Hannah Harradine and Joel Gray are Feast On Certified Sumac + Salt – a hyper-local culinary experience showcasing the best of what Grey, Bruce + Simcoe County has to offer. Focussing on working with local farmers and producers, not only to source the best quality product but to also share their stories.
“This dish is a fantastic way to incorporate your favourite springtime ingredients. Whether they are foraged or found at your local market, the versatility is endless! Some of our fav variations would be adding sautéed wild leeks or beautiful Ontario asparagus, topped with a poached egg.”
This recipe is part of the Savour Ontario at Home series of recipes from top Ontario chefs and tastemakers. Sign up to receive the complete digital collection of recipes at: savourontarioathome.ca.
SPRING THINGS ON TOAST
What You Need
- 1 thick slice of sour dough bread
- 1/3 cup Ontario ricotta, seasoned (see instructions)
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp local honey
- 4 fiddleheads
- 1/2 cup diced local mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp Ontario apple cider (we like Duntroon)
- 2 Tbsp Ontario butter (we like Emerald Grasslands)
- 2 springs knotweed or asparagus
- Edible garnish (we used pansies, wild violette, nasturtiums and garlic mustard)
- Cold pressed oil (we used pristine gourmet canola) to finish
Instructions
- Start by seasoning your ricotta with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tbsp melted honey. Use a spatula to not break up the curd. Mix until combined, and adjust seasoning to your taste. Keep in the fridge until ready for assembly.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanche the fiddleheads for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter, then add mushrooms to caramelize.
- Deglaze with apple cider, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Using the same pan as the mushrooms, over medium heat, add your blanched fiddleheads and knotweed/asparagus till warm and tender (2-3 minutes).
- Pop your sourdough in the toaster and butter while it’s hot.
Assembly
- Place your buttered sourdough on your plate.
- Add 4 generous dollops of ricotta, leaving some space between to add your veg.
- In the spaces, place small piles of your mushrooms. Add your knotweed/asparagus on a diagonal, then fit in your fiddleheads.
- We used pansies, wild violette, nasturtiums and garlic mustard for garnish.
- Finish with a drizzle of cold-pressed canola oil and a pinch of salt.
