Preheat oven to 450 degrees
1. Clean and chop off green stems from beets
2. Place beets in a baking pan and wrap in tin foil
3. Cook in over for 15 – 20 minutes, test readiness with a small knife
4. Cool beets until warm, then peel and cut in half
5. Toast pumpkin seeds in pan till brown
6. Mix Dijon and vinegar in a bowl
7. Stir in olive oil until the dressing is emulsified
8. Mix the beets with dressing and pumpkin seeds
9. Top with feta and serve

Heat oil in 12 qt stockpot. Add squash and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, onion, leek, and garlic. Stir often making sure not to brown too much. Add butter and sweat until all vegetables are semi-soft. Place bananas in an oven safe dish with 3 tbsp brown sugar evenly spread on top. Put into oven until sugar starts to caramelize (10 min at 375 degrees). Add bananas and sugar mixture to stockpot. Slowly stir for 2 minutes. Add 4 qts simmering chicken stock. While waiting for soup to come back up to a simmer, place thyme in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni (coffee filter has same effect) and tie with butcher’s twine. Submerge bouquet garni in broth. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the back of your knife, scrape out inside. Place both filling and 2 halves of vanilla bean into soup. Also add cinnamon sticks, salt, pepper, and remaining brown sugar. Let simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard bouquet garni, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla beans. Blend soup using a blender, adding additional chicken stock for consistency. Check for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, and brown sugar to taste.

Olive Crust:
½ cup black kalamata olives pitted and halved (125ml)
1 teaspoon capers
6 cloves of roasted garlic
¼ cup olive oil (60 ml)
The juice of 1 lemon

Egg Wash:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water (30 ml)

Flour for dusting
Cornmeal for dusting
Pizza paddle

To prepare vegetables, cut leeks to size and leave the top root attached. Soak leeks standing up in a large container of cold water root side up. (Note leeks have a large amount of dirt between leaves; by soaking up side down the dirt will fall to the bottom of the container. You may have to repeat several times to remove all grit and dirt.)

Clean mushrooms by lightly brushing with a dry cloth or mushroom brush.

Cut and remove seeds and veins from peppers.

Place all vegetables in a large bowl.

Toss vegetable with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place garlic cloves with skins in tack on soaked bamboo skewers.

Preheat barbeque to 375°F/190°C or medium high heat.

Oil preheated barbeque grate.

Place leeks and garlic skewers on grill first and cook for 4 minutes.  Flip leeks and add the mushrooms and peppers. Cook the mushrooms and peppers for 2 minutes per side (The vegetables should still be tender- crisp as you will be cooking them again later in the calzone). Remove all the vegetables. Place in tray and let cool.

Peel the skins from garlic and set aside.

Once vegetables are cool chop all into bite sized pieces and set aside.

In a food processor combine olives, roasted garlic, lemon juice and capers, blend lightly with the pulse button of the blender.  The mixture will be slightly chunky.

Roll pizza dough into 2 x 12 inch rounds (2 x 19.6cm) on a large cutting board lightly dusted with flour and cornmeal.

Smear olive mixture on half of the pizza dough.  Leave a 1 inch (2.5cm) border around the outside. Repeat with the other rolled pizza dough.  Place cheeses on top of ½ the olive crust then top with spinach, chopped vegetables and sun dried tomatoes.  Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.

Make egg wash by whisking together egg with water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash over the empty half of the pizza dough’s border. Carefully fold the crust over top the vegetable cheese mixture to form a half moon shape. Using your fingers or a fork press both edges together. You should have ½ moon shaped calzone. Repeat with the second olive crust.

Place calzone on a cornmeal dusted pizza paddle.

Preheat one side of the barbeque to 350°F/176°C or medium heat and the other side to 250°F/137°C or low heat .

Oil the grill.

Place calzone on medium heat side for 3 minutes or until crust is hard and can calzone can be easily be moved.

Move calzone over to low heat side and close lid on barbeque.

Cook with lid down for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crisp.  The calzone will puff up to form what looks like a pillow.

Remove calzone from grill with the pizza paddle.

Cut in wedges and serve.

Yield:  8 large wedges

Salad:
4 cups baby spinach cleaned (1litre)
1 cup pitted Bing cherries (250ml)
1 cup peeled chopped gala apple (250ml)
½ cup toasted walnut halves (125ml)
½ cup of Gorgonzola cheese, sliced thin (125ml)

Chill 6 medium salad bowls in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place the cleaned spinach in a large bowl and gently toss with dressing.

Divide spinach into 6 chilled serving bowls and top with cherries, nuts, apples and Gorgonzola cheese slices.

Serve with crusty bread.

Note: to slice pieces of cheese, warm knife with hot water, wipe dry and slice cheese.  .

