roasted tomato soup

When Ontario tomatoes were in season, I made this roasted tomato soup on the regular. It's really easy to throw together, tastes even better on the second day, and is the best when paired with a gooey grilled cheese. 

5 large plum tomatoes or vine tomatoes, halved
1 package of grape tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
2 medium sized onions, halved
4 C chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt & pepper
4-5 fresh basil leaves (optional)

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place all the tomatoes, garlic and onions on a baking tray and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until everything starts to blister and caramelize.

2. Place all of the roasted vegetables into a pot and add chicken stock, bay leaves and fennel seeds. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook until liquid reduces by a third. Remove bay leaves.

3. Add basil if using, then puree everything in a blender or by using an immersion blender, until smooth. Return soup to low heat and season to taste. If you find your soup to be too acidic, a tablespoon of honey will balance things out. If your soup is too thick, just add more chicken stock. If you want to get fancy and get rid of any seeds or skin, you can strain the soup through a sieve before serving.

say cheese

I haven't made a good cheese board in a while, so when a friend and fellow cheese-lover was visiting, I decided to whip up a little fromage selection to snack on.

Clockwise from top left: fig jam; Grey Owl, a tangy goat cheese with an ashy rind from Quebec; a triple cream brie-like cheese that I can't remember the name of, sorry; Bleu Bénédictin, a pungent blue from Quebec; Merlot BellaVitano, a sharp and rich cheese that's soaked in Merlot from Wisconsin.

The full spread included a variety of pickles and olives, some bacon-wrapped parmigiano-stuffed dates, crostinis, veggies, plus some of the amazing goods I picked up at Arz.

southern-style supper

Here's my attempt at a traditional Southern-themed dinner: fried chicken, mac & cheese and collard greens. A pretty great way to end the weekend if you ask me.

One of my favourite fried chicken recipes is Thomas Keller's (I divide the recipe by three to accommodate eight pieces of chicken). The collards were chopped and sauteed with onions, garlic and chicken stock until tender (about 30 minutes).

The mac & cheese was my favourite part of the meal. Gooey, but not too rich with a buttery-crisp top. 

bits of my weekend

My weekend was spent: 

Transplanting the succulents that have been growing like mad on my windowsill.

Enjoying a hunk of the Pied-De-Vent I picked up in Montreal.

Making my favourite oatmeal raisin cookies.

Roasting a whole chicken and root vegetables for Sunday night dinner.

montreal: atwater market

Montreal's Atwater Market is one of my favourite places to kill some time—mostly spent ogling cheese, terrines and baked goods.

It was clear that autumn had arrived at the market. The outside section was literally overflowing with pumpkins, squash and gourds.

Even for October, the produce looked amazing. I was drawn to the mini eggplants and ground cherries. 

There were cranberries galore. Both fresh and dried.

The great thing about Quebec markets is the vast selection of artisanal charcuterie and local cheese. I picked up some stinky, raw milk Pied-De-Vent from the Magdalen Islands.

Atwater Market

138 Atwater

this is cheesy

I have a pretty intense love affair with cheese. Proof: