Middle Earth Menu

The University of Ottawa campus gets a bit slow after classes wind down, and the upside of this is that we get to experiment a bit.
To celebrate the opening of The Hobbit, we're experimenting with a Middle Earth Menu based on the books! Here is our planned menu for the week of December 17- December 20, 2012!

Middle Earth Menu

Monday: Comfort Food in Hobbiton

Burglar’s Mushroom Soup

Buckland Mushroom, bacon and beer tarts (veggie option available), with Potatoes and Soup

Tarts without the bacon for the vegetarians

Bilbo’s Seed cake

Tuesday: The Road goes Ever On- Middle Earth Fusion

Shire Tacos- Roast Chicken Tacos, with cheddar & pickles, ale sauce

Veggie Mince tacos (french lentils filling, cheddar & pickles, ale sauce)

Sméagol Soup: Salmon and shrimp soup with leeks, tomatoes and potatoes

Buttered Scones and Raspberry Jam

Wednesday: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Troll’s Mutton Sammich- shaved lamb, fresh greens, Smaug sauce, roast taters

Veggie: Misty Mountain/Welsh Rabbit- cheesy toasty sammich, Smaug Sauce with roast taters, salad

Burglar’s Mushroom Soup

Bjorn’s Honey Cakes

Thursday: The Lonely Mountain

Mince pies and cheese, taters, soup (alright, it’s kinda like tortiere, but you know, it’s kinda like Christmas)

Veegie mince pies and cheese, taters, soup or salad

"Onion Ring to Rule Them All" soup (with optional bacons)

Fili’s Apple Barrel Cake

Friday:

Closed for the End of the World (and the end of exams, and all signs of life on campus)

Reality Checks.

Well. It's been a while since I hit the blogosphere. I've missed it, but it's been so busy getting the truck up and running, trying to manage the other aspects of the business, taking on additional TV spots, catering, teaching and doing those bits of life like keeping a moderately tidy house and walking my dog that I haven't blogged. I'm behind on a lot of stuff, really, and just trying to keep it all together.

Neat stuff is going on, though!

We're parked on UOttawa Campus, and we're rocking it. We moved to a more central location this last Monday, and our sales shot up, making me glad once again we are in a truck and can just pick up and move if a place isn't working out.
The students are really enjoying our food, and I think the real goodness of it is striking a chord. One thing that has really surprised me is the increasing popularity of our apple cider, which, in reality, is just apple cider with a bit of cinnamon. It's pretty straightforward, but the students are talking about it a lot, and coming up asking for it after hearing about it (don't worry, we're still selling tons of soup).

It hit me yesterday. The fact that it's actual apple cider. It's real. It's just food. It's food. Real food.From apples. From an orchard. Pressed by people. Who live at their orchard. Who bring me the cider. And we heat it up. With cinnamon. Just food.  And it's sort of hard to get real food. Quickly. Affordably. And then it hit me. Holy crap. My mission to connect people with real food is working. And people WANT real food. With substance. With health. With love. With justness and realness and wholeness. And people really want this, this real food. And it's shockingly hard to get real food. As a young woman said over her cell, as she stopped in front of the truck, "woah- it's like fast food, only all healthy, and GOOD." I'm amazed at how unique this is.

We made French Onion Soup this week, and despite the challenges of making Grazing Days Bone Broth in a limited space time continuum, it was worth it. Thanks to Adventures of An Ottawa Foodie for the blog post and the picture!

And yeah, it's funny it took me the cider to recognize this, but it's what we're doing. We have lineups at lunch now, and we are getting BUSY.  I had to cook extra after we closed down this week as we ran out, and ran out again.

I can't do it alone, though, and as usual, I have tons of great help. The lovely Clare has returned to her summer work (sigh) but wonderful Julie is with me still, and we're adding a couple of young folks to our mix. I'm going to start taking an afternoon or two away from the truck so I can manage the paperwork and planning that I have been frightfully neglecting, and plot our next move (a trailer with our solar generating equipment that doubles as storage space for our cool foods in summer, summer menus, the next truck- as if we stay on campus we need a second truck for festivals, classes, the ideas are infinite, the resources, finite). My brother is planning again, so brilliant!

That's the stone soup news. On to the heap of paper. Egads.

A Morning Interview!

We did it!

Not without any hitches, mind you, and certainly not without any stresses, but we had a busy opening weekend with friends coming by, some quick recruiting for help, a lot of laughs, a bit of stress, some really fantastic food, great feedback and great help.

