WINTER IS COMING / FESTIVE FARRO SALAD WITH ROASTED PUMPKIN, DRIED CRANBERRIES AND RAS-EL-HANOUT VINAIGRETTE - SALADE FESTIVE AU PETIT ÉPAUTRE, À LA COURGE, AUX CANNEBERGES SÉCHÉES ET AU RAS-EL-HANOUT

A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.
- George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

So the winter comes
where we belong
I feel the cold
within my heart
I see the night
deep in your eyes
the winter comes at last...
- Covenant, Winter Comes

As Winterfell characters often remark in Game of Thrones: "winter is coming".

Winter is nearing and there is absolutely no doubt about that. You can feel it in your lungs with every breath you take, smell it in the air, taste its watery sapidity, hear its broisterous complaint and deadly silence, and witness it through your eyes focused on barren landscapes and white mountain tops. Everywhere there are signs of the impending bitter season and whether you want it or not, it is only the beginning. So if you are wise enough, you'd better get your duvet jackets, wolly hats, fleece scarves and leather gloves out of the wardrobe or you'll end up frozen like an icicle...

Let us love the winter for it is the spring of geniuses.
- Pietro Aretino

December is an old friend; it reminds you of the past, together you share some laughs and tears, you feel warm-hearted though it’s freezing outside
- Mohamed Atef

Most people fear and loathe this gloomy and glacial period of the year, but not me. Wintry weather makes me gleeful and dissemilarly to a majority of the population, I never get a bad case of the blues once the trees are stark naked and the fall sunlight commences to fade. As a matter of fact, when November dies and painfully gives birth to December, glowing joy and powerful positiveness invades the very core of my soul. This is paradise!

After all I am a capricorn who was born on a frigid full moon Christmas morning (the 25th, precisely) and I have Helvetic, British and Russian blood running through my veins (and maybe a little Danish blood too). Consequently, I'm related to an ancient race of humans (the Teutons, Northmen and Slavs) reputed for having the capacity to brave the cold and being insensible to extreme meteorologic conditions - I guess this also explains my strong attraction to Northern Hemisphere countries and regions such as Great Britain, Scandinavia, Canada, Alaska, Siberia, etc... It's in my genes.

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
- Albert Camus, The Stranger

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass 

When gusts of freezing wind chill you to the bones, croaking crows break the ghastly quietude, mesmerizing starling murmurations - similar to evil clouds - hover over towns, snow heavily tumbles down like chalky rose petals and starts flirting with the plains, nature is frozen still, duck egg blue skies magically appear through the thick fog, darkness covers the countryside and a fiery sunsets illuminate the horizon, my brain becomes hyperactive, my energy is multiplied and exhilaration kicks in.

Jack Frost is my drug, my muse, my guide, my lover and my friend. He knocks me off my feet, inspires me, stimulates my intellect, helps me focus on what's important in life, puts me in a happy and romantic mood, fills me with endless hope, feeds my hunger for adventure, uplifts my spirit and gets me going.

From December though March, I savor every passing moment and enjoy the soothing comfort of my snuggly apartment, relish rustic food that sticks to the ribs (only on weekends though, otherwise I'd end up looking like a Michellin woman!) and brings a grin of satisfaction to my face, appreciate cuddling up on the settee with a cup of steaming cappuccino or spicy chai and revel in spending some cosy afternoons with my friends or evenings with my dearest. It is the time for relaxing at home and engaging in cheering activities.

Another reason for me to get all flushed and excited is the delightful array of versatile vegetables, fabulous fruits and enticing produces which make their entry on market stalls once autumn has waved us farewell. There is so much on offer that I never know what to choose when I visit my favorite "marché aux légumes" in Rive. Between fennel, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, Belgian endives, leeks, pumpkins, celeriac, carrots, treviso (radicchio), parsnips, beets, apples, oranges, pears, mandarins, pomegranates, kumquats, grapefruits, litchis, kiwis, sausages, sauerkraut, vacherin Mont d'Or and chestnuts, my heart wavers...

At my table, variety rules and I rarely serve the same legume twice in the same week, hence my fridge is chock-a-block full with greens of many colors, shapes and sizes. Not only do I adore eating those harbaceus plants, but I also have loads of fun inventing new dishes with them.

While some of my experiments are only worth being metioned on my Facebook page (where I speak about my daily meals), some of the recipes I put together are just too exquisite not to be fully shared on my blog. It is the case with one of my latest creations to date: a festive "Farro Salad With Roasted Pumpkin, Dried Cranberries And Ras-El-Hanout Vinaigrette" inspired by my fondness for Middle Eastern, North-African and Mediterranean cuisine.

