Come Dine in Deep Cove as a Family Affair

What began as a group of friends cooking together remotely during the pandemic has turned into one of our favourite blog topics! The premise is simple: create a three-course menu with Ambrosia apples as the star of each dish. Home cooks can choose their recipes from the Ambrosiaapples.ca website, and can substitute anything they want on any of the recipes – or create their own — but all the dishes must include Ambrosia apples. Everyone is instructed to choose one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. Cocktails are optional. 

Our next group is an active family from Deep Cove. With an adult son and teenage daughter, there is never a dull moment at Antonella and Greg’s. All four of them participated in the cooking, and reaped the rewards of a delicious meal. “I looked for recipes where I already had most of the ingredients,” Antonella tells us. “I made the pork, Jessie made the tart, Greg made the apple sauce, and Giovanni did a lot of chopping.”

The entire family started the day with some homemade Ambrosia apple tarts for breakfast to get them in the mood. “”They were delicious!” Antonella reports. 

Ambrosia apple tarts 

“I love squash, so why not combine it with apples?” thought Antonella, so she started with Mark Filatow’s Ambrosia Apple and Roasted Squash Soup recipe featured on our website. “We liked the soup the best of all the dishes,” she tells us. “The flavours combined so nicely!”

Ambrosia Apples soup

Next up was pork tenderloin with Ambrosia apples, served with nugget potatoes, roasted carrots, and Greg’s homemade Ambrosia apple sauce. “I marinated the pork in olive oil, rosemary and thyme,” Antonella tells us. “Then I seared it in my Dutch oven with a half cup of Marsala wine. Once seared, I brushed it all over with Dijon mustard and baked it at 400 degrees for ten minutes. We served it with nugget potatoes and carrots prepared using my oven’s slow cook feature. The results were delicious, and the Ambrosia apple sauce was a perfect accompaniment!”

Ambrosia apples pork

For dessert, daughter Jessie made the Brie and Apple Tart: https://ambrosiaapples.ca/ambrosia-apple-and-brie-tart-with-figs-walnuts/. “We didn’t have enough walnuts, so we also added some pine nuts,” Antonella tells us. “My family wasn’t crazy about the tart, but I enjoyed it. It’s more of a savory pie.” Jessie truly knocked it out of the park with her decorative Ambrosia apple top, though.

This family had never cooked with Ambrosia apples before, and they really enjoyed the challenge. “I love to cook as it relaxes me and then there is a big reward after, when you get to eat what you made. Also, this was a very fun family night. We enjoyed cooking together and trying out the new dishes.”

 
Ambrosia Apples