Omega Park

I’ve been a little quite lately as my job shifts around and I (ahem) quit when my contract finished. I’m taking a long break from teaching to see if I still love it and want to return, or find a new passion. In the meantime I’m hunting for something else – new and different – and totally unrelated to teaching or being in a school.

We’ve been doing stuff for us and trying to enjoy ourselves. Work has taken a lot out of us this past year and what better way to enjoy a day than at Omega Park. Located just over an hour from Ottawa in Montebello, Quebec, it has the best of both worlds – encountering wildlife and having them in an environment where they can roam (no small enclosures here). Although there are fences in the carnivorous areas, they are there more to keep you in your area than the wildlife away from you.

We had gone a few years ago on a lovely summer’s day, but going in winter is entirely different. With there being less crowds and better temperatures, the wildlife is up and about and interested in you. A coyote was more than content to listen to us talk to him for 20 mins. With fewer visitors we could take our time and drive as slow as we wanted, stop as often as we wanted, and hang out to our hearts content.

We saw elk at various stages with their antlers (some recently were lost while others were in their full glory), very young boars who were probably only a few weeks old, and two bears playing around with each other. The young elk had quickly learnt what to do for a carrot – stand in front of your car until they saw something orange. We were very fortunate to see two males duking it out, probably playing around as it didn’t look very stressful and they were friendly with each other afterwards. The moose is also very fond of his caretaker, following her around as she laid branches in his enclosure, much like a puppy. Luckily for him, he has a goat to keep him company.

Before you venture too far, you must stop at the Park House to stock up on some carrots (Don’t worry, they are reasonably priced). I recommend 4-6 bags. We got 4 bags and near the end we were rationing them. Another tip: break the carrots in half or thirds. This will make your carrots last longer and the elk don’t seem to notice. And one last piece of advice: charge your camera battery. I thought I was good and it ran out of juice before venturing to see the bears.

As we drove around we had the Omega Park station playing on the radio listening to information on the park and the animals in its care. When you finally leave, and you will have to leave at some point, unfortunately, you’ll find you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favourite moment. Is it the beautiful orange of the fox’s coat? Or the elk stuck who his head right in the window? Or rounding a bend and seeing a majestic elk standing in the middle of the path? Or checking your rearview mirror and seeing one watching you drive away? Or seeing two mock-fighting? The coyote hanging out with us? The bears having fun on the frozen ice? Seeing the striations on the large rack of antlers? Seeing the mother boar nursing her young off to the side? Can we come back again?

 

 

 

Winter Wonderland

We got walloped again this week with some more snow. Ironically, it’s the only time I like winter. I don’t need the frigid temperatures and the bitter wind that blows. The slushy muck is also not wanted. But there’s something about fresh snow that seems so relaxing. Everything is calm… until you venture out onto the roads. Well, Thursday I finally ventured out and after two days of snow, everything was just stunning.

Quinoa Tabouleh

The summer program has come and gone. On the Friday when the last of the boxing up and surveys were being done I was a little relieved as the 6 weeks were really busy, but driving into my final meeting the following Monday, I found myself a little sad. Last year was quite tumultuous and when the first weekend of August arrived I was so relieved, along with numerous colleagues who felt the same. But this year was quite the contrast. Many of us returned knowing that we had a new director, and also knowing how well she would do. She didn’t disappoint and not only was she a great person in general, but she made a wonderful colleague and boss. I have made a decision not to return to the program next summer which makes it a little sadder to be finished this year, but new ventures are calling me. I’ve mentioned before that I’d like to leave teaching, and that unfortunately includes the summer program.

For our last day we had one last hurrah. Being one of the few with a backyard I hosted a potluck for the staff. It was a chance to talk about the program without getting an evil eye from a supervisor, laugh about things that went wrong (thankfully not many) or inside jokes, sigh a bit because the time just flew by, and enjoy the company of those you have gotten to know in the last month or so.

While thinking about what I would make (something easy and light for the hot weather) I came across a recipe for quinoa tabouleh on the back of a quinoa bag. Gogo Quinoa is a great line of products and often there is a recipe on the back of the bag. Normally they don’t really interest me, but this one jumped out. I loved tabouleh and used to buy it all the time in university. A shop across the street used to bring in the best one, but then it disappeared and I couldn’t find another one that I liked as much. This recipe was perfect for the potluck.

