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Tomorrow is Canada Day, a celebration of the nation’s 141st birthday. There will be much flag-waving and expressions of patriotic sentiments. The colours de jour will be red and white.
If you want to inject some patriotic zeal into your July 1st menu, consider the colour palate of the foods you plan to serve. It’s not too difficult to include some red and white foods. If you’re a little more adventurous, try creating an entire meal of just red and white foods. Think tomatoes, red peppers, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, spaghetti and meat sauce, bruschetta, barbecued ribs, strawberry shortcake, whipped cream, sour cream, cream cheese, red potatoes, mozzarella cheese, angel food cake, and on and on.
A simple red and white appetizer or snack can be made quickly by creating tiny kabobs of pesto-marinated mini-mini bocconcini and grape or cherry tomatoes. Mini-mini bocconcini are small balls of buffalo mozzarella. They can be found in tubs in the deli area of most major grocery stores. If you can’t find the mini-mini variety, purchase mini bocconcini and slice them into quarters or cut large balls of bocconcini into small pieces.
To make the kebabs, marinate the bocconcini in a couple spoonfuls of homemade or prepared pesto for at least 15 minutes, then poke a toothpick into a bocconcini and a grape or cherry tomato. If you use halved grape or cherry tomatoes, the kabobs will be able to stand and you can arrange them upright on a plate. These little mouthfuls are colourful, flavourful and make up very quickly, leaving you lots of time to enjoy Canada Day festivities and fireworks.
Ontario strawberries!
I was finally able to get my hands on some good-looking, sweet-smelling, fresh-tasting Ontario strawberries, so they’ll be on the menu in our house tomorrow. We’ll enjoy some berries fresh, then maybe in the strawberry-rhubarb sauce that follows, served over cake or ice cream. I’ve also bought ingredients to make strawberry ice cream, which would be served, of course, with fresh sliced strawberries.
Hmmmm…..since strawberry season is so short, we just might have to have both desserts!
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce
(Makes 12 servings)
Twelve individual mini angel food cake rounds, sponge cake flans or shortcakes can be used instead of the angel food cake slices.
3 cups (750 mL) sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (cut in 1/2-inch/1 cm slices)
3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL) water
2 cups (500 mL) strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 angel food cake (cut into 12 slices)
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a boil (about 7 or 8 minutes). Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender (6 to 8 minutes). Let cool.
Just before serving, stir in strawberries. Top each slice of cake with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and about 1/4 cup (50 mL) strawberry rhubarb sauce.
In my last post I griped about finding moldy Ontario strawberries in my grocery store earlier this week. The following day I attended an event on the grounds of Queen’s Park (the site of the Ontario legislative building) where agricultural commodity groups had gathered together for a few hours to participate in a Pick Ontario Freshness event designed to promote Ontario foods. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowksy and Canadian culinary activist Anita Stewart attended and spoke about the importance of supporting Ontario farmers and buying Ontario foods whenever possible. Minister Dombrowsky also announced government funding for Ontario farmers’ markets to the tune of $4 million over the next four years.
All good news, but the even better news was that across from my display where I was promoting Ontario eggs was a table laden with small baskets of strawberries. I could sense these were no ordinary strawberries. As I headed across the grass and over to the table to inspect the strawberries for mold and fruit flies, I just knew I wouldn’t find a blemish. Close up, the berries did indeed look perfect – plump, red, beautifully formed, and much larger than the ones I’d seen in the grocery store. After giving them a thorough scrutiny, I seized the opportunity to ask the woman standing behind the table about the sad strawberries I had encountered at the grocery store the night before. I presented my theory that our recent wet weather had caused the berries’ distressed state. No, came the answer, the berries had probably just sat too long in the store. I was advised to buy berries at a farmer’s market where they would likely be only a day old, if even that.
Great advice, for sure. I realize that the produce at a farmers’ market usually arrives without having passed through the hands of a middleman, and this allows it to get to me faster than the fruit in most grocery stores will, but, when you aren’t able to get to the market or to a farmstand, you’d like to think you can count on getting quality produce from your grocery store. (And probably, more often than not, you can.)
I was invited to come back to the display for a free basket of berries when the event officially opened, but unfortunately I got too busy at my display feeding the throngs of Queen’s Park staffers and the consumers who happened along. By the time I looked up from my egg slicer and pickled eggs to gaze wistfully over at the strawberry table a few hours later, not a berry remained.
