The NEST eats: Ottawa Farmers' Market, part I

The Ottawa Farmers' Market ROCKS.

Ottawa is a lucky city: we are surrounded and saturated with fantastic farms, apiaries, sugar bushes, and countless culinary artisans. It's the kind of city where you could conceivably eat year-round without ever heading to a traditional grocery store, and that's pretty impressive. Brian and I try to support local as much as possible, but it's a learning process: you've gotta get out there and discover what's available right in your own back yard! So when the Ottawa Farmers' Market showed up with a basket of goodies for us to try out, we were thrilled to participate. This is part I of a two-part post about the goodies we tried from the Ottawa Famers' Market.

What is the Ottawa Farmers' Market?

The Ottawa Farmers’ Market has grown to over 100 vendors of the best locally-grown and locally-made food, farm products, arts and crafts within 100 kilometres of Ottawa. Now in Westboro, Brewer Park and Orléans, the markets boast some of the City’s favourite artisans – Pascale’s Ice Cream, Art-Is-In Bakery, Flatbread Pizza and the Hot Potato Company, not to mention more Savour Ottawa certified growers than any market. 

Ottawa Farmers’ Markets promote healthy eating and the local farmers who feed us.  The markets support the local economy – farmers, chefs, crafts people and entertainers – while providing the public with an opportunity to get outside, learn about local food and culture, and to buy the freshest, local products the season has to offer direct from the people who produce it. 

Head to their website to find out locations and times, including their Brewer Park and Westboro spots!

EASY DINNER: CHEESE AND MEAT

When we opened up the package, our noses were assailed by a rather intense burst of stinky feet smell. We were delighted to discover this was emanating from two varieties of gorgeous cheese, made by Glengarry Fine Cheeses. The first one we grabbed was the beautiful blue cheese; it turned out to be a wonderful treat, very flavourful but not overpowering. I threw it into a whole-wheat penne dish with olive oil, seared kale, and roasted sunflower seeds--now posted, and titled Penne From Heaven. The cheese was the star of the show; I didn't even have to add any spices for this dish to have major flavour impact. Mmmmmm!

At the last minute, I also ran out and grabbed the Bearbrook Farms Kolbassa that the Farmers' Market had sent us. This stuff is amazing, people. Its flavour was a cross between salami and ham, and the piquant spicy flavours made me think of a late summer harvest. We tossed some cubes of this into the pasta as well, and found ourselves rolling our eyes in delightful pleasure as we chewed.

SWEETS AND SAVOURIES 

For dessert, we basically ate jam off of spoons. I kid you not. How could we resist, with four Michaelsdolce jams sent to us? We hadn't actually had Michaelsdolce before, though we'd heard a lot about it, so as a jam fanatic I was excited. Every flavour lived up to Michaelsdolce's reputation for being clever, complex, and delightful. Here's a quick rundown:

Kiwi-lime: 

This beautiful apple-green jam is sweet with a serious citrus kick. The tart bite at the end reminded me of genuine key lime pie that I've had in Key West. The jam was dessert-y, but also palette-cleansing. It reminded us of a mojito, and if you ask nicely, we can provide you a recipe for one using this jam. 

Blueberry & lavender:

One of my favourite things is lavender in food, and this jam wowed me. Made with real Nova Scotian blueberries, this jam was so sweet, you can literally taste the blue. The lavender flavour was subtle but created an almost smokey taste, a bit like eukalyptus or rosemary. This jam is light on the palette and calls for fresh scones. 

Strawberry & Balsamic:

What a jam! The balsamic is primarily evident in the aroma--and if you're not take a good sniff before eating each of these jams, you're missing half the show. The vinegar pairs with the strawberries to create an almost rhubarb-like flavour. Brian suggested it would go well with pork, so on a lark we tossed some on a slice of the Bearbrook Kolbassa, and sure enough it was fantastic. I also think, though, that it'd spruce up a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream in a very special way.

Citrus Ginger Marmalade:

I LOVE marmalade, and this one is definitely my new favourite. The simple citrus aroma does nothing to prepare you for the bitter, kicky flavours of orange pith, and the warm heat of the ginger. Brian said it called for a bagel with cream cheese, but personally I'd eat it on a thin, crispy slice of light rye bread.