This unique, luscious, sweet and savory, hearty, spicy and colorful main course is a real showstopper. Indeed, nothing captures the attention more than a glorious bouquet of flavors as well as a harmonious combination of aromas and textures - the roasted and soft pumpkin, nutty and crunchy farro, sour and chewy cranberries, fragrant dill, heady mustard, deeply toasted sesame seeds, pungent citrus zest, creamy tahini and exotic ras-el-hanout spice come together just marvelously.

A hors-d'oeuvre which is perfect for any occasion - be it lunch, supper, a picnic, your family's Yuletide banquet or New Year's Eve Party - and will please both vegetarians and carnivores alike - it can be served per se or as accompaniment to meat, fish, cheese, tofu or seitan.

Give it a try, you'll be conquered!

Farro Salad With Pumpkin, Dried Cranberries And Ras-El-Hanout

Recipe by Rosa Mayland, December 2013.

Serves 2.

Ingredients For The Salad:
550g Pumpkin, roasted (see recipe) and cut into 1cm/0.39inch cubes
250g Raw farro, cooked (see recipe)
1 Onion (small), chopped finely
The zest of 1 organic lemon
3 Tbs Sesame seeds, toasted
4 Tbs dried cranberries
Fresh dill, chopped, to taste
Ingredients For The Vinaigrette:
1 Clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbs Tahini paste
1 Tsp Semi-strong mustard
1 Tsp Ras-El-Hanout
6 Tbs Olive oil
3 Tbs Lemon juice
1 Tbs Apple vinegar
Fine sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Method:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the Vinaigrette.
2. In a big salad bowl, put all the ingredients for the salad and add the vinaigrette.
3. Delicately combine.
4. Plate the salad and sprinkle with extra dill.

Remarks:
Choose a type of pumpkin that can be roasted (potimarron, butternut squash, blue Hokkaido, sugar pie, red kuri, tan cheese, etc...).
Both the farro and pumpkin can be used either warm or at room temperature.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as main course alone or accompanied with fish, meat, pan-fried tofu, seitan steaks or cheese and pair with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Salade De Petit Épautre À La Courge, Aux Canneberges Séchées Et Au Ras-El-Hanout
Recette par Rosa Mayland, Décembre 2013.

Pour 2 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour La Salade:
550g de Courge, rôtie au four (voir recette) et coupée en dés de 1cm
250g de Petit épautre (cru), cuit (voir recette)
1 Oignon (petit), haché finement
Le zeste d'un citron bio
3 CS de Graines de sésame, torréfiées
4 CS de Canneberges séchées
Aneth fraîche, hachée, selon goût
Ingrédients Pour La Vinaigrette:
1 Gousse d'ail, écrasée
2 CS de Tahini
1 CC de Moutarde mi-forte
1 CC de Ras -El- Hanout
6 CS d'Huile d'olive
3 CS de Jus de citron
1 CS de Vinaigre de pomme
Fleur de sel, selon goût
Poivre noir, fraîchement moulu, selon goût

Méthode:
1 . Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble tous les ingrédients pour la vinaigrette .
2 . Dans un grand saladier, mettre tous les ingrédients pour la salade et ajouter la vinaigrette.
3 . Mélanger délicatement.
4 . Garnir les assiettes avec la salade et saupoudrer avec un peu d'aneth.

Remarques:
Choisissez une courge qui peut être rôtie (potimarron, butternut, courge musquée, etc...).
Le petit épeautre et la courge peuvent être utilisés légèrement chauds ou à température ambiante.

Suggestion d'accompagnement :
Servir comme plat principal seul ou accompagné de poisson, de viande, de tofu poêlé, de steaks de seitan ou de fromage. Ce plat se marie bien avec un Chardonnay, Pinot Noir , Riesling, Pinot Grigio ou Sauvignon Blanc.

WHOLE WHEAT SPINACH AND FETA PIE - PIE AUX ÉPINARDS, À LA FÉTA ET À LA FARINE COMPLÈTE

I like to think that we've got a plan, so let's stick to it. That said, once we've stuck to it, we're allowed as much improvisation as anyone cares to indulge themselves in.
- Guy Ritchie

Cooking and improvising go hand in hand. The preparation of meals is far from being a stress-free activity, thus in order to carry out that task properly and be in control of the situation during moments of pure adrenaline rush, one needs to be highly resourceful, endlessly witty and extremely flexible. In the kitchen, many things can go awfully wrong or turn out contrarily to what you've expected. Consequently, last-minute decision taking, fast thinking and inventiveness are a necessity at all times, or else you'll panic and everything will go terribly pear-shaped. Besides, it is more fun not to systematically depend on derectives, rely on written formulas and follow them to the letter as fierce self-reliance unleashes your aptitude for brilliancy.

