I love the combination of flavours in this salad, which I only slightly adapted from the version in Food & Wine. The lemon slices, garlic, capers and red pepper give the dish a kick without overpowering the salmon.

The salad can be started ahead, by toasting the bread, mixing the tomato garlic mixture and cutting the salmon into chunks. Then finishing the dish takes only about 20 minutes. Serve with a green vegetable, such as asparagus.

8 1″ thick slices of ciabatta, or Pizza Bianca (Terra Breads) cut into large chunks
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 grape tomatoes, halved
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T. capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lbs. skinless Copper River salmon fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large roasting pan, toss the ciabatta chunks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roast for about 5 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted.

In a large bowl, toss the tomato halves with the garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, crushed red pepper and 2 T. of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes into the toasted bread. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the salmon with the remaining 1 T. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the salmon into the bread and tomatoes, spooning some of the tomatoes on top. Roast for about 6 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through. Serve right away.

Guacamole with Tortilla Chips, Pistachios
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
Roasted Halibut with Gingered Tomato Mango Salsa
Mini Potatoes Anna
Mixed Berry Gratin
Chocolate Cookies

Gardens are bursting with colour and markets here in Vancouver are selling gorgeous fresh halibut, asparagus and berries. OK, the asparagus and berries are not exactly local yet, they are from California, but they do taste more like the real deal at this time of the year. This menu is a tribute to my favourite season, Spring: full of colour, new growth, and promise. I hope this menu lives up to your spring expectations!

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
This salad, with thanks to Smitten Kitchen, is a lively balance of textures and flavours with the raw asparagus, Parmesan, nuts and lemon. The quantities can be adjusted to taste. Just make sure that you buy very fresh asparagus with medium-thick stalks.

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted on a baking sheet in a 350ºF for 5-10 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn
1 lb. asparagus, rinsed
1 lemon, halved
olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 – 2 oz. Parmesan cheese

No need to snap off the tough ends of your asparagus. Lay a single stalk on its side on a cutting board. Holding onto the tough end, use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin asparagus ribbons from stalk to tip, peeling away from the tough end in your hand. They will look like this:

Discard the tough ends once you’re done peeling, but if there are some good pieces of asparagus that didn’t shave evenly, save them and add to a soup or pasta dish another time. Gently pile the ribbons on a medium-sized serving platter, or onto individual salad plates. Squeeze some lemon juice over the asparagus, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently and then use your peeler to shave curls of Parmesan right off the block, over the asparagus. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.

In Advance: You can grate the asparagus several hours ahead and keep it chilled until ready to assemble and dress the salad. Pine nuts can be toasted several days in advance and kept in a covered jar in the fridge.

Roasted Halibut with Gingered Tomato Mango Salsa

This recipe was inspired by Dorie Greenspan’s scallop dish. The tomatoes, mangos and  preserved lemon are a wonderful marriage of colours and flavours, very fitting for this Spring menu. I used halibut, but you could also use scallops, or any other fresh white fish.

2 green onions, finely sliced (or finely sliced red onion)
About 2 t. minced fresh ginger
1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed well and finely diced
1/2 jalapeno or other chile, seeded and minced
1 or 2 limes
1 large mango, ripe but firm, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 pint (or more) grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
Arugula and/or mixed greens

6-5oz. centre-cut skinless halibut filets
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa: Toss the green onions (or red onion), ginger, preserved lemon and chile into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, pour in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, grate the zest of one lime over the mix and give everything a good stir. Stir in the mango and tomatoes, squeeze the lime juice over the salsa and taste for seasoning and for more juice and/or olive oil.

For the fish: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour the mixture into a sealable plastic bag or a glass baking dish. Add the halibut and coat it with the lemon mixture. Refrigerate for 35 minutes.

In Advance: You can make the salsa and combine marinade ingredients for the fish several hours in advance. Cover both and leave at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 ºF. and spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable cooking spray, or brush with olive oil. Remove the halibut from the marinade and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

To serve, place some arugula or other greens on the plate and top with the halibut. Add salsa and one Mini Potato Anna to finish plating.

