Plow & Harvest - Local Comfort Food (Restaurant Preview)

UPDATE: This place has now closed. A short stint in the #yegfood community. Interesting articles about who the original owners of Plow & Harvest can be found through a quick search of google.

Front door of Plow & Harvest

Local comfort food. Who doesn't like the sounds of those words? So, when talk of Plow & Harvest (P&H) began to show up on social media, Breakfast Television, and in my inbox everyone including myself was intrigued. I was invited to attend a soft opening for a sampling of their mains and side dishes one August evening. Upon entering the restaurant you are greeted by a huge red tractor. The restaurant is open concept and from the door you can see glimpses of the open kitchen.

Big red tractor gracing the front door of P&H.

To order your food, just walk a little to the left of the tractor and there will be cash registers and the menu available on digital screens. I am thinking that the set-up is similar to other restaurants where you order your food at the register, receive a number plaque, and then seat yourself. On a typical day, P&H also indicates that there are Ambassadors available to help guests out as needed. 

Here you would place your order at P&H.

Seating is self-serve and there are a number of long share tables in the middle spaces of the room and then regular chairs and tables surrounding the long tables. There are no booths, so this may make it a little tricky for families that have little ones or need space to put the car seat or stroller. However, there is a fair amount of space around the tables for little ones that might need to stretch their legs. 

Long share tables with more seating a level
and around the share tables. 

There were also digital tablets available at each table where customers can click to see what the plates look like, read descriptions of menu items and even order their food (see the credit card swipe at the top?). The tablets also had various riddles, puzzles and games (e.g. paint) to entertain young and old alike.  

Tablets to order, play games or for more info at P&H.

A blackboard near the kitchen details where some of P&H's food items are sourced from. In talking to Chef James Bailey, he indicated that in the future P&H plans on printing the name of producers beside the dish descriptions in order for customers to see where the food is being sourced.

Nice to see where restaurants are sourcing their food from.

Now, onto the food. That night we were provided with a sampling of various items, so the dishes that were used were their sampler dishes and not their usual serving dishes. The descriptions of some of their dishes can be found on their website. Pictured below are the first 4 samplers that we tried within the first two hours: Baked Potato Soup (creamy potato soup with smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, sour cream and green onion), Hand-cut plank fries, Pickled vegetables (pickles, onions, jalapenos) and Not-So-Sloppy Joe (P&H spicy secret recipe with ground beef, sweet peppers & melted cheddar on their soft artisan bread).

Baked Potato Soup, Hand-cut Plank fries,
Pickled Vegetables & Not-So-Sloppy Joe. 

Admittedly, it was difficult to form a complete impression of their baked potato soup as there were only a few spoonfuls. From what I tasted, the soup was creamy, thick and had a nice balance of green onions and cheddar. However, I did find it a tad salty which may have been the addition of the bacon and the size of the soup container. The hand-cut fries were crispy when they arrived at the table. A part of me wonders if they will be serving the fries in the same container as that seemed to help keep the fries warm. As for the pickled veggies, I enjoyed the sweet & sour of the pickles though would have liked more crunch to the pickles. The jalapenos looked way to spicy, so I gave mine away to another food blogger! As for the Not-So-Sloppy Joe, I personally found it a tad messy and definitely needed one more napkin before I finished my taster sandwich.

P&H fresh squeezed lemonade, Ribstone Creek,
Blasted Church's Hatfield's Fuse White and Alley Kat's Aprikat.

There was a bit of time in between some of the tasters, so I took the opportunity to check out P&H's beverage selection. P&H has a variety of "free-flowing" beverages such as Boylan's All-Natural Soda, fresh brewed iced tea & fresh squeezed lemonade, and sparkling & filtered water. The fresh squeezed lemonade that I tried was refreshing and not too tart or sweet. I also let the ice melt a bit before I had my first sip (too busy taking photos!), so this may have helped with the overall taste. In going with their desire to source locally, P&H's local brews and wines that they have on their menu are sourced from Edmonton and area (Alley Kat, Big Rock, Ribstone Creek), Calgary (Wildrose), and with wines coming from Okanagan (Blasted Church, See Ya Later Ranch) with the exception of a sparkling wine (Sofia Mini). 