Of course, in pursuance of versatility, fluidity and creative emancipation, a cook must possess a basic knowledge of culinary techniques (master principles and practices, acquire essential skills and know how recipes work by understanding their structure), learn about ingredients and their roles as well as properties (how they taste, with what they can be or can't be paired, etc...), be open-minded as well as adventurous and love to experiment. The key to liberty, virtuousity and dexterity lies within exercise, perseverance and courage. So before you throw the towel and declare that it is impossible to reach this level of adroitness, remember that nothing comes without effort and that great art requires suffering. In life, nothing is free.

Stovetop geniuses have the capacity to quickly and easily assemble amazing dishes even when all hell lets loose in their headquarters and disaster is about to strike. Problems don't appear to affect them and they seem to invariably find a solution to each of them. Similarly to a surfer, a cuisinier confronts the tallest waves of tension with confidence and he/she rarely fails to overcome them by virtue of his/her composure and cool attitude...

Some of us were fortunate to be raised in homes where family members craftily prepared food simply by using their imagination. We consider it a blessing as thanks to those extraordinary individuals, we were introduced to the joys of cooking instinctively and had the possibility to gain a solid erudition just by observing them at work or by playing the apprentice chef or the helpful commis.

As a child and teenager, I used to hover a lot around my grandmothers' and mother's kitchens. These welcoming and soothingly warm rooms were the nevralgic center of their homes and it felt good to hang out there,  because they smelled wonderful and that's where company was to be found. As far as I can remember, I was always attracted to this area of the house/apartment like a moth to a flame. I could not resist sitting at the table and looking at what was happening around the range oven or stirring the pans' contents as well as having a quick taste of the yummy fare surrounding me whenever my granny and mum turned their backs. Over the years, I have swallowed an immense amount of precious information which cannot be found in books and which I constantly put to use on a daily basis.

In the abstract art of cooking,
ingredients trump appliances,
passion supersedes expertise,
creativity triumphs over technique,
spontaneity inspires invention,
and wine makes even the worst culinary disaster taste delicious.
- Bob Blumer

Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation-- experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way.
- Paul Theroux

My gastronomic experience has helped me become a dautnless foodie who can face catastrophes and flops without flipping out excessively or being paralized by confusion and the terror of failure. I have solid nerves and more than one trick in my hat. Well, that's maybe not 100% accurate (I'm embellishing things a little here). Nobody's perfect and I'm not a saint, therefore I cannot solemnly promise/gurantee that I won't throw a fit every now and then, fling things across the kitchen, swear like a sailor or behave like a tantrummy diva if difficulties arise (I get easily hot and bothered - LOL). Anaway, despite my occasional loss of temper and moody behaviour, whatever may happen, I'll always find a way out of the painfuland uncomfortable position I am in.

No later than two weeks prior to writing this article, while I was concocting "Spanakopita", a last-minute complication forced me to drastically change my plans. Unfortunately, my store-bought yufka (I make my own when I have enough time on my hands) had an unpleasantly and suspiscious sourdoughyy odor which alarmed me. After some serious pondering, it is with a heavy heart that I decided chuck it in the dustbin (I hate spoiling food and nearly never get rid of anything). Once that was done, I had to come up with an alternative dish. In less than 60 seconds I found the perfect replacement for the inedible phyllo dough and concocted a wholemeal shortcrust pastry in a jiffy. So, for supper that Friday night, instead of Greek börek, "Whole Wheat Spinach And Feta Pie" landed on the menu. Luckily, my sagacity saved the evening, and P. greeted my creation with a beaming smile and sparkling eyes (how rewarding!).

This remarkably luscious, refined tasting, comforting and healthy (rich in fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, magnesium, etc...) savory treat can be eaten warm or cold, depending on the season, and the leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator (up to a week) as well as frozen (up to a month) and turned into a much welcomed easy/lazy dinner for knackered workers. Superfood with gusto!

P.S. Next week and for a few days only, I'll be absent from the net (blog & social media), so don't worry if I don't visit your blog, leave a comment on your last post or show any sign of life on either Facebook or Twitter...

Whole Wheat Spinach and Feta Pie
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, October 2012.

Serves 4-6/makes a 24cm pie.

