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Culinary Adventure By Sarah Visheau Spiced Pumpkin Custards with Candied Nuts: When I think of an autumn dessert, my mind automatically takes me to pumpkin pie. Tasty and seasonal, there is no wonder why it's popularity has not dwindled over the years. To add a modern twist to the classic, I have decided to take the custard filling of my pumpkin pie recipe and bake it into individual portions. Easy to make, with simple presentation, this recipe will certainly impress even your most traditional guest! Makes 8 individual portions (115ml or 4 oz ramekins) Custards: 2 cups 18% cream 4 large eggs 1 tin (398ml or 14 oz), pumpkin 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground ginger Pinch of salt · Preheat oven to 325F, lightly grease the ramekins, fill the kettle and bring to a boil · Whisk the eggs and cream together, then stir in the rest of the ingredients · Pour the custard filling into a pitcher for easy management · Place the greased ramekins into a deep roasting pan and fill each to the top with the custard · Put the pan on the middle rack in the oven, pour the boiling water from the kettle into the pan until the water reaches half way up the ramekins · Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the custard has set · Take the pan out from oven and carefully remove the ramekins from the hot water (I use a pair of tongs) · Either serve warm, at room temperature or chilled · Garnish with candied nuts Candied nuts: 1/4 cup pepitas, raw (hulled pumpkin seeds) 1/2 cup pecans, whole raw 1 tbsp butter, melted 1 tbsp brown sugar Pinch of cinnamon and salt · Preheat the oven to 325F (or put in the oven with the custards) · In a bowl, combine all the ingredients · Spread onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined tray · Roast for 15 minutes, remove from oven, cool and serve with pumpkin custards Roast Pork with Apple, Bacon and Sage Stuffing: During my trips back and forth to visit my hometown of Hamilton, I always pass by a sign for `Agram Meats,' advertising their products as all natural. Curiosity brought me out to the family-run butcher's shop on Trafalgar Road, just north of 10 Sideroad. Hormone and antibiotic-free, their animals are born and bred by local farmers and are fed locallygrown grains. I bought my pork roast and bacon from them to test this recipe and now, I am happy to say, I have become a regular customer! Serves 6 to 8 2.5 kg (approximately 5 lbs) boneless, pork loin roast Stuffing: 1/3 loaf of bread, crusts cut off, cut into large cubes 1 onion, chopped 4 to 6 pieces of bacon, chopped 1 apple, cored and chopped 10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup water Salt and pepper to taste · Preheat the oven to 375F · Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, add the onion, bacon and sage, fry until bacon is browned and onions are soft, set aside to cool · In a large bowl, combine bread cubes with the apple, the onion mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste · Mix in the egg and water · Either butterfly cut the roast (by cutting it two thirds of the way through lengthwise and opening it up) or untie the roast and separate the two halves · Season the meat inside and out with salt and pepper · Spread the stuffing on the bottom half of the roast, then either flip the upper side over or place the other half back on top · Using butcher's twine, tie the roast up tightly at about 2 cm intervals · Place it in a roasting pan and put it in the oven · Roast for approximately 1 1/2 hrs or until the internal temperature of the meat (not the stuffing), reaches 70C (or 160F) · Remove from oven, tent with foil and allow to stand 10 minutes before carving Root Vegetable Fritters with Curry Dip While on a family vacation to Wales a few years ago, we decided to rest our castle-trodden feet at a charming little pub. Along with our drinks of choice, a simple snack of sweet potato wedges with curry dip was ordered. Since then, my version of this dip has become a party favourite! Here I have paired the curry dip with easy to make, in season, root vegetable fritters. Makes 24 appetizers Fritters: 2 cups grated root vegetables (i.e. potato, sweet potato, carrot, turnip, parsnip, etc.) 1 onion, grated 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup all purpose flour Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying (maybe more) · Rinse the grated root vegetables, squeeze out excess liquid and place in a bowl · Squeeze excess liquid from the onion and add it to the bowl · Mix in the chopped garlic and parsley, ground coriander and ginger, season with salt and pepper to taste · Stir in the egg and flour · Heat oil in a large skillet on medium low heat · Measure out 1 tbsp of the mixture, shape into a round and carefully place in the skillet, repeat · Fry each fritter for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through, remove to a paper towel lined tray · Serve fritters warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the curry dip Dip: 2 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream Salt and pepper to taste · Heat vegetable oil in a small pan on medium heat · Add curry powder, once it begins to froth, stir continuously for minute, remove from heat · In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, stir in the fried curry powder · Chill until served with the fritters --Sarah Visheau is a Red Seal certified Chef, trained at Stratford Chef School (graduated with honours 1999). From Hamilton, she has worked within the food industry across Ontario, parts of Australia and recently moved to Georgetown. She has worked in restaurants, food shops, catering, on a cookbook and a magazine. She also teaches cooking classes and does demonstrations. This spring, she started a food blog. Using local and seasonal ingredients, she develops recipes, styling the food and photographing her creations. If you would like to read more about her edible experiences in and around Halton Hills, or would like to look up one of her quick recipes, please check out her blog at www.visheaus.blogspot.com or search Sarah's Culinary Adventure. If you have any questions, please email her at visheaus@hotmail.com. AUTUMN · 2010 15 S I D E R O A D S O F H A LT O N H I L L S FRONT