Champagne Vinegar

Yes, champagne vinegar. With it being such a small bottle we tend to enjoy and use this only on steamed or roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts. Mixed with a bit of oil it would make for a lovely salad dressing. Great to cook and marinate with too. Although, it would be extravagant to mix this vinegar with some olive oil to dip bread into. I found this at Winners however I am keeping my eyes open elsewhere to see if I may find something similar. To find out more about Sparrow Lane click *here* 

It is a bit more chilly today. So staying warm today and throughout the weekend is a must. - JD 

Camelina Oil & Roasted Chickpeas

The other day while at the butcher's I bought a bottle of Three Farmers - Camelina Oil. I was intrigued because I have never heard of Camelina oil or Three Farmers. It is a Canadian Company. The oil is high in Vitamin E and Omega-3. It has a smoke point of 475º and is Non-GMO. The flavour has subtle hints of asparagus with a bit of nuttiness. Which makes this perfect for salads and cooking. Each bottle has a traceable code on the back so that you may Trace Your Food on their website. I traced mine and found when the bottle I bought was seeded and harvested, growing conditions throughout the year, growing conditions upon harvesting and the farmer! This is a very interesting way to further connect the consumer with the product. Which reiterates the theme: Farm to Fork even more so. 

I made a salad dressing using the Camelina oil and it was absolutely tasty. One of my best salad dressings I have made so far. 

  

Who can resist anything maple, not  me. I bought their roasted chickpeas... in maple frosted. These are a great snack and wonderful to add to a salad. They are high in fibre, protein and magnesium. With a source of iron and Omega-3. They are also nut-free and gluten-free. They too come with a traceable code that provides more information on how the chickpeas are grown. 

For more information on Three Farmers and their products click *here*

- JD 

Leftovers #13 ~ Pasta Salad

Seems like I always cook either too much pasta or too much rice. Regardless, I always make use of either. This time I had leftover pasta. And decided to make a pasta salad. 

Poking around the refrigerator to see what veggies I had on hand... I sliced cucumbers, diced yellow peppers, chopped green onions, used some remaining sliced olives, from the pizzas we made, and crumbled some feta cheese onto the leftover pasta in a large bowl. Gently gave it a toss and since I had some homemade salad dressing on hand, I drizzled that over everything, tossed again and transferred the pasta salad to a serving dish. I also chopped some lovely hothouse tomatoes that were placed on just before serving or according to individual taste. Very simple and easy! 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JW  

Easy Summertime Salad Dressing

I eat a lot of salads throughout the year and not just during the summer. Therefore I am always making salad dressing. It is important to get the greens you need and even more important to show my kidlets that leafy greens and veggies are in fact delicious. My son prefers my salad dressing over anything store bought and enjoys being apart of the creative process when making one. This salad dressing is easy and will add the right touch to enhance your salad. To make this dressing you will need the following ingredients.

Easy Herb Salad Dressing 

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1/4 cup lemon juice 

2/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of prepared mustard

3 teaspoons of summer savoury

freshly ground pepper to taste

Get a clean empty jar or a salad making container and place all the ingredients starting with the lemon juice in the chosen container. Shake or stir vigorously until all the ingredients are blended well. Pour and/or toss over a beautiful leafy green salad or vegetables. 

That is it! Simple ingredients and simple to make. I can not stress that enough.   

Notes: I usually use a grainy dijon mustard however I did not have any on hand so I used a standard mustard. You may also add a mixture of herbs instead of just one. Instead of stressing over squeezed lemons you may use a product called Real Lemon for the lemon juice. Adding and changing ingredients is a great way to get a distinctive flavour. 

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. - JW    

Pea Sprout Salad

This is my salad of the week. Pea sprouts with cherry tomatoes, radishes, raspberries, dried blueberries and grated cheese. The grated cheese I bought was from The Cheesiry, they had a stall at the farmer's market in the french quarter here in E-town. It is a lovely little market full of sauces, breads, cheese and pastries. Plenty of samples to entice you. I bought the Cheesiry's multi pack cheese sampler. You can find more about The Cheesiry by clicking *here* 

The salad dressing was one I had made up using 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar, a teaspoon of grainy mustard, a tablespoon of summer savoury, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Mix all ingredients together and drizzle over any salad or bread. Very zesty! 

Hope everyone has been keeping cool! - JW