Ingredients For The "Whole Wheat Shortcrust Pastry":
380g Whole wheat flour
1 2/3 Tsps Fine sea salt
100g Lard, cold & cut into small cubes
90g Unsalted butter, cold & cut into small cubes
Enough water to blend (~90-100ml)
1 Beaten egg, for glazing the top of the pie
Ingredients For The "Filling":
1 Tbs Olive oil
3 Medium onions, chopped finely
4 Cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 1/2 Tsp Dried dill
600g Frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped finely
3 Eggs (~63g)
250g Ricotta
250g Feta, finely chopped
50g Mature Gruyère,  cut into small cubes
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Method For The "Shortcrust Pastry":
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl/bassin.
2. Add the lard and butter. Rub between the fingers until the mixture is flaky.
3. Pour in the water, gradually, while continuously cutting and stirring with a knife (stop adding water when the dough is stiff - it should not be sticky or wet). Gather up into a soft ball and place it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Method For The "Filling":
4. In a hot frying pan/skillet, add the oil and chopped onion. Fry until translucid.
5. Add the garlic and dill. Cook for another minute.
6. Add the spinach and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
7. Put the mixture in a big bowl and let cool completely.
8. Incorporate the eggs, ricotta, feta and Gruyère to the spinach mixture.
9. Salt and pepper to taste.
Method For "Assembling The Pie":
10. Heat the oven to 200°C (400° F).
11. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and line the base of a 24cm (9 1/2 inches) pie plate.
12. Fill with the spinach mixture and brush the edges of the pastry with water.
13. Roll out the remaining dough (1/3) and cover the pie.
14. Press the edges of the pastry to seal and trim off the excess.
15. With the remaining pastry, decorate the pie top as desired (leaves, flowers, et...).
16. Prick the top of the pastry case to allow steam to escape and glaze the top with the beaten egg
17. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden.
18. Serve.

Remarks:
You can also make your pastry with plain flour or your filling with fresh spinach and replace the feta as well as the Gruyère by any other cheese of your choice.

Serving suggestions:
Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold with a crisp green salad or a tomato salad.
This pie is perfect for taking on picnics or to potlucks.

Pie Aux Epinards, A La Féta Et A La Farine Complète
Recette par Rosa Mayland, octobre 2012.

Pour 4-6 personnes/1 pie de 24cm.

Ingrédients Pour La "Pâte Brisée A La Farine Complète":
380g de Farine complète
1 2/3 CC de Sel de mer fin
100g de Saindoux, froid et coupé en petits dés
90g de Beurre non-salé, froid et coupé en petits dés
Suffisamment d'eau froide afin que la pâte forme une boule (~90-100ml)
1 Oeuf battu, pour glacer le dessus du pie

Ingredients Pour La Garniture":
1 CS d'Huile d'olive
3 oignons moyens, hachés finement
4 Gousses d'ail, hachées finement
1 1/2 CC d'Aneth séchée
600g d'Epinards congelés, décongelés, essorés et hachés finement
3 Oeufs (~63g)
250g de Ricotta
250g de Feta, hachée finement
50g de Gruyère salé, coupé en petits cubes
Poivre noir moulu, selon goût
Sel de mer fin, selon goût

Méthode Pour la "Pâte Brisée A La Farine Complète": 
1. Tamiser la farine et le sel dans un bol.
2. Ajouter le beurre, puis frotter la farine et le beurre entre les doigts afin d'obtenir un mélange qui ait une texture sabloneuse.
3. Verser l'eau, graduellement, tout en mélangeant bien (ne plus ajouter d'eau quand la pâte atteint la bonne consistance -ni trop mouillée, ni trop collante). Former une boule puis la mettre au frigo pendant que vous préparez la garniture.
Méthode pour la "Garniture":
4. Dans une poêle chaude, ajouter l'huile et l'oignon haché. Faire revenir en remuant constamment jusqu'à ce qu'il soit translucide.
5. Ajouter l'ail et l'aneth. Faire revenir pendant une minute.
6. Ajouter les épinards et faire cuire pendant environ 5 minutes, tout en remuant régulièrement.
7. Mettre le mélange dans un grand bol et laisser refroidir complètement.
8. Incorporer les oeufs, la ricotta, la feta et le gruyère.
9. Saler et poivrer selon goût.
Méthode Pour "Assembler Le Pie":
10. Chauffer le four à 200 ° C.
11. Etaler 2/3 de la pâte et foncer la base d'un plat à pie de 24cm de diamètre.
12. Remplir avec la garniture et mouiller les bords de la pâte avec de l'eau.
13. Etaler la pâte restante (1/3) et couvrir le pie.
14. Appuyez sur les bords de la pâte pour les sceller et couper l'excédent de pâte.
15. Avec la pâte restante, décorer le dessus du pie comme vous le souhaitez (feuilles, fleurs, et ...).
16. Piquer le couvercle de pâte afin de permettre à la vapeur de s'échapper et glacer le dessus avec l'œuf battu.
17. Cuire au four pendant environ 40 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit dorée et croustillante.
18. Servir.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez également fabriquer votre pâte avec de la farine ordinaire et faire votre garniture avec des épinards frais ansi que remplacer la feta et le Gruyère par un autre fromage de votre choix.

Suggestions d'accompagnement:
Couper en tranches et servir chaud ou froid avec une salade verte ou une salade de tomates.
Cette tarte est parfaite pour prendre en pique-nique ou pour offrir lors de soupers canadiens.