A wholesome, quick, and meat-free version of the old Canadian lumberjack favourite . Homemade pea soup • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Here is a soup recipe inspired by a traditional, nourishing dish that sustained the first French Canadian settlers during the early years of colonisation. Today, this soup is most often served at sugar (maple) shack brunches, though many still enjoy preparing these old, comforting recipes at home. Made with yellow split peas, its

Curious about Jerusalem Artichokes? Try a little soup recipe, perfect for a first-timer! To taste and “test” the Jerusalem Artichoke...

Warm up your meals with the colours of autumn and seasonal flavours. Risotto served in a pumpkin bowl • Photography © Bottle and Brush...

Here’s a great way to save your unripened green tomatoes at the end of the season. Homemade sweet relish with green tomatoes from the garden © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Green tomatoes are the unripe fruit with many uses. All varieties are green before turning red, pink, yellow, orange, or black, but some heirlooms mature and keep the green colour. For this sweet relish, the unripe ones are the ones we need. They are firm, high in acidity and are best cooked, fried, pickled

A quick way to use all those little tomatoes popping out from the garden at the speed of light! When the garden is overflowing with...

There is no better way to preserve abundant zucchinis than some good jars of pickles! Any backyard veggie growers know that all varieties...

Inspired by the French Canadian traditional “Pouding Chômeur”, made with frozen berries. Berry sweet version of the Canadian "Pouding chômeur" • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 “Pouding” means pudding, and “chômeur” means unemployed worker. “ Pouding chômeur ” is a Québec traditional dessert created during the Great Depression and was initially made with affordable ingredients like flour, butter, milk and brown sugar. This pudding cake is a sweet, syrupy sauce topp

Discover the rich, complex flavour of birch syrup in this woodland-inspired pork dish! Birch syrup marinated pork dish • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2019 Trees and forests have always inspired me, and learning to cook with ingredients gathered from the landscapes of both my native Canada and adoptive Australia has opened up many delicious new ideas. I first discovered birch syrup during a visit to Québec a few years ago. To my surprise, I had never tasted it while l

This Australian native greens and bush tomato scone is absolutely delicious and a real winner! Warrigal Greens is a wild spinach native...

The taste of a summer garden captured in a jar of homemade seasoning! This salt blend is a homemade version of the old “herbamare”. With...

Elevate your party snack platter with these crunchy treats. Roasted pecans and macadamias with maple syrup and spices © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Here is a superb snack recipe that most people go “nuts” with when served as a nibble or as part of a party platter. But beware, these babies are so good they will call you for more…! The combination of pecan and macadamia has a lovely contrast in shape, colour and texture. Still, this recipe can also be made with other varietie

An excellent way to preserve fresh culinary herbs, inspired by the Québec “Herbes Salées”. Freshly made Salted Preserved Herbs • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 The term “herbes salées” (salted herbs) comes from the French province of Québec and is a traditional condiment for seasoning. My friend Geneviève-Amélie, born in the region that created and produces the classic blend of Herbes salées du Bas-du-Fleuve, introduced me to this method. Many herb varieties can b

Here is a simple way to prepare, cook and eat a fresh artichoke bud, straight from the garden. My heart beats for artichokes. I feel...

A leafy green salad with the first backyard harvest as a fresh start for the growing season. This is my favourite early spring garden...

Spring in the garden means a marathon of leaves, but nothing is wasted with green pesto! There is no need to wait until the basil is...

Discover the pâté au saumon, a French Canadian-style pie made with simple pantry staples. Homemade salmon pie served with early spring garden salad • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018 In Québec, salmon pies are sold in many grocery stores, but like traditional tourtières (meat pies), every family has its own recipe and way of making them. Since moving to Australia, I've learned to prepare this comforting dish from scratch whenever I'm craving a taste of home. Québec-

Green up your winter with this nourishing soup blending winter greens and split peas! Some like to blend greens in their smoothie, and...

How I adapted a traditional Alpine cheese fondue using Australian cheeses, cool-climate wines and Snowy Mountains flavours. Alpine cheese fondue, homemade in the Snowys • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Even though the word fondue simply means "melted", cheese fondue is much more than melted cheese. Originating in the Swiss and French Alps, this mountain dish traditionally combines Alpine cheeses with white wine to create a rich, communal meal shared around the tab

Make your “squash” concentrate with freshly squeezed juice of any citrus. A cordial is a concentrated non-alcoholic syrup flavoured with...

An easy way to make this seasoning is to infuse salt with celery leaves in the oven. Fresh celery leaves blended in salt • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018 When growing your own celery in the veggie patch, you will find that the dark green leaves are tastier than the blanched ones from the supermarkets. It can be used to flavour a dish and spread over a plate as a finishing herb like parsley. Just after moving to Australia, I felt like making an old classic Bloody C