August 24, 2012
Blueberries are plump and sweet right now and it’s hard not to buy them by the caseload. Some of them made it into a few jars of jam, some into simple desserts (Blueberry Buckle, to be posted) and a few get incorporated into breakfast foods, whether on top of cereal or, as in this recipe, inside and on top of pancakes. I make these lovely breakfast treats in regular size or in mini form. For... View Article
August 23, 2012
I bought a large bag of grated carrots from the market the other day. It seemed easy and I immediately thought of making a carrot salad with them. Carrot salad is usually associated with Northern African cuisine and features middle east spices like cumin. There are a couple of good recipes for Moroccan carrot salad you can check out at Epicurious as well as in the fabulous cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, the famed London chef... View Article
August 20, 2012
My friend Dori mentioned that she wanted to make corn muffins and that of course triggered in me immediately the desire to make corn muffins, especially with all the fresh corn on the market now. I make several different types of muffins and usually adapt one recipe to make something else with it. This time I thought I’d make something new and settled on corn-buttermilk muffins. The slight tang from the buttermilk would balance the... View Article
August 19, 2012
So, this week my countertop in the kitchen has baskets full of peaches and apricots finishing their ripening process over here. I tried to control myself when I went to the market because this week it is cooking for two but still, a whole bunch of “stuff” jumped into my basket and came home with me. What could I do but open my kitchen and let them stay. The apricots especially are beautiful this season.... View Article
August 17, 2012
We came back from Kelowna needless to say with a little vegetable market in the back of the Hummer. As if there is no food here in Calgary. My excuse was that the farmers market here was not going to be open until Thursday and I need to cook in the meantime, don’t I? Well, the veggies are here. I had to do something with the beautiful zucchini and summer squash while they were still... View Article
August 16, 2012
One of the gifts of summer are vine ripe field tomatoes. With all due respect to hot house tomatoes, they just aren’t the same. Needless to say I make a lot of tomato salads in the summer when tomatoes are vine ripened and sweet. Try to find a variety of tomatoes, preferably heirloom and combine colours, shapes, sizes and flavours. This is one case when I say the more the merrier. Tomatoes do not require... View Article
August 16, 2012
When you do a lot of entertaining you learn to compose menus with items that do not require your attention at the last minute. Most people do not hire help in the kitchen so you have to be careful not to create menus that will keep you in the kitchen instead of on the patio with your company. When I have people over I try to make a few salads or vegetable dishes that can... View Article
August 15, 2012
Zucchini is another vegetable that is good served raw. The small, sweet summer zucchini can be sliced thinly lengthwise with a simple mandolin and tossed with a little olive oil, herbs and salt. In Italian cooking zucchini is often paired with mint and I am using this flavour combination here with a little lemon balm added as well. A sprinkling of chopped nuts and scattering of goat or feta cheese make a nice addition. If... View Article
August 13, 2012
Usually green and yellow beans rule the markets around here in the summer but for some reason they are harder to find this year. I wonder why. What we have in abundance though are the summer squashes of all kinds. I have taken a liking this year to the round and plump summer squashes that come in green and yellow. They are lovely to look at and cook with and have made their way into... View Article
August 12, 2012
The apricots are so gorgeous right now I have to use them as much as I can. I made apricot tarts with some, and the remaining ripe apricots on my counter made it into the lovely little jam you see in the picture. I don’t make large quantities of jam for long term storage. I make enough for only a few jars to keep in the fridge for immediate consumption or give away to friends.... View Article
August 11, 2012
It doesn’t always have to be tomato salsa. Here is a lovely mango salsa to add to your cooking repertoire that will brighten up the flavour of many foods. Salsa is generally associated with Mexican food (love it) but don’t limit its use to just tacos. Serve this as a condiment along with other foods, as a dip with endive spears or tortilla chips, spoon some over a salad or top a grilled baguette slice... View Article
August 10, 2012
Golden Cherries Calfoutis Here is a delicious dessert to make with the abundance of cherries in the market right now: cherry calfoutis. French in origin this simple dessert is traditionally baked with red cherries that still have the pits in them. The pits impart a nutty, slightly bitter flavour to this dessert that makes it quite special. However, I make it with pitted cherries and in this recipe used golden cherries rather than the traditional... View Article