The set up day on Thursday was a bit stressful- the gas folk, who were supposed to finish the truck on Tuesday, were still working away at it two days later. We got Sweetpea back into our loving hands at ten (well, Les did as I ran around getting bread and a float). We got on the ice, and my food supplies started arriving as we got the truck set up. That was really cool- Brad from B. Goods walking across the ice with his cookies and Auntie Loo's lovely cupcakes, Chris from Hall's Apple Cider sliding the crates of apple cider across the ice, Mathieu from Roast'd Nuts slid across, Pierre from the Happy Goat brought us his life saving scrumptious caffeine, the lovely and highly talented Clare arrived, bearing beef, ready steady hands and smarts.



We opened at six, and hoped for crowds that didn't really come... But it was a set up night and we did okay! Lots of friends popping by to say hello- it makes a world of wonderful difference!

Friday was fun- a little slow too, since we opened at six and it seems like the lunch crowd is really where we are going to make it. Leela brought a crowd over

Overall, I have to say, it was awesome. The learning curve was pretty steep on Saturday, as speedy and brilliant Julie and I tried to get systems in place while having a line up for most of the afternoon, running out of overpriced water bottles, my brother taking care of the water tanks. All this while chatting with the bylaw officer who arrived about three minutes after we realized we'd buried the fire extinguisher under a pile of water bottles. She noticed it right off. She also noticed that the gas people (that'd be Superior Propane, who, in my books, officially suck) had not given us the certificate we need to be licensed. We need to track them down.

Have I mentioned how much my brother rocks? He does. He really does. 

 So, here are some pics! Others have taken them... I was kinda busy.

Transitions: from fries to soup, from grime to shine

Once upon a time, in the late summer, I bought an ugly old chip truck. It was cheap.

And it had a really cool grill.

Is that reason enough to buy a truck? My brother didn't think so... He looked toward the future, and saw the trouble of the aged vehicled-repairs, unknowns and many dollars. I looked and saw the cute grill, style, and vintage adorableness.

It ran, but barely, and had no brakes. I towed it to the mechanics. He thought it would be a bit to get it running, but doable. I still thought it was a good truck. See how ugly it is? We didn't even take pictures of the inside. It was too gross- they'd used lard. And waterproofed with roofing tar. I got a good deal.

This is where I started to pay for the good deal. And the mechanic's bill was twice what he'd thought, but boy, it was FUN to drive. I got the safety and the plates.

My bro returned to Saskatchewan to work on a contract, and I drove the van to my sisters', where my brother in law and I pried apart the lard welded fryers with crowbars and managed to sell a bunch of the fryer stuff. Small, small return...

Blasted it!  Nasty Paint, gone!

Pretty paint, ON! Ooh, that grill.

And then- my brother returns. We plot. We plan. He gets the flu for three weeks. I start a soup delivery business and get more credit. He chastises me for painting the truck too early, but agrees that really, it's cute. I stress a little. Our discovery of Ottawa stores specializing in obscure fastening items, retro truck parts and electrical items begins to grow. Now, in mid- January, we are experts.
We get into the garage.
It's filled with limos.

Brian, who rents it to us, has a limo company. He drove Gordie Howe around in the summer. We try not to get paint anywhere. We ripped everything out, insulated it, and made the roof work.

I'm small and fit in the truck. My brother is large and does not.

And we rebuild. The strapping and insulation is first so we can put more things on afterward.And we can be warm, even though we're in a garage. It's cold outside and inside.

I bring soup, and eat it there, and then work after doing other stuff all morning. Like making menu boards, talking to licensing people and managing the soupscriptions and banking.

 Shanger and Shawn putting up the wall. Shanger took most of the pictures and was the king of the detail work, like this very well taped dashboard- which is now shiny chrome.

Les and Shawn finishing the edges. Shanger took this through the gas heater vent space.

 Jer arrives and does some awesome safety bear McGyvering of the beautiful awning and shelving.

Shawn working through the plumbing. This was tricky- I mean, mobile industrial kitchen in the winter and all. It's tricky.

Installing the outside fill pipe....

 Les and I figuring out the plumbing details. Very pensive.

Scrubbing out the last bits of dust. Jer finishing the edges of the floor.

 

 Jer on the electrical... We thought we could keep the old stuff. We couldn't. Nothing. But it'll be simpler now to install the solar when the time comes, which is soon.

 Les taking care of where the hot water tank used to be. King of Bondo.

Bryan and Silvana brought their detailed eyes and steady hands to the taping. 

Frank adds the French...

                                         

Les orders soup... 

From me in the finished kitchen with the stove, fridge, and sink. Look at all that room!

 So happy! So grateful! So tired! So grateful!

Good Soup into Great, Good Truck into Great

Woah. It's been, like, a month since I last posted... eek!
The short of it?

