hello summer & other seasonal ramblings (+ a recipe)

The weather in Vancouver has been nothing but spectacular with it's blue skies and sunshine. I want to say that this summer is actually pretty rad, but as a seasoned West Coaster I have to amend that to, "this summer is pretty rad....so far". We're jaded when it comes to the weather and it seems we are always looking for the grey clouds in the silver lining. But I'm excited because summer is here and it is awesome. Really.

Now here's a grey cloud – I told you, I'm a Vancouverite. I know, I know, these pancakes look amazing. I tried to create a delicious coconut and lime pancake, but instead these were tough and biscuit-like. Not the yieldingly soft and fluffy pancake of my dreams. The flavour was pretty on par, but the texture needed work. Next time, I think I'll just modify these truly sublime coconut yogurt pancakes (made with my favorite yogurt) with some lime zest and juice and call it a success. But hey, throw on some fresh organic raspberries and I can forgive pretty much anything.

The next kink in my week was cold-brewed coffee. It seemed like a great idea, but I was let down. It was a bit too weak for my liking and it was just too much waiting around. I'll try it again to be sure, adding less water to the final "coffee concentrate", so I'm not going to knock it down to the ground. Yet. However, saving already brewed left-over coffee in the fridge is my kind of easy and it makes a good cuppa iced joe.

But back to the good things because if you know me, I actually like to look on the bright side. Yesterday there was the new Wednesday farmer's market near the Main Street skytrain station where I picked up some very lovely peonies along with garlic scapes and some lettuce. There's also summer bike rides in skirts and cold lemony Hefeweizen with friends. And take note, this coming Sunday, I'll be taking part in the Got Craft? Bite Sized fair happening on Main Street (luckily coinciding with the car-free festival!) So please stop by, say hello & check out my wares why don't you?

If you've stuck through this post long enough, here's a quick little recipe for lemon marinated olives. I was served these recently at a party and loved them so much that I had to make my own. This recipe includes caper berries which I found in a glass jar near the capers in my local Chinatown market. If you don't have the caper berries, you can skip them, but do try to find them. They are delicious and even non-olive lovers will love them. Trust me. These go nicely on a hot day with some of my most favorite lemony-garlic green beans that I've been making for almost 20 years now. Crack open a cold beer, invite a few friends over for some patio hanging and you've got yourself a nice little party. Open your arms and give a lemony, salty hello to summer.

lemon-marinated olives & caper berries
1 c your favorite green brined olives
1 c your favorite kalmata or other black olives
1/2 c caper berries
4 large lemons, juiced and zest peeled off with a vegetable peeler*
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 dried chilis (or 1 t of red chili flakes)
olive oil

Drain off any brine from the olives and caper berries and place them in a sealable jar. Stuff the jar with peel from 1 or 2 lemons, the rosemary sprig, and the chili. Pour in lemon juice so that it fills the jar. Top with olive oil if you like. Close jar and let sit in the fridge over night or for two weeks. The longer it sits, the more intensely lemony the olives are. This is a good thing. Spoon out the solids and serve.

* careful, you want a good vegetable peeler or a knife, so you don't get any of the bitter underside pith. Just peel enough from 1 or 2 lemons.

garden inspiration: marinated vegetable salad

I spent my morning visiting my neighbourhood community garden. It was the annual plant sale, and while I only picked up a few free pots for my balcony, I found the whole visit very inspiring. The gardens were in full bloom and everything looked and smelled amazing. Although I've been there many times, it seemed to be extra beautiful this morning.


When I got home I decided that while I can't replicate the colourful gardens on my own small apartment balcony, I could at least carry through the bright colours onto my dinner plate. I found an assortment of vegetables that would do the trick. I chopped up thinly the purple onion, the bright red carrots and the remainder of the jumbo carrot that I had found in Chinatown last week. I also had 2 crowns of broccoli. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of raw broccoli. It tastes too green, too crunky. So I did what I always do to broccoli, I blanched it quickly and then cooled it quickly under cold running water. It's like raw, only awesome! I mixed up a quick balsamic marinade and then tossed everything together. I kept it in the fridge for only 2 hours or so, tossing it when I remembered to. The results of the marinating? Yum! It made for a very tangy and flavourful salad filled with all the bright colours of the gardens that inspired it. Don't have the vegetables that I used? Don't worry. This salad can take a bit of play....use what you've got!

Everything in this salad tastes bright and crisp and fresh and the slightly sweet and tangy dressing helped to keep everything in check. We ate this salad as a side to some barbecued hot dogs for our lazy Sunday night dinner. Want to make a meal out of it? Throw in some chickpeas or top with feta cheese and serve with french bread and you've got something truly spectacular.


marinated vegetable salad
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly into rings
5 large radishes, sliced thin
1 large carrot, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
finely chopped fresh herbs (use whatever you have around)

1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
1 T grainy mustard
1 T honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t kosher salt
ground pepper

Blanch the broccoli (which means bring salted water to a boil, dump in the broccoli and cook for 1 minute until bright green - drain and rinse under cold water until cold). Add all the vegetables and herbs into a large serving bowl. Mix together the dressing and pour over vegetables, tossing well. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.