The master of food and foul language sits down with QTV host Jian Ghomeshi

Duration : 0:19:33

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Get this recipe: http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=8541

Gurj also prepared two other delicious Indian Tapas recipes, check them out here: http://www.foodtv.ca/video/?&maven_playerId=00foodtv&maven_referralPlaylistId=88929b77742a7488caeb8bfde5be72f54021707b&maven_referralObject=525335661&maven_referrer=staf

Duration : 0:5:38

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Duration : 0:7:42

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To the chow, I add 3 cups of brown sugar and stir it up. The original recipe called for white sugar, but my “Auntie Hallee” (who is 1.5 years my junior.) adapted the recipe, and I’m giving it a go. I pour vinegar in, to come half way up to wear the “chow line” is. I haven’t any cheese cloth, so I rinse out a clean “J” cloth, and tie 2 tablespoons of pickling spice into it, and plunk that on the top.

While the pot is boiling, I’m washing the new jars and lids. I put the pot that is going to boil the sealed jars on to the stove with the rack in the bottom, and put it on to just warm up. I’m referring constantly to my 1973 Homes And Gardens® Home Canning And Freezing hardcover book that I purchased some years ago from a Goodwill thrift store JUST for this day. The house is smelling YUMMY.

I put yet ANOTHER pot on to boil… This I’ll use for dipping the jars in, and the lids to sterilize. I’ve got tongs out. I’ve got the ladle out. I’ve got an extra fork out incase I get air bubbles (Because Better Homes And Gardens® said I might need one.) I’ve got my oven mitts out. I’m pretty close to pulling my hair out.

For nearly an hour, the stock put boils. I stir it every now and again. (This still doesn’t stop me from burning a bit on the bottom of the pot.) I attempt to take some pics of myself to show you just how happy and easy this little experiment is.

(I’m not sure if I’m dropping the camera or getting burned from steam, or just trying to be cute here. Any way you look at it, I’m a dork for trying to take my own picture at the stove. Don’t try this at home, kids. )

Then, it’s TIME.

I can’t grip the jars with my new oven mitts on. So, I find the old ratty oven mitts that SHOULD have been thrown away a long time ago. I realize at this point I have no funnel. Oh well, on with the show!

Sterilize a bottle with the tongs. Sterilize the ladle, because I realize I haven’t done that yet. Pick up jar with clumsy old ratty oven mitts and fill the jar to leave about half an inch at the top. Put jar on counter. Wipe the chunks off the side with the clean cloth. Sterilize lid. Try to place this on the top without touching  it with the ratty oven mitts. Sterilize ring. Place ring on lid. Tighten. Place jar in the warmed water pot with bottom rack. Realize that the pot isn’t big enough to cover this size jar. Insert swear word. Fill three more jars before deciding to remove jars from hot water in too small pot. Remove big pot full of chow chow and empty chow into yet another pot and put back to boil. Scrub big pot like mad, because there is burnt chow on the bottom. Rinse. Pour hot water from too small pot into big pot, plunking the rack in the bottom. Insert the four jars, cover with water, and let it come to a boil. Sweat, swear, and make a big mess.

What was I thinking???

I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Lori Petroff

Sweet relish made from green tomatoes and onions. When we were first introduced to it in New Glascow, Nova Scotia, we couldn’t believe we were allowed to eat this sweet good stuff right along side our meat and potatoes. Shouldn’t this be a desert?

This year, with the funny weather we’ve been having in farm and cottage country, Ontario, Canada… My organic heritage tomatoes are still mostly green. It’s September, I’m panicking… Until I remember Chow Chow. (yes, it gets capitals, every time. It’s THAT good.) The only catch is I’ve never canned anything in my life.

Now, I’ve got all the theory down, and the books and pots and jars and lids and on and on and on. Just no practical experience. I’m a lady who likes a challenge. I’m also a lady who doesn’t like wasting food, time, or effort. So, this has just got to work the first time.

The girls and I get out the old scale that is meant for food, but only ever used for weighing packages for shipping from our online store. We grab a couple of bowls, and then out to the picnic table and garden.

What does twelve pounds of green tomatoes look like, you might ask? Voila!

Green Tomatoes and Yellow Onions

Along side of 3 pounds of yellow onions. The base ingredients for this recipe.

The first step is to chop up the tomatoes. stick em in a great huge stock pot. I borrowed one from my mom, because my stock pot looked very very tiny next to all these tomatoes and onions. This was easy. The whole time I’m chopping, I’m white knuckled and demonstrating the worst knife techniques possible. You know, the kind that ends with a sore shoulder and wrist, and a housewife losing a finger tip, or at least a close call. My inner Gordon shouted every version of the “F” word that the two of us combined know.

For those of you who are curious, there was a pound of icky bits left over. (tops and leafy bits.) So, this reduced us to 11 pounds of tomatoes. Oh, and for those of you who are concerned, I only grazed my nails. Finger tips in tact this round!

Now, I thought I could outsmart the onions. I had a bowl of cold water set up on the cutting board. I would quickly cut the tops and bottoms of the onions, make a slice down the side, and plunk it in the water, the tops and bottoms into the compost next to me. I peeled the brown skin off while it was under water, and then the onion went into a bowl. I managed to peel the first layer off of twelve onions (3 lb) without a tear.

Then, the chopping started. In half, plunk them in the water. One half at a time, chop chop chop… I’m thinking I might just have this beat, when the gases permeate my eyeball membrane and I’m down for the count. (My inner comedian kept screaming “DON’T CHOP ONIONS WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED!” and I had to put the knife down in between the last 5 onions and walk away to let my vision clear and my giggles subside.