Buttermilk fried chicken (top), Baked mac-n-cheese (middle),
and P&H Grilled Cheese with bourbon bacon jam (bottom).

The last few samplers that we tried was the Mac-n-cheese, P&H Grilled Cheese, and the much anticipated Buttermilk Fried Chicken! The Mac-n-cheese was likely the one item that I had a hard time eating. The pasta seemed to be a bit too soft, and the sauce had a watery texture to it. Certainly, everyone has different preferences when it comes to mac and cheese. However, had the pasta been more al dente and the cheese sauce thicker, I'm sure I would have enjoyed this sample more.

When talking to Chef James Bailey, he indicated that his favourite menu item is the P&H's Grilled Cheese sandwich which is served with a blend of melted spicy jack cheeses, smoky bourbon bacon jam, arugula, & roasted tomatoes on whole grain bread. On first bite, the sandwich was tasty. The cheese was melted, but the bread itself was slightly dry. I wonder if more bacon jam was needed to really provide flavour throughout the sandwich.

Last but not least, was the buttermilk fried chicken. This was definitely the winner of the night for everyone. The fried chicken was crispy, yet still juicy and had a nice accompaniment of dijon mustard slaw & pickled red onions. It is a great sandwich. I honestly wish I had a bigger portion so I could delve further into how good that sandwich tasted.

Door prizes from P&H of fudge, P&H pickles and soda.

Right before we left, Andrea  managed to get us all a taste of P&H's frozen vanilla custard. From the taste I had, I'm sure it will be delicious in their Frozen Custard Sandwich and in their floats.

Sneak taste of the frozen vanilla custard (pretty delish!)

All in all, this night was a good opportunity to hang out with friends and sample tastings of the various food that Plow & Harvest has to offer. With the sampler sizes being so small, it was hard to get a definite idea of whether or not the food item was supposed to taste or look like they did. Certainly, like all new restaurants there are some areas to fine tune over time. I am curious to find out what the full-size portions look and taste like. I would definitely return for that Buttermilk Fried chicken as it was pretty tasty! Another item on my list would be the frozen custard sandwich and custard floats! 

Plow & Harvest

www.plowandharvest.com

10041 170st.

Edmonton, AB

(780)669-7500

Daily at 11am

  

Step by Step Strawberry Balsamic Macaron Recipe Using Pierre Herme's (Italian) Method

Strawberry Balsamic Macarons made with the Italian method. 

When I first started making macarons, I checked out every single macaron book from the library. As I did my research I came to understand that there were essentially two ways to make macarons using either the French method or the Italian method. Now, you're probably wondering what is the difference? The French method, used for most of my macarons including the Earl Grey Macarons, is when the dry ingredients are folded into the meringue. The Italian method uses a hot sugar syrup mixture that is incorporated into the egg whites while they are being whipped, and then into the dry ingredients. Previously, I had tried my hand at making macarons with the Italian method when I made the Ispahan Macarons. However, since that initial success, I've had failure after failure using the Italian method. Perhaps it was a temperature issue, under mixing, over mixing or resting time? Finally, this summer's break afforded me the time to spend dedicated time experimenting with the Italian method following Pierre Herme's method and also the one in Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. 

I actually ended up baking macarons for an entire week. One batch using Pierre Herme's, another using Thomas Keller's and a final one using my "tried, tested & true" french meringue method. This post will be based on the recipe from Pierre Herme's book with the following posts on my other experiments and testing!

Strawberry-Balsamic Macarons sitting pretty. 