Mini Potatoes Anna (photo below was taken before the final baking)

This is a recipe contributed by Molly Stevens to Bon Appetit magazine, November 2012. It appeals to me because it can be mostly prepared in advance, and makes for easy individual plating.

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
12-24 small tender thyme sprigs plus 2 t. coarsely chopped leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 3/4 pounds small waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), each slightly larger than a golf ball
2 t. Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

A standard 12-cup muffin pan; a mandoline (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush muffin cups lightly all over with butter. Line bottoms of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with parchment-paper rounds. Arrange 1-2 small thyme sprigs in centre of each round. Drizzle 1/2 t. butter into bottom of each cup.

Add chopped thyme and garlic to remaining butter in saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a mandoline, a sharp knife, or a slicer as shown here, slice potatoes crosswise into very thin rounds (less than 1/16-inch thick) placing them in a large bowl as you work.

Pour herb butter over and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat well. Divide potato slices among muffin cups, layering overlapping slices to create a circular pattern. Lightly press centre of each to make compact. Drizzle over any remaining butter and seasoning from bowl.

Cover muffin pan tightly with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until potatoes can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 35 minutes. Remove foil; invert a rimmed baking sheet over pan. Turn, lightly tapping on counter, releasing potatoes onto sheet. Rearrange any slices that may have fallen out. Discard parchment.

In Advance: Potatoes can be assembled, baked and released onto a baking sheet, then covered and chilled.

Increase heat to 425 ºF. Uncover cakes if needed. Bake until bottoms and edges are golden and crispy, 25-30 minutes.

Mixed Berry Gratin

This idea comes from Huffpost Taste, April 2013. Warming the berries enhances their flavour and the browned cream topping adds elegance to a simply prepared dish.

1 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean
4 eggs, separated
3/4 c. superfine sugar
1 T. cornstarch
Splash of rum or Grand Marnier (optional)
18 oz. mixed summer berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries

Heat the cream in a saucepan on low heat with the vanilla paste or cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a small knife into the pan, and add the bean to infuse. Don’t let it come to a boil.

In another saucepan, beat together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch and slowly pour the hot cream over the mixture. Place the pan over low heat and stir continuously until the custard thickens to the consistency of thin yogurt, 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t leave the custard on the stove without stirring or you will end up with scrambled eggs. Once thickened, take it off the heat and remove the vanilla bean, if using. Add a splash of rum or Grand Marnier at this stage, if you wish.

In Advance: Pour custard into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours, until ready to assemble dessert. Wash berries and slice or halve strawberries, if large.

Preheat the broiler and place the upper rack about 4″ from the heat. Scatter the mixed berries in the bottom of either individual heatproof bowls or one large baking dish.

Beat the egg whites with a hand-held electric mixer until firm peaks start to form and carefully fold into the thickened custard. Pour the mixture over the berries and place under the broiler until an even golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Chocolate Cookies

With another nod to Smitten Kitchen, these intensely flavoured chocolate cookies pair well with the Berry Gratin, and can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. They also freeze very well.
Makes 40-48 2″ thin cookies, fewer if thicker.

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 to 2/3 c. granulated sugar (less for a more bittersweet cookie)
1/4 t. fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz. semi- or bittersweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped until almost powdery in a food processor
Coarse sugar (such as Demerara) for sprinkling

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda onto a piece of waxed paper or into a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and salt together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until combined, then scraping down sides. Add dry ingredients and grated chocolate together and mix until just combined.

Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it up and chill it in the fridge until just firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. No need to get it fully hard, or it will be harder to roll out. Dough can be refrigerated until needed, up to two days, or frozen longer, but let it warm up and soften a bit before rolling it out to make it easier to roll.

Heat oven to 350 °F. On a floured surface, roll dough gently — it will still be on the crumbly side, so only attempt to flatten it slightly with each roll — until it is 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and space them an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle decoratively with coarse sugar. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (for thinner cookies) or 10 to 12 minutes (for thicker ones). Leave cookies on baking sheets out of the oven for a couple minutes before carefully transferring them to cooling racks, as they’ll be fragile until they cool.

