PICKLED EGGPLANT OR MELANZANE SOTT'OLIO-THE WAY MAMMA MADE IT

I decided to make to make some Melanzane Sott'olio- Pickled eggplant. It was a dish or rather a canning activity my mother would make. It is another way to use eggplants. It is great eaten separately or on a sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

Eggplants.
White wine vinegar. Water.
Oregano.
Garlic.
Olive oil.
Hot peppers/pepperoncini.
Bay leaf pieces.
Salt. Pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Find the right size mason jars and lids. Boil to clean or just put them in the dishwasher to sanitize to have the pickled eggplant in sterilized jars.

Take as many eggplants as you want to make.
Peel off the skin.
Slice into long strips.
Put in a bowl with a rack at the bottom or colander.
Sprinkle with salt to help the eggplant lose moisture or to "sweat".
Place paper towels to absorb the moisture.
I let mine rest for 8 hours.

When ready to pickle, boil 1/2 wine vinegar and 1/2 water and put amounts of the strips to boil but just for about 2-3 minutes to keep firm. Pat dry
Meanwhile have a chopped garlic, hot peppers, oregano mixed to add some to each jar.
Put olive oil on the bottom of the jar and put in your strips adding the spicy mixture.

Poke down with a fork, spoon or the end of a wooden spoon.
No room at the top. Fill jars completely.
Put a piece of bay leaf at the top of each jar.
Add more oil to cover the strips if needed.
Seal tightly.

The best part of making this dish is eating it. I already finished one jar.

#eggplant#pickledeggplant#makinghomemadeeggplant#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro

GRANPA'S HAUL FROM THE ST. JACOBS FARMERS' MARKET 2014

Returning to the St. Jacobs market after the fire in August 2013, it was still as lively as ever. The crowds pour in all day.
So what did I buy.

Cauliflower, new little potatoes, large white potatoes, flat green beans, cucumbers, fresh garlic and 2 large bunches of asparagus.

Beef steak tomatoes, peaches, apricots and cherries. I was already munching on my baguette bread as the picture was being taken.
Not a bad haul for a day's trip.! Nothing is better than fresh food from the farm!

With my trek trolley, always able to buy more than the arms can carry!
#stjacob'smarket#haulfromthemarket#trektrolleyhelpswiththefood#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro

GRANPA RETURNS TO THE ST. JACOBS FARMERS' MARKET 2014

Barb and I love to visit farmers' markets. So a return trip to one of the best in the province, was inviting us to return. St. Jacobs market in the little community of St. Jacobs just outside Kitchener/Waterloo Ontario. Home to a multi-generation German community and the Mennonites along with the diverse Canadian community. Waterloo as you know is home to Blackberry or known previously as R.I.M. An interesting area of Ontario!

Last year, August 2013, St. Jacobs market had a devastating fire of its building-24,0000 sq. ft.- that housed 60 vendors. In a short time a Harvest Barn was erected that could accommodate 47 vendors. It can be seen in the distance of this market scene. When we arrived, there is construction occurring at the end of the parking lot that may be the home of a more secure, modern specs. building. The problem with the old building was the wood structure.

We take our little trek trolley everywhere now. It sure saves on the muscles.

Beef steak tomatoes were in abundance.

Walking along and viewing the wonderful selection of locally grown fruit and vegetables.

Lots of Bing Cherries!

What to buy?

Breakfast was a good choice. Peameal bacon and egg with tomato on a bun-the breakfast special! Nice picnic area at the end of the Harvest Barn with clean washroom facilities if needed.

Mushrooms from a tree branch anyone?

Corn, watermelon and melons!

More delicious fruit!

Couldn't resist the asparagus! Love it in a breakfast omelette!

A good haul of fresh fruit, veggies and some baguette bread! Time to go home and eat!!!
Visit their website.St. Jacob;s market
#stjacob'smarket#returningtostjacob'safterthefire#lotsofgoodeatsatstjacob'smarket#buyingmushrooms#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro

GRANPA'S TRIP TO THE COLLINGWOOD FARMER'S MARKET JULY 2014

Summer brings day trips and outings with Barb, kids and grandkids. So on a weekend jaunt to Collingwood, I visited the Collingwood Farmer's Market. Collingwood is a community North-west of Toronto on Georgian Bay-Lake Huron. Up the 400 and through Barrie, Collingwood is a sweet community near Blue Mountain for winter skiing and summer sports and shopping.

I did not need to buy much so had a good look around. Of course Barb snapped pictures.

Yes, Barb bought some butter tarts for the oncoming barbecue with the kids.
There are always friendly vendors so Barb asked these ladies if they had a picture taken with me she would buy their hot sauce.

