Wintery conditions have finally returned to Canada's capital after record rainfall earlier this week, the fourth week of January. With such odd weather, it is a wonder Ottawans have their bearings climate wise. Today, temperatures fell below zero again, so I think I will mark the occasion by revisiting a slow cooked dish, red wine braised lamb shanks with onion polenta.

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Onion Polenta

Of note, even though the lamb shanks made a hearty and savoury dinner, I consider this dish a failure. I will explain why later.

To make the above braised lamb shanks, three fresh lamb shanks were purchased from then Loeb (now Metro) on Wellington. For the record, it was several days past Christmas and Jenn and I wanted something very much non-poultry after serving up our annual turkey feast with all the fixings.

Three fresh lamb shanks

At $11/kg, the shanks ran us $16 before taxes
Remember that number, it will come in handy later...

As with any braise, I seared the lamb shanks, placed them in a small mount of flavourful liquid, and cooked them covered for a long period of time (3 hours). To ensure a hands-free braise (Sunday is chore day for my household), I turned to my slow cooker (aka: crock pot). To ensure the shanks picked up some tannins from the red wine (an unremarkable cabernet sauvignon), I coated the shanks in flour before searing them.

Lamb shanks seared in a little canola oil in a pan

Lamb shanks unceremoniously deposited into the pot of a slow cooker

The braising liquid was a red wine reduction, flavoured with sweated onions.

3 sweated down onions
I added one bottle of an unremarkable cabernet sauvignon, brought to mixture to a simmer, and lowered heat to low, reducing it until thickened.

Reduced red wine and onion mixture

Mixture poured over lamb shanks and slow cooked on low for 3 hours

Braised Lamb Shank

After letting the shanks cool, I placed them in the refrigerator overnight, since braised meats taste better aged. Here' are theories why.

To serve, I whipped up a standard polenta recipe and added finely chopped green onions to taste. That day, I used Alton Brown's polenta recipe. Others will do.

Creamy batch of polenta

Meanwhile, I baked the lamb shanks in an oven, preheated to 350°F, uncovered until they darkened.

Plated Served

More after the jump...

Several weeks ago, I found myself giving advice to someone who claimed to be a "foodie in training." Honestly, between noted author Michael Ruhlman calling foodies masturbating deviants who "get off" on the Food Network and one of my dear friends telling me that he's not qualified to call himself a foodie, I am somewhat beside myself.

It has been three years since I editorialized that I consider myself a foodie and not a gourmet, the former being less concerned with fine foods than the latter. This very blog has the word "foodie" in it and, unlike Ruhlman, I think there are foodies out there who cook. They are passionate about cooking, but do not consider themselves cooks. I adore Ruhlman's latest book, Ratio, and believe it is a key to reviving cooking skills, something we risk losing if we keep depending on highly granular recipes to make everyday dishes. I think it is foodies who can most easily read his book and take value from it, but I digress....

That evening I was on Twitter and a tweep I follow asked for recipes that involved slow cooking pork tenderloin. She, being a busy mother, was looking for a quick and easy recipe. The Chef/Owner of Ottawa's Epicuria, a fine food store and caterer, replied, suggesting she roast the tenderloins. I advised her tenderloin, being an already tender cut of pork, can be very quickly prepared using high heat methods. Lesser and secondary cuts would be better slow cooked.

Then, I realized how hypocritical I was being. I had prepared what I thought was a braised tenderloin myself. The idea came from a recipe published in the Toronto Star somewhat coincidentally when a local mega-mart had a sale on pork tenderloin. Essentially, the gist is to sear off a pair of pork tenderloins to develop flavour and simmer them in milk to finish. The recipe calls the dish milk "braised" pork tenderloin. According to Chef Tracey Black (the aforementioned owner of Epicuria), it is more of a" poach."

She is right. According to the Fourth edition of the Herbst and Herbst Food Lover's Companion, poaching involves cooking "food gently in liquid just below the boiling point..." Braising involves browning food in fat and then cooking it "tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a lengthy period of time."