While testing recipes using preserved lemons and preparing a dinner menu, I began with the main dish, Moroccan chicken, a recipe recently given to me by my cousin, Daphne. I then drew inspiration from two wonderful cookbooks: Paula Wolfert”s “The Food of Morocco” and Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s “Jerusalem, a Cookbook”. I simplified the menu by purchasing the hummus and baba ghanoush, and serving them with olives and sesame crackers.

Orange and Grated Radish Salad with Orange Blossom Water

On the Moroccan table, several salads are served at once. These will be made with seasonal vegetables and fruit and can mostly be prepared in advance. In order to make this dinner more manageable and to fit with my custom of serving a soup or salad as a first course, I made the following salad, adapting it from Paula Wolfert’s book, by adding avocado slices (not in photo) and reducing the intensely-flavoured orange blossom water from 2-3 teaspoons, to 1 teaspoon. It is a refreshing introduction to the intense flavours which follow in the main course. Prepare the radishes, oranges and dressing early in the day and keep them cold until ready to finish and serve the salad. Slice the avocado at the last minute, if using.

2 bunches red radishes, washed and trimmed
1 1/2 T. sugar
4 navel oranges
1 large avocado, sliced

Dressing: 2 T. orange juice, 1 t. orange blossom water* 1 1/2 T. lemon juice (or more to taste), salt, mint leaves for garnish
*available at specialty markets…I purchased it at Yek o Yek on Main Street in Vancouver.

Using the shredding disk, shred the radishes in a food processor. Alternatively, you can slice them finely. Sprinkle them with sugar and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the excess liquid from the radishes, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled.

Peel the oranges, making sure to remove all of the white pith, then slice them thinly, cover and chill.

Make the dressing: Mix the orange juice, orange flower water, lemon juice and salt to taste in a small bowl. Unwrap the radishes, add to the bowl and toss. Taste, and add more lemon juice or salt, as necessary. Arrange the orange slices, and avocado (if using), in a spiral fashion on each salad plate. Sprinkle with radishes and dressing and garnish with mint leaves.

Moroccan Chicken
As mentioned above, this recipe was given to me by my cousin, Daphne, who was given it by a friend who lived in Morocco. I am always eager to try any recipe recommended by Daphne, and this one is a winner.

Spice Blend (called Ras-El-Hanout, and available at specialty markets, but homemade is always fresher and more intensely flavoured. Make it ahead: it will keep for a few weeks.)
1 t. each fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 t. each ground turmeric and ground cinnamon
2 t. each sweet paprika and ground ginger
1/2 t. each cayenne, ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cardamom
1/2 t. each freshly ground pepper and salt
Makes 1/4 cup

2 T. olive oil
3 c. onions, sliced
1/4 c. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 small can coconut milk
2 quarters preserved lemon, rinsed, seeds and pulp removed
10-12 chicken thighs, skinned, bone-in
10 dried apricots, sliced
1 c. mixed Sicilian olives, pitted

Rub 1 T. of spice mixture over chicken and allow to stand 1 hour.
Sauté onions in olive oil until soft in a heavy stove and oven-proof pot with a lid. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add 2 T. of spice mix and cook stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, olives, apricots and lemon. Add chicken, cover pot and bake at 325ºF for 90 minutes.

Couscous with Tomato and Onion
This recipe is from Jerusalem, a Cookbook. I like the way it can be mostly made ahead and when it is done, it has a crispy crust and can be cut into pie-shaped portions, a nice variation from a heap of couscous on the plate.

3 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. tomato paste
1/2 t. sugar
2 very ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 scant c. couscous
1 scant c. boiling chicken or vegetable stock
2 1/2 T. unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Pour two tablespoons of the olive oil into a non-stick pan about 8 1/2″ in diameter, and place over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, stirring often, until it has softened but not coloured. Stir in the tomato paste and sugar and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 t. salt and some black pepper and cook for three minutes.

