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It's been a pretty long time since I had enough time on my hands (and sufficient foresight!) to take part in one of the many great food blogging events. I'm glad I managed to find the time for this one. The blogging-by-post events are so neat, because they connect bloggers on a real, physical level in addition to the usual virtual connection. If you're not familiar with the blogging-by-post genre of events, the process is simple but delightful. A group of food bloggers, in this case Canadian food bloggers, all blog about a particular food theme on the appointed day - usually including a post with a recipe. This time 'round, the theme is "the season's bounty". After posting, the host of the event matches bloggers up and each blogger puts together a little care package on the same theme and posts it to another blogger on the list, so everyone gets a little treat. I love treats! Thanks to Cardamom Addict for hosting this round of Canadian Blogging By Post.
To be sure, Autumn is a bountiful season. There are so many lovely, fresh things to harvest and prepare. I feel a bit guilty as my "season's bounty" choice - olives- are not locally grown. They really do epitomise the season for me. I can't wait for the first crates to arrive in the Italian Centre Shop. Perfectly oval and green, with little blushing cheeks and the odd silvery leaf still attached to the stem. Olives are in season from September to mid-November and brining your own olives really is a labour of love. There's something about the lengthy process that feels very much like I'm preparing for winter, kind of like the ants rather than the grasshopper. I feel domestically virtuous.
Olivea are brined because they are so alkaline and bitter when fresh, they are absolutely inedible. The brining process decresases the bitterness to the tolerable level that olive-eaters enjoy. I use a simple brining recipe, like many others that are available online (or from a friend's Greek or Italian grandma). Once they are sufficiently brined - a process that can take 6 to 8 weeks and as many changes of brine solution, I pack them into jars with sprigs of rosemary, thyme, lemon basil and garlic cloves, lemon rind, hot peppers...all sorts of things really.
If you're not into brining the olives yourself, or you don't have access to fresh olives, pick up a large quantity of plain brined, large, good quality green (or black) olives and make your own flavoured olives using the same recipe I use. Here's my favourite recipe for herb marinated green olives:
In a large (1 litre) glass jar, combine all the ingredients well and cover the jar. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally. Let come to room temperature before serving. These will keep in the fridge indefinitely, but please allow them a minimum of one week to properly marinate before using.
If you'd like, you can substitue thyme or rosemary for the oregano.
An extra specail serving time for marinate olives is to heat them gently before serving so that they are warm. Yum. Now preapre to bunk in for the winter by curling up on the sofa with a good book, some soft Turkish bread and some tasty warm olives.
It's a good thing my blog is not my day job, because I'd have been fired from it by now! As it is, I've been a blog truant for coming on 3 weeks now because I have been spending every waking moment (and some sleeping) at the job that pays the bills. Montreal is a distant memory, as is the feeling of relaxation that comes from vacation, no matter how brief. Luckily, I was able to whip up a batch of really yummy soup that tastes just as I remember Le Dizzy. So, for 15 minutes the other night, I was transported back to Montreal, three weeks in the past, before all the craziness at work. Just the smell of the tangy steam coming off the bowl is enough for me at the moment.
This meal is also pretty timely for me because, as winter rolls around I invariably move away from fresh and crisp things towards steaming bowls of stewy, soupy, saucy things. I also love to do things in the slow cooker on a dreary weekend afternoon and have the house gradually fill with steam. I'm sure that a traditionalist would never dream of making le dizzy in a slow cooker, but you know what? It works just dandy thanks.
You can use just about any cut of lamb if you are willing to give it 6 or more hours in the slow cooker - even the toughest bits with fall apart on your fork when cooked like that. Which is a really good thing as I am slowly getting to the end of the "Mary's Little Lamb" in my freezer, and all I seem to have left are the random "don't quite know what part of the lamb that is" bits which, when grilled are to tough for my liking.
Le Dizzy is actually pretty simple to make and you could either serve it the way they do at Byblos - that is drain off the broth for a first course of soup and then puree the remaining meat and pea mixture to eat sepatarately with soft pita - or you can just serve it as-is. It makes a nice chunky, rivhly flavoured soup which is great with fresh parsely and broken toasted pita crumbled on top.
Aab-Goosht
Serves 6
Cut lamb into small cubes. Heat oil in a large stirfy pan or frying pan over very high heat. Cook lamb on all sides until richly browned - about 10 minutes. Remove lamb from pan and place intide 5 quart slow cooker. Turn slow cooker on to low. Reduce heat under frying pan and fry onions and split peas together until onions begin to colour and start softening. Transfer onions and peas to slow cooker.
Chop potatoes into small cubes and transfer to slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients, except lime juice. Make sure moat and vegetables are covered with water and allow to cook for 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice and taste for seasoning. Serve with toasted pita chips and freshly minced flat leaf parsley.