• The soupscription service has grown from 5 customers to 22 in six weeks.
• The truck has gone from a lard encrusted fry machine to a shiny stainless steel kitchen with custom plumbing and gorgeous details (photos to come in a full on photo post of the construction!)
• The truck is totally stylin'. It's ubercute. Wait for the reveal... I know you are :-)
• My brother Les is a genius to have built/organized/styled up the truck.
• I open soon, but have no actual date. I do think this fact alone may be responsible for the throbby vein in at the base of my skull.
• Suppliers are all coming together/have come together, including Funny Duck Farms and an organic supplier who has organic Quebec leeks! Yippee!
• I have great help on board with Clare, who is going to be working with me in the teeny space- and is patient with the opening date fiasco.

So, the truck is really being done with loads of love- my bro Les, his buddy Shanger, contractor Sean and my buddy Jer are, despite my get-'er-done desires, taking care of details I never even knew existed. It's taking time, but it's beautiful.  It's definitely gone from good to great- due to the attention and love (and line of credit).

This week saw two interviews- one with Ontario's Own, where Jodi Lastman and I talked about waste and how to avoid it, and the other with Shawna Wagman at Ottawa Magazine.  It's really interesting how keen people are on this idea. It seems it's time has come... Shawna asked me how to turn good soup into great, and after some thought, here's what I came up with.

You need to start with good stock. It's really key to have a solid base to work from- and preferably one that incorporates the flavours in your soup. For example, a basic vegetable stock (onions, carrots, celery, leeks and herbs in water with salt) can be augmented with lemongrass and some chili for a Thai soup, which increases the depth of flavour. Japanese dashi kombu adds a beautiful depth to vegetable stocks as well- and adds some of the umami flavour that can be missing from many vegetable broths.

Balancing your acid, salt and sweetness is always really key as well. Having wine, some type of vinegar, lime or lemon juice (or a combination!) to deglaze your pan and then to finish the soup with creates a layer of flavour that you just can't get any other way. A smidgen of sweetness complements many soups (but not all!).  I often use balsamic, honey, maple syrup or mirin (which is a Japanese rice based sweet vinegar) when I am finishing the seasoning of my soups. Enough salt is also key.  There's a fine line there- especially with so many people being conscious of their sodium intake.

The third part of a great soup is time- although this isn't true for all soups, it's certainly true for stocks. Time to simmer to allow the flavours to marry, time for everything to get together. Beef stock takes at least twelve hours to cook, then there's the skimming and the actual cooking of the soup- which can take another three or four hours as well.  Lots of time also allows you to put in lots of love- and that is always pretty key for making anything great!

Is SOUPMAKER a profession? I think so.

Well, I just gotta say wow. I mean, I knew that this whole soup business was a pretty good idea, but it's kinda crazy how much it's starting to take off, and how very, very busy I am becoming. This week's updates? The Locavore Artisan Food Fair that I helped organize with Loreli from Siren's Bakery, Micheal and Fumie from michealsdolce, and my buddy Pierre, the Happy Goat, was a huge success despite the freezing rain. We had almost all our vendors get there despite the heavy ice and terrible roads, and we figure about three hundred people came through the fair.
It was my first BIG event, and I have to say, I wasn't really expecting to sell out quite so quickly! A lot of people had read the fantastic article in the Citizen and we're looking forward to trying my soups! As we were still setting up (thanks Jenn!) we were being surrounding by people looking for take home soups- and if I'd had more, I'm sure I could have sold more. It's time for a few more pieces of infrastructure before the next big event so I can transport more soup and fill more bellies. Funny- selling out made me both sad and happy at the same time- I would have like to have had enough to fill the demand, but there's a certain compliment inherent in running out of stock (oh, the puns). It's really great to realize that there's a demand for my product. 
And the soups yesterday were:

• Organic Brazilian Black Bean Soup
• Organic Chicken, Mushroom and Leek (which was to die for)
• And the Indian Carrot Spice Soup. It's always popular.
• Plus a quinoa cranberry walnut salad.

 People can be SO nice- I had a woman tell me she generally doesn't like anyone's soups but her own, and she liked mine, and others say they were all three delicious. They were gobbled up by children and adults alike. This makes me happy.
And I forgot to get pictures! I'm going to have to do that at some point when I'm at an event. Sigh.

Lots of organization to do this week for the truck and the soupscriptions- but it's a little more settled than last week and so I should be able to do it. Especially if I keep waking up at five in the morning, ready to work. Woohoo! Sleeplessness and productivity go hand in hand...

Entreprenurial Terrors, Food Sovreignty, Soup Delivery

Another busy week at the Stone Soup Kitchen... First trade show with the YBiz was last Friday. It was pretty intense setting up for it, particularly since I also set up the kitchen at Causeway last week to prepare for the tradeshow, and had to do a lot of shopping (which, at this point, is really making me go EEK since the pool of money formed suddenly by the sale of the house has been pretty heavily drained).

