Sun, Sun, Beautiful Sun - Fresh Lemonade Syrup

We all ran around in shock on Sunday afternoon. A previously shy sun shone and we revelled in the joy/bedlam/disaster and noise of a dozen near five year olds.

In preparation for this moment, the sun shining for the first time in a month, I needed something delicious and thirst-quenching. Something a little sweet but not teeth-rotting. Something that tastes like sunny days, and I don't mean sunscreen and sandy hand mauled sandwiches. Pimm's No. 1 Cup, while perfectly fitting the delicious and thirst-quenching order, isn't perfectly suited to five year olds for obvious reasons. While the non-heavy machinery operating adults quaffed their Pimm's, those in charge of vehicles and the children would need to drink something else.

My grandmother used to make a lemonade syrup, the recipe was handed down and my mother made it for us. That was back in the day when I thought that a certain powdered beverage, often electric blue, to which you add sugar and water was the ultimate in cool person drinks. So, something as homemade as lemonade made from a syrup, which didn't get squeezed from a plastic container, was not something high on my street cred growing list.

Years pass and then the very same lemonade syrup, or one very similar, shows up at the summer market and it lights a little fire in the back of my brain and I get to thinking, this is probably much easier than summer market chappy is making it out to be with his 'secret recipe' and 'even more secret ingredient' chatter.

Turns out that it really is and after wading around on the internet in a 'there is how much sugar in that' eye-bulging anxiety attack, and with a very little experimentation, I came up with this and I think it is pretty good.

 

I like it to have the pulp left in, so I did. You could strain it but, I think, you'll be sacrificing lemony goodness. I suggest, if you don't have a self-straining juicer, to juice everything into a measuring cup and then strain the seeds out, you can push the pulp through with the juice.

This is just as delicious with some club soda and muddled mint leaves and heck, while you're there you may as well just chuck a little white rum or vodka in and celebrate the sunshine with a lemon mojito. Not that I would ever do anything like that.

Lemonade Syrup (makes about three pints)

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup lemon zest  

juice of 18 lemons (about 3 1/2 cups)

Bring sugar, water and lemon zest to a boil and let cool.

When cool, stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a clean bottle and refrigerate. 

Mix to taste.

Drink. 

Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Lemon and Poppy Seeds - Just in Time for Thanksgiving # 2

As far as children’s eating preferences go, I know I am pretty blessed. Poppy had a wee tantrum at Whole Foods the other day because I wouldn’t let her get a salad to eat in the car on the way home. It’s not that I am depriving my child, I was thinking of the brand new, until we got our greasy and sticky little mitts on it, rental car.

It was her who decided that we should have brussels sprouts, one of her favourites, for supper the other day. When asked what she would like to have with her father’s most dreaded vegetable, she replied, ‘Just a glass of milk.’

I chose to provide some protein and starch with the sprouts, purely as a marriage preservation technique, but that is beside the point. It is about the sprouts.

Way back when, we used to do rapini with garlic, lemon and toasted sesame at Lolita’s Lust, which was not a brothel but a restaurant where I used to work. As the girls and I strolled, read: stop-started in three foot intervals while one child or another tried to leap out of the shopping trolley at one shiny package or another while I pleaded still-sitting and inside voices, through the supermarket aisle, I thought that such treatment would suit the much maligned sprout.

Poppy informed me that Hazel, our imaginary sister, didn’t like sesame seeds, she only likes poppy seeds narcissistically enough. So we shifted from thoughts of toasty, nutty sesame to the prettier and stick-in-your-teethier poppy seed. Don’t think I don’t like poppy seeds, I do. I just think they are at their best mixed with lots of sugar and dairy and baked into something gooey and sweet, think rugelach, lemon poppy seed cake with cream cheese frosting and poppy seed danish. You get the gist.

Well, it is lucky that Hazel happened to join us for that trip to the supermarket, she has been using that time to surf lately, because she hit it right on and the poppy seeds are perfect here. 

No longer is there any excuse for stinky, overcooked lumps of mushy grey green brussels sprout. These are delicious. Stephen even said they were good. This, from a man who for the last forty years has sulkily eaten one brussels sprout each Christmas because he was made to.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Lemon and Poppy Seeds

28 large brussels sprouts shredded, about 5 cups shredded, or in the absence of a food processor, thinly sliced

3 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup stock (chicken or vegetable) or water

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, over medium high heat, heat the oil.

Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. 

Add the sprouts and toss with the oil, then add the stock or water. Continue cooking, tossing every twenty seconds or so, until the sprouts become bright green and start to become tender.

Add the lemon juice and poppy seeds, toss and remove from heat. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

Warm Toasted Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette and Some of Its Many Uses

Every now and then you realize that you have stumbled upon a culinary workhorse. It may, like in this case, be something that you have been using since the dawn of time. Or, at least since the dawn of your culinary exploration. It may be something that someone shows you and you suddenly realize that it has a multitude of uses.

