes around. My style is to get as much food in the frame as possible and to worry less about the surroundings. Occasionally I will tinker with light and saturation in Photoshop, but more often than not I just crop the pic and post it. I have learned a lot over the past (almost) two years. Look back at my first posts--the pics are dreadful. If you want to actually learn about food photography, go to Bittersweet, or Vegan YumYum.

As for food blogging, I think good photos are essential. You may have the tastiest recipe but if it looks dingy and tan in the pic, then people are less likely to try your food. A good photo will draw people into your blog. After that, the content needs to be good as well. Food blogs are free, and sometimes you get what you pay for. Make sure to edit your posts and that the directions are easy to follow. Be honest about how good your food is. Lastly, make your blog personal. Although I have kept my kids' faces and names out of my blog, I do try to work in anecdotes and such into each post. Establish a rapport with your readers. Make sure your blog has a point.

OK, that's it from me. More food coming soon!