Garlic Confit Recipe

‘Confit’ is a preservation method that dates back thousands of years. But just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it has to be boring! This all-natural, slightly nutty, sweet *VEGAN + GLUTEN FREE* product can be used for many different dishes, including Garlic Bread, Marinades, Dressings, Sauces,Soups and Roasts.

Once you’re comfortable with garlic, experiment with fruit, cherry tomatoes, chilis, onions or even poultry and meat!

Expiration: Garlic confit can keep for months or even years.

Recipe:
4 heads of garlic Olive Oil to cover Kosher salt Fresh pepper Herbs, preferably fresh Hot chili flakes (to taste) Equipment needed: Sharp knife Cutting board 2 large bowls (optional) Sauce pot and lid Silicon spatula

Method:

Remove cloves of garlic from bulbs. Skin by hand (alternatively: place garlic cloves in one bowl, cover with the other bowl to form a globe and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Uncover and remove the peeled cloves). Remove stem ends, green sprouts and any damage. Chop garlic into medium pieces (larger is better than smaller, use your judgment) and place in pot. Once all garlic is in the pot, add oil and cover all garlic by an inch. Season with salt, pepper and  herbs of your choice (I suggest rosemary, sage, thyme and basil).

By stove: place pot on stove over medium low heat. You want to ensure it is not boiling at any time.

By oven: preheat to 250 C, or 225 if your oven tends to have hot spots. Check occasionally.

After 45-60 minutes, check the garlic again. It should be translucent, slightly darker in colour and very fragrant. Stir to ensure consistency throughout the batch. You can’t over cook this at low temps, so it’s ok to carry on if it’s not 100 percent cooked.

Like it? Try these!

In oil:
Duck, Goose and meat
Onions
Leek
Chive
Scallion
Shallots

In simple syrup:
Pears
Apples
Raisins
Cherries

Garlic Confit Workshop

How did I not know about confit before? 

This stuff is pretty close to actual magic, I'm pretty sure! It was so easy to make, and we honestly spent most of the time sipping wine and chatting! 

The hardest part was getting the oil not to boil. It turns out my burners are just set so high that even on the lowest setting we weren't able to stop the mixture from boiling, so we ended up putting in in the oven on a very low setting, which worked perfectly. 

We used sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to season the batch, and it turned out beautifully. One point I would share is that you need way more of the spices than you might think. 

The finished product turned out a lot like roasted garlic, in flavour, although nuttier. I'm also very pleased to have ended up with a mason jar full of the extra garlic-infused olive oil, which will be making many appearances in salad dressings and bread dips in the future! 

Upcoming Events - Clothing Swap and Art Jam - Part 1 - The Swap

Sunday, September 13th is going to be a busy day at The Workshop Club Headquarters! 

Starting at 2 pm, we're hosting a clothing swap. 

If you've never been to a clothing swap before, you're in for a treat! Here's how it works: 

- Everyone brings over their old clothes. As much or as little as they have. These are nice, wearable things that you'd otherwise be donating to a thrift store. All sizes and shapes are welcome! You can also bring shoes, jewellery, accessories, etc. 

- We roughly organize everything into piles - pants, tops, dresses, etc. 

- Free for all! Everyone gets to look through the clothes and take anything they want. We'll have a mirror/room for trying things on, and snacks out. Feel free to bring refreshments or snacks to contribute, but no pressure. If more than one person is interested in an item, they can negotiate among themselves. 

- Remember, this can be a great way to pick up materials for crafting, sewing, etc. If you see something that speaks to you but doesn't fit, there's nothing wrong with grabbing it and crafting it into something that works for you! We're going to have lots of crafty workshops coming up, so think ahead! 

- Once everyone has had a chance to take what they want for free, any remaining items are left behind. The host will pack them all up and donate in bulk to an organization that impacts our community. In the past we've donated to organizations like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, local women's shelters, youth shelters, etc. This time the items will be donated to a community member organizing a fundraiser for MS. 

*If you have a cause you'd like to see items donated to next time, let us know - we're always looking for ways to give back to our community and beyond!*

Our Gluten-Free Baking Workshop

We had so much fun last night at the baking workshop! 

The cupcakes were totally divine, and I learned a ton about baking. I consider myself a reasonably accomplished baker, but I really don't hold a candle to Holly's skills. 

I am really excited to apply the tips Holly gave us, and I think they'll be helpful even with my glutenous baking. For example, I had no idea that the temperature of ingredients made such a difference in the outcome of the recipe, but I honestly think they were the best cupcakes I've ever had, which speaks for itself. 