It will most likely be simple. And, it should be made of things you would normally have on hand. Otherwise, what’s the use if you can’t just whip it up whenever you need it.

I have been using this warm, and impossibly simple, vinaigrette since I discovered the bounty of Provençal markets. It is perfect drizzled over a plate of sliced market fresh vegetables in any season. 

Poppy and I made a warm zucchini (courgette, for all you English folk) and summer squash slaw with some toasted almonds and tomatoes for lunch the other day and it was ‘exactly delicious’, as Poppy told me when asked how she thought it turned out.

Today, I was lucky enough to have five pounds of fresh scallops delivered to my door. I happened to mention it on Facebook and ceviche was suggested by Jason in reply. As today seemed to redefine grey, I thought that was a great idea to liven up the dreary moods moping around ours.

I was about to get into making it when I realized that I didn’t have any lime or any red onion or any fresh coriander/cilantro so I was going to have to wing it. 

I started to cut the scallops and decided to slice them very thinly instead. Then, as I was juicing the lemon, I remembered doing it the other day for the vinaigrette. All of a sudden I was digging a plate out and laying the scallops on it and getting everything ready to make the vinaigrette which was going to be drizzled over these scallops for a pretty decadent little rainy day lunch. Cue blue skies and sunshine.

Over the last few hours, I have decided that the possibilities for this little gem of a vinaigrette are almost endless - warm potato salad, drizzled over figs and goat cheese, a quick topping for a pasta. I think I could go on for a while here. I'd love to know if you find a use for it.

Warm Toasted Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette

1 large clove of garlic julienned

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until it just starts to brown. This will happen quickly. Be careful not to burn it. Pour in lemon juice and stand back. When mixture starts to boil, this will happen quickly, remove from heat. Immediately drizzle over whatever you are drizzling it over.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Slaw (makes enough for 4 as an ample side dish)

1 medium zucchini

1 medium summer squash

3 small tomatoes quartered, seeded and julienned

1/2 small red onion thinly sliced

Handful of parsley leaves

1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted

Warm Toasted Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette

Maldon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to serve

Julienne the zucchini and summer squash or, if you have one, you can use a julienne peeler.

Put the zucchini and squash, tomato, onion and parsley leaves on a large plate or in a salad bowl. Drizzle the warm vinaigrette over. Toss to mix. Sprinkle the almonds almonds and some Maldon sea salt and black pepper on top. Eat.

Fresh Scallop Carpaccio (enough for 4 as a light appetizer)

1/2 pound fresh scallops with the tough ‘catch muscle’ removed

Finely chopped parsley

Fresh ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

1/2 recipe Warm Toasted Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette

Slice the scallops in 2-3 mm slices. Arrange on a serving plate, or on individual plates. Drizzle the hot vinaigrette over the top of the scallops. Top with parsley, salt and black pepper. Eat.

Yes, I do realize that there are now three scallop recipes here, here and here now but, hey, this is supposed to be about cooking in Nova Scotia. So, enjoy the bounty before I have to go somewhere else.

Every Now and Then, You've Got to Give it up for The Domestic Goddess

I don’t profess to be any sort of domestic goddess. I think that there is a certain level of domestic perfection that comes only from the assistance of paid help, PAs, housekeepers, nannies and/or au pairs, drivers and personal shoppers, none of which I can justify or afford. Those of us that can, are able to live in a mythical world of tidiness, beautiful food, perfectly dressed and clean children and cashmere twinsets where, even if I could, I don’t think I would fit in. I like messy kids and my boobs aren’t really twin set friendly. (Did I just say boobs on a food blog?)

Every now and then though, I find I am looking longingly at the doyenne of goddesslike domesticity, envying her bevvy of staff and wishing that, even if it was just for a few moments, I had that kind of opportunity to create perfect cakes and make men swoon and women jealous just by saying ‘butter and sugar’ through my perfectly red pout or by licking something delicious off a perfectly manicured finger.

Instead of this vision, I am usually asked by my husband or eldest child if I know that I have a banana hand print on my shirt or something in my hair or food stuck to my chin. Plus, without my make-up team and stylist, my skin isn’t so smooth and dewy and my outfit is usually more wrinkled than not and on good days, but not always, stain and spot free. So, even if I could do the voice, I would wind up looking and sounding a little more slummy mummy than yummy mummy.

But try as I might to dismiss The Domestic Goddess altogether, I can’t. She, or her team, sometimes do great food. Several cake recipes I regularly use are hers. Sure, I give them a little tweak every now and then but generally the recipes are pretty perfect and not too complex and rarely disappoint. So, it is to an old Nigella recipe that I turned when I wanted to make a cake for tea that wasn’t too heavy and tasted summery. I also had some laboriously hand-picked raspberries that I wanted to add and I remembered at the end of the recipe, which was cut out of a UK magazine at least eight years ago, that she says, in the way only Nigella could, ‘I can’t stop myself murmuring ‘raspberries alongside’ to you either.’ I decided that if they would be good alongside, they would be even better in.