Not to worry, however. I may not have found strawberries that day, but I didn’t go home empty-handed. Longo’s, a grocery chain with stores in and around the Toronto area, had a display beside me and when they packed up to leave, they kindly handed me a overflowing box of blemish-free mushrooms, zucchini, apples, lettuce, sweet peppers, beets, and bunches of dill and parsley.
Some of that produce has already gone into a vegetable-laden salad and an omelette. This weekend I’ll go to work on the beets, pickling half of them and using the rest to make beet relish.
Beet Relish
(Makes 3-1/2 cups/875 mL)
5 medium beets
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 sweet red peppers, finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) white vinegar
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pickling salt
2/3 cup (150 mL) grated fresh horseradish
Cook beets in boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain beets, remove skins and chop finely. There should be about 2 cups (500 mL). Mix beets with onions and peppers.
Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and horseradish in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add vegetables. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle relish into hot jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim. Process for 15 minutes for half-pint (250 mL) jars and 20 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars in a boiling-water canner.
Remove jars from canner to a surface covered with newspapers or layers of paper towel. Cool for 24 hours. Check jar seals (sealed lids will turn downward.) Label jars with contents and date and store in a cool, dark place.
Tips:
* Since the processing time is longer than 10 minutes, the jars don’t need to be sterilized, but they should be hot. Heat them by placing them in water in the boiling-water canner and bringing the water to a boil.
* A 14 oz (398 mL) can of beets can be used in place of fresh beets.
* Commercially prepared horseradish can be used instead of fresh, but use twice as much.
Recipe Source: Put a Lid on It! Small-Batch Preserving for Every Season by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard, Macmillan Canada, 1997
After waiting patiently for Ontario strawberry season to arrive…..enjoying two quarts of berries over the weekend (no, I didn’t eat them all myself!)…..then going back to the grocery store tonight to pick up more, I was very disappointed to find fruit flies buzzing about the baskets of berries and moldy berries in every basket I looked at. I had my heart set on enjoying a slice of angel food cake topped with strawberries and ice cream this evening, but alas, it was not to be.
Too bad, so sad!
The local strawberry season is so short, every day one is not able to enjoy fresh Ontario berries (or something made with them) is so berry disappointing.
I’m no berry specialist, but the moldy condition of the fruit I saw tonight may have been due to the wet weather we’ve experienced in southwestern Ontario for the past while. As much as I love the look of our lush green lawn, gimme strawberries over a perfect yard any day!
I’m sure there are good Ontario berries out there somewhere. Since I’m not one to give up easily when food is involved, I’ll be out foraging for local berries again tomorrow.
Every year about mid-June for the past ?? years (I haven’t been keeping count!), we’ve celebrated the graduation of another crop of grade 8 students at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate (where Murray teaches) with a little party for the teachers following the Friday night grad ceremony. The tradition continued again this year as staff gathered at our house for a little sipping and snacking to mark the progression of another batch of students into grade 9 – and the completion of another school year!
Many eons ago when I was a student, the only graduation one experienced occurred when you completed grade 12 or university. These days, depending where you live in Canada, you can graduate from Kindergarten, grade 6, grade 8 and grade 12. Then there’s college or university, post-grad studies……
Ah well! Graduations at a multitude of grade and education levels provide excuses for teachers to party too!
To keep the party prep for our annual soiree to a manageable level, I try to plan a fairly simple menu, sometimes using pre-made dips and spreads as a time saver. This year, the menu included artichoke and lentil dip with veggies, devilled eggs, mini red potatoes filled with potato salad, layered Mediterranean spread (tuna, tomatoes, olives, and chive and Italian seasoning-flavoured cream cheese), green beans and peanut sauce, flatbread wedges spread with roasted red pepper dip and cucumbers, peppercorn chicken pate with baguettes, bite-sized zucchini and mushroom frittatas, cheeses and crackers, Ontario strawberries (they’re finally in season – yay!!) and chocolate truffles.
I forgot to take a picture of the spread before we filled our plates. I did remember I owned a camera post-party, so here’s a little taste of what things looked like after the last guests had left. Yes, taking pre-party pics would have made more sense! Sadly, this will be as good as it gets for my visual reminder of this event!
I’ll post a couple recipes from the menu in the next day or so.