They make the hot sauce in Trinidadian style. They have a booth every week at the market. Lisa Mendoza and her friend were very nice and were very kind to accommodate us. Their hot sauce is JD Boss Pepper Sauce. Check out their website. www.jdbosspeppersauce.com

Walking around and exploring the other non-food booths is Barb's choice.

A local photographer-George Czerny has written a book and photographed the old shipyards of Collingwood. Barb bought a couple of cards from him. Good captures of the shipyards! And record of a piece of  Ontario history.

Barb bought some sausage for the barbecue later in the day.

It was a fun start to the our Saturday. There was a musician playing adding some ambiance to the market.

Hum-was there anything else I needed.
#collingwoodmarket#granpalovestocook#granpavisitsthecollingwoodmarket#buttertarts#hotpeppersauce#sausageforthebarbecue#oldshipyardsofcollingwood#jdbosspeppersauce#gerogeczernybookaboutheshipyard#lotsofgoodfoodtoeat

GRANPA LOVES SUMMER BARBECUE COOKING

Summer barbecuing is so tasty. Last night steak barbecued with some corn on the cob cooked with the  husk. Accompanying the steak and corn a Greek salad using some romaine lettuce from the garden. Tonight chicken legs on the barbecue with grilled eggplant using the new grill accessory bought by Barb. Used the remainder of some meat sauce, making a few rigatoni along with fried zucchini pieces and peppers- picked fresh from the garden for our meal. Of course we eat outside as much as possible. Barb works inside all day so wants as much of the outdoor life as possible. I like to annoy Barb as soon as we eat asking what should we have for dinner tomorrow. She always reminds of the story of her first trip to Italy in 1991. My cousin Maria Pia was a great cook and would spend hours cooking the evening meal. At one of Barb's first meals, everyone was eating the delicious food, not commenting on it but talking about what would be for dinner the next day. Well it's an Italian thing, what can I say?

VEGETABLE SOUP USING THOSE SUMMER VEGETABLES

Today I am making a wonderful meal using vegetables from my summer garden. Vegetable Soup! The Swiss Chard has grown which makes the dish tastier with this fresh ingredient. Boiling and cooking the Swiss Chard separately then adding it to the pot of other vegetables-potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, celery, garlic. I have posted previously on this delicious Italian recipe. Is it really an Italian dish?

Or is it just a wonderful way to use a variety of vegetables for a low calorie meal? You decide! Of course if I add some crunchy Molisana bread as a side dish then it really would be Italian.
#vegetablesoup#summervegetables#swisschardinsoup#useslotsofvegetables#peas#carrots#onions#garlic

CANADIAN CORN ON THE COB-A TRIBUTE TO OUR FIRST NATIONS

Canadian corn on the cob is something most immigrants to Canada discover eventually. For me as a young child, Italians would say Corn is for cattle and refused to eat it. So over the years, I have discovered how good it really can be. Peaches and Cream is the most popular edible corn to buy locally.
There are several ways to cook it.
.
1.Husk( take all the green outer edge and little strings off) it and boil in water for a few minutes. It is good with some butter or margarine with a little salt. It is hot so one needs to let it cool a little to eat it.
2.A second way is to husk it and grill the whole cob on the barbecue. The kernels get a little blackened but there is a barbecue taste.
3.Recently, I do not husk it. But soak the corn with husk left on in a little water then put it on the barbecue with the husk and cook it. Peeling the husk after cooking leaves the corn very delicious. Most dietitians would agree with more of the nutrients intact.

What is fun about eating corn on the cob now is the fact all my grandchildren love it. When trying to get children to add more vegetables to their diet, this is a good start. So  know they will enjoy it so it is added to my menu.

For those of you that are not familiar with Canadian history, Barb tells me the area where we live- York Region- was home to the Huron, Neutral and Tobacco First Nations tribes. Corn was a staple for them. They were able to preserve it for the long winter months.  Every time we go by any corn field, Barb reminds me that a part of that history remains with us today.  To be truly Canadian means loving corn on the cob.

I have tried growing corn in my garden which is easy to do. The problem is my backyard squirrels would attack my stalks as soon as they started to be a decent size so I now rely on supermarket sales or trips to the local farmers' markets.
Corn for North Americans is also an ingredient in many food items. Just check the labels on most foods which can have a corn base.
A recent day trip included this wonderful vegetable as part of the lunch meal. Seeing one of my grandsons finish a whole cob in record speed was very rewarding. Granpa did okay too!
#corn#Hurons#grandkidseatcorn#canadiancorn#peachesandcream#Firstnationshistory#YorkRegionhasfirstnationshistory