Both these recipes are from the book 'A Taste of Quebec' by Julian Armstrong. "Culinary historians debate whether this seasoned meat pie was originally named after the tourte, a white passenger pigeon that was once numerous on the south coast of Ile d'Orleans and a one-time basic in pies and stews, or the French cooking utensil tourtiere, used to cook the pie. Most agree it was the dish that determined the name. Meat, potatoes and seasonings vary, region by region, but not its popularity, particularly at Christmas." Tourtiere de Quebec Quebec Pork Pie This tourtiere recipe is the region's traditional pork and vegetable pie. It belongs to Kathleen Fiset Pineau of Quebec City and was one of the winners of a 1984 tourtiere contest conducted by the Gazette of Montreal. Mme Pineau originally obtained the recipe from an aunt who lived on the south shore of the St. Lawrence river. She considers it the Quebec style; the use of rolled oats instead of potatoes to thicken the filling shows a Scottish influence. 1 1/2 pounds ground pork 1/2 to 3/4 cup cold water 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried savoury 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg pinch cinnamon salt 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie In large, heavy frying pan, combine pork with cold water and heat to boiling point. Add onion, celery, epper, bay leaf, savoury, rosemary, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 1 1/4 hours, adding more water if mixture dries out. Halfway through cooking time, season with salt to taste. Stir in rolled oats and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Meanwhile, line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. When meat mixture is lukewarm, spoon into pie shell and cover with remaining pastry. Trim pastry, seal edges and cut steam vents in top crust. Decorate as desired. Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 minutes or until crust is golden. 6 servings. Confiture Aigre-Douce Fruit Vegetable Relish This colourful chutney-type relish is served with the tourtiere at L'Atre, the restaurant in St. Famille on Ile d'Orleans. Proprietress Suzanne Howard Demers makes a big batch at harvest time. 3 onions, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 green peppers, halved, seeded,coarsely chopped 6 tomatoes, peeled and chopped 6 peaches or 1 can (19 oz.) peeled and coarsely chopped 6 apples, cores removed, peeled, coarsely chopped 6 pears, cores removed, peeled, coarsely chopped 2 cups cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 tablespoons coarse salt 4 teaspoons pickling spice, tied in a cheesecloth bag Combine onions, celery, peppers, tomatoes, peaches, apples and pears in a large heavy saucepan with vinegar, sugar, salt and spice bag. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until thickened. Remove spice bag; ladle relish into sterilized jars. Seal and boiling-water bath to preserve. Makes about 3 to 4 one-pint jars. Vicki Beausoleil Gatineau, Quebec -- ~~Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please read the FAQ posted each week. Please send recipes, requests, questions or comments to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
