August 12, 2015

Steam fried baby artichokes with lemon-chive aioli

One of the local organic farms here grow lovely baby artichokes and whenever I go there I clean up their daily harvest of these little gems. Today I thought I’d cook them to a golden crispiness in olive oil, although I forgot about grilling them, that would have been good as well. So many options, so little time. Trimming a full grown artichoke is a bit of an undertaking but well worth it. The little... View Article

August 9, 2015

Fingerling potato salad with grainy mustard vinaigrette

This summer I have made so many potato salads you’d think it’s the only thing we eat here. Well, almost, but not quite. I usually add  a couple of other vegetables or grains or legumes to make it a dinner. We often eat outside on the patio in my outdoor kitchen, surrounded by hydrangeas, lavender and lilacs and a whole bunch of herbs. I don’t mind winter but I love summer and since the season... View Article

August 6, 2015

Red and golden beet salad with walnut-balsamic vinaigrette

Cooking is an aesthetic experience. Before I even start to cook I may browse through beautiful food images in books and magazine and get inspired by an image, a colour, a combination of ingredients, a table setting. It’s already beautiful. Then I landscape the countertop with the cooking ingredients: colourful vegetables, fresh herbs, exotic spices, crusty bread, beautiful bottles of oil.  The cooking itself is also aesthetic: flames rising to touch food on the grill,... View Article

August 5, 2015

Roasted garlic

Roasted garlic is useful in the kitchen and very easy to make. Roasting makes the garlic mild and slightly sweet and the texture becomes creamy and spreadable. Use it to: Spread on a pizza before piling other ingredients Fold into mashed potatoes Add to pasta Add to sauces Add to soups Serve as a spread with crostini Make roasted garlic oil Add wherever a mild garlic flavour is desired   Keep in mind it is... View Article

August 3, 2015

Heirloom cherry tomato tart

Summer in the Okanagan is in full swing and of course tomatoes are part of it. Little heirloom cherry tomatoes are available at the local organic vegetable stands and make their way to my kitchen and the various dishes I cook. Pasta with cherry tomatoes, tomato salads, pizza and many more dishes have been fun to make and serve in the past few weeks. Today I had a small basket of green, black, red, orange... View Article

August 2, 2015

Roasted figs, honey yogurt, salted orange caramel and pistachios

Ohhh, lots of good flavours in this simple dish. Remember the figs I bought in Calgary a few days ago? We enjoyed most of them fresh but I decided to roast the last few to extend their life a bit. Once you roast them they keep in the fridge a couple of extra days. Do you have disasters in your kitchen occcasionally? well, here’s mine. I have company this weekend and this morning I made... View Article

July 25, 2015

Pizza with figs and gorgonzola and figs with goat cheese

I brought back a flat of fresh, ripe green figs from the Italian market in Calgary. Ripe figs don’t last too long so I need to use them fast. I made a simple dinner today and thought that a couple of small pizzas with figs and a honey drizzle would be nice as part of dinner, and they were. I made them very simply, with gorgonzola on one pizza and goat cheese on the other.... View Article

July 23, 2015

Pickled red slaw

Driving through Banff the other day we stopped for lunch at Nourish Bistro on Bear Street, known for their innovative vegetarian and vegan cuisine. We ordered three dishes between the two of us: fresh peas and coconut soup, 420 burger and a slaw with pickled asparagus garnish. The menu was not overly descriptive so I cannot tell you what each dish was made with other than describe what I saw. According to the menu the... View Article

July 23, 2015

Cornbread

Local corn this year is early by about two weeks, thanks to the warm Okanagan summer. I have been buying and cooking it on the cob and off the cob, steaming or grilling and adding it to other vegetables. I had some leftover corn the other day and used it  in this moist and light cornbread to go with a baked bean dish that I prepared but forgot to photograph. Cornbread goes well with BBQ... View Article

July 21, 2015

Pasta with summer zucchini and red pepper

Here is a quick and simple pasta recipe that I make with fresh market vegetables. This time zucchini and a sweet red pepper combine with short pasta  to make a light dish that can be served warm or at room temperature as a summer meal on the patio. A good baguette, a drizzle of olive oil and crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette is all you need to go with it, if anything at... View Article

July 18, 2015

Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scape is a new item in my kitchen. Somehow it escaped the range of my rather extensive vegetable repertoire and I have never cooked with it before. My friend Jeannette brought them to my attention last year after she was invited to a garlic farm and urged by the farmer to pick as many garlic scapes as she could. She ended up making garlic scape pesto and brought over a couple of jars filled... View Article

July 16, 2015

Breakfast on the go – banana-oatmeal-mango smoothie

Do you sometimes take your breakfast to go? I am not advocating it but if you do, then an oatmeal smoothie may be the way to go. I am a big fan of oatmeal for breakfast and this smoothie incorporates the elements of a morning oatmeal into a drink. Smoothies are not an exact science so don’t get hung up on quantities. Add your ingredients to the blender and enough liquid of your choice to... View Article