Tuscan Grape and Rosemary Focaccia (Schiacciata a l'Uva)

With market tables and bins groaning underneath the weight of an top notch abundance and variety of local produce, past due summer season and early fall are definitely superb seasons for chefs in southwestern Ontario ? I daresay that almost every fruit, vegetable, inexperienced and herb that I've cooked with over the past few months has been grown regionally, occasionally as domestically as my own backyard! One of the treats that I appearance maximum ahead to every fall harvest are baskets of suitable deep blue Coronation grapes. Sweet, tangy and juicy, those colourful little gemstones ? From time to time regarded simply as "blue grapes" ? Are essentially a whole lot of Concord grapes with all of the glorious Concord grape flavor but with out seeds, making them ideal and easy for snacking on.

And snack on the first few baskets I constantly do, but I'm also on the hunt for thoughts to include them into recipes as properly to showcase their specific flavor in some thing extra elaborate than a snack bowl. This recipe has been hiding in my draft folder for numerous months now, long since the remaining time blue grapes had been in season, but now that I've long gone through numerous baskets of this yr's crop it was time to place it collectively in this savory and just slightly sweet Tuscan focaccia bread with rosemary, toasted pine nuts and olive oil ? Or what all of us else in Italy calls focaccia however is called schiacciata or "flattened down" in Tuscany.

This conventional bread is made in the course of the wine grape harvest in Tuscany, and I suspect that it's made now not so much in celebration of the harvest as for a snack to maintain the vineyard workers going for the duration of the day. For us non-winery human beings, it's a exceptional mild sparkling leavened bread speckled with lovely circles of crimson and a rather tasty mixture of the grapes and clean rosemary. My husband and I had been thrilled both with the flavor and the smooth texture of the bread interspersed with little crunchy toasted pine nuts. We ate this for dessert, for a overdue-night time snack, and for breakfast the following day!

If you can't discover Coronation grapes, do experience free to alternative any pretty tart and now not-too-candy pink or black table grape.

More blue grape recipes you may revel in:

Concord Grape Pie

Blue Grape Pancakes

Baked Blue Grape Pancakes

On the top of the reading stack: The Soupmaker's Kitchen: How to Save Your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup by Aliza Green

Audio Accompaniment: space ambient

Vegetarian Mushroom and Spinach Lasagne

You're a vegetarian, guests are coming over for dinner, and you understand that at least one of these diners is an avid carnivore ? The fuss and fidgeting starts as you begin in on a meal plan. I think maximum longtime vegetarians have come across that nagging question posed by meat lovers: simply what do you eat anyway? Visions of bland salads and blocks of tofu dance uncomfortably within the minds of the skeptical. Of direction, a prepare dinner wishes anyone to return to the table excited and go away it glad.

Bring on this lush vegetable and mushroom lasagne. One of the earliest one-dish food that I perfected quickly after turning into a vegetarian, the staunchest meat enthusiasts truely would not throw away their forks in frustration ? Except of course, they loathe succulent mushrooms in a rich and zesty fresh tomato sauce and beneficiant slices of cheese tucked into delectable sheets of pasta noodles. It's been a conventional to serve up for a long time and I've perfected the dish over the years to make it even extra tempting with additional layers of flavors.

Light and creamy ricotta pairs well with the greater sturdy and earthy textures and flavors present in this dish ensuing in a luxurious meal with a balanced elegance.

I can attest that everyone I actually have served this lasagne to has by no means left the desk with a grimace on their face and generally 2nd helpings are in demand. Happy diners and a satisfied cook.

I served it up with classic Southern-style buttermilk biscuits.

If you revel in this dish, honestly you might not need to miss out on those different pasta delights:

Ricotta Pesto & Mushroom Lasagne

Penne with Ricotta, Parmesan and Tomatoes

Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon

Linguine with Pea-Basil Pesto and Mushrooms

On the top of the reading stack: sorting through piles

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules

Pumpkin and Carrot Split Lentil Soup

It's soup season and just in time a new cookbook arrived at my door that I can't wait to explore in more depth. Great Homemade Soups: A Cook's Collection by Paul Gayler ought to keep me going all year round when I'm in the mood for soup, whether it be a cold wintery day or a sweltering hot one.

