LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

5 Transfer pizza dough to a rectangle of parchment paper and re-stretch as necessary to the 14 x 8-inch (35 x 20-cm) rectangle (the edges don’t have to be perfectly straight). Brush dough with a thin coating of the butter mixture all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the potato slices on top of dough, then top with half of apple slices. Dab generously with more of the butter mixture, being sure to coat potatoes and apples. Sprinkle with half of the blue cheese, to taste. 6 Slide parchment paper onto hot baking stone or baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 min- utes or until crust is golden and crisp and po- tatoes are tender. Cut into pieces. Repeat with remaining dough, butter mixture and toppings while the first flatbread is baking. FERMENTED DILLY CARROT CHIPS Add a colourful punch to a charcuterie board (and sandwiches, burgers and even a simple cheese and cracker snack). These pickled carrots, with their pleasant taste, inexpensive ingredients and the fact they don’t require any special equipment, are a good first foray into making and eating fermented foods. The method looks lengthy, but really, it’s just combining a few ingredients in a jar and letting nature do the rest (while keeping an eye on her). The important thing to remember is to make sure you burp the jar to release the gases while the pickles ferment. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you! Airlock lids elim- inate the need to burp the jar and are handy if you’re planning to ferment foods often. They’re available at health food and specialty stores and online. 2 tsp (10 mL) pickling or coarse kosher salt 2 cups (500 mL) water (approx.), divided 1 1/4 lbs (565 g) carrots, about 5 1 fresh hot pepper, optional 2 large or 4 small sprigs fresh dill ADDITIONAL BRINE (AS NEEDED) 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pickling or coarse kosher salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) water 1 Sterilize a 1-qt (1-L) canning jar or a sturdy glass jar with a clamp lid with boiling water or in a dishwasher. Let jar cool to room tempera- ture. Wash a lid with an airlock or a plastic storage lid, if using a canning jar. Serves 8

2 To make brine, combine salt and 1 cup (250 mL) of the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve salt. Let cool to room temperature. 3 Peel or scrub carrots and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices. If using the hot pepper, cut in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact. 4 Place half the dill sprigs in jar, then add carrots, tamping them down with the end of a wooden spoon. Top with remaining dill sprig(s) and slide hot pepper, if using, down in the side of the jar. Slowly pour in brine, then add enough water to leave 2 inches (5 cm) headspace. Insert a chopstick or narrow spatula between carrots to release any air bubbles. If you have a fermenting weight, add it on top of carrots or place a square of parchment, just slightly larger than the neck of your jar on top of carrots to keep them submerged. Add more water as nec- essary to leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Wipe rim and fit lid with airlock or a plastic storage cap on a canning jar, or clamp lid. Place jar on a plate or tray, to catch any overflow, in a dark place (in an opaque bag or cupboard) at a cool room temperature, 65° to 70°F (18° to 21°C) for 3 to 5 days to ferment. 5 Check jar every day to ensure vegetables are still submerged in liquid. If additional brine is needed, make more following the method in step 2 using just 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/2 cup (125 mL) water. Add brine to jar, as necessary. If you don’t have an airlock lid (which helps fermentation gases release from the jar) after the first 24 hours, open the lid, (burping the jar), then repeat every 12 hours to release the gas, and more frequently near the end of fermentation. 6 After about 2 days, bubbles should start to form. If there are any signs of mould or a foul aroma, discard contents of jar. After 3 days, use a clean utensil to remove some carrots and taste them. If they’re not tangy enough, top up with more brine, if necessary, replace airlock or lid and let ferment until the desired tangy flavour is reached, tasting daily. 7 Once you like the taste and tang level, serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. To store, remove airlock, if using, and cover jar with a plastic storage lid or 2-piece canning lid. Open lid every few days for the first week to burp the jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

APPLE, POTATO & BLUE CHEESE FLATBREAD A thin, crispy crust topped with potato and apples, succulently baked with garlic and thyme butter, and accented with blue cheese will stimulate your appetite alongside the characteristic meats, cheeses and pickles on a charcuterie board. It also makes a nice lunch topped with vinaigrette-dressed arugula. You can buy prepared pizza dough in the deli section of the supermarket or make your own (see p. 226). Refrigerate the dough until it’s cold to keep it thin and crisp when baking. You can add more or less blue cheese according to how strong you like the taste.

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 lb (455 g) fresh pizza dough, cold Vegetable oil 1 small apple 1 medium yellow-flesh or round white potato 3 to 4 oz (85 to 115 g) blue cheese, crumbled

1 Place a baking stone or a heavy baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). 2 Combine melted butter, garlic, thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside. 3 Cut pizza dough in half. Working with 1 piece at a time, and refrigerating remaining dough, place on a work surface. Lightly oil your fingers and gently stretch and press dough out to a rough rectangle, about 14 x 8 inches (35 x 20 cm). If it springs back too much, let it rest for a few minutes then stretch some more. Let rest while you prepare the toppings. 4 Cut apple into quarters and trim out core. Cut lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Cut potato crosswise into paper-thin slices.

Makes one 1-qt (1-L) jar

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HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK