LITTLE GEMS

Mary's visiting Montreal from Vancouver right now and we took advantage of the grey, rainy weather yesterday to have a little sunshine party at home. First we trekked north to Jean Talon market in search of strawberries and peaches, then home again for lazy afternoon jam making and scary movie viewing. I use the term 'jam' loosely as our end product is much more a strawberry preserve, still, sweet, sunshiney and delicious. Ain't we domestic?

HARVEST

After work yesterday I went down to the last day of the Main Street farmer's market. I tried to avoid buying too much, but as always that was impossible. Everything there was so perfect. The harvest season is such a great time of year. Being on the west coast it's a little different than on the prairies (it last longer here, for one) and there seems to be a greater variety of fresh produce and also a greater appreciation for all the amazing things we can grow right here in the Lower Mainland.

The bounty.

LOVELY BIRTHDAY BRUNCH

I threw a small birthday brunch for a girlfriend last weekend and it was my favorite sort of simple food. I then followed it up with the richest most ridiculous cake I could think of from a Tartlette recipe and an afternoon at the Vancouver flea market. I love days off.

BASIL OVERLOAD

Basil is so cheap right now it's hard to decide what to do with it, but in the spirit of preparing for the winter I figured I should freeze (in mass amounts) one of my favorite foods: pesto.

If you have been living a very terrible life and have never made pesto before don't worry because it is so simple. Yesterday I made a large quantity in the food processor, but I have also used small blending attachments for my immersion blender, a mortar and pestle, and I have pre-chopped and then mixed in a bowl -- all approaches worked just fine. The ratio depends on your own tastes but a good starting point is:

-1 large bunch (like one of the two shown above) basil
-juice of half a lemon
-1-2 garlic cloves
-1/3 cup olive oil (more or less as necessary)
-1-2 Tbsp lightly roasted pine nuts
-3-4 Tbsp roasted walnuts (optional, but you should really add them, they are delicious and nutritious and a staple in parts of Italy. I like to add them at the end so they are a bit bigger and crunchier)
-salt and pepper
-Parmesan, finely grated (optional)
(The amount created in my food processor below was from using three and a half bunches of basil)

Then you could make a meal something like this one, or you could use it on potatoes, or on sandwiches, or on top of soups instead of cream/yogurt. Or with poached eggs for breakfast....
...excuse me please.

COOL, CLEAN AND GREEN

Montreal makes me want to eat clean, simple food. Perhaps it's the humidity that has me craving greens and grains and fruit and strong coffee. Perhaps it's the proximity of a lovely little grocery store just around the corner that has me cooking so simply. It's so easy to stop in, pick up whatever looks fresh & delicious, toss together a simple summer lunch and then do it all over again for dinner.

I've also been reading Rachel Eats a lot lately, a favorite food blog written by a UK ex-pat living in Italy. She has a way of making food seem so wholesome, so delectable, so simple and precious and nourishing - the Italian way I suppose. I'm inspired by these simple blends of simple ingredients which transform lowly lettuce, for instance, into something quite special indeed. These things make me happy:

Fresh picked greens,

& sunflower sprouts,

With crisp English cucumbers,

Lots of fresh parsley,

Creamy avocado,

And cool, silky herbed tofu with sea salt,

Tossed together with lemon and tahini and I'm in heaven.

And then I replaced the ballcock on our toilet - cause that's just the sort of renaissance girl I am.

CHOCOLATE, PLEASE

These photos are by an Australian photographer currently living in Vancouver, you can see her blog, Mocking Bird here. This table setting reminds me so much of Bubo in Barcelona, (one of our favorites).
I cannot believe I have yet to go to the Thomas Haas cafe. I love the many chocolate bars they produce (I have almost tried them all) and these photos bring me back to a few happy mornings in Europe. I think I need to go sit and have a cappuccino and a croissant (okay and a piece of cake!) very soon.

A LOVE OF CHERRIES

I can honestly say that I bought these cherries simply because I thought the leaves attached were so pretty. I certainly did not need any more cherries, still I ate all of these the day I got them and have since gone out to buy even more. Vancouver is positively gorgeous right now and I am stocking my fridge full of fruit (and my pantry full of coffee and popcorn) for when mine and Elizabeth's mother comes out to visit me here on the coast. She and her husband will be here in a few hours -- I can't wait! (I hope they brought their walking shoes!)

BEAT THE HEAT, PART TWO

May I suggest after heading down to the yard sale that you make yourself a tomato, bocconcini, and basil salad and that you also make a spinach, snow pea, cucumber and mixed bean sprouts salad and then that you cover them both in oil and vinegar and lemon juice and then that you enjoy them together?

DECADENCE

Over the top! R and I were gifted brunch for two at the Hotel Macdonald when we were married nearly three years ago but, somehow, could never find time to visit before now. We finally made it out this past Sunday and, of course, the whole experience was simply divine. I can never eat a ton of food in one sitting so buffets kindof don't make sense for me but the buffet brunch that the Hotel Mac puts on is such an experience that it's totally worth the insane price tag. The selection of food is amazing, a beautiful feast for the eyes as well as the tongue, and the empire ballroom and outdoor terrace & gardens make you feel like you're on vacation in some magical wonderland. Obviously, I could get used to Sunday brunches like this (in case anyone anywhere is taking note.)

Assorted muffins, danishes, pastries and croissants

Pate and terrine

Numerous different salads and dressings


Gravlax smoked salmon with capers


Mussels with tomato, peppers and basil


Cheese!!!


Cold cuts


Briney delights


Self explanatory

Other items included roasted potatoes, eggs florentine, roasted vegetables, bison stew, sweet chicken chili, poached salmon in an orange ginger cream sauce, peel and eat shrimp, a made-to-your-specs omelette station, fruit and vegetable platters, a make-your-own crepe station, peach parfait, apple and wheatgrass smoothies......the list goes on.

My first plate: Broccoli cream soup, gravlax, salmon roulade, smoked whitefish (which was so yummy), seafood salad, mussels and spicy salami.

My second plate: Crispy bacon and sasauge, eggs benedict, caramelized banana french toast with brie and spring greens with raspberry dressing.

R's second plate: 7-grain risotto, baked penne pasta, spinach with blue cheese dressing and crackers & cheese.

For dessert R had a slice of pecan flan and an insanely soft, chocolately, mocha cake concoction. They both looked amazing (everything did) but I was pretty full and decided to go for watermelon, walnuts, cheese, shrimp and a nanaimo bar. They kindof look weird all together on one plate but whatever, they tasted amazing. Oh, did I mention that brunch included bottomless mimosas?

I am so going back for more, cost be damned. Perhaps at Christmas, anyone interested??