The vegetarian tacos and their sauces were nearing completion. I had already made the Avocado-Chimichurri Sauce and the Black Bean and Corn Salsa. What I wanted now was something with a little sweetness and a bit of a kick … something to complement the Argentine and Mexican flavours I was already combining. And I was…
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
With the promise of vegetarian tacos firmly within my grasp, I knew that the dish was going to need some protein to give it some nourishing “staying power.” What better than black beans? They are my favourite in the legume family — I love their crunch, flavour, and their size. Instead of the doing a…
Avocado-Chimichurri Sauce
When a giant globe of curly-leafed parsley showed up in my CSA share last week, I visibly frowned. I really don’t like the stuff and much prefer the milder and softer flat-leaf aka “Italian” parsley I grow myself. However, I was up for my own CSA Challenge and so I considered what to make with it….
Coleslaw
Few salads scream fresh and summer as well as the perennial summer favourite, coleslaw. While the ingredients in coleslaw — which are hardy and store well — make this a great year-round salad, there is something truly exceptional about making this supremely creamy version when the ingredients are young, fresh and in season. So when…
Baked-Barbecued Apples
Growing up with apple orchards all around me, little in life is more comforting than anything with apples. Taken crisp and fresh off the tree, I’m a thief among the leaves and branches. But baked with sugar and cinnamon, the apples become the thief of all life’s problems. Truly, almost nothing goes better with pork…
Root Beer Barbecue Sauce
Mmm, root beer. How many wish it came in more forms than just a drink or the occasional candy or sometimes even ice cream? And how many of you love to grill ribs? Here’s something I put together in a bid to infuse the essential herbaciousness of the root beer into a barbecue sauce in…
Salsa with Grilled Summer Squash and Pineapple
The pattypans in my CSA this week presented another opportunity to really test myself and try something different. I wanted a fresh salsa that would pair well with the blackened tilapia I was making — which meant I wanted something fresh, but not overwhelmingly ‘fruity’ or sweet. I looked at that pattypan (and I think…
Blackening Spices
I was reading another blogger’s recipe for Cranberry Tilapia Quinoa last week and in the course of our shared back-and-forth comments about how to tackle what she described as a “blandness,” I suggested that she try blackening her tilapia to give it more zip … and I said that I had a recipe I’d be happy…
Tomato Salad (5 Ways)
So tomato season is almost here. My own vines are filling with fruit and I suspect that even with all the rain, some of us in the Ottawa Valley are only a week or so away from fruit. Having said that, the butter lettuce in my CSA share this week was screaming “I want tomatoes,”…
Sautéed Swiss Chard with Meyer Lemon Peel
Whether you got Swiss chard in your CSA bin this week or are simply looking for a yummy way to prepare it, here’s a grande recipe that I think you’ll like. How grande is it? It almost stole the show from the grilled halibut with garlic scape pesto with which it was served. And yes, this…