August 8, 2012

New Potatoes with Peas, Corn, Fresh Dill and Cream

New potatoes are one of the treats of summer and we have them often. I serve them cold in salads, steam and serve plain with a sprinkling of fleur de sel, combine them with other vegetables and sometimes, as a special treat, steam and drizzle them with thick cream. Oye. So good. In this recipe I also add freshly shelled peas, raw or barely cooked, as well as cooked corn scraped off the cob, just... View Article

August 7, 2012

Barley with Summer Vegetables and Walnuts

Eating mostly vegetarian, I have developed many recipes using grains and legumes and often have in my fridge cooked barley, lentils, quinoa etc., ready to be incorporated into hot or cold dishes. When I cook grains or legumes, I usually cook more than required for what I am making, and sometimes cook a pot of barley just to have it in the fridge for another time. This is one such recipes. I had pre-cooked barley... View Article

August 6, 2012

Summer Peaches and Cream

I love summer rituals and have established a few here at our summer home in Kelowna. An early morning walk through the sleepy neighbourhood, a soy latte on the patio at The Roasted Bean on Cooks Rd (best lattés) or “opening” and “closing” the patio morning and night. We have food rituals as well. A slow breakfast at home on the patio, or lakeside  breakfast ritual at the one-of-a-kind Hotel Eldorado or on the patio at... View Article

August 5, 2012

Smashed Baby Potatoes with Parmesan

Baby potatoes are so cute. Round and plump and delicious they lend themselves to many food preparations. You can toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of paprika and roast until crisp outside and soft inside. You can steam them and toss with butter and chopped herbs. You can toss them with butter and brown sugar and roast. I often steam them first a few hours in advance and then toss... View Article

August 2, 2012

Patio Snacks: mini grilled cheese sandwiches with crudités

So, we are still in Kelowna for a couple more weeks before going back to reality at home, which isn’t so bad either. We eat pretty informally, making the best of what I find in the local markets. I am having fun preparing all kinds of patio snacks and the latest was these mini grilled cheese sandwiches that I am serving with leftover raw vegetables from the open house the other night. I had quite... View Article

August 2, 2012

Crudités – Raw Vegetables with Dip

Whenever I serve appetizers I try to include crudités (raw vegetables) with dip. Vegetables are so beautiful and can serve as a centrepiece of an appetizer table. They are also nice on the table before dinner, allowing guests to munch on fresh vegetables while waiting for dinner. As a salad they can be very refreshing and make a beautiful salad plate for one or more. Try to use the unexpected. How about raw asparagus, sliced... View Article

August 1, 2012

Roasted Root Vegetables Stacks

Here is a pretty dish to make where you want a little more elegant presentation of a rustic dish. Any combinations of root vegetables works. I bake them in a ceramic baking pan and then cut into squares. To get the height I stack two squares one on top of the other, it looks more interesting that way. Alternatively, bake them in a deep pan and stack them up to the top. This is the... View Article

July 31, 2012

Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Lunch for One

Here is a quick grilled cheese and tomato sandwich to make for lunch for yourself. Serve it with pickles or Italian style marinated vegetables or a green salad. Use any good melting cheese such as cheddar, Swiss cheese etc. This time I had Dutch Mimolette left over from the weekend and I picked up beautiful vine-ripe tomatoes that also made it into the sandwich. It was a simple lunch for one (me) but delish. The... View Article

July 29, 2012

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I had a few people over last night for an open house. Thankfully it was a beautiful evening and we could sit on the patio and enjoy a gorgeous summer evening here in Kelowna. We had wine and Hors d’Oeuvres that I set out partly in the dining room and partly on the patio with coffee and dessert “station” on a wrought iron trolley also on the patio. I tried to have the small event... View Article

July 29, 2012

Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers

I first posted this recipe as part of a panini recipe and I find that I keep linking to it. I use roasted peppers often in my cooking so I thought it deserves its own post. Invariably, I have roasted red peppers in my fridge marinating in olive oil with garlic, salt, pepper and a couple of herbs. It’s easy to make, versatile and adds so much flavour to many foods. I also keep jars... View Article

July 27, 2012

Summer Potato Salad with Quails Eggs

Quail eggs are not something I cook with often but I saw them at a store and bought them this time. They were sitting in the fridge for a couple of days before I got to them. The shells are so gorgeous, like work of art. I was considering poaching but ended up hard boiling them and adding to the potato salad I was making that day (we have had a few potato salads these... View Article

July 26, 2012

Barley, Grapes, Apples, walnuts Salad with Agave-Lemon Vinaigrette

Barley is a good base for grain salads and you can incorporate seasonal vegetables and a simple dressing to make your own variations. I tend to cook the barley a day in advance, let it sit in the fridge overnight to recompose itself, and use it in a salad the next day. Today I had sweet green grapes, crisp radishes and sweet and tangy apples that  joined to make this fruity grain salad for lunch.... View Article