Have you ever tried to take good pictures with your eyes dripping and burning from onions? Hilarity.

Eventually, all of them ended up in the stock pot (whew!) and I spread 1 and 1/4 cups coarse salt over the mix, mixed it up a bit, and let it sit overnight.

First bit down, next bit tomorrow. (oh, it gets better and better….)

Lori Petroff

Our first stop when we arrive is ALWAYS the “Cheese Guy.” why? Cheese Curds. My beloved has a weakness for them. The Cheese Guy (who bears a strange resemblance to Stephen King and I always stare a little too long at his face.) makes the cheese himself. Cheese curds are a bit of a delicacy. They are the fresh young cheddar cheese before it’s put into blocks and age. They taste like a beautiful soft mozarella. If they are not eaten within a few days they lose their flavour and turn dry and salty. The Cheese Guy sells out of curds well before the day is over, so if you want them, it has to be the first stop on your list.

The last stop on our list, after browsing around the market, and maybe picking up some local potatoes, fruit or corn on the cob, is always the “Meat Guy.” Now, when I asked the Meat Guy and his beautiful assistant if I could take their pictures for my blog, they weren’t as shy as the Cheese Guy.

From this booth, we always get some kielbasa of some sort (lately it’s been the herbed ham.) and a handful of beef jerky. This couple work amazing deals, and will almost always “get you” with an add on. Their booth is amazing, they are very good at the sales part of what they do, and the meat is eye-rolling-mouth-watering-mmmmm-good.

Seriously, who can resist a pretty girl frying tasty meat samples????

This booth is always incredibly busy.

What I didn’t get a shot of was the fridges and freezers to the left and  hiding behind, because this booth was so busy.  Another thing I seemed to have misplaced in all the hustle-bustle and the excitement of nabbing a bag of cheese curds and meat, is the business cards I was given from these super friendly vendors. (soooo embarrassed. If I find them, I’ll be sure to update. )

It’s harvest time in our area, and there are a lot of farmers markets and stands that are selling their wares. Keep an eye on my blogs for more farm fresh news and adventures.

Lori Petroff

The only place I know of (other than my kitchen) that a body can get a REAL cappucino (or espresso or latte or iced chai tea…)

Iced Moccacino, my current fav

Formerly known (with great love and affection) as The Daily Perk, The Rye Cafe is still the coolest place to hang out, read, write, socialize in the middle of the day. (They open earlier for your morning java, but I personally never get there until at least 11! Ah, the artists life.)  The atmosphere is comfy cozy with it’s terracotta floor tiles, the original antique copper tiled ceiling, and lighting that perfectly sets the mood. Every month a different local artist is featured on the walls of “The Rye”, and every Wednesday night is “open mic” night.(come around 7ish.) The location has always been a hub for artists of all sorts, interesting conversation, and a place to meet new people or socialize in comfort with old friends. I personally love to go there to write, and pay my rent in flavoured coffee, specialty coffee and food.

The coffee, as I’ve said, is the best around. If you want to bring it home, they sell coffee beans for your home  brewers. If you are looking for food, their wraps are fantastic. Fresh ingredients and made with love. I can NEVER finish one, and almost always will take half home. They also have daily soups and specials. And for the attention to detail you receive, from the smile you get at the counter to the food on your plate, you’ll be impressed with the prices on the casual yet gourmet menu.

The Rye is one of those Little Town Wonders. You won’t want to miss it.

Lori Petroff

I am not a consultant, nor will I ever be one. I am a connissseur of the pretty vintage bowls and sealed containers. I know it is my desire and drive to amass and admire. It’s those colours that drive me wild! Olive green, mustard yellow, cream, orange. The sound they make when the lids are sealed just right. ooooo shiver.

And, on a less obsessive side, I love that I’m getting a piece of very usable, durable plastic, that after 20 or 30 years STILL has a guarantee on it. I love that generally, I’m getting each piece for no more than $1.( Ahh, that’s frugality at it’s finest. ) I use them at parties and dinners, and they always get a laugh, a compliment, or a really good story about when someone was a child and their mother or grandmother had the “exact same dish”.

Now, modern Tupperware is as gorgeous as ever, and a lot of ladies are making an honest living in the evenings at house parties. It’s pretty, it’s functional, and if you divide the total price by the decades you will use them, it’s a pretty good deal.

I however, will continue my vintage Tupperware hunt. There’s excitement and thrill in the challenge!

Lori Petroff

We let ours get awfully large, for two reasons. Firstly, If we’ve not been using the barbeque, we’ve been eating anything with very little prep. Secondly, my daughter thinks she is the most awesome gardener EVER for growing a zucchini bigger than her head.

When friends and family found out that I’m a zucchini first-timer, everyone had recipes and suggestions. I’m partial to garlic and butter, and a quick dance around a frying pan with old favorites sounded appealing.

Alas, Wikipedia tells me that now it will be more fibrous and perhaps a little less appetizing. We should have picked it when it reached about 20cm (8″) as at that point its seeds would still have been soft.

I think that it’s going to have to have it’s seeds scooped, pulp shredded and baked into bread. There’s another fruit already growing on the plant, and we’ll be sure to catch THAT one before it becomes big enough to name.

Monster zucchini captured by 7 year old.

Since I’m such a “newbie” to zucchini, feel free to suggest your favorite zucchini recipes!

Lori Petroff