Now, let's talk about what these Strawberry Balsamic Macarons taste like. Certainly the flavour of strawberry came through. The dark chocolate balsamic that I used did not seem to add to the flavour profile of these macarons, though it certainly gave the buttercream a darker hue. For everyone that tried this batch of macarons, they felt that it definitely tasted like strawberry, but was on the slightly sweeter side. I wonder if this may have been due to the method? It also seemed that macarons made with this method didn't need to rest in the fridge for the required 2 days and could be served almost immediately the next day. 

Strawberry Balsamic Macarons Recipe - Based on Pierre Herme's Italian Method

Ingredients for Macaron Shells (Italian Method)

• 150g Almond Meal
• 150g Powdered Sugar
• 55g Egg Whites (to be mixed into dry ingredients)
• 55g Egg Whites (place in bowl of mixer)
• 150g  Granulated Fine Sugar
• 38g Water

Directions:

1. Using a scale measure out all the ingredients. Remember to set aside 55g of egg whites for mixing into the dry ingredients and to place the other 55g of egg whites into the bowl of the mixture.

Scale to weigh all ingredients to the exact gram. 

Here are the egg whites, granulated sugar and water measured out. 

Measure and weighed powdered sugar, almond meal and egg whites.

2. Place the powdered sugar and almond meal into a food processor and process them together.

Process almond meal and powered sugar together.

3. Sift together the almond meal and the powdered sugar. If there are any larger chunks left over, process it again in the processor.

Processed  and sifted almond meal and powdered sugar.

4. Mix 2-3 drops of your choice of gel food colouring (I used Wilton Red) into the 55g of egg whites. Take the egg whites mixed with the food colouring and pour into the almond meal and powdered sugar mixture. Allow it to sit.

After sifting the powdered sugar and almond meal, pour coloured egg whites on top. 

5. Take a heavy bottomed pot and pour the granulated fine sugar and water into the pot. Attach a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the sugar and water as it heats up.

Getting ready for the hot syrup - take a heavy bottomed pot, measured out superfine sugar
and water. 

6. Turn stove top to medium-high. Bring the water and sugar solution to 115C (~239F). Try not to stir the solution as it will reach the correct temperature faster without disruption. 

Set the heavy bottom pot on the stove to medium-high. Allow the water-sugar solution to reach 118C.

7. Meanwhile, start whisking the second portion of 55g of egg whites to soft peaks.

Sugar-Water solution boiling away and egg whites whisking in mixer. 

8. Once the water and sugar solution reaches 118C (~245F), pour it slowly over the whisking egg whites. It will form a white meringue (see below). Continue to whisk and allow the meringue to cool down to 50C. 

Hot syrup poured into egg whites and forming a meringue. 

9. Once the meringue has cooled down to 50C, fold it into the almond meal-sugar mixture. 

Meringue folded into the almond meal-processed sugar mixture. 

10. Mix the meringue into the dry ingredients. Mix from the inside out, while turning the bowl in a clock wise direction.

Mixing the meringue into the dry ingredients. 

11. Mix until the mixture turns glossy and resembles that of runny cake batter.

Mix until the mixture looks glossy and resembles runny cake batter.

12. Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (I use piping tip A1).

Transferring batter to piping bag. 

One of the tricks I use: Since I'm often baking macarons myself, I prop up the piping bag in a clear
container so it makes the transferring of the batter much easier. 

13. Line your thicker baking trays with silicon mats and pipe rounds about 2-3 cm in diameter or 3-5 cm (depending on how big you want them), spacing them approximately 2 cm apart. If you are in need of a template, try this template. When you are done piping, you will notice that each macaron shell has a little top to it.

Freshly piped macaron shells.

14. Before piping the next tray rap the try on a work surface to flatten the macarons. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that may have formed. Allow the macarons to sit for at least 30-45 minutes until a skin has formed on the top of the macaron shell (the batter should not stick to your fingers when you lightly touch the shell). The timing will vary depending on how humid or dry your baking conditions are.

Macaron shells resting for 30-45 minutes before being baked. 

