Thanksgiving and Oktoberfest. Contamination and X-Rays.

Who would believe its October already? We are now coming up to Oktoberfest and our Thanksgiving on the 10th. Oktoberfest lasts a week beginning on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend.

I signed up to get official notifications of food contamination, but got one last night that seemed a bit confusing to me, it warned that the Ministry of Health were investigating listeria contamination in a brand of smoked salmon – ‘A’ brand – not which brand, that means potentially one should not buy any smoked salmon at the moment although another source names Strubs smoked salmon. I HAVE NOW HAD THE OFFICIAL NAME, GRIZZLY COHO.They did also confirm that at this time there is no listeria contamination of Cantaloupe melons being sold in Canada which is good. One sees lots of reports, I got one from a friend about Mexican grape tomatoes being infected – I don’t actually buy those very often so it won’t be a personal problem although I do like grape tomatoes, except when they put them in restaurant salads and they end up squirting all over me when I try to cut into them. Grin.

I finally got some information on my X-rays but it seemed to be confusing also, so I am heading to the doc’s tomorrow. Trouble is at the weekends you can’t get appointments, first come, first served. However, I do need to know what’s happening. From what I was told on the phone, not very much, but that just doesn’t sound right for the amount of pain I am having.

Smoked salmon being on the list, I may well have to find myself something else for sandwiches for election day. I love smoked salmon sandwiches and usually treat myself to them when we do elections. Well it’s a long day after all. I don’t make open faced sandwiches to take out of course. But I thought these looked good. Smoked salmon is one of my favourites, I guess you could say what isn’t one of my favourites!!!! Matt always said that when we went on a week’s cruise, the quantities of smoked salmon they listed as being consumed at the end of the week, were all consumed by me.

Having warned you about grape tomatoes, I came across this recipe which uses them. So just remember, if you try this, don’t buy Mexican at the moment. I thought this picture was so colourful I couldn’t resist the recipe and salsa is extremely popular these days. Funny isn’t it, salsa in Spanish just means sauce, any sauce of any kind, but the word in the English language has come to mean something quite different, more in the line of a relish.

Roasted Vegetable Salsa
By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Why buy jarred salsa when making your own is so easy? This is a mild and flavorful salsa recipe perfect for those who find fiery fare a tad too harsh. This mild salsa is delicious on grilled fish- or grilled anything, for that matter.

Ingredients

1 pint (2 cups) of baby plum/grape tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, cut into thick strips
1 red or sweet onion, peeled, cut into chunks
5-6 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Sea salt, to taste
3/4 cup corn kernels
1 14-oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
A squeeze of organic raw agave syrup, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Combine in a bowl and toss:
1 pint (2 cups) of baby plum/grape tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, cut into thick strips
1 red or sweet onion, peeled, cut into chunks
5-6 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Sea salt, to taste
You'll also need:
3/4 cup corn kernels
1 14-oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
A squeeze of organic raw agave syrup, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Arrange the tossed veggies on a baking sheet in a single layer, leaving some room for the corn; add the corn to the baking sheet in one section.
Roast the veggies in the top third of the oven until the veggies get tender and edges get nicely browned- anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. If you have a grill you could grill your veggies instead of roasting.
Spoon the roasted veggies- sans the corn- into a food processor bowl; add the canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, cumin and a drizzle of agave. Cover and pulse a few times to achieve the consistency and texture you prefer. Don't puree it- keep some texture.
Pour the salsa into a storage container; stir in the roasted corn and cilantro. Taste test and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Cover and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to co-mingle. Co-mingling is good.
Serving Ideas:
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or yummy Brown Rice Chips.
Serve as a condiment with grilled fish, chicken, rice, enchiladas, tacos, you name it.
Serve as a fresh uncooked sauce for pasta or polenta.
Total Servings: 6

Have a great weekend