Here is my take, borrowing elements from the "Unemployed Cook" blog:

Select an oven-proof piece of bake-ware that will allow you to almost submerge two pork tenderloins in milk. Your choice will depend on the size of the pork tenderloins. Estimate and measure out however much milk is needed to do the "submerging." I estimated approximately 2 cups of 2% milk (whole milk is preferred) for my Corningware.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F with a rack placed in the middle position.

Season the pork tenderloins with kosher salt.

Finely chop 3-4 cloves of garlic (more if you desire a stronger garlic flavour) and gently colour them in a metal pan on medium heat with a tsp of oil. Be cautious as garlic quickly burns.

Colouring the Garlic
Once coloured, add the milk to the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Bring the milk up to a simmer.

Meanwhile, take another pan, preferably cast iron or enamel-coated cast iron, add a splash of oil and heat the oil on medium heat until it shimmers, but does not smoke. Sear the tenderloins on two sides by letting them sit in the pan for a full 2 minutes before turning them over.

Seared Pork Tenderloins
Ordinarily, searing is followed by de-glazing the pan, but this recipe aims to subtly sweeten the pork with the milk.

Place the tenderloins into the baking dish. Submerge it in the milk, garlic and all, and place it in the oven until the internal temperatures of the tenderloins reach 140F.

Pre-Bake

After Baking

During baking, the milk will thicken slightly.

Poaching Liquid
Simmering the pork in the milk on the stove top, as recommended by the source recipes, may curdle it, producing light golden curds. Whereas the Unemployed Cook's recipe actually aims to produce the curds, the Toronto Star recipe recommends blending the cooking liquid until smooth. By baking the tenderloins in milk, I hoped to prevent any curdling.

Slice and serve, saucing with the poaching liquid:

Done
Depending on your taste, the poaching liquid may need to be adjusted with salt or pepper.

The pork came out very tender and the poaching liquid took on a slightly caramel flavour. It is a very clean taste and an easy way to prepare pork tenderloin.

During the most recent Hintonburg supper club, I spoke with a neighbourhood local who was surprised when I told her that there were dozens of local food blogs besides foodiePrints. I then directed her to foodiePrints' list of Ottawa food blogs. But, I neglected to tell her that a number of local eateries and Beau's Natural Brewery also maintain blogs. Many more have gone on Twitter to micro-blog. Here is a list of eateries and the like that Tweet:

Coffee Houses:
Bridgehead Coffee House(s)
Blog: Bridgehead: A blog for Bridgehead Staff and Friends
Twitter:

• @Bridgehead
• Ian Clark (@_IanClark)

Address: Various locations in Ottawa

Morning Owl Coffee House
Twitter: @morning_owl
Address: 538 Rochester Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 680-8336

Two Monkeys and Coffee and Tea House
Facebook: Two Monkeys Coffee and Tea House
Twitter: @2MonkeysCoffee
Address: 14-4100 Standherd Drive (Cedarview Square), Barrhaven
Phone Number: (613)843-7463

Restaurants:
Atelier Restaurant
Blog: Atelier Restaurant
Facebook: Atelier Restaurant
Twitter:

• Chef/Owner Marc Lepine (@marclepine)
• Chef Michael Holland (@pastryoverlord, twitpic)
• Chef Sarah Allen (@sarah_j_allen)

YouTube Channel: AtelierOttawa
Address: 540 Rochester Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 321-3537

Beckta Dining and Wine
Twitter:

• Co-Owner Stephen Beckta (@stevebeckta)
• Co-Owner/Chef Michael Moffatt (@michaelmoffatt)

Address: 226 Nepean Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 238-7063

Bin 790 Bistro Tapas & Wine Bar
Twitter: @bin790bto
Address: 790 Kanata Avenue, Kanata
Phone Number: (613) 591-3287

Blue Cactus Bar & Grill (Firestone Group)
Facebook: Firestone Restaurant Group
Twitter:

• @bluecactusbandg
• Firestone Restaurants (@frginthemarket)

Address: 2 ByWard Market, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 241-7061
E-mail: info@bluecactusbarandgrill.com

Credible Edibles
Twitter: @creded
Address: 78 Hinton Avenue North, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 558-7569

Cobra
Twitter: @CobraOttawa
YouTube Channel: CobraOttawa
Address: ?
Phone Number: ?