Glengarry's blue cheese.

MORE CHEESE, AND HONEY

We finished up our evening of fine home dining by devouring the Glengarry Fine Cheeses goat cheese and the honeycomb provided by Halsall's Honey at the Ottawa Farmers' Market. Much to my surprise, the goat cheese was actually the stinkier cheese of the two we tried, but the flavour was quite lovely. It is a hard, more crumbly cheese with a mild but bitter flavour, short on the palette but lots of flavour. At the suggestion of Tara from the Market, we popped pieces of cheese into our mouths while gnoshing on chunks of the incredible honeycomb, and the pairing was superb.

Let me talk about that Halsall's honeycomb for a minute: I am still carefully, lovingly, rationing it out. If you've never eaten honey straight from the comb, I heartily recommend you try it, because it's always an amazing taste sensation; but this particular honeycomb was really very excellent. I shared some at work, and the response (from honeycomb virgins, no less) was always the same: this is the freshest-tasting honey they've ever tasted. 

Brian suggested that a lovely picnic snack could be made of a fresh french bread, a hunk of that goat cheese, and this fine honeycomb, paired very nicely with an Indian Pale Ale or a Belgian Wit beer. 

Maybe the most stunning item in the basket of goodies we are reviewing is the cutting board, by Joseph Henri. This beautiful piece of workmanship is what I used to create my Penne From Heaven meal, and we're leaving it on display in our kitchen. I love the idea of picking up one of these for a wedding gift or Christmas present for someone who takes pride in their cooking. 

Part II is soon to follow, and includes some lovely personal care products, as well as dulce de leche, pickles, and grapes. Sounds like a perfect night in by myself, watching Pride & Prejudice and painting my toes. Stay tuned for more local awesomeness. Because nothing rocks more than our local artisans and farmers.

Furniture Makeovers: painting old wood with Jordan

We spent the weekend at the new nest, working on things like wiring and installing a dishwasher (okay, Brian was doing that, not me), and revamping old furniture to make new treasures for our house (that was me). As I worked on two very different dressers in the backyard, I thought about what tips I can offer up for the amateur furniture makeover artist. I’ve got a long history with refinishing furniture (in the past, I’ve done some pretty cool commissioned paintings on furniture), and I’ve found there are two ways to refurb an ailing wooden treasure: the fast way, and the right way. But don’t despair: there’s a time and place for both.

PAINTING OLD FURNITURE: THE FAST WAY OR THE RIGHT WAY?

Refinishing furniture can be a complicated, smelly, toxic, messy, onerous task. Doing it the right way usually follows these steps:

1. Remove old paint

2. Sand

3. Apply primer

4. Sand

5. Apply paint, and sand again if needed

6. Clear coat

Dresser 1: BEFORE

The fast way goes like this:

1. Paint and pray

I usually follow the ‘right way’ when I’m doing a commissioned piece, but when it’s just for me, I have a third method which feels like a fair compromise:

COMPROMISE: JORDAN’S HALF-FAST FURNITURE REFINISHING

1. Sand the piece with rough paper and a mouse sander

2. Prime

3. Paint

4. Clear coat

TIPS FOR FURNITURE MAKEOVERS

Here’s a few tips I’ve learned, primarily through trial and error and misery:

Dresser 1: AFTER!

a. SPRAY PAINT IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER. Spray paint needs a lot of coats to be effective, and tends to chip or scratch. If you want a brushstroke-free finish, use a roller with ‘real’ paint.

b. TYPE OF PAINT COUNTS. I buy a lot of ‘mis-tints’ at the hardware store—paints that have been returned because the colour was wrong, and are then sold super-cheap—but I always check on what type of paint it is. For furniture, a semi-gloss is better than an eggshell finish, though your clear coat will help with this as well.

c. QUALITY IS KEY. Choosing a higher-quality paint may mean the difference between one coat and three. This means in the end, the higher-quality paint will actually save you money.

d. TAKE BREAKS BETWEEN STEPS. Water-based paints need three days to off-gas, and oil-based paints need a week. This means that, no matter how dry your paint seems, it’s still releasing gasses for 3-7 days. During this time, do NOT apply your clear coat; you risk accidentally pulling off the paint, and you can end up with a finish that easily chips or peels.