Yield: 6 servings

Prepare rice by following manufacturer instructions. Let cool.

Using a sharp knife remove core from cabbage.

Place cored cabbage head in a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil cabbage on high heat for 2 minutes.

Remove cabbage from water and let cool slightly.

Clean the blanched cabbage by carefully removing leafs from base and keeping shape intact.  Refresh leaves in ice water bath.

Strain the cabbage and pat dry. You should have 8 large leaves

Combine the cooked, cooled rice, cheese, chopped tomato and herbs in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the leaves of cabbage down on work surface slightly flattening them (if the ribs of the cabbage are so firm they won’t flatten cut a small triangle from the center bottom of rib).  Add 1 cup (250ml) of filling evenly in the center of each cabbage leaf.  Tuck cabbage sides over making an envelope and roll up to the end of cabbage leaf.  Secure with a presoaked toothpick.  Repeat the process until all filling is used.  You should have 8 large rolls.

Preheat barbeque to 350°F/176°C or medium heat.

Drizzle cabbage rolls with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Oil preheated barbeque grill.

Place the cabbage rolls on grill and sear each side for 1 minute or until lightly charred.  Reduce heat to 300°F/148°C or medium low and continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Remove cabbage rolls from the grill and place on a tray.

Serve covered with Roasted Vegetable Sauce. (Recipe follows)

Yield: 8 large rolls

Roasted Vegetable Sauce

1 medium red onion quartered
3 vine ripened tomatoes cut in halves
2 medium zucchini sliced in ½ inch rounds (8mm)
2 red bell pepper seeded and sliced in 1inch pieces (16mm)
4 cloves of garlic placed on skewer
3 tablespoons olive oil (45ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bamboo skewers soaked in cool water for 1 hour

Dressing:
2 teaspoons sugar (10ml)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (15ml)
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (45ml)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano (15ml)
1 cup diced stewed tomatoes (250ml)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat barbeque to375°F/190°C or medium high heat.

Thread garlic cloves onto pre-soaked skewers 5 per skewer.

Place all chopped vegetables in a bowl.

Drizzle the chopped vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper Toss the vegetables to ensure each is evenly coated in oil and seasoning.

Oil preheated barbeque grill.

Place onions and garlic on grill for 4 minutes per side or until slightly soft and caramelized.  Remove from grill and place in a large bowl.

Place the tomatoes cut side down directly on the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side.  The skins will be slightly charred and the flesh will be tender. Add to the bowl with the onions.

Place remaining vegetables on grill for 2 minutes per side or until nicely charred.   Remove vegetables and add to the bowl with the onions, garlic and tomatoes. Let cool.

Peel skins from garlic and tomatoes.

In a bowl mash tomatoes and garlic.  Add sugar, balsamic vinegar, canned diced tomatoes, herbs and salt and pepper.

Chop the remaining vegetables in small pieces and add to bowl.

Place mixture in a saucepan set over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce over grilled Cabbage Rolls.

Yield: Sauce for 8 cabbage rolls

For the soup:
Vegetable oil
2-2 1/2 pound kabocha squash, halved horizontally, seeded
8 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 (7.4 ounce) jars whole roasted chestnuts
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Make the chipotle creme fraiche: Combine port, red wine, chilies and tomato paste in heavy small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to thick paste, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; cool. Fold in creme fraiche. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.

Make the soup: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush baking sheet with oil. Place squash halves, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Bake squash until very tender, about 1 hour.

Scoop the squash from skins. Measure 6 cups squash, and transfer to a large pot. (Reserve any remaining squash for another use.) Add broth and chestnuts to pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer soup uncovered until chestnuts are very tender, about 30 minutes. Mix maple syrup into soup. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth; return to same pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(Soup can be prepared one day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with chipotle creme fraiche.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook until the onion is tender, 4-6 minutes.Add the squash and enough water to cover by about 3 inches. Simmer, uncovered, until the squash and carrots are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the honey, cinnamon and allspice and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. (Thin the soup with a little water if necessary.) Pour the soup back into the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

Grind the chipotle chili into a powder in a spice grinder. Puree the ground chipotle, beans, water, oregano, epazote and cumin in a blender until smooth. Thin with a little additional water, if necessary.Bring the soup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

Wash the pumpkin and cut the top quarter off. Scoop out the flesh to within 2 cm of sides and cube. Put the shell on one side for using later. Slice the onion and chilli and crush the garlic. Heat the oil and fry the onion and chilli together with the curry leaves. When the onion is soft add the pumpkin salt pepper turmeric and thin coconut milk and cook until the pumpkin is’ done. Pour the thick coconut milk onto the ground rice mustard and garlic and add to the pumpkin mixture stirring as it thickens. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into pump- kin shell. Sprinkle with the curry powder and lime juice.