Heady summer days full of squealing children and oppressive heat calls for simplification.
Simplifying dinners could mean a lightly thrown together salad, cold sandwiches, or maybe a fancier alternative, such as tapas style eating, a favourite of my family. When I think of tapas, I think of cheese and vegetables fresh from the markets, cured meats, olives, fruits, and seafood. What could be better than sitting on the patio, sipping your favourite cocktail (newly removed from the forbidden list) and snacking on your most cherished of foods.
Seafood has always played a large role in my life, as my mother was a salmon fishing guide for most of it. My childhood was spent huddled around a “Little Chief” smoker waiting to sample the newest catch as it came hot out of the smoke filled air within. Summers were spent eating meals of fresh cod, salmon, crab, or whatever we could get our hot little hands on.
Continue reading “Tea Brined Gravlax” →
So there’s these grape vines at our house. A lot of them…of varying species. We know one of them is juicy concord, but the rest remain a mystery. They are green and some are tasty, tangy, and tart and then there’s some that are completely flavourless. When we moved in last year they were obviously neglected and looked as if they had never been cut back at all.
So this year, being the entrepreneurial people that we are, we decided to cut them back and see what happened! After a few long months and no sign of growth, we thought for sure we had done it wrong, cut back too much. But a few weeks ago there were signs of some life. Small little buds were appearing and soon enough there were leaves!
Continue reading “Fresh Dolmades” →
Homemade pasta. Not exactly one of the quick dinners I was imagining I would be making three weeks after the birth of my second child. But you know what? It’s not nearly as hard as you think it is.
Have you, like me, always wanted to make your own pasta to see what all the fuss is about? But you didn’t even want to try because you don’t have a pasta roller? Well I’m here to tell you that it is not needed. A heavy hand and a heavy rolling pin is all you need to be eating gourmet pastas every night of your life. Though I don’t recommend that, carbohydrates are evil, didn’t you know?
The stuffing is a product of what was freshest at the farmer’s market this weekend. Huge bunches of rainbow swiss chard just called out to me as we had planted numerous plants last year but decided not to this year. One year of swiss chard coming out my ears was enough, but I still love the stuff. Mushrooms were also looking good, and that last little bit of truffle oil in my cabinets was just screaming to be used here. What’s better than creamy mascarpone and truffle oil? Well, this pasta for one.
Continue reading “Swiss Chard Ravioli – Homemade Pasta” →
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