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 8, 2012
It’s cherry season and needless to say cherries are important guests in my kitchen right now. Cherry tarts, cherry calfouti, cherry pie, cherry jam, cherry sauce, you name it, they have been here. Unfortunately, I don’t always have time to photograph them before serving so not all are on the blog quite yet, but it’s coming. Fruit soups are also in my repertoire and when my friend called to say that she had a fabulous... View Article
August 8, 2012
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
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 5, 2012
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
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
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
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