It was never like this. It's kind of creepy, actually

But I made a bit of it back, and do need the kitchen to be going, and overall, the plan is still sound, and I am still in a pretty solid position when I think about it. After all, I have a roof over my head, my health, people who love me and who I love, and am pretty sure I can scrounge up enough food to make a pretty delicious next meal. Sometimes I have to remind myself of this pretty forcibly in the middle of the night when I wake up terrified about this venture, but I truly am very fortunate.
The tradeshow was good, despite the realization that noodles were a bad idea and a small spill and limited space- lots of learning, and a little income, too!
Spent the weekend in a non-business related venture as well- which is difficult at times as the force of the terror is directly proportional to time not working on it (eek). But it was worth it- I went to the Food Secure Canada National Assembly in Montreal to discuss a national People's Food Policy. Canada does not have a food policy that integrates health, agriculture, environment and social issues. Not even close. There were some pretty interesting discussions going around, and some pretty amazing people there too. I was thrilled to meet a not for profit educational group from Montreal working out of a truck that travels to festivals. Cool.
The idea of food sovreignity is that all people, at all times, have access to safe,sustainably grown, culturally appropriate food at all time. Smart. I would like to write more about this, but my brain is not very functional. It's really really important though.

 Other News Briefs from the SSFW world...

• Winterlude is looking very very positive- hopefully in the park and not on the ice. May have a spot in Confederation Park!
• Ottawa U location is also looking up!
• Video reviews are great. Yay Rob!
• Little Brother is awesome on the renos, now that his flu is gone...
• Started soup deliveries this week- which is great for me and for others- thanks new customers and old friends
• Helping out at the Red Apron this week and next for a day each one- I miss the ladies.
• I'm not entirely broke. I just have to remember this is normal
• I learned that most successful entrepreneurs are around my age. Cool. I'm on track for SOMEthing.

Indian Spiced Carrot soup was very popular at the YBIZ fair, and I actually sold out. The recipe was requested, and so here it is (finally)! It's very important to use organic carrots. I think since they spend so much time in the soil, you can really taste the health of the soil that they are grown in. Last week, I had carrots from One Hundred Mile Farm that were pretty fantastic.

Indian Spiced Carrot Soup



1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches of ginger, minced
2 tbsp. lemon juice
10 medium and large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 liters vegetable stock
Salt
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 tsp. coriander, roasted fresh and ground
1 tsp cumin seed, roasted fresh and ground
1.5 tsp. black mustard seed, toasted

yogurt and cilantro for garnish

Saute the onions in the oil until golden, then add the ginger, cook one minute more, then add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Deglaze with the lemon juice, then add the carrots and the stock. Cook until the carrots are softened- it takes a while and you may have to add water.
Then, use your immersion blender to zoot zoot it 'til it's all pureed. Then stir in your sweet and add your spices. That's it.
Garnish with yogurt and cilantro for super beautiful yumminess. 

NOTE ABOUT ROASTING SPICES:
I have this teeny little cast iron pan I use to roast my spices. I put it on medium high, heat it up, add the spice (one at a time, they cook differently) and shake it for about two minutes until it smells toasty and open. Then I grind them in my spice grinder. Then I add them into the soup. The mustard seeds will soften up in the soup, but the roasting makes them even tastier. Don't grind them. They pop a little and it's nice.

The Soup Truck Movie

Summer's Bounty, now in Winter Soups

Maybe it's the fact that it's dipped below zero, and the wind is howling, and although there is no snow on the ground, there's lots in the air. Maybe it's the fact that my Veggie Patch Harvest Share is used up, and all I've got left from the gardens are some potatoes. Maybe it's the fact that I'm not yet getting supplies in to make into soup, and so I've been going to the grocery store, and despite the abundance, most of what's for sale seems a little grim.

Whatever- this week has seen me really start to crack open the seals on my Mason jars and open up the Ziplocks from the freezer and make some foods that really warm the soul.  Opening that first liter of tomatoes brought back the bushel that Julie and I put up together in August, and the opened jar smelled just like summer. I canned some with balsamic and basil, and it was so lovely. My fridge is full of pickled beets, cukes and jalapenos, and it's so nice to remember all this bounty from the warm months... No need to suffer the pallid tomatoes and wan cukes. Nope. Not for a little while.

So here's what we ate last night- and today (well, and probably tomorrow- it seems to feed 8-10). I got to feed some wonderful folk with this one- the talented Kim, farmer Paul and the music maker Jennifer (who needs a website up- ahem).


Spicy Red Lentil Tomato Soup
This is a simple but flavourful soup. Spicy and fresh. Serve it with some yogurt (I've been making my own!) or sour cream.

2 tbsps olive oil
2 onions sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 liter tomatoes, chopped or otherwise broken up (okay, okay. I use my hands)
 two tbsp balsamic
2 potatoes, peeled
8 pickled jalapeno rings, minced
basil- and YAY! I had frozen from the summer!
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt.