Dresser 2: BEFORE

e. TAKE RISKS ON THE TRASHY STUFF. The blue dresser seen here was free, found on a street corner, in terrible shape, and headed to the trash. The creamy one was purchased (for a whopping $20), is more unique, and is higher quality. So naturally, I did the risqué paintjob on the cheap/free dresser, and did the ‘safer’ colours on the more expensive piece.

f. CONSIDER LOCATION. The creamy dresser here will now be used as a buffet/sideboard in our dining room, while the blue dresser is indeed still a dresser. But many people pass up great deals on furniture when they think they don’t have a spot for it. I’ve seen adorable high chairs made into plant stands, TV stands made into benches, and dressers made into kitchen islands. Don’t get stuck thinking about furniture as a one-trick pony; it can be as versatile as you like!

Dresser 2: AFTER

g. TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT? My dad cries a little every time I paint a piece of furniture. The reality is, many of the pieces I salvage were going to end up in the landfill if I didn’t paint them up. Yes, that ancient dining room chair might be a pricey piece if you could ever find a buyer, but sometimes no one is looking for one raggedy old hoopback. Painting it up and revitalizing it may give it another twenty years of life in a person’s home. People who freak out every time someone paints a chair are probably the same people who say women shouldn’t have to colour their grey hair: I’m sorry, but some of us just aren’t ready to look our age.

Look at those painty, painty hands.

On the flipside, of course, some pieces should be left well enough alone: church pews, cast iron sewing tables, and things handmade by your great-grandpa may deserve to be properly refinished by a professional. Ask yourself: is the look of the wood what gives this particular piece its magic? If the answer is yes, put the paintbrush away.

That’s just a few tips to get you thinking and hopefully get you feeling a bit more courageous! Worse-case scenario, you have to prime and paint again. Relax, folks; it’s just furniture. Now see what you can create!

Better In An Hour: Easy upholstery

Behold, our ugly red vinyl footstool. (Forgot to take a
photo rightside-up.)

UPHOLSTERY FOR LAZY PEOPLE 

It's been a while since we did a DIY crafty post, but don't fret: since we're getting the keys to our new house on Tuesday. Here's a small project that saved a little footstool from the trash:

Behold, my ugly footstool. Find your own similarly-shaped piece of furniture--a footstool, a padded stool, or something else entirely. This style of upholstering won't work as well on, say, a stuffed couch; look for something smaller, with a wood base to receive the staples.

YOU WILL NEED
-an old piece of furniture (ie footstool)
-a staple gun and staples
-a piece of fabric
-scissors
-foam, yoga mat, or other padding

First, we cut the yoga mat up. We used an old, thin, unappealing yoga mat to add padding to the stool, as the original padding was worn down to nothing. We cut three ovals of yoga mat out with a pair of scissors after tracing the footstool onto it. This step took 5 minutes.












Next, we stacked those onto the stool; we then took our piece of fabric and put it on top. Then we flipped the stool over, and began stapling the fabric to the bottom of the stool. This step took 15 minutes.

You'll likely need to keep adjusting your foam/yoga mat pieces to make sure they haven't shifted out of position. There's a knack to going around turns or corners, too: create tiny, intentional folds, and staple them down. On the straightaways, you can just go straight and tight.

Lots of staples for a secure attachment!

Cut off any excess, add any staples you need to, and hammer in any staples that didn't quite jab all the way into the wood. This step took 5 minutes.

And there you have it! A much more attractive footstool than the one you started out with!   And, in total, this entire project took 25 minutes. Now, at some point we will be painting the legs, which I estimate will take another 30 minutes to properly sand, prime, and paint.

Not bad, eh!

Simple, easy, and good for us lazy people. Just my kind of DIY makeover.

The NEST in NS: Pictou, Nova Scotia and Fish n' Chips!

Brian pulling in at Murphy's

PICTOU: HISTORICAL AND DELICIOUS

Tuesday found us in Pictou, Nova Scotia's first settlement of Scotsman. 

