Watermelon & Feta Skewers with Fresh Basil

Light, fresh and colourful, this pretty appetizer is a bite-size adaptation of the summertime classic. As improbable as it might sound, the combination of watermelon, feta and basil is utterly fantastic, both savoury and refreshing at the same time. Equally fragrant topped with fresh basil or mint, these skewers are bright and healthy hors' d'oeuvre for any warm weather gathering.




Watermelon & Feta Skewers with Basil
Makes 20 appetizers

1/4 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
20 fresh basil or mint leaves
6 oz feta cheese, sliced into 1″ x 1″ x 1/4″ squares
1/8 cup Balsamic Glaze


Place each cube of watermelon on a clean surface and top with a piece of feta followed by a basil leaf and skewer each stack with a decorative toothpick. To serve, arrange all of the skewers on a platter and drizzle with a little Balsamic Glaze, to taste.

Spring Pea & Asparagus Salad with Shrimp & Chioggia

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 juicy grilled tiger shrimp and sliced raw Chioggia "candy cane" beets, the flavours positively shout summer!



Spring Pea & Asparagus Salad with Shrimp & Raw Chioggia Beets
Serves 2

1 1/2 cups fresh peas from the pod
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
1/4 Chioggia beet, thinly sliced and julienned
1 tsp hot chilli or sesame oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives


In a medium bowl, marinate the cleaned shrimp with a teaspoon of hot chilli or sesame oil and toss well to coat. in another bowl, toss with asparagus with a little oil olive to coat, and set aside.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high. Place the shrimp and asparagus on the BBQ and grill until the shrimp are opaque and the asparagus is 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 top with the grilled shrimp. Garnish with the sliced raw Chioggia beets and finely chopped chives.

Silver Palate: Linguine with Basil & Walnut Pesto

Italians have long used walnuts for pesto, as they lend a rich earthiness to the sauce. This foolproof recipe from my treasured dogeared copy of The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, quips that this sauce is "more Mastroianni than DeNiro: suave, mellow, even elegant. Walnuts and heavy cream add sophistication to the basil-garlic duo — a pesto that is equally at home on pasta, fluffed into hot rice or stirred into homemade mayonnaise  as a sauce for cold poached fish or crudités". This Basil & Walnut Pesto is simply sensational with linguine as a satisfying entrée or small first course portion to begin an Italian themed dinner.



Basil & Walnut Pesto Linguine
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of The Silver Palate Cookbook

1 pound linguine or fettucine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup pesto
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese, optional

Pesto: (makes 2 cups)
2 cups fresh basil leaves thoroughly washed and patted dry
4 good-size garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup best-quality olive oil
1 cup freshly grated imported Parmigiano 
1/2 cup freshly grated imported Romano
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Combine the basil, garlic and walnuts in the bowl of food processor and chop. Leave the motor running and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Shut the motor off, add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper. Process briefly to combine, then scrape out into a bowl and cover with a thin film of olive oil on top, until ready to use; freezes well.

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the linguine and boil until tender but firm. Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot pasta water and heavy cream into 1 cup of the pesto. Drain the pasta in a colander and return to the hot pot. Stir in the pesto and toss well to combine. Serve immediately in warm pasta bowls and garnish with additional pepper or cheese, if desired.

Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad with Nuts and Berries

I am hopelessly addicted to roasted beets. Added to a summer salad or served over a bed of homemade hummus and a dollop of Greek yogurt, these jewel-toned wonders are as healthy as they are beautiful and delicious. Roasting the beets intensifies their natural sweetness, and become the perfect foil with spicy peppery arugula. Taking advantage of our crop of homegrown arugula this summer as well as fresh ontario wild blueberries, this colourful summer salad is delicious on it's own or as part of an al fresco lunch.




Roasted Yellow and Red Beet Arugula Salad with Walnuts & Blueberries
Serves 8-10

3 red beets
3 yellow beets
6 cups of arugula
1/2 cups shelled walnuts
1/2 cup wild blueberries
2 tbsp chopped chives

Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Maldon salt, for garnish


Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wrap each of the beets in aluminum foil and bake for at least an hour, or until a knife passes easily through the centre. Allow them to cool, then using plastic gloves, peel the skins off. Cut the beets into small wedges and place the red and yellow beets in 2 separate bowls. 

To make the vinaigrette, add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and minced garlic together in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with fresh cracked black pepper to taste. To serve, toss the arugula with some vinaigrette then place on a large decorative platter then arrange the beets overtop and garnish with walnuts, blueberries and chopped chives. Drizzle with a little more vinaigrette before serving and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt for extra zing.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Sensational Cauliflower Cake

One of my favourite vegetarian entrées inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Plenty More', this spectacular dish is part of his ongoing campaign to give cauliflower some well-earned glory. Ottolenghi's light and wonderfully flavourful Cauliflower Cake is similar to a Spanish tortilla, but what makes it unusual is the addition of almost a dozen eggs, baking powder and the quantity of flour. The finished dish is rather like a firm omelet that slices like a cake, but instead of being humdrum, as baked egg dishes can often be, the addition of a whole head of cooked cauliflower, sautéed red onion, grated parmesan cheese, ground turmeric, minced rosemary, fresh basil — and Ottolenghi's ever-so-clever touch of baking it all in a springform pan lined with black sesame seeds — makes this a deliciously unique and completely addictive dish. Kept chilled, Ottolenghi's saffron-hued onion-speckled Cauliflower Cake tastes even better the next day, if you can wait that long!

Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Plenty More'

Cauliflower florets simmered in boiling water for 15 minutes then drained in a colander

Diced red onion, fresh rosemary and olive oil sautéed for 8 minutes then allowed to cool

8 large eggs whisked then chopped basil added to the bowl

Flour, baking powder, ground turmeric, salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese

The flour and cheese mixture is added to the sautéed onions and mixed to combine

The tender cauliflower florets are then added to the batter

The mixture is gently tossed so that most of the florets remain whole

The batter is poured into a pre-greased springform pan that was coated with black sesame seeds, and patted down so the mixture is well distributed then topped with finely sliced red onions

Baked at 350°F for 45 minutes, the Cauliflower Cake can be enjoyed warm from the oven or at room temperature the following day

Cauliflower Cake Ottolenghi
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of Yotam Ottolenghi

1 medium cauliflower, about 1.5 lb
1 large red onion, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

10 medium or 8 large eggs

2 tbsp chopped basil

3/4 cup plain flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

2 cups grated parmesan or pecorino
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tbsp butter, melted for greasing

2 tbsp black sesame seeds 


Heat the oven to 350°F. Break the cauliflower into medium-sized florets and put them in a pot with a teaspoon of salt, cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes until quite soft. Strain, and leave in the colander for a few minutes to cool and get rid of all the water.

While the cauliflower's cooking, prepare the batter. Halve the red onion and cut a few thin rings off the end of one side and set aside — these will go on top of the cake — coarsely chop the rest. Heat the oil in a pan and on a low heat, sauté the chopped onion and rosemary for eight minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down. Once cool, whisk in the eggs then stir in the basil.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, turmeric, cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and many grinds of black pepper, then add it to the egg mixture, whisking thoroughly to remove any lumps. Stir in the cauliflower very gently, so that most pieces remain whole.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper, and brush the sides generously with butter. Pour the sesame seeds into the pan and roll them around so that they stick to the sides, tipping out those that don't adhere. Pour in the cauliflower batter, arranging the reserved onion rings on top, and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set.

To remove the cake, gently release the springform pan so that the seeded crust remains intact. Serve warm or at room temperature with a lovely lentil salad.

Lentil Salad with Roast Tomato, Red Onion & Cilantro

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe for Castelluccio Lentils with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola from his award-winning cookbook 'Plenty,' I created this modified version of his inspired masterpiece, while still retaining the spirit and exceptional flavour of the original dish, but eliminating some of the needless extra calories. Instead of adding soft and sinful morsels of high-fat Italian gorgonzola cheese, a generous dollop of thick and creamy low-fat plain Greek yogurt crowns the salad in its place. Still, flavour still reigns supreme with a magnificent marriage of sweet oven roasted cherry tomatoes, marinated sliced red onions, fresh chopped cilantro and heart-healthy low calorie lentils, all dressed with a fragrant dressing of garlic, cumin and olive oil. Simple and delicious, this dish tastes as sensational as it looks.




Lentil Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Red Onion & Cilantro
Serves 6

1 19 oz can lentils, rinsed
Juice of 1/2 lime and 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12-16 cherry tomatoes, halved and roasted
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup Greek yogurt, as garnish


Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tomatoes together in a large bowl with 1/8 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. This can be done a day before. 

Mix the lemon and lime juice, vinegar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, then add the sliced onion rings and toss to coat. After 10-15 minutes the onions will soften and turn pinkish. Whisk in the oil, cumin and garlic to the onions, then add the lentils, cilantro and roasted tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and combine the salad well. Serve in a decorative bowl and top with a crown of plain Greek yogurt and garnish of chopped cilantro.

Tomato and Zucchini Tian with Fresh Thyme & Feta

A classic French Provençal dish of baked seasonal vegetables, this Tomato and Zucchini Tian with fresh thyme from the garden, captures all of the colourful flavours of summer. Simple and delicious, this dish is also low in calories. Traditionally, a summer vegetable tian can feature any variety of layered vegetables, herbs and cheeses from bright green and yellow zucchini and small potatoes to plump purple eggplant and plum tomatoes. Layered and baked, this recipe showcases summer's best — fresh zucchini and tomatoes from the St. Lawrence Market with some fresh thyme from our garden. Topped with a little grated Pecorino, this decorative gratin-style tian is one of my favourite summer recipes, and is as healthy and delicious as it looks.




Tomato and Zucchini Tian
Serves 4

3 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, Asiago, Feta or Gruyere, grated
4 sprigs of fresh thyme


Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush a small baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Combine the dried thyme, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Arrange half of the sliced zucchini in the baking dish and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the thyme mixture. Top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the remaining thyme mixture, then top with the remaining zucchini and thyme mixture. Drizzle the composed tian with remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with the cheese. Scatter the fresh thyme over the tian and bake until the vegetable are tender and the cheese has melted, about 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.