15. While the macarons are resting, turn the oven temperature anywhere between 250-350F. You may have to do some experimenting with your oven to determine the best temperature for your macarons. This batch of macarons were baked at 260F in a regular oven for a total of 20 minutes. Open and shut the door of the oven at 8 minutes and again at 10 minutes to allow some of the heat and moisture to dissipate.

Finished macarons baked in a regular oven at 260F for 20 minutes using the Italian meringue method. 

On this particular day of baking macarons I had enough batter left over to also pipe onto parchment paper. Here we can see the differences between macarons baked on parchment paper versus a silicon baking mat. The macarons baked on the parchment paper were a little uneven on the bottom and top and had somewhat smaller feet pied in comparison to those baked on the silicon baking mat. 

Strawberry-Balsamic Buttercream Recipe

• 80g Caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 25g water
• 1 whole egg 
• 1 egg yolk
• 160g soft butter (cut into cubes then whisked)
• handful of hulled strawberries (less than a cup)
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp balsamic

Directions:

1. Wash and hull the strawberries. 

Handful of washed and hulled fresh strawberries. 

 2. Cut the strawberries into pieces, then sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of sugar onto the strawberries. Mix in the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar to taste. Allow the strawberries to macerate in the fridge.This process of macerating the strawberries allows the natural juices of the strawberries to come out. The lemon juice helps to keep the strawberries' fresh colour.

Strawberries macerating with sugar and lemon juice.

3. Pour the 80g of superfine or granulated sugar and water into a heavy bottom pot. Bring the mixture to a boil at 250F (120C). 

Bringing the sugar and water to a boil.
Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. 

 4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg and egg yolk together until it lightens in colour. 

Whisked egg yolk and egg. 

 5. Take the strawberries out of the fridge and blend in a food processor. Allow some bigger chunks to remain. Pour the mixture over a strainer and allow the juices to drain.

Processed strawberries being strained. 

 6. Once the hot sugar mixture reaches 250F pour it immediately into the whisking egg mixture. Turning down the whisking speed may help prevent the hot sugar threads from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once the hot sugar mixture is in the bowl, increase to a higher whisking speed. Continue to whisk until a meringue has formed - it will be shiny and glossy. Once the meringue has cooled, add in the strawberries.   

7. With a hand mixer, cream then whisk the butter until it has thickened. Add by the tablespoons to the strawberry buttercream mixture.

Strawberry Balsamic Buttercream

 8. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag, and pipe small mounds onto the cooled down shells.

9. Assembly the macarons by putting the top gently on the buttercream, pressing down and twisting slightly to the right.

Visual comparison of macarons baked on a silicon mat versus parchment paper.
Slightly more uneven macaron shells for macarons baked on parchment. 

Top view of macarons baked on a silicon mat versus parchment paper.
Here you can see that the top of the macarons baked on the parchment paper are slightly uneven.

These are probably one of my most successful and tasty macarons. With all the experimenting that I did with various oven temperatures, having a consistent oven temperature is super important. Allowing the oven temperature to reach the correct temperature before you open the oven is important as some of the heat dissipates when the oven is open. Baking the macarons at a lower temperature such as 250F ended up with the desired feet but took almost 20-30 minutes to bake! On my last batch of macarons, setting the oven temperature to 350F for 12 minutes yielded nicely baked macarons with the desired feet. So, I would definitely encourage you to set up a chart to figure out which oven temperature is best for your macarons in your kitchen.

These particular macarons are full of fresh strawberry flavour (though the balsamic flavour could be intensified if desired) and are ready to be eaten shortly after finishing them. For best results allow the macarons to rest in the fridge for 2 days. These macarons can also be frozen. Just allow them to come to room temperature an hour or two before serving. I also recently hand carried 2 tupperware boxes of these macarons to Toronto and they fared quite well! No breakages! 

Hope you enjoyed this post and will try your hand at making these macarons!

Strawberry Balsamic Macarons with fresh strawberry buttercream.