MURPHY'S FISH & CHIPS

Tuesday found us in Pictou, with a checklist of sites to see. We started off by immediately heading into Murphy's Fish & Chips: a restaurant internationally acclaimed for having the best fish n' chips in the world. Friends, let me tell ya: it did not disappoint.

Gerard, owner of Murphy's, keeps his fish batter recipe to himself, and that's a very good idea. His fish, served in huge filets with a crisp, flavourful batter crust, was far and away the finest any of us had ever had. With crispy fries to complement the haddock, and salad for those with a desire for greens, every platter was licked clean. Whole fried clams were passed around the table; these babies were tender and delicious. 

We took home one of Murphy's other secret recipes: a butterscotch pie, piled high with real whipped cream. The pie was fantastic, with a delicate butterscotch flavour, a perfectly-baked crust, and all that rich whipped cream. I'm salivating right now, knowing there's one slice left in the fridge...

The Hector, a replica tall ship.

If you're in Pictou, friends, Murphy's is a must. When back this way, we'll be back there again, I am absolutely certain.

SHOPPING AROUND TOWN

My dad's big goal for this particular town was to get himself down to the Grohman knife factory and get himself a good chef's knife. Grohman knives are reknown the world over, and Dad had a field day choosing one for himself. 

Meanwhile, Mom and I headed down the street to find some locally made goodies. Pictou has a high number of gift shops, but the nice thing is that a huge majority of their wares are locally made. I picked up a couple things, including a really cool gift for my BFF. Brian got himself a tie pin with the MacGregor clan's crest on it--his mom's family crest.

While we shopped, my brother's partner and exchange student went to the Hector, a replica tall ship and museum, which they also really enjoyed.

Brian considers a locally-made hat.
The pipe, naturally, is already his.

PIZZA PARTY, SCRABBLE BATTLE

The evening ended with us heading back to the cottage and making personal pizzas on the BBQ using greek pitas. Then we brought out the Scrabble board. Turns out my brother Mike has never played before (I do not know how this is possible), so we taught him how. Then basically, Mike and I were just token players while the real battle raged between Mom and Brian. Their weeks-long Words With Friends fight was now an in-person war. By the end of the game, both warriors had hundreds of points, with Mike and I claiming maybe 150 between us. Mom won, but it could have gone either way.

The evening ended with a thousand mosquitos scaring us back into the house, and an early bedtime in preparation for the next day's adventures. I expect there to be a rematch of the Scrabble game, though; maybe this time I'll just watch. Safer that way.

The family at Murphy's

This week in pictures: newlyweds in the nest and beyond

Brian had a genius idea the other day: there are many things we get up to in a week that don't get posted as a blog post because, well, then we wouldn't have time to be doing these things in the first place. But we do tend to snap a couple pictures here and there. So here's our week (and a bit) in photos, with a tweet-length description beside each. Light reading for a Monday afternoon.

Funny pic: I don't know where this 'Club Soda' is, but I totally want to go there and hang out with these hip cats.

I didn't follow any of the earlier bear story, but this just sounded like the Wile E Coyote writers had hijacked this bear's day.

Mom solidified her status as Coolest Ever by getting us tickets to Bryan Adams. 2.5 hr non-stop playing. Heavenly.

A robin laid her eggs in a nest she built on our balcony. Sadly, they were eaten by something. This bothered me all week.

 

My first time EVER baking from scratch: oatmeal chocolate chip muffins! They were really good! Brian LOVED them.

This 'mushroom' headline was so obscure, and the imagination makes such visuals, that I had to save it for further perusal.

Brian participated in a rock climbing competition. This sign indicated that the gym is high enough to die. Twice. (He did great, though.)

Gaining confidence in my cooking, I created these no-bake energy ball cookies from the Moxley website. They're delish.

The Punk Ottawa flea market provided me with a new mushroom item. So did the highJinx yard sale.

We planted our garden this Sunday, and it was worth the mild heat stroke. Soon we will have veggies; we shall fight the squirrels for them!

More baking: I managed to set my beater on fire, then the oven, by using wax paper in the oven to make these now-dubbed 'fire cookies'. Oops

Missing pictures: Jordan makes bean dip, and we both see Tommy Emmanuel (the guitar legend) in concert.