Mine got a little dark around the edge, which annoyed me, but it has strengthened my determination to remember to pick up an oven thermometer and to remember to set a timer. 

I used the metric measurements given but measured it out in cups for those of you without a scale. Just use the same measurements throughout, if you start with grams, weigh all the ingredients in grams, etc.

Damp Lemon and Almond Cake with Raspberries adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe I clipped out of a magazine a long, long time ago (serves 8)

225 grams (8 ounces or 1 cup) soft butter (I used salted, the original called for unsalted)

225 grams (8 ounces or 1 1/4 cup) granulated sugar (use caster sugar if you have it)

4 large eggs

50 grams (2 ounces or 1/4 + 1/3 of 1/4 cup (1/12??) all purpose flour

225 grams (8 ounces or 2 cups) ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon almond essence

grated zest and juice of two lemons

about 2/3 pint of raspberries (a few more or less isn’t going to hurt)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and butter a 8-9 inch springform cake tin.

Cream together the butter and sugar until almost white. One at a time, beat in the eggs. Between each egg, add a quarter of the flour until it is fully incorporated. Stir the ground almonds and then add the almond essence, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Pour half the batter into the cake tin and arrange half the raspberries, saving the nicest ones for the top. Pour the remaining batter on top of the raspberries and spread it with a spatula. Arrange the rest of raspberries on top and gently push them into the batter a bit, not too far. 

Put cake in the oven and bake for about an hour.  You may need to cover it with foil after about half an hour so it doesn’t burn. It is done when a tester comes out with some damp crumbs and the top is firm. remove from the oven and cool.

This cake will keep, and Nigella thinks it is better when it is a few days old. We ate it the next day and it was just fine.

* Sorry for lack of baking process photos. I don’t have enough hands sometimes.

Riding a Bicycle was Never so Tasty

Years ago, in the days before children, I used to drink cocktails at the cocktail hour. I didn’t have to worry about supper for small girls or bath time or whether I should be drinking and nursing. All I had to worry about was what to wear with my new shoes.

Sometimes they were called sundowners. Sometimes they were called aperitifs. Sometimes they were drunk in a bar or a café overlooking a busy street or a beach. Sometimes they were drunk in a tiny, crowded and way too smoky, but back in the day I didn’t notice, hole in the wall bar. Sometimes they were drunk in the cockpit or on the bow of a boat. Sometimes they were drunk in the crew mess. 

The cocktails were occasionally margaritas or daquiris or martinis. More often, it was a beer or a glass of wine. Sometimes, depending on where the cocktail was being drunk, it was a delicious mix of Campari and something else.  A negroski or an americano or just a Campari and soda or grapefruit, any of them made the cocktail hour a little more satisfactory. You can even buy pre-mixed Campari Soda in little bottles in Italy, how civilized is that?

Someone once made me La Bicyclette. I had never had one and was sold as soon as I found out what was in it. Campari, white wine, club soda and lemon. I hadn’t even tasted it but I knew I would love it and I did. Refreshing and delicious and just a little bit fruity, not too bitter, not too sweet. The sweetness is easily adjusted by wine choice, the strength by soda quantity. I think that, strictly speaking, it should probably only have a splash of soda but these days I need one drink to last a long time or I’ll be asleep before bath time.

I know that Campari is not everyone’s favourite taste. Big Daughter saw my La Bicyclette this evening and her eyes lit up. She coyly asked for a sip expecting, I think, something tasting like toxic pink freezie. She was not at all impressed and informed me, ‘it is 32 yucky.’ I know that, on her scale of yuckiness, earwigs are a 34 yucky so I am guessing she has decided against Campari for the foreseeable future. Oh well, more for me.

I chose a wine that has some sweetness but not so much that we won’t drink it on its own. Valley Roads L’Acadie Muscat is not bone dry and has a bit of tropical fruit and citrus which always taste good with Campari. I also like to think it Nova Scotiafies this little tipple. 

La Bicyclette (makes one tasty cocktail)

2 ounces* Campari

2 ounces white wine (chose a sweeter wine, if you prefer sweeter drinks)

4 ounces club soda (it should probably only have about 1 ounce, a splash)

A slice or two of lemon

Ice cubes

Mix the Campari and wine together** and pour over ice and lemon in a wine glass. Top with club soda. Drink.

*or just use 1/4 cup if you, like me, don't seem to have a shot glass.

**if you want to get all fancy, you could use a shaker but I think a spoon and glass are just fine here.