It is a delicious tabouleh and the quinoa works perfectly in place of the couscous. If you have a food processor, the job of chopping everything is made so much easier. The parsley in my garden is now at a manageable stage. In making this I left out the cilantro; only because the two packages I bought were both gross (forgetting that you can usually buy it next to the onions and radishes in the produce section). While it tasted great without, I can’t wait to try it again with the cilantro.

Quinoa Tabouleh

1 ½ cups quinoa

2 ½ cups water

1 big tomato, diced small

2 cups fresh chopped parsley

1 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 cup fresh chopped mint

½ small red onion, thinly chopped

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

1 pressed garlic clove

Cook quinoa according to package directions. When cooked put into a large bowl. Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic and toss with the quinoa. Let cool. When cool add parsley, cilantro, mint, tomato and onion.

Chicken Soup

For a family dinner a while back I roasted a large chicken. I had asked the butcher to flatten it for me, mainly to lessen the cooking time (it cuts the time to almost half). A downside to being new with meat is that I have no idea on portion or serving size. This chicken was huge! We had plenty not just for dinner and leftovers, but probably enough for the week or more. After days of chicken with veggies or on sandwiches, we’d had enough.

The cold weather convinced me to make chicken soup. My mom had rarely made soup from scratch, but my grandmothers always did. I prefer making my own soup because I know what’s in it. Plus it doesn’t take as long as people think. The most consuming part is chopping everything, but while the soup is cooking, you can do what you want.

I had copied a few recipes from Ahern’s book Gluten-Free Girl and one was for chicken stock. Whatever was in the fridge went in – tonnes of veggies and some rice that everyone was also sick of. And because the chicken had already been roasted I added a gf stock cube fearing there would be no flavour. Another upside of using leftover chicken is that all the natural fat was solidified sitting in the roasting pan, meaning there wasn’t any to skim off the top.

At first I stirred the soup often, impressed by my first meaty soup. Then I left it alone. When I returned to the kitchen an hour later the aroma was amazing. It was one of the most delicious smells I’ve ever experienced. Then the realization hit and tears came to my eyes. It smelled like my Babcia’s kitchen. I hadn’t smelled anything like it since I was 8 years old. In adjusting Ahern’s stock recipe I inadvertently made my Babcia’s chicken soup. She’d be proud of me, but also wonder why it took me so long to make it.

In finishing it up I poured everything through a colander and into a large bowl. It seemed a shame to throw out all the meat afterwards so I pulled it off the bones, chopped it up and put it back into the pot. As I fingered the bones, the legs, wings, then the vertebrae I was reminded again that my meal was once alive. Again tears came to my eyes with this realization. This was my new reality. It was something I continue to be aware of and need to remember. It was just taking me some time to adjust. 

Caramelized Onion & Olive Tart

Like many people, I’m intimidated by pastry. I’ve heard that I have no reason to feel this way, yet I am. When I make a tart it isn’t a beautiful creation and isn’t ‘perfect’. Instead they look a little rough around the edges, ‘rustic’ maybe. This skill may improve the more I make them and who knows, I may just have to ask for some tips from some of those around me who do it so well.

This recipe simplified things and Donna Hay used store-bought caramelized onions. I’ve never seen jars or cans of caramelized onions at any store I’ve been into, and besides, making them is so easy and pretty cheap. To caramelize onions all you need to do is slice your onions and quarter them (so the pieces aren’t too stringy). Heat some butter or oil in a deep pan and put in the onions.  Stir them up a bit, breaking them up. Then leave them be on low heat for an hour or so. It’s nice to put them on and forget about them. But don’t actually forget about them. I did and they were quite brown (luckily they still tasted the same).

Caramelized Onion & Olive Tart   (from Style at Home December 2010)

Roll or pat out some gluten-free pastry into a tart or pie plate. Spread with caramelized onions. Top with sliced black olives and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 200° oven for 20 mins. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Serve with a salad or cut into small pieces for an appetizer.