Courtyard Restaurant
Facebook: Courtyard Restaurant Staff Past and Present
Twitter:

• @courtyard
• Chef Michael Hay (@michaelthehay)
• Line Cook Curtis Luk (@blueicus)

YouTube Channel: Michaelthehay
Address: 21 George Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 241-1516

D'Arcy McGee's (Ottawa)
Twitter: General Manager Jeff O'Reilly (@pintinhand)
Address: 44 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 230-4433

DiVino Wine Studio
Blog: DiVino Wine Studio
Twitter:

• @DiVinoOttawa
• Event Coordinator Larissa Beznaczuk (@LarissaOttawa)

Address: 225 Preston Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613)221-9760

Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar
Twitter: @Farbskitchen
Address: 18 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613)744-6509

Le Cafe
Twitter: Chef Michael Blackie (@michaelblackie)
YouTube Channel: MBcuisine's Channel
Address: 53 Elgin Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613)594-5127

Luxe Bistro (Firestone Group)
Facebook: Firestone Restaurant Group
Twitter:

• @luxebistro
• Chef Duane Keats (@DuaneKeats)
• Firestone Restaurants (@frginthemarket)

Address: 47 York Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613)241-8805

Navarra Restaurant
Blog: The Iron Bull
Facebook: Navarra Restaurant
Twitter: @navarrarest
YouTube Channel: NavarraRestaurant
Address: 93 Murray Street, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 241-5500

Petit Bill's Bistro
Twitter: @littlebills
Address: 1293 Wellington Street W., Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 729-2500
E-mail: petitbillsbistro@gmail.com

Play Food and Wine
Facebook: Play Food and Wine
Twitter:

• @playfoodandwine
• Co-Owner Stephen Beckta (@stevebeckta)
• Co-Owner/Chef Michael Moffatt (@michaelmoffatt)

Address: 1 York Street
Phone Number: (613) 667-9207

Santé Restaurant
Twitter: @santeresto
Address: 45 Rideau Street
Phone Number: (613) 241-7113

Stella Osteria (Firestone Group)
Facebook: Firestone Restaurant Group
Twitter:

• @stellaosteria
• Firestone Restaurants (@frginthemarket)

Address: 81 Clarence Street
Phone Number: (613) 241-2200

Stoneface Dolly's
Twitter: @stonefacedollys
Address: 416 Preston Street
Phone Number: (613) 564-2222

Thi Fusion
Twitter: @ThiFusion
Address: 790 Kanata Avenue
Phone Number: (613) 599-0880

Toss It Up: Fresh to Go
Twitter: @tossitup
Address: 208 -parks Street
Phone Number: (613) 216-2845

Vittoria Trattoria
Twitter: @vtrattoria
Address: 2 Locations (35 William Street or 3625 Riverside Drive)
Phone Number: (613)789-8959

The Works Gourmet Bistro
Twitter: @worksburger
Address: Various Locations

Zola's Restaurant
Twitter: @zolas_ottawa
Address: 194 Robertson Road
Phone Number: (613) 721-0227

Fine Food/Catering:
Crazy 4 Chocolate: Artisan Chocolate Truffles
Facebook: crazy4chocolate.ca
Twitter: @crazy4chocolat
Phone Number: (613) 424-0076

Epicuria Fine Food Store and Catering
Blog: Epicuria Fine Food
Twitter: Chef/Owner Tracey Black (@epicuriadotca)
Address: 419 Mackay Street
Phone Number: (613) 745-7356

Essence Catering
Blog: Sticky Fingers: Culinary Adventures in the Nation's Capital
Twitter:

• @EssenceCatering
• Catering Coordinator Kelly Serjeantson (@kellskitchen)
• Chef/Owner Jason Laurin (@chefjayl)

Address: 430 Parkdale Avenue
Phone Number: (613) 850-4776

Jacobson's: Concept Gourmet
Blog: Jacobson's: Gourmet Ottawa Food
Twitter: @JacobsonsOttawa
Address: 141 Beechwood Ave
Phone Number: (613) 746-6002