Meanwhile, put the couscous in a shallow bowl, pour over the boiling stock and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the tomato sauce and stir well. You can prepare this up to this point several hours ahead, then continue on with recipe.

Wipe the pan clean and heat the butter and remaining 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. When the butter has melted, spoon the couscous into the pan and use the back of the spoon to gently pat it down so it is all packed in snugly. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to its lowest setting and allow the couscous to steam for 10-12 minutes, until you can see a light brown colour around the edges. Use a palette or other knife to help you peer between the edge of the couscous and the side of the pan: you want a really crisp edge all over the base and sides.

Place a large plate on top of the pan and quickly turn the couscous on to the plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini Sauce
Also from Jerusalem, a Cookbook, this recipe can be made hours ahead of time (without adding the dressing) and reheated and dressed just before serving, or it can be served at room temperature. In this version, the squash and onion are left unpeeled, but I peeled mine…I’m sure it’s good either way.

1 large butternut squash, cut into 3/4 by 2 1/2″ wedges
2 red onions, cut into 1 1/4″ wedges
3 1/2 T. olive oil
3 1/2 T. light tahini paste
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
2 T. water
1 small clove garlic, crushed
3 1/2 T. pine nuts
1 T. za’atar
1 T. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 475ºF.
Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 3 T. of the oil, 1 t. salt and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 t. salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary.
Pour the remaining 1 1/2 t. oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts along with the 1/2 t. salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.

Tarte Tatin with Apples, Raisins and Orange Blossom Water
This recipe of Paula Wolfert’s takes the classic tart and gives it a Moroccan twist.

1/2 cup dark raisins
1/4 cup orange flower water
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. sugar
10 Golden Delicious apples
juice of 1-2 lemons
one 8-ounce frozen puff pastry
crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream

Soak the raisins in the rose water until ready to use.
Slowly melt the butter in a 12″ shallow non-stick ovenproof pan. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the melted butter and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, without letting the sugar darken. Remove from the heat and let the butter cool until solidified.

Meanwhile, peel, halve, and core the apples; use a soft pastry brush to paint lemon juice on each half to prevent browning. Arrange 12 of the apple halves cut side up in a slightly overlapping circle around the edge of the pan, all facing in the same direction. Place the remaining halves in the center to fill in the empty spaces.

Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the juices from the apples, along with the butter and sugar, begin to bubble and turn a dark caramel-brown, about 40-45 minutes. If the rings on your burner are small, move the pan around every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking. When finished, remove the pan from the heat and let stand until cool. The dish can be prepared early in the day up to this point, or even the day before. Cover and let stand in a cool place without disturbing the apples.

About 2-3 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Drain the raisins. Scatter them evenly over the apples. Roll out the pastry to a 13-14″ circle (or smaller if using a smaller pan) and place on top of the apples. Carefully push the edges of the pastry down inside the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Remove the tart from the oven and let it settle for a few minutes. Place a large round/rimmed platter over the tart, then quickly and carefully invert the tart onto the platter. Gently tap on the bottom of the pan to loosen any apples that may have stuck. If any apples still stick to the pan, loosen with a thin spatula and set them back onto the tart. Wait for at least 10 or 20 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature, with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

If you are planning to make this menu for a dinner party and would like to prepare some of it in advance, I have staged the preparation over the course of 4 days.

Day 1:
1. shop for all ingredients
2. prepare or purchase za’atar and spice mix for chicken

Day 2:
1. prepare chicken, refrigerate and re-heat before serving
2. make tahini sauce

Day 3:
1. prepare tart, up to caramelizing the apples, then cool, cover tightly and refrigerate
2. prepare couscous and its tomato sauce, mix, cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to brown it
3. take frozen pastry out of freezer and let it defrost slowly in the refrigerator

Day 4:
1. prepare and bake squash and onion
2. grate radishes, drain, and chill
3. peel and slice oranges, and chill
4. mix dressing ingredients, and chill
5. roll out pastry and place on top of apples (you can chill it again now)
6. bake tart as late in the day as possible, or bake and reheat before serving
7. beginning about 1 hour before serving, reheat chicken, brown the couscous, reheat vegetables if desired, then drizzle with tahini sauce
8. assemble salad just before serving

