Quinoa with Pickled Ginger & Sesame Vinaigrette

High in protein, low in fat and full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, Quinoa is an easy, gluten-free alternative to other grain-like seeds. It's also easy to cook and tastes great, especially when combined with a colourful and crunchy selection of diced cucumber, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, fresh mint and some surprising Japanese-inspired flavours: pickled ginger and Wafu Light Sesame Vinaigrette. A smooth and creamy sesame dressing, Wafu Light has 43% less fat than Wafu's Original Sesame dressing, at just 40 calories per tablespoon, contains no colours or artificial flavours, is cholesterol-free, is low in sodium and is also peanut-free. More importantly, it's absolutely delicious!

Royal Quinoa with Pickled Ginger, Cucumber & Dried Cranberries

Serves 6

1 cup red and white quinoa

1/2 english cucumber, finely diced

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pickled ginger, diced

1/8 cup pickled ginger juice

1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2 cup Wafu Sesame Japanese vinaigrette

Add the quinoa and 2 1/2 cups of water to a pot. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The water will evaporate, much like rice. Let the quinoa cool for 10-15 minutes before scooping into a large bowl. Add the pickled ginger and juice and toss well. Then add the cucumber, almonds, dried cranberries and fresh mint, stirring until well combined. Finally, mix in the Wafu sesame vinaigrette and toss until combined. Adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Frank at the AGO: Innovative Seasonal Cuisine

The Art Gallery of Ontario's award-winning restaurant Frank, is a distinctive Frank Gehry-designed space with casual chic décor with modern Danish furnishings and a contemporary installation of American painter Frank Stella. With a menu of global bistro cuisine and seasonal flavours featuring local seasonal fare and quality fresh ingredients, recently appointed Executive Chef Renée Bellefeuille created a special three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menu embracing the city's popular Summerlicious food event which runs for two mouth-watering weeks this summer from July 1 to August 24th. The AGO is also currently hosting an exhibition of over 30 paintings by Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris entitled 'The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris', co-curated by comedian and art lover Steve Martin. Martin first encountered the paintings of Lawren Harris 25 years ago and it was love at first sight. But the actor-comedian-musician quickly discovered that he wasn't alone in his love for the founding Group of Seven member. "I thought I discovered him," Martin confessed "then I realized Canada knows all about him, so I felt a little foolish." That insight put Martin on a mission: to expose Americans to the iconic paintings of Harris. The result is the exhibit "The Idea of North," which he helped curate and orchestrate. The 30-painting exhibit has already had showings in Los Angeles and Boston and is currently in Toronto for a 10-week run — and it's absolutely marvelous.

The Summerlicious menu at Frank

A glass of chilled bubbly Prosecco

Screech-cured rainbow trout with preserved lemon, avocado, stinging nettle dust and grilled focaccia

100 km Greens with foraged pickles and maple granola with a squashberry vinaigrette

Lake Erie perch with zucchini carpaccio, preserved lemon, pickled chillies 

and cold pressed sea buckthorn oil

Ontario Gorgonzola with ice wine and balsamic reduction with macerated blackberries 

and walnut raisin toast

Buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb gel and nut brittle

Steve Martin, co-curator of The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris show at the AGO

www.ago.net/frank

                                                           

Frank Restaurant’s Spring Pea & Leek Tart
Serves 6

Pastry Dough:
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour
Pinch salt
4 oz cold unsalted butter
4 oz cold lard
1/2 cup ice water

Filling:
1 cup chopped leeks
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz Canadian Gruyère cheese, grated
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped in chiffonade
1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chervil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen garden peas
8 oz smoked trout, flaked
2 cups 35% cream
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1 large whole egg
4 large egg yolks


Sift the flours and salt together fir the pastry dough. Using a box grater, grate the butter and lard into the flour and incorporate well with fingers until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add ice water a little bit at a time mixing well, and adding just enough water to bring dough together. Form the dough into two flat discs, then wrap well and refrigerate 10-20 minutes. Roll one of the discs out into a 10-inch round, reserving the second disc for another use, wrapping and freezing it or chill. Line a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with the pastry and refrigerate 10-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Meanwhile sweat the leeks in butter until tender and transparent, seasoning with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool. Cover the bottom of the tart shell with the grated cheese, then sprinkle evenly with with chopped herbs, followed by the leeks, peas and flaked trout. In a medium bowl, mix the cream, nutmeg, egg and yolks well with a whisk, then pour evenly over the other ingredients in the pie shell. Place the tart into preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 30 minutes. The centre of the tart should be set, but still jiggly. Cool for 10-30 minutes before serving to allow custard to set. Cut and serve.

Sugar Snap & Spring Peas with Grilled Asparagus

Fresh green peas plucked from the pod, plump sugar snap peas and tender spears of local Ontario grown asparagus tossed together with a little butter and chopped homegrown mint come together beautifully in this healthy, vibrant and verdant warm salad. Topped with sliced raw Chioggia "candy cane" beets, the flavours of this bright and healthy salad positively shout summer!