1. Saute onions in oil over medium high heat until they start to get very very soft. 
2. Add the garlic and the lentils, and saute for another minute.
3. Add everything except the basil (unless it's dried- if it is, add it now). 
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for thirty minutes until the lentils are dissolved and the potatoes soft. STIR every few minutes as lentils will stick to the bottom of the bottom. 
5. Add the basil, adjust the salt, add the lemon juice and taste until you might as well grab a bowl, it's that good.
6. Garnish with yogurt (and more jalapenos, if that's the way you roll) and enjoy!

Well. It's gonna be a short one as I gotta get a redo of my business plan done for the bank tomorrow morning, but here we go!

The Causeway kitchen deal is finalized! Sweet! Start in there next week, just before my first trade show/exhibit with the Y on November 26 at Dominion Chalmers Church, 10-3.

I'm glad this one is before the Locavore Artisan Food Fest on December 12, as that is gonna be big. We- an awesome group of producers, including the Happy Goat, Micheal'sDolce and Siren Bakery- have been organizing since October and have a pretty great line up ready for your gift giving pleasure... Sweetness, savouriness and all kinds of depth and complexity!  It should be fun- and wonderfully busy!

So, I've been planning for those, plus had a great meeting on Monday with Ottawa U- nothing's firm, or even close, but there's a chance the little green truck will be on campus in March! Woot! We looked at some places...

In the not good news, I had a car accident on Friday. Everyone (including my pup Zip) was fine, but the car is kinda damaged. I am deciding right now whether to repair my Civic with 265 000 km on it or to splurge for a new to me car with a flatter and larger cargo space. I'm leaning towards Subaru-ey newness, but need to sleep on it for one more night. I've been fond of Roxanne, but we've been together since she was new, and it may be time to let her go... I got a cold right after the accident and haven't been moving very fast.

A few little things done on the truck, a bit more planning, and it's time to get feverishly fast- January is SOON, especially given how much time things seem to take, and how crazy the next couple of weeks are.

Back to a revisit of the business plan to show the bank tomorrow.

But you know, as has become the case for much of my time of late, I do feel so wonderfully supported by my friends and family, and the world at large. I know this idea is a good one, and I know I can do it, even when I am thinking of how, if I had chosen to do something more simple, I would be earning money by now, and how that'd be pretty nice. It'll come, right? That's the idea of business, anyways. And the support is there, and the love, and the feedback, and I feel pretty lucky. So thanks!

Salmon en Papillote with Leek and Tomato, Cauliflower Puree and Wilted Spinach with Garlic

You make an envelope of paper around the fish, then bake it.

On Wednesday, I taught a lunchtime cooking class at the local Superstore- there was a nice diversity of students, and everyone enjoyed the food. 

Cooking fish in parchment keeps the moisture it- it's steamed and baked- and in this case, steamed with leek smell. What could be better- oh, I know- pictures. I didn't take any. I was teaching, and the oven didn't preheat, and I forgot. So I stole this one, so you can get the idea. 

But here are the recipes. It's a ludicrously healthy meal, and madly delicious. 

Cauliflower Puree

Serves four

1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp butter

½ cup milk

½ cup water

½ tsp. salt

white pepper to taste

1.     Place all ingredients except sour cream into saucepan and bring to a boil.

2.     Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook 20-25 minutes, until cauliflower breaks apart with a fork.

3.     Pour into food processor and blend until smooth. You can add a bit of cream or sour cream if desired, but it’s not necessary. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm until serving.

Salmon Fillet en Papillote with Leek and Tomato

1 tbsp butter

1 leek

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp salt

16 grape tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil, or 1 tbsp fresh

I large salmon fillet

pepper to taste

1/4 c. white wine

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 F.

1.     Slice leek thinly, and clean thoroughly.

2.     Saute in 1 tbsp butter in an ovenproof skillet with salt on medium heat until softened

3.     Add garlic, tomatoes and basil and allow to heat through.

4.     Add wine and bring to a low boil until much of the wine has evaporated.

5.     Rinse the salmon, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6.     On a baking sheet, place a long sheet of parchment paper. Spread ½ the leek tomato mixture in the middle of the paper, then the fish, then the other half. Fold the paper to create an envelope- the top and sides need to be folded shut.

7.     Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, until salmon flakes easily.

Wilted spinach with garlic

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp butter

one bag spinach, cleaned and deveined (or small box baby spinach)

Salt to taste

1.     Peel and slice garlic paper thin.

2.     Heat butter in deep frying pan or wok on medium low (but closer to low) heat.

3.     Cook garlic, stirring constantly for under a minute.

4.     When garlic starts to become translucent, and the sharp smell is gone, add spinach.

5.     Cook one minute more until it is starting to wilt. Add salt.

6.     Transfer to warm serving bowl and serve immediately.

 

Kitchen space! Breathing Room! Movies!

