March on to Spring

March. A time when Spring starts to make itself known, but still a month that brings prospects of bitter winds, chilly mornings and snowfall with gusto. We've had a mild winter Up Here in Northern Saskatchewan, with temperatures staying mostly between -10 and-20 during the day. Some days have been cooler, some much warmer, but I would guess that to be the average temperature range.

Happily for me I've got my Canada Goose parka to keep me warm no matter what the weather. Here I've got it zipped up completely and although I have severe tunnel vision, it does keep the wind out of my face on those coldest of forays out into the Great White North. I've not had to go out like this because it simply hasn't been cold enough this year, but I will do so if I must.

I'm much more likely to wear the hood comme ça. Regardless, the coat is so warm that I've stopped using it on days that go higher than -10 because I get too hot in it! I'm sure I won't say this after having experienced a real Northern Winter, but I've been kinda disappointed at the lack of -40 and -50 degree weather. I wanted to really know what that feels like, but I suppose I'll have to wait until next winter now.

 

Another thing about this time of year is that although the weather is getting warmer and the lovely, fresh food of a new season springs to mind, the fridge (if you mostly try to buy in season like me) is still stocked with hearty winter fare. I found a recipe for this lovely Raw Beet Salad on the Vegan website Oh She Glows. I'm not a raw foodie, and I love cheese way to much to ever consider Veganism, but I can appreciate eating clean so I check out the blog every so often for inspiration. This one is great, especially since it proves that cooking in season (or not cooking, in this case) doesn't have to be bland or without colour. This vibrant dish is improved upon by goat cheese, in my opinion, so I opted to replace the almonds with it, but other than that I haven't changed the recipe on the site. Enjoy!

 

Raw Beet Salad

1 beet

1-2 carrots

1 apple

1/3 clove garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

sprinkling toasted sesame seeds

crumbled goat cheese

Peel and shred the beet and carrot, mince the garlic and chop the apple into small pieces and combine in a bowl. Mix together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste, and add to the beet mixture to toss. At this point, you'll want to put the salad in the fridge for at least half an hour so that the flavours can really sink in. If you taste the beets now and then later, I'm sure you'll agree that they're much better once the dressing has been able to leach in a bit and soften them up. After a rest, top with sesame seeds and goat cheese. If you like the intensity of raw garlic then by all means add as much as you want. I like the flavour well enough, but I found myself hesitating to eat the salad the next day because I didn't want to be tasting it for the rest of my life. I also drastically reduced the amount of dressing because I found that there was just too much. I don't want my greens (or in this case, my purples) drowning so I tend to go lightly. Less can be more. I accompanied the salad with some leftover homemade rolls. I've already mentioned this recipe in an earlier post, but I'll include it again here because they're so good!

Whole Wheat Rolls

3 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1.5 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups warm water

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs

2-3 Tablespoons chopped herbs (optional) such as rosemary, thyme and sage

The recipe is adapted from one of my favourite food blogs, Once Upon a Plate. It's great with chopped fresh herbs, but is just as good without. The directions are my own, as I use my KitchenAid stand mixer instead of my hands to mix and knead the dough. I also omitted the oat bran because I find that without the rolls are more pleasantly lighter.

Heat water to around 125-130 degrees and combine with olive oil in the mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flours, sugar and salt. Set the mixer to level 2 with the dough hook attachment and add about 2 cups of the flour mixture along with the yeast to the liquid, then eggs. Gradually add the rest of the flour mixture and keep "kneading" on level 2 for a few minutes. Add herbs. Rosemary, sage and thyme work really well. You may have to add a bit more flour if the dough is still sticking to the sides. Once dough is ready, cover and let rise until doubled, or about an hour. (If using quick-rise yeast, just let the dough sit in the bowl for about 10 minutes). Bring the dough to a floured surface. This recipe will make about 16-24 rolls, depending on the size. Cut the dough into smaller balls and place in a greased baking pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, or about 45 minutes. I find that sometimes they don't rise very much, but once I place them in the oven they always seem to puff up. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

All in all a satisfying winter dish, and one colourful enough to make me think of Spring even on a blustery day in March.