Summer Salads and a #CanolaConnect Culinary Event

What do a Chef, a farmer, a Registered Dietitian and a few foodies know about salads? The Canola Eat Well team recently hosted a #CanolaConnect learning event in Toronto where our resident Professional Home Economist, Jennifer Dyck, put these food-pros on the spot with a Summer Salad Q&A on Facebook Live & Periscope.

About the interviewees:

Chef Cory Vitiello, owner of The Harbord Room and Flock in Toronto.
Our event host and food media personality, Joey Salmingo.
Alberta Farmer and canola grower, Jeannette Andrashewshi
Food and lifestyle bloggers, Brigitte Truong and Angelie Sood
Registered Dietitian and Professional Home Economist, Erin MacGregor.

Q1: What’s your favourite Summer salad?

Chef Cory: Tomato, grilled corn, buffalo mozza and fresh herbs.
Jeannette: Spinach & strawberry.
Joey: Spinach with red onion, red pepper and hard-boiled eggs.
Angelie: Black bean, tomato, basil with lime juice.
Brigitte: Fresh watermelon, yogurt, feta & mint.
Erin: Watermelon salad screams Summer!

Q2: Potato Salad or Coleslaw?

It’s unanimously, potato salad!

Q3: What’s the most unique salad you’ve ever eaten or made?

Chef Cory: The Boho Flock (Plug: Visit Cory’s newest Flock location on Bloor St E in Toronto to try it!)
Jeannette: Kale & Broccoli
Joey: Grilled caesar salad (Try THE BEST Grilled Caesar Salad from CanolaEatWell.com!)
Erin: My signature salad: fried goat cheese with some seasonal veggies from the grill.

Q4: Coleslaw – creamy or vinegar?

Chef Cory: Vinegar
Jeannette: Creamy
Joey: On a hot day, vinegar. For comfort food, creamy.
Brigitte & Angelie: Vinegar!
Erin: Creamy but tangy!

Q5: Do you use a 2:1 ratio for canola oil to acid in your dressings?

Chef Cory: I am because I’m supposed to be today! Usually a 4:1 canola to vinegar for my vinaigrettes.
Jeannette: I am!
Erin: Roughly. Usually 2:1 or 3:1.

Q6: What type of container do you make your salad dressing in?

Chef Cory: 16 litre pail!
Jeannette: Anything that’s easy to put a lid on and shake!
Joey: One of those little spinner things so that it emulsifies really well.
Angelie: Measuring cup, then transfer to a spritzer.
Brigitte: I eye up the ingredients in a bowl.
Erin: Small glass measuring cup.

Q7: Shaken or stirred?

Chef Cory: I use a boat motor-powered immersion blender! We go through a lot of salad dressing.
Jeannette: I’m a shaker!
Joey: Shake it!
Brigitte & Angelie: Stir
Erin: Whisk

Q8: Do you know how long you can keep salad dressings in the fridge?

Chef Cory: 3 weeks, but fresh is always better. (Insert my PHEc cringe face emoji!)
Jeannette: I don’t even know what’s in my fridge!
Joey: Should I? I don’t.
Brigitte & Angelie: 3-5 days (Bingo! They may have cheated…)
Erin: Food safety-wise, 3-5 days. If there are fresh herbs in it, closer to 3 days, otherwise closer to 5. (High-five fellow PHEc!)

Q9: What is your go-to vinegar?

Chef Cory: Sherry vinegar
Jeannette: Balsamic
Joey: Calamansi vinegar
Brigitte & Angelie: White rice vinegar.
Erin: Balsamic

Q9: Citrus?

Chef Cory: Lemon
Jeannette: Lemon
Joey: Oranges
Brigitte & Angelie: Lemon
Erin: Lemon

Q10: Why do you use canola oil in your kitchen?

Chef Cory: I use canola oil exclusively in my restaurants for frying, dressings and rubs. It’s neutral, healthy and carries flavours easily.
Jeannette: Versatile, healthy and easy to work with.
Brigitte: Easily accessible. 
Angelie: For its high smoke point!

Q11: Dried or Fresh Herbs?

Chef Cory: Do you have to ask??! Fresh.
Jeannette: Unfortunately due to access to fresh in rural Alberta, dried.
Joey: Fresh, but I’m ok with dried.
Brigitte & Angelie: Fresh!
Erin: Fresh.

Q12: One herb you can’t live without?

Chef Cory: Basil.
Jeannette: Basil.
Joey: Oregano, so versatile.
Brigitte & Angelie: Cilantro & basil.
Erin: Can’t live without basil

Q13: What’s an emulsifier?

Chef Cory: Egg yolk, mustard.. something that can lock up your oil and water molecules together (Ding, ding, ding! That is correct, Chef! Let’s add honey to the list of emulsifiers, too!)

Q14: Honey, mustard, neither or both?

Chef Cory: Mustard.
Jeannette: Honey.
Joey: Both, but more honey than mustard.
Brigitte : Honey.
Angelie: Mustard.
Erin: Both! A little sweetness from the honey and flare from the mustard.

Q15: What are your must-have salad components?

Chef Cory: Shaved, raw, zucchini. Or, in the winter, squash shaved razor thin. Best salad tip: Freshness is #1. #2 It’s textures: creamy and crunchy. #3 Balance your flavours. Something acidic, something sweet like candied nuts or tomato, then crispness from your greens.
Jeannette: Canola oil, raspberry jam, white balsamic, s&p and a little splash of sugar.
Joey: Something with crunch, something tart and something sweet.
Brigitte: Avocado & cherry tomatoes. 
Angelie: Cherry tomatoes & cuccumber
Erin: Fresh, seasonal vegetables

Q16: Salad in a bowl or on a plate?

Chef Cory: Bowl.
Jeannette: Bowl.
Joey: Bowl.
Brigitte & Angelie: Bowl.
Erin: Big bowl.

Q17: Spinach or kale?

Chef Cory: Kale
Jeannette: spinach
Joey: Kale.
Angelie: Spinach
Brigitte: Both!
Erin: Spinach

Q18: Salad as a meal or part of a meal?

Chef Cory: As a meal!
Jeannette: Usually as a meal.
Joey: As a meal.
Brigitte & Angelie: As a meal
Erin: As a meal and #putaneggonit!

Berrylicious CanolaConnect

This event was one of an eight-part series to help create a #FarmToFood connection. Hosted by Joey Salmingo and Chef Cory Vitiello (@TheHarbordRoom & @EatFlock). You can read some of the recaps from the guests themselves:

Angelie’s recap: http://www.lifestylefile.ca/2016/07/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-canola.html

Brigitte’s recap: http://brigittetruong.com/award-winning-lobster-hushpuppy-recipe/

 

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