It truly is a soups masterclass and everything you ever need to know about the basics are pretty much covered in the book, complete with gorgeous photos and gourmet soups that are far easier to make than they look. Learn all about making perfect stocks, garnishes and toppings, and refined and subtle broths. Consommes, smooth and creamy bowls of goodness, hearty and wholesome, wild and exotic and traditional and chilled too are on the menu. And not only do we get Chef Gayler's expert instructions and recipes, he also features some choice soups from fellow chefs. Over 100 nourishing soups from around the world are served up with distinction and they won't break your grocery budget either.

As the chef notes, making a fantastic soup is an art and often the cook's reputation is on the line when soup is served up. There really is no reason to be apprehensive about soup making though, and with a few tips and some basic kitchen tools you'll wonder why you ever bought canned and pre-prepared soups.

Being autumn and pumpkin time, the first soup I tried and adapted was a carrot soup with seven spices that I turned into a creamy pumpkin soup with some toor dal added for some additional nutrients and texture. Toor dal can be found at any Indian grocery store but if you can't find it or don't have it on hand, feel free to use channa dal or yellow split peas instead. For that matter, any lentil you fancy would be lovely in this soup or leave them out entirely if you choose.

I've also got my sights on a Chestnut and Fennel Soup with Sherry and Goat's Curd Gougeres, Moroccan Vegetable Soup with Green Harissa and Couscous, Creamed Wild Mushroom Soup with Cocoa and Black Bean Soup with Salsa Sofrito to name just a few of the mouthwatering bowls of goodness waiting to be simmered up.

This giveaway is now closed.And now some exciting news for my readers: I am offering a copy of Great Homemade Soups to one lucky winner in Canada or the US. Though the book does include meat and fish, vegetarians and vegans alike will find plenty of fantastic ideas to grace their tables and, with some tweaking, many of the recipes that aren't vegetarian can be adapted for your diet.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, citing your favorite soup. If you don't have a blog or a contact associated with your webpage, please make sure you leave an email address in the comment section so I can contact you should you win the cookbook. It would also be nice if you followed my facebook page, but it isn't necessary to enter the giveaway. This giveaway will run until November 1st and then I will randomly choose a winner.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of the book for possible review and the opportunity to offer a giveaway to my readers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is my contribution to October's No Croutons Required Challenge, hosted by Jac this month. The theme is smooth blended soups and I think this just fits right for the seasonal change.

I'm also sharing this with Ricki's Wellness Weekend.

More puréed soups you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:

Toor Dal Soup with Sweet Potato, Dried Apricots and Coconut Milk

Indian Style Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash & Cannellini Bean Soup with Spices and Toasted Pistachios

Roasted Beet Soup with Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Purées

On the top of the reading stack: The Great Vegan Bean Book: More than 100 Delicious Plant-Based Dishes Packed with the Kindest Protein in Town! - Includes Soy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes! by Kathy Hester

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules

Mixed Dal Palak (Lentils with Spinach and Tomato)

There are instances once I crave a simple meal and no longer just because I do not have sufficient time to cook dinner some thing extra tricky. In this situation, simplicity is bliss. Humble components and spices come collectively here for an entire palate enjoy, now not to say a tantalizing aroma. As the heat and textures increase with each spoonful, this dal is sophisticated in spite of the relative modesty of its additives.

Gritty toor dal and spinach add a completely unique texture and earthy flavor to the dal, however sense free to apply any lentils you could have accessible. To whole the meal, serve with a mattress of steamy hot rice and some Indian flat breads. No want to complicate the enjoy.

More dal curries and soups from Lisa's Kitchen:

Mysore-Style Toor Dal Soup

Red Lentil and Moong Dal

Tamarind Sambar

Urad Dal Tomato Soup

On the top of the reading stack: World Food Cafe by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott

Audio Accompaniment: area ambient

Classic Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Whenever I make biscuits or scones, they're obtained with geared up palms and open mouths at the dinner table. Over the years, I even have made endless sorts, primarily savory, however sometimes slightly candy whilst berries make it into the combination. I've been perfecting the art alongside the manner and those are my today's services. If you want a super flaky biscuit, these simply might be it. They come together in hardly ever whenever at all and you do not even need a rolling pin ? Truly take care of the dough with care and love, pat it down and reduce into rounds after mixing all of it up.

When I buy buttermilk, too frequently I don't use the complete carton, that is a shame, and loathing to waste meals, I decided to make a few closing buttermilk megastar in my biscuits.

