Recipes from a farm fresh picnic

Recipes from a farm fresh picnic

by: Mia Stainsby
Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

VANCOUVER - Last month, UBC Farm and Provençe Mediterranean Grill collaborated on a food event, Farm Fresh Picnic. Provençe (4473 West 10th Ave.) provided the picnic baskets of food highlighting UBC Farm-grown ingredients; guests picked up their dinners at the restaurant and proceeded to al fresco dining at the farm.

"It was very rustic and everyone kept saying this is like a real Provençal dinner," said restaurant co-owner Alessandra Quaglia. She and restaurant chef Essex Balce work closely with the farm with regular deliveries from them, she said. "I've taken all my staff there and they get a chance to see what they're cooking with first-hand and tell customers, who love knowing it's from the UBC Farm, less than a kilometre away from the restaurant." She said the Farm Fresh Picnic will become an annual event. These are some of the recipes she and Balce created for the event.

Buffalo Mozzarella with Cherry Tomato And Herb Citronette

2 125-gram buffalo mozzarella

20 cherry tomatoes (multi-coloured if available) cut in half

one-half cup mixed fresh herbs such as dill, oregano, fennel, parsley, savory, sage, mint

Juice of one lemon

one-quarter cup extra virgin olive oil

Cracked peppercorns

Fleur de sel

Salt and pepper

4 cups mixed greens

Crema di balsamic (reduced balsamic vinegar), optional

Slice each piece of mozzarella into 8 thin slices. Divide evenly onto 4 plates. In a bowl, mix together herbs, tomatoes, lemon and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon tomatoes slightly in front of cheese and drizzle remaining juice around each plate. Season cheese with cracked peppercorns and fleur de sel. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the greens and serve on the side. For a little added flavour drizzle a little crema di balsamic around the plate.

French Filet Beans with Roasted Garlic

4 cups french beans (or other beans in season)

1 whole head of garlic

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place whole garlic head on a square piece of foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the garlic and wrap up foil. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

In the meantime, cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 3 to 5 minutes. If the beans are thicker, cook a little longer, about 5 to 8 minutes. Pour into a strainer in the sink and allow water to evaporate.

Remove garlic from oven and allow to cool until you can handle it. Gently remove each clove, keeping it as whole as possible. Transfer beans to a large pot or pan on medium heat. Allow to warm up for about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper and then add garlic. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over top. Toss together and serve.

Beet, Carrot, Pear Juice

4 beets (cut in quarters), peeled

4 carrots, peeled

Fresh ginger (one piece, about the size of your thumb)

4 pears, peeled and cored

Put through a good quality juicer, mix and serve. Chilled veggies and fruit will make for a cooler drink.