Labour Day Weekend: Summer’s Last Hurrah. Enjoy the sun. Take those fresh tomatoes from your garden or the market and turn them into a cool Spanish soup. And, if you’re in Ottawa, go catch these two great exhibits before they close.

What will we do when the oil runs out? “Oil” at the Museum of Nature
is an eye opening and impressive collection of Edward Burtynsky’s photography series on the much talked of resource. We are so dependent on oil, but most of us never see the “behind the scenes”; where it comes from, how it affects the landscape and the people who work with it, how it shapes our societies and lifestyles. Some shocking images left a lasting impression and the exhibit asks important questions.

At the National Gallery of Canada, where the iceberg is melting, they’ve brought together an impressive international collection of contemporary indigenous art. The exhibit, named Sakahán which means “to light a fire” in the language of the Algonquin, explores the artists’ varied responses to what it means to be indigenous today.
And finally, the gazpacho. My dad has used this recipe for the classic cold Spanish soup for ages, and honestly I prefer it to the ones I tasted in Spain (!). The recipe from the Moosewood Collective is simple, and you can switch up the ingredients a bit depending on what you have. The only thing the you really need? Those fresh sun ripened tomatoes. Make sure they’re good, and the soup will be, too.

I’ve scooted off to the west coast for a quick visit with family in Vancouver and then to Seattle to see friends I met in Spain (!!!) before school– I’m excited to end this summer on a high note. I hope you do, too!