Shopping List

Produce
2 bunches radishes
5 navel oranges
1 large avocado
4 lemons
fresh mint
4 yellow onions
2 red onions
1 head garlic
1 large piece fresh ginger
2 tomatoes
1 large butternut squash
10 Golden Delicious apples

Seasonings
Za’atar OR fresh thyme, sesame seeds, coarse salt, sumac
Ras-El-Hanout OR: fennel, cumin and coriander seeds
turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, ground ginger, cayenne, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, allspice

Staples
olive oil
sugar

Special Ingredients
orange blossom water
preserved lemons
chicken broth
coconut milk
dried apricots
mixed olives
tomato paste
tahini paste
pine nuts
dark raisins
frozen puff pastry

Dairy
unsalted butter
crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream

Poultry
10-12 chicken thighs

Meyer lemons are darker yellow and rounder than a regular lemon, with a tart and slightly floral flavour, but they may be used interchangeably. If you preserve them now, they will be ready to use in about a month, and I will be posting recipes for them over the next few weeks.

To make preserved lemons:
Scrub the lemons and dry them well. Cut off the hard stem at one end, then from the other end, cut in half downward, stopping about 1″ from the bottom, then make another downward slice, so that have made an X.

Pack about 1 T.Kosher salt into each lemon and put them into a clean, glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. I used a 500ml. (2 c.) jar which fit 4 lemons. Press them in firmly so that they release some of their juices. Make sure that the lemons are covered with juice, adding more squeezed juice if necessary. Screw on the lid and keep them on the kitchen counter, turning the jar upside down every once in a while to mix the salt and juice. You can keep them on the counter for one month (the better to admire them!) then put them into the refrigerator and use them as needed.

Braising is one-pot cooking at its finest and this halibut dish is a simple and comforting way to usher in February in Vancouver. While I would not normally buy halibut out of season, I found this recipe online at redonline and decided to test it with halibut fillets. The combination of smokey, spicy chorizo sausage, garbanzo beans (the original recipe called for chickpeas which are similar but smaller), and tomatoes, produces a deep and complex flavour that would complement many less expensive types of fish and chicken too. We ate this with a crunchy baguette to dip into the sauce.

Braising is a combination cooking method using both dry and moist heat and one pot from start to finish. Mostly, this method is used to slowly cook tough cuts of meat to tenderize them while producing a flavourful sauce. The difference in this recipe is that the sauce is cooked for an hour to develop its flavour, then the fish is added, making it a good dish for entertaining because you can make the sauce hours or even a day in advance, then reheat it on the stove, plunk in the fish and finish in the oven.

Here I have used a copper casserole that belonged to my mother, but any heavy pan with a snug lid will work as long as it is large enough to accommodate the fish in one layer.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 ½ hours

2 links Spanish or Mexican chorizo, cooked or uncooked
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1-14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. dry white wine
2 c. chicken stock
4 x 6oz. thick fillets halibut
2 T. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a flameproof casserole dish until medium hot, then add the chorizo and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil is released. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme and tomatoes and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and stir well, then add the white wine and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for one hour, then remove and place the halibut on top of the chickpeas. Cover again and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, or until just opaque. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes before removing the lid.

Carefully lift out the fish and place in individual shallow bowls. Stir the parsley into the chickpeas, season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the fish.

With busy schedules it is difficult to find the time to entertain friends at home, but with this menu plan you can spread the work out over several days. Following each recipe here you will find suggestions for advance preparation and at the end I have added shopping lists. I hope you enjoy this winter menu and time to relax with your guests.

Baba Ghanoush

1 large eggplant
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped or grated
1 T. tahini paste
2 T. plain Greek 2% yogurt
2 T. lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 t. cayenne
1 t. ground cumin
salt to taste

According to Wikipedia, vánočka “has a reputation for being difficult to prepare, so in many households, superstitions and special customs are attached to the baking process. When making vánočka, it is said that one must think of everyone dear to you. Another custom is to avoid touching silver or metal to the vánočka. Finally, the person who is making the vánočka should jump up and down while the dough rises.” If you are used to making bread, this recipe is not particularly difficult, but it takes time, as bread does…and you can think about all those people you love while jumping up and down!

