Pioneering the concept of a regionally focused cuisine, Inn on the Twenty Restaurant opened its doors in 1993, beginning the entire regional cuisine movement in Niagara. Considered one of the best Niagara winery restaurants for its farm-to-table approach, it continues to celebrate Niagara’s bounty. Located in Jordan Village, we stopped by for lunch on their pretty garden patio, before heading to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a few days. With a tempting menu featuring local produce and Cave Spring wines, our lunch was a celebration of delicious Niagara offerings. Beginning with a glass of Cave Spring Sparkling Dolomite Brut, we shared a dish named 'From the Pantry', a platter of local and house-made charcuterie and peach preserves, with Niagara Gold cheese, Kozlik’s triple crunch mustard and homemade crostini, followed by perfectly grilled medium-rare New York strip loins served with béarnaise sauce, rosemary salted pomme frites and seasonal vegetables with green peppercorn aioli. Known for their fabulous deserts, we succumbed to a Summer Berry Cheesecake with orange caramel and white chocolate ganache, and Zesty Lemon Mousse with lemon curd, raspberry gel and pecan crumble. With their friendly and professional servers, beautiful setting and delicious menu, dining at Inn on the Twenty is always a memorable stop while visiting the Niagara region.
Inn on the Twenty Summer Garden Patio
Flagstone garden patio with beautiful trees and flowers
Cave Spring Sparkling Dolomite Brut
Local and house-made charcuterie and peach preserves, with Niagara Gold cheese,
Kozlik’s triple crunch mustard and homemade crostini
and seasonal vegetables with green peppercorn aioli
Grilled NY striploin with béarnaise sauce, mixed green salad
and seasonal vegetables with green peppercorn aioli
2018 Cave Spring Pinot Noir ‘Dolomite’
Summer Berry Cheesecake with orange caramel and white chocolate ganache
Zesty Lemon Mousse with lemon curd, raspberry gel and pecan crumble
Lemon Meringue Tarts
Makes 6 individual tarts or 1 9-inch tart
Recipe courtesy of Anna Olson
Sablée Pastry Dough:
1⁄2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1⁄2 cup + 2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
1 hard-boiled large egg yolk
1 large egg yolk
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake & pastry flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg white, lightly whisked
Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Finely grated lemon zest of 2 lemons
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup crème fraiche or full fat sour cream
5 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Meringue:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
For the pastry, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth. Push the hard-boiled egg yolk through a sieve and stir the raw egg yolk and vanilla into it. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Shape the dough into a disc (it will be very soft), wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours. The dough can be prepared and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Gently knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to soften it a little; this will help prevent the dough from cracking as you roll it. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll out each piece to a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Dust the bottom of 6 individual 4-inch removable bottom tart shells or place 6 tart rings onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Line the tart shells with the pastry; press it in carefully and well into the bottom edge, and trim away the excess dough from the top. Chill the shells for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prick the bottoms of the pastry shells with a fork and then bake them for 16 to 18 minutes, until the top edges are golden brown and the bottom of the pastry looks matte. Immediately after removing the tart shells from the oven, brush the pastry with the egg white and let this cool completely on a rack before filling.
For the lemon filling, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest together in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk, crème fraiche or sour cream, and egg yolks; the mixture may not blend smoothly at this point. Bring the filling up to a simmer over medium heat, whisk constantly, until it thickens and bubbles break the surface, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Transfer the filling to a bowl and cover the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming and cool until room temperature, about an hour and then pour this into the cooled tart shells and chill for at least an hour, up to 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use beaters to whip the egg whites until they are frothy and set aside. Bring the sugar and water up to a full boil over high heat and, without stirring, boil until it reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer; this happens quickly. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and with the beaters on high speed, slowly pour the sugar down the side of the bowl into the whipping white; avoid adding the sugar directly to the whites while whipping them, to avoid splashes. Continue to whip the whites until they hold a stiff peak but are still warm, about 90 seconds.
Dollop or pipe the meringue on top of the tarts. Brown the meringues by baking the tarts for 4 to 7 minutes. Chill the tarts for at least 2 hours before serving.
Like most lemon meringue pies and tarts, these are best served the day they are made, but they will hold well for an extra day, refrigerated.
Notes:
- This recipe can also be baked into a 9-inch removable bottom fluted tart pan, adding an extra 2-4 minutes to the bake time on the pastry.
- Brushing the baked pastry shells with egg white right from the oven creates a bit of a moisture barrier, so the lemon filling won’t seep into the pastry and soften it.
- Because these tarts are topped with a cooked, Italian meringue, the meringue doesn’t weep or slide off the lemon filling.
Grilled Peach Salad with Prosciutto & Blue Cheese
Serves 2
Recipe courtesy of Chef Sheila Polingga, Inn On The Twenty
2 whole peaches, cut in half, pitted
6 oz spring mix greens
4 slices prosciutto
4 oz blue cheese
Handful of toasted pecans
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Roast peaches on a grill until lightly tender. Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Delicious served along with steak or any BBQ meal.
Peachy Keen Cocktail
Serves 1
Recipe courtesy of Food & Beverage Manager Maribeth McKey
1/2 of a peach, remove the skin and purée, or use a peach nectar from store
2 oz Dillon’s Dry Gin 7
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
Soda water
Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Pour into rocks glass over ice and then top with soda water. Garnish with spring of thyme and a slice of peach.
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