Well. Last week I caught my breath, and it's a good thing, as this week I'm back at a good run. Keeping it all at a jog though, as I want to be able to keep on running for a while on this round. I moved slow last week- and boy, am I glad I did.
Four big pieces of news this week, on top of what's becoming the regular (but not taken for granted) goodness (which this week included teaching a class at Loblaws and having another class booked in for Urban Element).
News One: I have a commercial kitchen space!  Well, nearly. Formalities remain until I am renting evening space at Causeway.  It's a community economic development organization that runs some pretty amazing programs, and it's got a great pastry kitchen, with some good fridge space I can use. I have dried goods storage with my good friend the Happy Goat and freezer space here, so although it's a bit spread out, I should be able to keep things moving for the SOUPSCRIPTION service, the details of which are nearly worked out.

They missed the step where you cook the veggies.

News Two: New website host and some modifications to the website in order to get the Soupscription up and running. They're nearly there- end of the week and there should be a lovely form so you can sign up and I'll deliver you some soup. The actual delivery is going to begin in December- I'm away for the last two weekends of November, one cooking, one at a conference, and still need to firm up my supply, packaging and composting chains.
News Three: My brother is taking on the truck! I tried to be sad when his contract in Northern Saskatchewan ended, but I am selfishly kind of glad he's home and underemployed. I can employ him! He's found an insulation solution already, and is so darned smart and creative and handy, and I'm just so glad... There's a lot to be done, but he just looked at it and saw how to go about it. He's also smart for telling me to hold off on buying things until the right time. Going to the bank for more money is not a dream of mine, but it may become a reality.
News Four: The trailer for the movie! We saw the movie last night, and it is SO good. Rob's got some crazy talent- it's really fun to watch.  Come vote at Carleton on November 25- the whole movie will be up after that.

What a wonderful week

This week has been great- I'm a bit late on the blogging (I've decided to go every Wednesday- oops!), but since I last wrote there has been a lot of action on the media front and the truck front, plus life has carried on with it's wonders and obligations and workshops and acting like a chef and all.

Well. Number one on the excitement front- how cute is this? So cute, I tell you. Okay. Not as cute as the one year olds in their Hallowe'en gear, but you know, I don't have kids yet, so... Yay!

And the number two yay was the media attention- in the Ottawa Citizen, no less.  Very exciting indeed.This article was written by Ron Eade, the Citizen's food columnist, after a great event at the Urban Element (which is a lovely kitchen to teach and work in) for the Soup Sisters. It's an amazing organization out of Calgary that makes huge batches of soup for women's shelters. So fun, so community, so healthy.  I'm going to work with them regularly for the next little while to keep the soups scrumptious for Interval House.

A lot of time last week went to workshops- planning, practicing and teaching them- next week is the same. I'm going to present two workshops for the Food For All rollout- the result of months of policy consultations and writing on local food policy. I'm the edutainment! Also going to teach at the Superstore- which should be good too.


What I really need to get on though, is getting the interior of the truck ready for Winterlude- and getting a structure and plan in place. I met the man responsible for the concessions, and he seems keen on having me there, but I need to be ready. I have a commercial kitchen in my sights, and want to start a little delivering to make a little cash and get into a groove beforehand- especially as I will need some employees.  As usual, the broad strokes are worked out well and the planning is great- but the details still need a little work!

Is there some expression about people in ice carriages don't serve soup?

Winterlude will be amazing- it's pretty exciting to have the chance to do this- and soup on the canal in February... Yum!

But it's coming a along- and plans to make money are coming into play, and there is buzz, and the soup is getting out there and getting popular, and that's all good. We're finishing the filming for the film today, plus I'm organizing the truck tasks to be completed, plus updating the website a bit. And the week will see the truck renos on the go- photos of the interior will come on as they get done!

Changing Gears

There's this fantastic Yo La Tengo song I get in my head sometimes when I'm driving called Little Honda-I think it's a Beach Boys tune (sorry for my ignorance, Dave).  The chorus goes like this:

First gear, it's all right. Second gear, hang on tight.
Third gear, ain't I right. Faster, it's all right.

It's been in my head since last Friday, when it was rainy and really cold and I was very much in first gear. It didn't feel all right. Then I realized it was time to change gears. The cold is going to be too much. There's this whole water freezing thing that happens in the winter, and it was never part of my plan to run the truck into November as I've worked outdoors in the winter and everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much, plus the hands start to hurt. A lot. And as much as people might want soup in the winter, they won't walk through slush to get it.  And then stand in slush to eat it. My soup's amazing and all, but people are in some ways, totally sane.