I've never understood the appeal of packaged biscuit, muffin and pancake mixes. Apart from the small fraction of the time saved, I'm not eager on pouring something from a container with extra ingredients than are vital into the bowl, when all I need to do is degree out some flour, upload some other staples, blend inside the butter and other liquid additives after which get them equipped for the oven or skillet. You gotta do this even if you are using a mixture.

At any charge, if you adhere to only some primary concepts with regards to biscuits, you will be in a position to show out ideal little delights whenever. The key is to use bloodless ingredients, work fast, and do not overwork the dough. Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper has always worked properly for me too due to the fact a browned biscuit backside is a sadness.

More brief breads you're sure to revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Apple Cheddar Scones

Cornmeal Biscuits

Mini Gruy?Re Scones

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Biscuits

Crusted Cornmeal Chickpea Potpie

Pies have sincerely been appearing on my menu more regularly as the temperature shifted from warm to heat to downright chilly. Comfort foods are actually so as, especially for the prepare dinner who additionally gets to revel in the warmth of the oven and the odor of pie. Apart from the aroma of baked bread or perhaps a simmering curry, there may be nothing better to stimulate the urge for food and bring pleasure to the kitchen.

I doubt I even have ever met everyone who failed to enjoy pie of a few type, whether or not sweet or savory. My non-public choice is for the savory range and I have been cooking and baking some lately. I'm now not one to snub my nostril at a fruit pie both, but my candy enamel isn't always what it was.

This excursion into the kitchen became inspired by way of Joanne who is the cook dinner, photographer and thoughts at the back of Joanne eats well with others. Her chickpea potpie with cornbread crust turned into simply too much to withstand and I made it take place in my personal kitchen to proportion with unique others.

I preferred the critical components inside the recipe, and the cornbread crust turned into appealing to me due to the fact it's far less complicated and quicker than making pie crust from scratch. I've made a cornmeal-crusted chili, a longtime classic that is rather similar with a one-of-a-kind filling. My adjustments to Joanne's recipe have been essentially to spice it up, because I have a tendency to do that! The spicing could be familiar to cooks which might be constantly attaining for spices that make Indian cooking so specific and appealing. Let us call this one an Indian-style fusion dish. It's quite filling and packed complete of fall vegetables and filled out in addition with buttery smooth chickpeas.

Any range of vegetables that you may have for your pantry or fridge crying out for interest might be included in the mix, and I guess mushrooms might had been great, in conjunction with a bit of tomato. Not that I suppose the dished lacked something at all and the mixture of greens I used along side the spices changed into even higher than expected. This one pot meal might cross well with a leafy green salad, a side grain dish in case you wish, or an smooth mushroom curry. It was clearly one of those memorable meals you may don't forget fondly and with a bit of luck even make it a regular feature on the menu. If I had greater ramekins available, I could have used those in place of the casserole dish method for a one-serving (or two!) greater unique presentation for diners, but regardless of, due to the fact that is one nourishing meal that I know will be a feature at the menu in my kitchen regularly.

As constantly modify the spicing according to your flavor. I do like things warm but if you are used to spicy meals, I don't assume the measurements here will weigh down your warmth meter.

More hearty and comforting savory pies you are sure to experience from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Aloo Palak Paneer Pie

Indian-Style Samosa Potpie

Grape Leaf Pie with Herbs, Yogurt and Quinoa

On the top of the studying stack: diverse cookbooks

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules

Cherry Nut Bars

We all recognize a few nut bars, however this publish is set the coolest nuts lurking in your pantry. Enter those cherry pie bars with almonds and pistachios which can be perfectly transportable and energizing. No introduced sweetener right here ? Just the goodness of dried fruit coupled with nourishing uncooked nuts. After making up a number of those quick and clean bars, in no way once more will you want to go back to luxurious and typically inferior shop-offered sorts. Knowing what's on your meals and, by extension your frame, is one of the keys to properly fitness.

These are ideal for a quick breakfast repair, snacks at work or school, and also street journeys. They additionally make for a excellent dessert, without the guilt. Give these a attempt to see in case you don't agree.

More dried fruit delights from Lisa's Kitchen:

Brownies with Dried Fruit

Ginger Molasses Pancakes with Mixed Dried Fruit

Cocoa Fruit Treats

Santa's Panforte