Sugar Snap & Spring Pea Salad with Grilled Asparagus & Chioggia Beets
Serves 2

1 1/2 cups fresh peas from the pod
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
1/4 Chioggia beet, thinly sliced and julienned
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives


In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus with a little oil olive to coat, and set aside. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high and grill the asparagus until it's cooked through and lightly charred. Meanwhile, using a small pot with fitted steamer basket, pour enough water into the pot to cover the peas and fill the steamer basket with the sugar snap peas. Bring the water to a boil and place the peas in the boiling water, and set the steamer basket with the sugar snap peas on top. Cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. When done, pour all of the the peas into a colander to drain, then return to the pot with some butter and chopped mint. Cover and set aside. To serve, place the peas and asparagus on a decorative platter and garnish with the sliced raw Chioggia beets and finely chopped chives.

Stacked Caprese with Arugula & Roasted Red Peppers

One of the simplest and most perfect summer salads, Insalata Caprese is a playful reference to the colours of the Italian flag: red, white, and green. Thick slices of perfectly ripe tomatoes and soft creamy Buffalo Mozzarella and fragrant fresh basil, this stacked version of the classic Caprese from Caffe di Portico at Yonge at Davenport was also served with a tangy arugula and roasted red pepper salad, keeping with the 'tricolore' of the Italian flag. Any way you slice it — or stack it — the flavours shout summer. Viva Italia!

Stacked Caprese Salad with Arugula & Roasted Red Peppers

Serves 4

2 summer or hot house tomatoes

2 Mozzarella di Bufala or fior di latte mozzarella, sliced

4 cups of arugula

2 roasted sweet red peppers, sliced

4 large fresh basil leaves 

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

Fresh ground black pepper and Maldon salt, to taste

Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella in 1/4-inch thick slices, then assemble in stacks by placing one slice of mozzarella and single basil leaf sandwiched in between two slices of tomato, then set aside. In a medium bowl toss the arugula and sliced roasted red peppers with some vinaigrette to taste, tossing well to combine. To serve, place a caprese stack and arugula pepper salad on each of 4 dinner plates and garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and grind of black pepper.

Smoked Trout & Potato Salad with Crème Fraîche

Smoked fish and new potatoes are a match made in heaven. And at less than 300 calories per serving, this easy and delicious Smoked Trout and Potato Salad is a lovely summertime dish. Dressed with a delicate lemony crème fraîche, the cooked new potatoes are simply tossed with capers, thinly sliced red onion, fresh herbs and baby pea shoots. Seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper, the potato salad is lovely served in small mounds topped with flakes of smoked trout, and then garnished with a few extra capers and some chopped chives and fresh dill. Perfect served as a light lunch or elegant first course, this simple salad is delicious paired with a chilled bottle of Rosé or Pinot Gris. 

Smoked Trout & Potato Salad

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb new potatoes, scrubbed

4 tbsp crème fraîche or plain Greek yoghurt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 red onion, peeled and very finely sliced

1/2 cup capers, drained

1 cup pea shoots

1 lb smoked trout fillets, skinned, boned and flaked

Maldon sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh chives and dill, finely chopped plus more for garnish

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to dry. When cool enough to handle, cut them in half or thick slices, as you prefer. In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the lemon zest and juice. Add the potatoes, onion, dill, chives and capers, then snip the pea shoots into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. To serve, divide the potato mixture between four serving plates in small mounds and flake the smoked trout overtop. Garnish with extra chopped chives or dill.

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino e Guanciale

Five Simple ingredients. One great supper. Aglio e Olio many claim, is the simplest pasta sauce in the entire Italian culinary canon. You don't even need cheese — in fact, some would argue cheese isn't a welcome addition. If you have spaghetti, garlic, salt, and oil, you can make this pasta right now. But as with all simple dishes, using the highest-quality ingredients is crucial to achieving the best flavour, and this late-night Roman staple is astonishingly full-flavoured. Inspired by the delicious Tagliatelle Aglio e Olio we enjoyed at Osteria Acquacheta in Montepulciano, my husband created this modified version using Guanciale di Norcia that we had brought back from a recent trip to Umbria. A delicacy of central Italy, guanciale looks like bacon but has a richer flavour, and provides the perfect foil for this simple and supremely comforting iconic pasta dish.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, Crushed Red Chilis & Guanciale
Serves 4

1 lb spaghetti
4 tbsp of olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
1 tsp hot chili flakes
1/4 cup finely diced guanciale
1 cup grated pecorino, for garnish


In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over low. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the guanicale and chiles, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and add to the skillet with the other ingredients and toss well to combine. Serve in warmed pasta bowls and garnish with grated pecorino if desired.  

Chilled Petit Pois & Mint Soup with Buttermilk

At the first vestige of warm weather, I love to make this cold and creamy Petit Pois and Mint Soup, a light and delicious silky smooth puréed soup bursting with the fresh flavours of summer. A refreshing start to an elegant lunch, this soup is unbelievably easy to make and transports incredibly well, so I often bring it along for cottage country weekends, and simply store it in a plastic jug for the drive out of the city. When it's my turn to make lunch, I simply retrieve the jug from the refrigerator, discreetly pour the chilled soup into cups or bowls, and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche, some chopped cucumber and fresh mint. Voilà!

Chilled Green Petit Pois & Mint Soup with Buttermilk
Serves 6

3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups frozen peas
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup English cucumber, diced for garnish
1/4 cup crème fraîche, for garnish


Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add chicken stock, peas, mint and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the peas are tender. Pour in a blender and purée until smooth. Use a slotted spoon and pull out any stubborn peas that refuse to cooperate, and discard. Stir in the buttermilk and season with salt and white pepper. Chill until needed. To serve, garnish with a sprig of mint, a spoonful of diced cucumber and a swirl of buttermilk or crème fraîche if you like.