Second gear, hang on tight.

Plan B is about to come into play, and come into play quick. I gotta start serving some soup. I gotta cook or I'm gonna lose it. So, I'm looking to rent a commercial kitchen space while finishing the truck. I've got a couple of leads and am gonna check them out Thursday...
Third gear's gonna be some mad juggling as I get the truck ready and put a cooking and distribution plan into play- fast!

It's all right.


Lots of awesome stuff is happening, though.  See? Lots of hours down at the paint and printing shop this week so far.  But it's gonna look cool. Or hot. Or warm limey green. 

Painter to paint seller, after asking about drying times, "Well, SHE seems to like it."

And I'm definitely getting some buzz, like an email from Ottawa Magazine, which is cool. Which I'm not ready for, but is pushing me to have more momentum.

Faster, it's all right.

I'm in discussions with Winterlude, and though that'll be cold, I'll be cooking in the commercial kitchen and using the truck as a sales space with floor insulation and some extra heat. Just gotta get me a kitchen and some minions child labour employees. And some sales!

Thai'd Up and Squashed Down Soup Recipe

Totally missed the pictures on this one- but there'll be film coming soon!

I made this recently for the kitchen portion of the film my friend Rob is doing for a Transition Ottawa film contest.  It worked out really well, with just enough spice and loads of flavour.  Roasting the squash saves active cooking time, as well as chopping- plus it brings out a lovely deep flavour.

If you don’t feed vegetarians, you can use a Thai red chili paste in this.  It contains minute quantities of shrimp and fish, so I skip it (even though it’s oh so good).

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon (+) olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch of ginger root, minced

1 stalk lemon grass, minced

Juice of two limes

1 medium butternut squash, halved, seeded, roasted and peeled

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp. sambal oelek (to taste- it’s spicy)

1.5 tbsp. tamarind paste

1 tbsp. honey

6 c. warm veggie stock (or a liter plus water if you are using a box)

Toasted coconut and sprigs of Thai basil or cilantro to garnish

Heat the oil on medium in your soup pot. 

Add the onions and a good pinch of salt, and sauté until they are golden and starting to caramelize.

Add the lemon grass and ginger and sauté two minutes more. 

Add the garlic and ½ the lime juice and cook for two minutes, scraping up the tasty bits at the bottom. 

Add your tamarind and sambal oelek and stir thoroughly.

Add your squash puree, the coconut milk, the stock and the honey.

Use your hand blender and blend to a lovely smooth consistency.

Heat through.

Check your seasoning and add the remaining lime juice, perhaps more honey or sambal oelek.  Adding the lime juice at the end brings a bright flavour to the soup.

 

Keep on truckin'

The truck is at the painter's, empty and (nearly) clean. I drove it across the Ottawa River by myself today (there's only the one seat) which was kind of fun (okay, it was totally amazingly fun to be driving something with a 20" diameter steering wheel) and took it on down to the soda blasters.  Thanks to Pierre for giving me a ride to the truck and to my amazing sister and brother-in-law for letting me keep it there for nearly a week while we got the fryers out (and sold- yay!) and the second stage of cleaning done. The third stage is tomorrow, when I drive it from the painters to a drive in bay and pressure wash the heck out of it.  Lard. Is. Only. Good. In. Small. Quantities. (I'm still unwilling to entirely forego lard, but I won't be eating at any chip trucks for quite some time).

The logo is ready to get printed for the side of the truck and I have four kids willing to work for me. This says something, right?  I don't have any adult employee potentials (somehow the small truck/dishwashing gig ain't super appealing to the realistic folk) but the little ones are pretty excited about being the child labour that keeps our high end food affordable.  So far, the jobs that they have created for themselves include a clown and a soup taster, and all have indicated that they would be pleased to "help" in exchange for food, and would be more than pleased to work rather than go to school. Ha!  No wonder we need to have laws.  Only one has asked for wages, and those would be five dollars a day.  Pesky, pesky laws. But really, it heartens me to know that I could (and do) have all these children working (oh, sorry, "helping") me in my non-Dickensian mini kitchen.

Community garden harvest

This afternoon, I'm putting the finishing touches on a Thai Butternut Soup recipe that's been rollicking around in my the taste buds of my imagination since trying a rather watery one at Bridgehead, and getting a lovely butternut from the community garden.  I'll post the recipe.

My gardening pal R. is coming to film me for a video he's working on for Transition Ottawa-very cool- and I need to get a good stock pot on the go and some stock into the freezer.  Still gotta get the solar panel stuff worked out... And some meals to deliver for a family- maybe soon my food can be made for children, by children (as my sister always says about the cheap t-shirts at the box stores).  Pesky laws. 