Koko Chocolates
Facebook: koko chocolates
Twitter:

• Co-Owner/Chocolatier Lori Sword (@kokochocolates)
• Co-Owner Jon Sword (@jonsword)

Address: 45 Spencer Street
Phone Number: (613) 277-3254

The Magic Fridge
Blog: The Magic Blog
Facebook: The Magic Fridge
Twitter: Owner Julie Broczkowski (@themagicfridge)
Phone Number: (613) 837-8476

Thyme And Again Creative Catering And Take Home Food Inc
Twitter: @thymeandagain
Address: 1255 Wellington Street West
Phone Number: (613) 722-0093

Bakery
The Cakery: Custom Cakes & Cupcakes
Twitter: @thecakery
Phone Number: (613) 281-0897

Let Them Eat Cake Bakery
Blog: Let Them Eat Cake Bakery
Twitter: @I_Want_Cupcakes

Little Cakes
Blog: Little Cakes Cupcakes
Facebook: Little Cakes Cupcakes
Twitter: @LitttleCakes
Phone Number: (613) 286-3532
E-mail: info@littlecakes.ca

Life of Pie
Facebook: Life of Pie
Twitter: Owner Kerry Duffy (@lifeofpieottawa)
Address: 70A Leonard Avenue, Ottawa
Phone Number: (613) 693-1853

Sugar and Spice Cakes
Twitter: @SugarSpiceCakes

The Flour Shoppe
Facebook: The Flour Shoppe
Twitter: Melissa Somers (@TheFlourShoppe)
Phone Number: (613) 513-3752

Breweries/Wineries
Beau's All Natural Brewing
Twitter: @beausbeer
Address: 10 Terry Fox Drive, Vankleek Hill
Phone Number: 1-866-585-BEER

More after the jump...

If there is a better way to enjoy the fall harvest, point me in the right direction. Otherwise, the best place to head to is the Feast of Fields. While Don was busy with his crew at the dish pit, I was fortunate enough to attend with a media pass. As I was a first time attendee, I was not sure what to expect, but I did hope to see many happy faces and people passionate about food. After spending more than six hours there, Feast of Fields exceeded all my expectations and more! On this post, I?ll be discussing the food, while writing another entry about the crowd and Grow Up Organic. Also, more pictures of the event and the food will be included. This entry will be long enough!

However, before commenting on the food, I think it is very important to mention the tremendous work of the volunteers. Many arrived before 9 a.m. and stayed right to the very end. Without these hardworking people, this event would not exist. Hats off to all the volunteers!

Now, onto the food! With twenty-five farmer-chef teams to choose from, it was impossible to eat everything, but there were many standouts.

Ferme aux Saveurs des Monts/ Fairmount Château Montebello

Stuffed chicken
My favourite, and voted 2009?s winning farmer/chef food team, was from Ferme aux Saveurs des Monts with Fairmount Château Montebello at table #11. The chicken was stuffed with green Swiss chard, roasted pumpkin, cranberries, and pine nuts, topped with a gingery apple compote and a tuile of balsamic vinegar and sugar. The presentation was beautiful and the chicken was succulent.

Butterfly Sky Farm/Domus Café

Tomato crostini
Chef John Taylor?s (Domus Café) creation was a crowd pleaser. His brightly coloured cherry tomato crostini was a beauty. Grilled house-made bread topped with orange & yellow cherry tomatoes, basil, vinaigrette, fresh green shoots, and grated Canadian Romano cheese. Chef Taylor was kind enough to make mine cheese-free as cheese disagrees with me. The flavours were remarkable, especially the cherry tomatoes, sweet and stunningly fresh. I felt as though they were picked off the vines right there and placed on the bread. The freshness, colours, the presentation, and flavours were simply exquisite.