Traditionally, this bread is eaten with butter and marmalade or apricot jam. But it also tastes great toasted, and it is good with cheese, for turkey sandwiches and French toast too.

2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1/2 c. lukewarm water
l package active dry yeast or 1 T. quick-rise instant yeast (If you use instant yeast, the rising time will be much shorter)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 T. lemon rind
1 t. toasted and crushed anise seed
8 c. (approx.) all-purpose flour
1/2 c. golden raisins (I used chopped dried apricots)
3/4 c. slivered almonds, (1/2 c. toasted, 1/4 c. not toasted, for topping)
2 T. milk
1 egg yolk

Scald 2 cups milk and pour into large bowl. Add butter, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Stir to melt butter and dissolve sugar.

Meanwhile, in small container, dissolve 1 t. sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over and set aside for 10 minutes until mixture bubbles and doubles in volume. Stir briskly with fork and add to milk mixture. Lightly beat together eggs and 2 egg yolks; add to mixture with lemon rind and anise seed.

Add 4 cups flour and beat well. Mixture will look like this:

Gradually add just enough of remaining flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough that leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, incorporating only as much flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Depending on the flour used, this amount may be considerably less. I used Roger’s unbleached flour and only needed 7 cups total. As dough starts to become smooth, knead in raisins or apricots and 1/2 cup toasted almonds.

Grease a large bowl. Shape dough into ball and place in bowl, rolling ball to grease all over. Cover with greased waxed paper and a clean tea towel and let rise in warm place for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.

Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and divide into 10 equal portions. Cover with towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each piece into a 14 inch rope with tapered ends. Arrange 3 ropes on greased baking sheet and braid together, pinch ends together and turn under. (Do not braid too tightly or leave large spaces between loops.) Brush top with some of the milk.

Twist 2 of the remaining ropes together. Place on top of the braid; twist ends together and tuck under braid.

Repeat process with 5 remaining ropes to make a second loaf on another baking sheet, or put both loaves on one large baking sheet. Cover with a dry towel and let rise in warm place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake loaves in 350ºF oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile stir together remaining milk and egg yolk. Brush gently on partially baked loaves. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Continue baking for about 15 minutes more, or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. If loaves start to brown too quickly, cover with foil, shiny side up.

Remove loaves from oven, and after 5 minutes, transfer loaves to racks to cool completely.

Wrap well and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Makes 2 loaves.

With this cake, I followed my usual risky practice of making something for the first time and serving it to a group. I baked the cake the day before, added the ganache on the day it was served and carried it down the street to share with friends celebrating a birthday. I didn’t think to photograph it whole, but when it was unanimously judged to be blog-worthy, our host (thank you, David!) got out his iPhone to capture what remained: see the celebratory table and the candle holes left on the cake.

The recipe is slightly adapted from the April 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller, which I found online here. The recipe is written in grams, but I have converted the measurements to ounces and cups. The chocolate I used was the Lindt 70% Cacao:

200 grams (7 oz.) or 2 Lindt bars, 70% cocoa dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. pistachios, plus extra for garnish
2/3 c. softened butter
2/3 c. caster or berry sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 t. baking powder
1 pear, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped

Chocolate Ganache:
150 grams (3 1/2 oz.) or 1 1/2 Lindt bars dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 8-9″ diameter springform cake tin and line bottom with parchment paper. Process chocolate and pistachios in a food processor until coarse crumbs form and set aside. Sift the flour with the baking powder and set aside. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well combined, then stir in flour and baking powder mixture. Stir in pistachio and chocolate mixture, then the pear, and pour into cake tin. Bake until an inserted skewer withdraws clean, about 35-45 minutes. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

For chocolate ganache, place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan, or in a microwave, to just below boiling and add to chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts (3-5 minutes), then stir until smooth and set aside until the ganache is slightly thickened (5-10 minutes). Smooth over top and sides of cake, scatter with pistachios, set aside to set (20-30 minutes), then serve. Cake will keep, stored in an airtight container, for 3 days.