Simmering Stones: It's taking longer than I ever thought possible

Simmering Stones: It's taking longer than I ever thought possible

It's taking longer than I ever thought possible

So, when my second cousin, who's been working with start ups for a couple of decades told me about the two and a half rule, I have to admit, I thought to myself that this was likely for other businesses, and not necessarily for mine.
The two and half rule goes like this: Any new business will...

1. Will cost twice what you estimate

2. Take twice as long to launch, profitably

3. And produce 1/2 what you project.

So far, number two is really where I am feeling the crunch the most.  Well, alright, number one is also becoming more and more feasible too- especially with the mechanic's bill coming up.  The truck is roadworthy thanks to the magical networking for parts done by my mechanic Hani at Paradise Auto and a pretty big bill.  It drives beautifully, and tomorrow will do so legally, crossing the bridge to Gatineau where we'll plunk it in my sister's driveway and rip out the interior crap (by which I mean grease-laden deep fryers) before it goes to be stripped down at the painters and painted it's beautiful colours.  All of which is costing more than I thought...  I'm thinking about taking an accounting class at Algonquin on weekends in November as I simply can't seem to wrap my head around managing the money- it's so different from the household, and I frankly feel a little lost with it.

The solar system is being designed (this sentence really makes me think of Slartibartfast who designed Earth in the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy), I think the ventilation is figured out, and the fridge is on hold until I get the energy budget worked out.  The solar really is going to be on the awning, just like the funny little Sanyo truck I posted so long ago. It'll be awesome. It'll be ready just after the winter solstice, when there is no sun.  It'll be so ironic. 

I do hope to be ready to serve soup before the solar system (heehee) is up and running- I'll just charge the batteries from home, and they'll be linked into the truck engine as a generator as well, and I will be looking for space as the painting is getting done.  Winter approaches, and work is getting done, and I moved in the last week which was a bit intense. Moving is pretty stressful. And I did two community workshops last week too- a preserving one at Transition Ottawa and a fall harvest one for the Good Food Box.

And then, there's this whole way of working that is new. Entrepreneurship is amazing, but it's also really scary to have no one to report to, and to be only responsible to yourself.  It's funny how much freedom can be terrifying- I totally believe in what I am doing, yet I find myself almost breathless from fear for doing it sometimes, and sometimes frozen from fear.  I find myself making this path I've wanted to walk for so long, making something really great and intense, and walking it so slow as though I have to talk myself into walking it all along the path.  It's like hiking alone, or long meditation retreats.  It's as scary to confront the self through work as it is through things that are obviously spiritual- yet somehow I never foresaw how great this challenge would be and how big my obstacles are- I guess over thirty years of school instruction and work instruction have left pretty deep ruts on my brain pathways of responding to what others have to say about how I am to live.  There's a process of unlearning the habits of being evaluated by others, reporting to others.  Seth Godin seems to be writing about this, and I am starting to read his work.

Maybe there's a two and a half rule for the personal and community growth involved with making this path-I just don't know the parameters yet...

One month 'till launch!

And the amount to get done is still a little mad- although not compared to the amount that is done, I suppose, and since I still don't quite know how the permitting process is going to work, it's a little hopeful to think it's all going to come together in time- but hopeful I am, and supported I am, and planning and working like crazy I am, and so, launch in one month for me, launch in one month- well- four weeks. And there's the move in there too. And getting caught up on a little bit of sleep would be pretty sweet- it's not like it's going to calm done when I get going, right?

Launching in the fall makes a lot of sense.  People want soup, the harvest is bountiful, the green of the truck will be beautiful against the last of the leaves.  It's better- if I don't manage to launch in the fall, winter will not only be moderately impoverished, but I will face a whole host of challenges to getting going, like freezing and fewer local foods. So, launch date in four weeks.

The truck is almost safetied, I have the painting lined up, but definitely want to get the kitchen in there before painting- what I am worrying about is that despite the calculations and floor plans, the equipment won't actually fit into the truck and then I'll have a useless truck.  It's possible- the space margins are inches, and I still don't have a fridge ordered to get in there.

 

I'm not entirely decided about the hyper efficient solar fridge or the completely reliable propane fridge- I finally found people who carry them at the RV stores here in the city, but boy, are they pricey.  There are three main factors:  size, efficiency and price.  Here's one I'm considering... It's solar and super effecient and the size is right.  Price- not so good. The challenges of off-grid commercial cooking are a bit intense.

I just lined up onions, but will need to find storage for them...  Maybe I should get an unheated storage locker and put in my root veg.  That could work...

Thanks for reading and commenting- the website launch has been great.  On to packing, dealing with a bunch of moving related administrivia, and finishing the organic beef stew, cheddar biscuits and salad I'm bringing my fantastic mechanic Hani and his crew.  They've done SO much...