Bryson Farms/Epicuria

Heirloom carrot & beet salad and a panzanella salad
Another table featuring the best of the fall harvest was the team of Bryson Farms with Epicuria. Chef Tracey Black?s creation was an heirloom carrot and beet salad with grapefruit dressing and a panzanella salad with Art-Is-In croutons, maldon sea salt, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil. Unfortunately, I was unable to sample mine as Don, hungry from hours spent washing dishes, accidentally ate my share after eating his plate of food. However, according to him, it was fresh, crunchy, and harvest sweet. It is only in autumn when you can get this flavour. Paired with the citrus, the sugars from the beets had a competing brightness, not overpowering. This is high praise from Don as he generally dislikes pickled beets. For Don, Epicuria?s dishes were one of his favourites.

Ashton Glen Farms/Imperial Food & Beverage

Smoky braised beef on a taco
As I approached table #10, my mouth was watering. There in front of me were trays of smoky braised beef on a taco with red onion jam and horseradish cream. The flavours were simply amazing. The beef was smoky, savory, and incredibly tender. The red onion jam gave it a brightness and sweetness, while the horseradish cream gave a nice bite, just enough fat to carry the flavours. Also worth mentioning is that Ashton Glen Farms/Imperial Food Beverage were winners in the best booth/team category for presentation.

Wright Poultry & Beef/The Piggy Market

Delicious traditional cottage pie
Sometimes, classic comfort food can be elevated to a new level when high quality ingredients are used. Such was the case with Chef Dave Neil (The Piggy Market) and his take on the traditional cottage pie. Don and I often visit his store, buying sausages, roast chicken, goat cheese, and pretty much anything else Dave can convince Don to buy. I, on the other hand, always leave the store with a new bucket of Pascale?s Ice Cream. (If you were at the event, you would have seen the never-ending lineup for her famous ice cream!) Now, back to the pie? think well seasoned beef and fresh sweet peaches and cream corn kernels topped with buttery mashed potatoes. Are you drooling yet? I happily had at least two servings, and stole some more from Don?s plate when he wasn?t looking.

Mariposa Farms

Smoked goose breast terrine (left hand side, below the business card)
Mariposa Farms? creation of smoked goose breast terrine topped with sweet pickled yellow and red beet roots and garnished with chioggia beet chips (also known as candy cane beet root) was another favourite. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of mine before eating, but managed to take a quick snap of Don?s before he inhaled his. (The goose breast is under the orange business card of Dish ? I have no idea why Don stuck the card there). According to him, it was fatty, savory, and flavourful, everything that a goose should be!

During the two hours the food was being served, I managed to sample at least half of the fantastic dishes. This event is definitely appropriately named. For those who paid anywhere from $25 to $50, they could certainly eat their money?s worth. Meanwhile, the chefs and farmers were all cheerful, gracious, and very friendly, happily serving the public and answering all kinds of questions. Congratulations to all the farmer-chef teams on their fantastic work. I?ll be back next year!

Since I wasn't able to attend last year's Feast of Fields (2008), my better half and I vowed to make the best of the upcoming event (2009). Because I greatly support any event that celebrates what Dave Neil from the Piggy Market (400 Winston Ave.) calls "the delicious revolution", I chose to volunteer for the event. The "delicious revolution" is committed to support a local food system by getting to know farmers and encouraging the purchase of local and artisan products. Jenn and I even gave away a pair of tickets to Feast of Fields to raise visibility and encourage attendance. Because we have some great readers, Jenn bought a ticket to attend, take notes, take lots of pictures and write a mega-blog entry, which she plans on releasing in two parts.

She is currently working on her entry. We just finished sorting some of the drool-worthy pictures she took with our new camera. Neither one of us is experienced in using the Nikon D60, so the quality of the pictures may have been because of the amazing dishes we came across.

Tomato Crostini by Chef John Taylor of Domus

Top: Panzanella Salad w/Art-Is-In croutons, Bottom: Heirloom Carrot and Beet salad w/ Grapefruit Dressing by Chef Tracey Black of Epicuria
Then again, Jenn has a far better eye for composition than I do.

While she attended as "media" (Feast of Fields supports local food blogs), I had a different view of the event than the attendees. Like many outdoor festivals, Feast of Field's success can be attributed to an army of hard working volunteers and an organized volunteer coordinator. We had both.

