MaySerrano Croquettes a la Brasserie l’Ecole

plus more...

Camelina Oil from Saskatchewan

May 2012ISSUE 27

NEWSLETTER

Kusmi Teas

250-592-4080www.ottaviovictoria.com2272 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, B.C.

May 2012ISSUE 27

NEWSLETTER

With its origins tracing back to 1867 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Kusmi tea story is almost like a history lesson unto itself. At 14 years old and needing a job P.M. Kousmichoff set out for work and landed one with a tea merchant. By 1901 his own natural talent for blending teas soon led

to 11 successful teahouses and he became one of the largest tea merchants in all of Russia.

His eldest son introduced the tea to savvy London drinkers and eventually to Paris. Eventually the empire expanded with offices in New York and Hamburg. Sadly, by 1972, the company was

led into bankruptcy and laid dormant until 2003 when the Orebi brothers resurrected it. A family with a long history of purveying cotton, coffee and cocoa, thus the move into tea made perfect sense. All Kusmi teas are made from top growths of premier plantations from India and

China. On our shelves you will find many excellent green & black loose teas, including these new varieties arriving this month: Rooibos, Boost, Euphoria, Algotea, and 5 great miniature

samplers in a tube: The Russians, The Moments, The Afternoons, The Wellness, and The Brunch. We are hooked on Kusmi teas!

Never heard of it? This spring we were introduced to a young ambitious entrepreneur from Saskatchewan with a fantastic tasting oil produced from heritage canola seed. Camelina seed is GMO free and once was the original rapeseed that for years prairie

farmers grew and processed. Today almost 90% of all canola seed and their by-products are from genetically modified canola seed. The Three Farmers Oil is expeller and cold pressed just like the olive oil on our shelves. Tasting notes include fresh cut grass and

hay and its utility as a sautéing oil and finishing oil make it an excellent all purpose kitchen oil. Join us on May 26th for an in-store tasting with the producer.

Weekend BakingThe bakery team is busy everyday producing scratch-made all butter croissants,

brioches and a variety of breads and cookies. Come Friday and Saturdays the counter gets crammed with even more goodies!

Here are some to try:

‘Fougasse’-with origins in France, we fill our versions with deli meats and cheese as well as a vegetarian option featuring the best produce of the season.

‘Bourbon Brioche Pudding’-using a combo of our butter brioche and cinnamon & raisin brioche, spiked with Jack Daniels and bourbon soaked sultanas… enough

said, it’s simply delicious!‘Grape & Rosemary Focaccia’-a moist square of sweetened dough studded with red flame grapes, rosemary and sea salt-excellent paired with Salt Spring Island

chevre.‘Olive Round & Baguette’-a combination dough of unbleached white and whole

wheat flour laced with coarsely chopped kalamata olives. 

Camelina Oil

Visit Ottavio Online & follow us on Twitter

(www.twitter.com/ottaviovictoria)

for upcoming events, new products,

exciting arrivals & more.

Upcoming EventsOak Bay Sidewalk Sale

In-House Tasting with Three Farmers Camelina Oil

Festa Italiana – roasted lamb sandwiches on the piazza, cheese & olive oil tasting, wine tasting by Penny Farthing, Ferraris, Ducatis, special Festa Menu in the café 11-3

May 12th

May 26th

SatJune 2nd

Often we are asked at the cheese case about choices made without animal derived enzymes, or what is commonly known

as rennet. It may come as a surprise but the rennet is actually found within the stomach of the milking animal. As with

many discoveries in food, one can only wonder how they determined using such technique would convert raw milk into

cheese!

The following cheeses are all made using a vegetable based enzyme, which is most commonly found in plants such as

nettles, fig leaves and thistles. Most of the following selections are available at Ottavio year round:

English Blue Stilton (UK, Cow’s milk, Pasteurized)

Irish Blue Cashel (Ireland, Cow’s milk, Unpasteurized)

Shropshire Blue (UK, Cow’s milk, Pasteurized)

Humboldt Fog (USA, Goat’s milk, Pasteurized)

Hilary’s Black Waxed Cheddar , Belle Ann, Red Dawn (all Vancouver Island, Goat’s milk, Pasteurized)

St. Andre (France, Cow’s milk)

250-592-4080www.ottaviovictoria.com2272 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, B.C.

1/In a saucepan melt butter and sweat onions for 5 mins.2/add flour and cook another 5 mins. over medium heat,3/gently pour warmed milk into saucepan stirring fre-quently for 20 mins.The mixture should be quite thick. Remove from heat,4/fold in diced prosciutto, grated cheese and adjust season-ing if necessary.5/using a piping bag with a ½”tip, pipe “logs” onto a baking sheet. Allow to cool.6/Slice cooled “logs” into 2-inch portions,7/ Dredge in flour then into whisked eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs, repeat once again for a double breading.8/Shallow fry in your choice of oil until golden brown and crispy. Blot on paper towels, serve warm.

Serrano CroquettesThis month’s recipe provided by Ottavio friend and long time customer Chef Sean Brennan of the highly esteemed res-taurant Brasserie l’Ecole. (Located on Government St. in downtown Victoria)

Onion (Yellow or White)-fine diceUnsalted butterAll purpose flourHomogenized milkJamon Serrano or Sgambato Prosciutto-fine dice12 month Manchego cheese-finely gratedSea salt (optional)

For the Breading:

all purpose floureggs-whiskedbreadcrumbs (Sean uses Panko or Japanese breadcrumbs)Olive oil, Grapeseed or Camelina Oil

14oz.4oz.300ml8oz.1/2 cup1tsp.

1/2 cup21 cup

May 2012ISSUE 27

NEWSLETTER

Vegetarian Rennet Cheese