My mom, Helen, is an incredible cook and baker. My regular readers know this. I am consistently working to record her making our family favourites to preserve them and the cultural heritage of our community in the Central Alberta area where we both grew up. Her meatloaf is my very favourite home cooked meal at my mother’s hand. It is a scrumptious family celebration. We all love it. Oddly, I have not yet posted it. That has to change. And, even odder, I decided to serve her famous meatloaf with this Classic on an evening when neither was big enough for the guests I could see would be joining us for our evening meal.

It would have never crossed my mind to compare her meatloaf along side another at a Tasting. For a competition, maybe; but a Tasting, no. I just knew there was none that could even come close to hers. So, why did I make this one?

Two things: curiosity (love experimenting) and really wanted to find a meatloaf that was made with as many lovely local products as I could lay my hands on. The third might be that anything wrapped in bacon would be a showstopper at any Potluck buffet!

Budapest Deli makes the best bacon in the city: double smoked and meaty. I picked up the veal, pork and beef all at The Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market from a couple of my other favourite producers: one pound of each. The eggs are from Sunworks Farm at the same market. Look at that bowl of fresh fragrant goodness!

The flat-leafed parsley was from Morinville Greenhouses (same market) and the onion and garlic  from a vendor there, too. The salt, ketchup, mustard and breadcrumbs were not from the market.

Irvings Farm Fresh has the best pork as I love the Berkshire boar, and Four Whistle Farms provided the other meats. I could and should make my own ketchup. I have always wanted to. I used salted soda crackers for the bread crumbs as I have always preferred those to bread in meatloaf or meatballs, but I have to work at what else I could use, too. This is a healthy main. No doubt about it.

I free formed it into a loaf on parchment on a cookie sheet then wrapped a pound of bacon slices around it and tucked them under it.

It didn’t look so crispy when it first came out of the oven, so I tucked it under the grill and watched it carefully for about five minutes to get this golden crust.

The result: this meatloaf stood strong beside my mom’s. I should have taken a better photo of hers, but will do that when I write the post about it. We were all so surprised at how lovely the texture and flavour of this meatloaf was. Mom’s was actually a little “watery” in the centre when compared beside it. I was stunned. I do love her “crust”, but I had to admit that double smoked bacon held its own to hers.  All in all, a very simple, easy homemade meal bursting with flavour and a whole lotta love!

(I know, I know…. where are the vegetables? There were more, and though this salad looks like a subtle bit of crunch, it was a zingy delight. Sometime I will have to do a post on easy supper salads!)

LeQuan happened to drop by with the kiddies just as this was coming out of the oven. I love it when that happens! And, look…. someone else did, too!

• 350g flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 250g butter, cut into cubes and chilled
• 125g ice water

1. Scale the flour, measure the salt, black pepper, thyme and rosemary into the TM bowl and combine for 3 seconds on Turbo
2. Pulse three times for 1 second at Turbo speed to incorporate and aerate all ingredients
3. Add the cold butter into the TM blow; pulse it 3 tines for 1/2 second, 2 times for 2 seconds, until crumbly
4. scale in the ice water; pulse ½ second 5 times, then 2-3 seconds each 2 times until the dough comes together (watch carefully through the lid)
5. Dump the dough onto a work surface and quickly form it into a square that is about 1 inch thick; do not knead or work the dough
6. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 2 hours
7. Roll dough on a cold surface (preferably marble) to about 1/8” thick; fold and line the molds with the dough
8. Press sides gently and dock the bottom of the tart, removing extra dough from sides once the surface area is clearly covered
9. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for another hour
10. Gather the dough scraps and form them into a ball without kneading; just press the scraps together
11. Roll that ball to ¼” thickness and using a cookie cutter with a flutted edge, cut squares: these will be the crackers
12. Transfer the squares to a sheet pan lined with parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking
13. Dock the crackers with a fork, sprinkle them with black pepper and grated parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes

• 50g smoked bacon, sliced and cut into lardons

• 1 medium leek, washed, quartered and diced OR 6 small shallots, minced

• 1 small stalk of broccoli, washed, and chopped; stems peeled, and minced

• 50g apple smoked cheddar, grated

• 5g salt

• 5g black pepper

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 3 eggs
• 240g whole milk
• 125g heavy cream

Preheat the over to 425°F

1. In a medium pan, sauté the lardons until staring to brown; add leek or shallots and sauté until transluscent
3. Add the broccoli and 1 tsp of thyme and sauté for 2 minutes; remove the pan from the heat and cool
4. In the meantime, scale the milk and cream into the TM bowl, add the eggs, remaining 2 tsp. fresh thyme, salt and black pepper
5. Combine for 3 seconds at speed 4
6. Grate the cheese
7. Place the chilled tart mold on a baking sheet; spread the cooled sautéed filling over the tart crust
8. Sprinkle the grated cheese over all, evenly; pour half the cutard on top of each tart
9. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375°F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until top is golden brown and puffed and bottom of the crust is cooked

• 25g cassis mustard
• 2-3 plump cloves of garlic
• 20g red onion
• 25g balsamic vinegar
• 25g rice wine vinegar
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil (one measuring cup full)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Scale first three ingredients into the TM bowl and mince at Turbo speed for 3 seconds; scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula
2. Scale in vinegars, and measure in salt and pepper; combine at speed 4 for 1 minute adding olive oil slowly through the lid
3. Reseason, as needed, and toss with Greens Eggs and Ham greens (I added extra pea tendril shoots, too)
4. Pile greens on top of the tart crouton and serve

• one 16 ounce bag of sweet frozen corn, thawed
• one red pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 purple onion, diced
• 1 16 ounce black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of one lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• Garnishes: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro

1. Pre-heat oven to 425ºF
2. In a large bowl, toss together the corn, red pepper, garlic, onion and jalapeno pepper with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil
3. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet; roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove when the corn is caramelized
4. Add beans to the same large bowl; add lime juice, salt and corn mixture and stir
5. In a large sauté pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil; place one tortilla onto the pan
6. Add a cup of the corn and bean mixture and spoon evenly on the tortillaand add 2 ounces of cheese
7. Place a second tortilla on top, or do two to a pan and fill and fold as in the above photos
8. Cover and cook for about 1 minute; flip the quesadilla carefully and cook for about 1 more minute, or until golden brown
9. Remove from pan, cut into 6 wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole and fresh cilantro
10. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 double or six single quesadillas