Me, I was a volunteer team lead for the "dish pit" and my team of volunteers was tremendous. No matter the task, they organized themselves effectively, took roles, asked great questions, and quickly got to work stacking dishes, arranging mugs, rolling cutlery, and then collecting bussed dishware and washing them. They were even enthusiastic to go on a number of water runs with me to ensure that our make-shift kitchen could replenish the plastic wash tubs that became our sinks. We had well-oiled production lines, running quickly and effectively.

Of note, whoever said that high school students only volunteer to meet the provincial requirement of hours to graduate clearly didn't come across the three that worked for me. They were easily the hardest working. One, I had to ask Jenn to escort to the food tables and take her well deserved break.

As luck would have it, I also had a pair of professional dishwashers on board. One was a newly minted college student, who washes dishes at the Crazy Horse restaurant in Kanata. The other, a former dish washer who worked at Tucker's Market Place in the ByWard Market. Both had mad skills.

Now that I have heaped some praise on great volunteers, I probably should explain why there is a "dish pit." Since this year's Feast of Fields was also my first, I was surprised by how sincerely the event took sustainability to heart. It provided neither plastic nor paper cutlery or dishware. Organizers have a large stash of real dishware (dinner plates, dessert plates, and soup bowls), drink-ware (mugs), and metal cutlery (forks, knives, and spoons). Our dish detergent was also environmentally friendly, entirely biodegradable.

Dishware and Drink-Ware
Some of the plates came from collections that were released well before I was born. The cups and mugs were equally as varied, including some that advertised local radio stations long gone.

Unfortunately, we hadn't enough cutlery for all of the attendees, only able to roll approximately 300 full sets (spoon, fork, and knife) in napkins.

First wave of pre-purchased attendees
We ended up producing another 80 or so with just spoons and forks. They too disappeared quickly.

It was discovered that at least one crate of cutlery was left in storage. Happily, enough cutlery went out that, when people started asking for cutlery, we were able to start washing, rinsing, and drying used sets and sent them back out. Also, several of the chef and farm teams provided for the contingency. One, more than likely Thyme and Again, handed out sustainable bamboo forks. Epicuria handed out starch forks. Both helped.

Interestingly, as a certain food editor of a local newspaper pointed out, a number of attendees requested we rinse their plates before they headed back for seconds. Others, simply handed back their plates, sans cutlery, and picked up new ones. We accommodated both.

Two things that I would recommend for the festival next year:

1. Provide cold drinking water for volunteers.
2. Remind volunteers that they are entitled to eat from the concessions.

In my case, many members of my team were not aware that they could go eat with the other attendees during their break and food would no longer be served half way into the event. I staggered breaks and ensured that every one of them had an opportunity to try food from the event. I'll bet good money that very few of them had their better halves pick up dishes for them to try as I did. Jenn picked up a sampling for me, just in case I didn't find time to go in myself.

All-in-all, I found the event a wonderful experience and encourage everyone to attend.

My team eventually made me take my break, which allowed me the opportunity to meet some of the chefs and farm owners. Besides visiting some familiar faces, I also had the opportunity to meet Chefs John Taylor (Domus) and Chris Deraiche (Wellington Gastropub) who was apparently accompanied by his father and younger brother.

Speaking of familiar faces, here is what the Piggy Market served up:

Shepherd's Pie
Think freshly mashed new potatoes, insanely sweet peaches and cream corn kernels, and perfectly seasoned beef. After eating it, I understood how homely comfort food can be easily elevated by using quality fresh ingredients. In Dave Neil's case, skills honed at the Sweet Grass Bistro don't hurt either.

And here is Pascale Berthiaume, whose ice cream stand's line never did shorten.

Pascale
I could see the line from the dish pit!

Update: Here is more information on the "Delicious Revolution"

Piggy Market Leaflet

Particulars:
Piggy Market
400 Winston Avenue
(613) 371-6124
thepiggymarket@gmail.com

Domus Café
87 Murray Street
(613)241-6007

Epicuria
419 Mackay Street
(613)745-7356

Wellington Gastropub
1325 Wellington Street
(613)729-1315