Well, I still have rhubarb recipes gathering dust in my drafts file and I had hoped to post those before popping back here to simply announce that the next instalment of Kate’s Plate is live over at Ottawa Magazine (online and in print!), and yet here I am. Something about the best laid plans going awry…
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There is a jungle of tomatoes in our backyard. Raspberries are ripening at a rate that is hard to keep up with (though we are happy to try!). Herbs are running wild and the apples seem promising enough to look forward to. But the snow peas are done. Their tendrils climbed quickly for a short little while. I’ll be filing this recipe away for next summer’s crop. 
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From the backyard.
25 years ago last Tuesday my parents got married. We celebrated with a lovely al fresco dinner at home. I made them a berry flan. I wrote them a rap.
Mama flashing the 25 year old ring.
So if anyone is looking for a preppy, classically trained singer to freestyle at their next event, you know where to find me. (Mostly totally joking.)
The recipe and a rap…
Good one, Roger.
This weekend in Ottawa was beautiful, with long days of sunshine and weather that just begged for us to stay outside. On Saturday we picked up fresh sweet corn and peaches on the side of the road, grabbed a few Beau’s on the way home and really enjoyed some of the best of Ontarian summer bounty.
Some local love.
Movin’ to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches…
29 years ago, Ronald Reagan proclaimed that the third Sunday of July would be known henceforth as International Ice Cream Day — apparently the former president “recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food”. Fun? Definitely. Nutritious? Um, that one’s dubious. But whatevs, let’s go with it, because who doesn’t want to celebrate cool desserts and hot summer days?
Combine homemade graham crackers, toasted marshmallow ice cream, and dark chocolate and you’ve got your ice cream s’more — won’t really work over a campfire, but delicious just the same.
Obviously, no one should be limited to only one day to celebrate ice cream: July is actually “ice cream month”. So go forth, enjoy, and try your best to avoid brainfreeze. Continue reading
Montreal moments, captured by T.
picnics, cocktails, naps. rinse and repeat.
Sunsets with this guy.
One ingredient.
Camouflage à l’oratoire.
I used to really dislike tomatoes. As a kid, unless they were in spaghetti sauce, I picked them out of pretty much everything. The only reason I liked tomatoes back in the day was because my dad says “to-mah-to” so this would lead into sing-alongs (“You say tomato, I say tomahto…“).
I think I became a tomato convert once my parents started growing them in our backyard. I loved going out to pick our little cherry tomatoes, the sweet millions, and I guess one day I decided I should probably try what I was harvesting. And that was it — ta da! A tomato lover was born. Luckily I think I only missed out on eight years of tomato goodness, so I’ve had plenty of time to make up for those missed fruits. 
This tart from Cooking Light will beautifully showcase your tomato summer harvest — not only is the classic pairing of tomato and basil delicious, the brightly coloured tomatoes practically scream summer. Along with your rainbow of tomatoes, the crust gets it’s golden hue from corn and cornmeal — and is surprisingly easy to make! So you see, it’s pretty enough to impress but easy enough for a lazy summer dinner…perfect, right?
It’s a long weekend over here and I’m getting ready for some time at the beach, kicking around town and sleeping in as much as I can! Can’t believe it’s August already — got to make the most of these summer days. Have a great weekend!
With the city experiencing a bit of a heat wave this week, the official arrival of summer would be hard to miss, but you know summer has really arrived in Ottawa when Ribs Fest comes to town. 15 vendors from the United States and Canada take over five blocks in the pedestrian mall downtown to compete in the cook off with prizes for the best ribs, best chicken, and best sauces. They’ll be serving up smokey barbecue goodness from 11am-10pm until Sunday, so if you’re in Ottawa make sure you get a taste of the city’s meatiest festival.
With my office being right beside the smorgasbord it’s impossible to miss the line of barbecues and grills heating up Sparks Street…I can smell it all day! A few girlfriends and I met for pulled pork sandwiches and drinks on shady patio for lunch; a pretty great way to enjoy the first official day of summer.
The only downside to enjoying pulled pork and beer at lunch? There’s no time for napping at work…fooooooood coma.
I had to tip….
Ribs and cornbread for dinner. A balanced meal…
Gem-shaped cranberry ice cubes in sparkling wine -- I'm a sucker for shaped ice cube trays!
Released from the shackles of academic obligations for the next four months I eagerly embraced my first day of vacation. (Okay, that might be a little dramatic. I like school, and I’ll be starting my summer job soon, so I’m not on total vacation…but summer is always exciting!)
What did I get up to? Quality time with the puppy, a singing rehearsal, yoga, dinner with friends and I got to play in the kitchen! I actually exercised some willpower and didn’t bake at all during my exams, so I was itching to make some dessert. Hope your day was as tasty as mine!
Tired puppy after so much walking!
My mum's amaaaazing pizza.
Chocolate orange biscotti
I found this gem from the past while cleaning some files off my family’s old desktop. Some girlfriends and I started a book group the summer we were 15, and these are the (kind of silly!) rules I decided our new group should follow. I particularly enjoy my use of coloured font for emphasis…
Our reading schedule sort of died once school started back up, but we managed to revive our club last summer and it was so much fun. Just the perfect excuse to make sure we all got together and caught up. Anyone up for some more summer reading??