Upon first reading of Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, I knew that this stuffed pumpkin would find its way onto our Thanksgiving table this year. It may be too late for yours, but there is always Hallowe’en, American Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime in the next few months while the squashes are fresh and beautiful.

There are many variations to this, but I made it exactly as written (with Gruyère and chives) and it was such a great combination of ingredients that brought together the vegetable and stuffing to accompany the turkey. Mushrooms or other vegetables could be added, the bacon omitted and any flavourful cheese can be used. I was taking this to our dear family close by, so cooked it almost completely, then warmed it in the oven before serving. Serves 6

1 pumpkin, about 3 lbs.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb. stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2″ chunks
1/4 lb. cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2″ chunks
4 garlic cloves (or to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and chopped
About 1/4 c. snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
About 1/3 c. heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Using a very sturdy knife, cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin, working the knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45º angle, cutting off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Remove the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside of the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it in a casserole just large enough to accommodate it.

Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper — you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese – and pack the mixture into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled. You might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little, but the stuffing should be well moistened.

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours, checking after 90 minutes, or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife. Remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.

To serve, either scoop out the pumpkin and the stuffing with a big spoon, or cut the whole thing into wedges, as pictured here.

Our mother used to make it every summer, first with apricots and then later with prune plums. I remember watching her make it ~ and loving the sweet scent of buchty baking ~ but I had never tried making it myself until this past week when my sister suggested it when we celebrated our father’s 99th birthday. It was his celebratory dessert one night, and then became his breakfast every day thereafter, until they were gone. I’d say that was a successful “birthday cake” and it was the one that gave me the most pleasure to make: kneading, shaping, intoxicating aroma, memories, all in one dish.

We did not have the old recipe, but I created one, using a sweet dough found on the internet that was written in grams, and improvising with the filling. There is enough dough to make 20 buchty, with some left over to roll into cinnamon buns. Freeze the remaining dough, if you like, then thaw it and make the buns another day.

3 c. all-purpose flour, plus @ 1 cup more when kneading
5 oz. (1/4 c. + 2 T.) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 T. + 2 t. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk, lukewarm
1 1/2 T. instant yeast
1/4 t. salt
3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. lemon zest
2 t. vanilla sugar (see note below)

20 prune plums
about 1/4-1/2 c. apricot jam (recipe here)
1 egg white, beaten
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. soft unsalted butter
icing sugar, for finishing

In a small bowl, mix 2 t. sugar into lukewarm milk, then add the yeast and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast (to make sure that the yeast is active). In a medium bowl, mix 3 c. flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, then add proofed yeast mixture, then flour mixture. Add diced soft butter, lemon juice and zest and knead the dough until smooth, adding about 1 cup more of flour, or until the dough is soft and smooth and no longer sticky.

Place dough in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rise for about an hour, or until doubled.

Wash and pit the plums, leaving them in one piece, and fill with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of apricot jam. Cut off 2″ pieces of dough, roll each into a ball, and then on a lightly-floured surface roll them into about a 4″ circle, about 1/3″ thick. Place the plum in the centre, bring the edges of the dough around it, and seal it well by pinching the dough together. Cut off any excess dough and place them, seam side down, in a large, buttered baking pan.

Brush surfaces with beaten egg white, sprinkle lightly with brown sugar and dot with softened butter.

Cover the pan and let rise for another 1/2 hour. Bake at 375ºF for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack, dust with icing sugar, and serve. Makes 20 buchty.

Note: The vanilla sugar that the recipe calls for can be easily made and kept on hand. Cut a vanilla pod in half lengthwise and bury it in a container of sugar. You can also use a pod from which you have already removed the seeds for something else, as you can see that I have done in the photo below. This will keep for a very long time, and the vanilla flavour will intensify. If you do not have any vanilla sugar for the buchty, you can just use regular sugar.