If only there were little post-entertaining kitchen fairies that could magically tidy the kitchen and put the leftovers away!
Rotisserie Chicken
You can buy rotisserie-barbecued chicken in most grocery stores, but there’s nothing quite like it doing it yourself. Peeking at the bird occasionally, and watching it rotate slowly around the spit, dripping with basting juices, is rather mesmerizing. And the heavenly aroma that wafts from the barbecue can have a trance-like effect.
Basted with a simple concoction of melted butter (you can use oil instead if you prefer) and simple seasonings and slowly rotated gives the finished bird a crispy skin and a tender, evenly cooked texture. Not bad considering the minimal amount of attention required by you, the BBQ chef, once you’ve prepped the chicken and affixed it to the rotisserie.
If your barbecue doesn’t come with a rotisserie, you can likely buy one as an attachment. The key to successfully using it is trussing the chicken with kitchen twine so that the bird’s appendages are secured, then positioning the chicken in an evenly balanced position so the rod spins smoothly. For a great lesson on trussing a chicken for the rotisserie, check About.com’s Barbecuing and Grilling information
You will want to place a pan underneath the chicken to catch the juices and avoid drips that will cause firey flare-ups and blinding smoke! The pan should be filled with some water or water and wine, beer, juice or broth. Toss in some fresh herbs and sliced onions or garlic, if desired. In the photo above (which I took just before the chicken came off the barbecue), I removed the drip pan to take a clearer picture of the chicken.
The recipe we used last weekend was pretty basic, but the bird turned out moist and delicious with a crispy, flavourful skin. If desired, to add flavour to the meat, place apple, lemon or onion wedges, or peeled garlic cloves in the cavity of the chicken. A recipe search of rotisserie chicken recipes on the internet will yield other interesting basting possibilities.
Rotisserie Chicken
(Makes 6 servings)
3 to 4 lb (1.5 to 2 kg) whole chicken
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
1 tablespoon (15 mL) paprika or smoked paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground pepper
Preheat grill on high heat (about 400F/200C). Season inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Truss chicken with skewers and/or string, tying legs together and folding wings under the bird so the appendages don’t flop about as the bird rotates on the rotisserie. Place chicken on rotisserie rod.
Fill a drip pan (a foil pan or old cake pan will work well) half full of water. Place pan underneath where chicken will be. Position rotisserie rod with chicken on barbecue. Close lid of barbecue and cook for 10 minutes on high heat.
Meanwhile, combine butter, paprika, salt and pepper.
After 10 minutes, turn grill to medium heat (about 350F/175C). Baste chicken with butter mixture. Close lid of barbecue and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally, until skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thigh reaches 180F (85C).
Remove chicken from rotisserie and place on a plate or baking pan. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
Biscuit Lips
No lip liner, botox injections or other enhancements needed to make these puffed and pouty babies! These hot lips are meant to be devoured as a fun, if not somewhat unusual, accompaniment (in appearance, that is!) to soups, stews or salads. Given a sensual slathering of strawberry or raspberry jam (or whatever flavour you prefer – red just seemed appropriate!), you could also serve them for dessert or tea.
These biscuits are slightly on the sweet side. I’d knock back the sugar to 1 tablespoon (15 mL) or eliminate it altogether if you don’t plan to serve the biscuits alongside a savoury dish.
To create the lip look, roll out the biscuit dough and cut out rounds. Score (cut a line across the diameter) each circle without cutting all the way through. Butter the surface (the next time I make this recipe, I’m going to spread the circle with a generous amount of jam), then fold one half over to form a half circle. As they bake, the lip shape will form.
Biscuit Lips
(Makes about 20)
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons (20 mL) baking powder
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1/3 cup (75 mL) cold butter or margarine
3/4 cup (225 mL) milk
Butter or margarine, for spreading (optional)
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in or work in butter with a pastry blender or a couple knives until mixture is crumbly. Add milk; stir with a fork until mixture begins to adhere together. Gather into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 times.
With a rolling pin, roll out until 1/4-inch (1.5 cm) thick. Cut into approximately 2-3/4-inch (7 cm) circles. Cut through centre of each circle with a sharp knife just to barely score the surface. Spread with butter, if desired. Fold over, butter side in, and press edges together gently. Arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 425F (220C) oven until biscuits are risen and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe Source: Soups and Sandwiches by Jean Pare, Company’s Coming Publishing Limited, 1987
