Fresh Slowcooking

I hope you’re not tired of of my fruity dishes yet because I have another one for you! Perfectly cooked pork chops in an apricot sauce.

The slow cooking melts the apricots into a beautiful golden sauce with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The sauce infuses the pork creating sweet and spicy, melt in your mouth meat.

Fresh carrots, tomatoes and zucchinis combined with beans, rosemary, basil and parmesan create a hearty soup full of rich flavours. The leftovers are perfect for a hot lunch too, especially if your workplace is kept as cold as the inside of your fridge.

Take full advantage of garden fresh zucchinis and grape tomatoes while cooking an entire meal in your slow cooker. The natural vegetable flavours shine with a light seasoning of lemon and thyme.

This is the most fun meal I’ve prepared in a while. Why? The sweetness of this slow cooker pork not only comes from summery fresh local Niagara peaches, but also from the honey I helped harvest with the Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative. Not to worry though, the white wine and mustard seeds keep the sweet flavours in check yielding a bright summery meal your family will love.

Some of you may remember the post I wrote on Urban Beekeeping in Toronto; well part of why I’ve been less active online, is because I’ve been busy with my latest hobby — beekeeping!

In the mood for a special dish that is easy to prepare? This slow cooker blueberry duck will please any crowd. Juicy, tender duck covered with a tart blueberry sauce, served with the potatoes that simmered in the ducks oils all day — a rich and satisfying dinner.

Juicy, local raspberries are ready to pick, so I experimented with them to create a savoury slow cooker dish. By combining fresh, red raspberries with chicken, sour cream and rosemary, I ended up with a tangy summer chicken dish that I wish we could eat all year round.