Petits Farcis

Preparation 1. Cut the top one-third off the onions, squashes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, and set aside to use as caps. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a melon baller or an espresso spoon, scoop out the inside of each vegetable the best you can. Leave the walls about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Set the vegetables aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). To make the stuffing, in a small frying pan, sweat the onion in the oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Remove from the heat. 3. In a bowl, combine the veal, pork, cooked onion, egg, bread, Parmesan, thyme, fennel seeds, garlic, chile flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix together using your hands; it should have the texture of a raw meatball. 4. Divide the meat mixture among the vegetables, stuffing it carefully and deeply inside each one. Stand the vegetables, without their caps, in an oiled gratin dish or cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked but not colored. Remove from the oven, top each vegetable with its cap, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the tops are getting crispy and the meat is sizzling. 5. Remove from the oven and drizzle olive oil on top. Serve lukewarm. Reprinted with permission from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Frédéric Morin (right) is the co-owner/chef of Joe Beef, Liverpool House, and McKiernan Luncheonette. He attended L’École Hôtelière des Laurentides, worked at Jean-Talon Market selling peppers and onions, and served as garde-manger at Toqué! and chef de cuisine at Globe before opening Joe Beef. When he's not gardening, tinkering in his workshop, or at the restaurants, Fred can be found at home in Montreal with his wife (and the third partner in the restaurants), Allison, and their two sons. David McMillan is the co-owner/chef of Joe Beef, Liverpool House, and McKiernan Luncheonette. Born and raised in Quebec City, David has been holding court in many of Montreal’s classic restaurants for close to twenty years. He still practices the cuisine Bourgeoise he learned from his mentor, Nicolas Jongleux, and from living in the Burgundy region of France. When David isn't at the restaurants, he can be found painting at his studio in Saint Henri or spending time at his cottage in Kamouraska, Quebec, with his wife, Julie, and their two daughters. One of the original members of the Joe Beef Staff, Meredith Erickson has written for various magazines, newspapers, and television series. Currently collaborating on several books, Meredith slits her time between Montreal and London.