When testing his cupcake, Andrew used many creative swear words, and declared them "Even better than 'normal' cupcakes!" 

I'd say that's a win. 

Thanks so much Holly :D 

Gluten Free Baking With Holly - Coconut Cupcakes Recipe

Holly D's Gluten Free Vegan Toasted Coconut Cupcakes Ingredients: - 2 servings of egg replacer (2 tsp mix plus 2 tbsp water) - 1/2 cup vegan margarine (refrigerated) - 3/4 cup white sugar - 3/4 cup coconut milk - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract - 1 tsp coconut extract - 2 tsp rum - 3/4 cup white rice flour - 1/3 cup potato starch - 1/3 cup tapioca starch - 3/4 tsp xanthan gum - 3/4 tsp baking powder - 3/4 tsp baking soda - 1/2 cup sweetened coconut, toasted - pinch of salt Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners. Toast the coconut by cooking it in a frying pan on medium heat, stirring frequently for approximately 3 minutes or until browned. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl mix the egg replacer and water together until smooth, set aside. 3. In a bowl sift together the rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch; stir in the xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 4. In a large bowl cream the margarine and sugar together using an electric mixer until it becomes pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and coconut extract, and the rum and mix until combined. Add the "eggs". 5. Add approximately 1/3 of the coconut milk to the butter mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Then add approximately 1/3 of the "dry" flour mixture to it and again blend until combined. Repeat until all of the coconut milk and dry ingredients have been added. 6. Gently fold in the toasted coconut. 7. Using an ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the batter into the muffin pan to create 12 cupcakes. 8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are just becoming golden. Insert a toothpick to ensure that the cupcake is thoroughly cooked. Allow to cool before icing. "Buttercream" icing Ingredients: - 3/4 cup vegan margarine (refrigerated) - 3 cups icing sugar - 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions: Cream together the margarine, vanilla and 1 cup of icing sugar until smooth. Add 1 additional cup of icing sugar and blend again until smooth, and repeat one last time. Decorate!

Upcoming Workshop - Garlic Confit with Brie

On Sunday August 30th at 3 pm, The Workshop Club will be hosting a Garlic Confit workshop at our Headquarters! 

Our facilitator, Brie, will be teaching everyone how to make a tasty confit, and providing the ingredients for everyone to make their own confit at home. Confit is all natural, vegan and gluten free! 

A $10 donation is suggested for this workshop to help pay for materials. Please note donations are NOT mandatory, and everyone is welcome.

We will ask participants to bring a chef's knife, cutting board, and a sanitized 1 cup container, for taking home ingredients. Everything else will be provided. 

Please RSVP on our Facebook page. PM Harmony Page if you need an invite to the group! 

Upcoming Workshop - Gluten Free Baking with Holly

Coming up this Thursday August 20th at 6 pm, The Workshop Club is hosting our first baking workshop! The workshop will be held at our Headquarters, near Jane St and Annette St in Toronto.

The lovely and talented Holly of Gluten Free Holly D (find her blog here) will be at The Workshop Club Headquarters teaching us to bake gluten free coconut cupcakes. Holly is a talented self-taught gluten free baker, who creates her own recipes. The recipe we are making is also vegan!

We are requesting a $2-$5 donation for this workshop, to help cover the cost of materials. Please note donations are NOT mandatory, and everyone is welcome. 

Please RSVP on our Facebook page. PM Harmony Page if you need an invite to the group! 

Upcoming Workshop - Sewing Level 1

This is going to be the first in a series of sewing workshops. 

I am an accomplished seamstress, and I have been sewing since before I can remember. My mom taught me to use a sewing machine when I was a small child, and though i have no formal training, I have about 25 years of trial and error and self-guided experience. I have made everything from simple drawstring bags, to prom dresses to hoodies and jeans. My style tends to be unique and unpolished, and I tend towards making my own patterns as opposed to following others'. That being said, I do know how to follow patterns, and can provide guidance on creating more tailored looks. 

This first workshop will be the very basics of sewing with a machine. You will learn:

- how to thread a standard sewing machine

- different common settings and stitches, and what they are useful for

- how to pin and hem

- everyone will get an opportunity to use a machine 

As well, I'd love to see pictures or hear ideas of projects people would like to work up to. This will allow me to create a program to guide you in your sewing journey! 

This workshop is tentatively scheduled for September 20th at 2 pm. If there is sufficient interest, we will schedule a second Level 1 workshop. 

Please RSVP on our Facebook page. PM Harmony Page if you need an invite to the group!