That's it for now! If there's any of these that you'd like to see explained with greater elaboration, don't hesitate to comment below. I think the fire cookies are worthy of their own post, quite frankly. They managed to still be tasty, and their recipe has been repinned on my Pinterest repeatedly.

On with Monday...

Ottawa Comicon: to boldly convene where no one's convened before.

 NERDVANA: THE OTTAWA COMICON

Last weekend, Ottawa hosted its first-ever comic book convention, or 'comicon' for those in the know. This was a big deal for me...well actually, for a lot of people, because some of us have just never had the opportunity to head out to San Diego for the major comicon. For us local nerds, tthis con was like having the mountain come to Mohammed. We have talked of little else for months preceding the event.

The back door line to get in. 1.5 hr wait.

I was raised on comic books, thanks to my dad. He got us hooked on the XMen from an early age, throwing in the occasional spiderman or Batman title. I learned about justice, honor, hubris, and spandex from the heroes on the pages. I found role models in the female characters--women portrayed as surrealistically beautiful, yes, but also powerful, assertive, and yet, still sensitive.

Don't roll your eyes, I'm being serious.

                                                                

Anyway. Walking in the doors at Ottawa Comicon, my dad in tow as my official photographer for the day (all these photos are his), there was a palpable atmosphere that can only be described as 'happy nerd vibe'. I thought of the years when my comic book obsession made me a pariah amongst female peers who were far more interested in Cosmo than comics, and I smiled. This here was my 'It gets better' moment. So let me just say to all he young nerds out there: you may get teased a lot right now, and you may find your potential mate pool to be sadly small at present, but one day you will go to your first comicon, and you will know it gets better. You are not alone, not at all. The nearly 20,000 people who showed up for Ottawa's event proves that quite nicely.

We observed that the organizers seemed pretty overwhelmed by the turn-out--in fact, there were people lined up around the block, most waiting over an hour-and-a-half to get in. Hopefully next year, there will be better organization, and hopefully some more entertainment going on in the main hall, because the space was a bit too focused just on selling/buying. But it was still great to walk around, see the Magic card tournaments, the incredible artists in Artist Alley, and the many, many costumes on the fans. The talk of the town wasa couple of weird pyramid-headed monsters from a game called Silent Hill...a game I will never, ever go near, now that I've seen some of the nightmares that are found in it.

The Comic Book Shoppe had a large presence, and it was at their booth that I finally caved and bought something: a pair of Batman bootie shorts. I have already found an opportunity to wear them, I swear. They hosted the Magic card tournament, and sported some of the best-costumed staff.

I enjoyed watching people gawk as they noticed my

Magic Card tournament.

Battlestar Gallactica-inspired tattoo (the one that Brian and I share), because while they may have had some rockin' cool costumes, clearly I am queen of the nerds, having adorned my skin permanently with a giant sci-fi tattoo.

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS

Many celebrities were present for signings, but the fees were high (a separate cost for signature, photo, etc, and some as high as $80), and the lines were long, so we stayed away. I did, however, see Lou Ferrigno from a distance, towering over his fans.

I also caught a glimpse of Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek TNG)

Happy Jordan!

up on his feet, shaking hands and beaming at his fans. (Beaming as in smiling, not transporting somewhere. Sorry, that could be confusing given the fan base.) I was wrought with jealousy, however, on Sunday as my BFF and Brian came home from the con where they'd been helping out at a vendor booth. Apparently, they actually got to chat, touch, and eat fudge with Data. I'm a bit fuzzy on how the fudge got involved, but the looks of nerdy joy on their two faces was priceless.

Putting aside the celebrities, shopping, game tournaments, and panel discussions, I think one of my favourite parts of the comicon was simply being surrounded by other sci-fi and fantasy dreamers. It's a pleasure to be amongst others who understand what it's like to love a band of characters so much, they become real for you. To be with kindred spirits who have also cried when a superhero has died, or who have cheered aloud when a villain has been vanquished...that was a really great experience.

Oh, yeah: and getting my photo with a storm trooper...also pretty damn cool.

The original Delorian.

Eeeeee!

Adorable.