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.

eat more fish: salmon livornese

I'm not a new year's resolutions person, but I do like a reminder now and then to do better. And one of those things to make me a better person involves eating more fish. I'm always on the look out for a good fish recipe. A friend of mine had made this for me for dinner over the holidays and it was so delicious that I asked for the recipe. She used red snapper but I had some salmon filets so I used that instead and I decided to add in some lemon zest as well. It's a pretty versatile dish, so you could sub in most any fish fillet that you have on hand.

The tomatoes, capers and olives make this a tangy and flavourful sauce. I used to be a bit afraid of mixing tomatoes and fish (due to a bad fish dish my mom made when I was a kid), but that fear is definitely over. It doesn't take much preparation and the ingredients are all readily available. It's perfect for guests or just a cozy night in. Serve with steamed rice, broccoli and a nice red wine.

Want more excuses to eat fish? Here's some archive favorites:
Baked Fish with Potatoes and Rosemary
Braised Cod with Chickpeas & Corn
Miso Braised Cod with Soba Noodles
Roasted Fish with Rosemary, Olives, & Vegetables
Soy, Ginger, and Blood Orange Baked Trout Fillets

salmon livornese
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can of tomatoes
2 T capers, chopped
1/2 c sliced black olives, drained
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 lb salmon or red snapper
zest of 1 lemon
1 T lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large pan, sauted the onion in the olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes, capers, black olives, red pepper flakes and parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Spread 1/3 of the sauce into an 11x17 baking dish and place the fish fillets over top in a single layer. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and then pour on the remaining sauce. Top with lemon zest.

3. Bake for 15 minutes for 1/2 inch thick fillets or 30 minutes for 1 inch thick fillets. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with extra parsley and serve.

a fishy feast

Last night we wasted our evening by watching the horrible Woody Allen "thriller" Match Point which we borrowed from the library. We may never get those 2 hours back, but at least we had some delicious dinner settling in our bellies. Dinner was a fish dish so full of savory flavour that throughout the meal was complete and utter silence. Even Cornelius didn't mind digging around the olives because everything was so tasty. Normally, I cook fish either in an Asian style with soy sauce and ginger or panfried with a cornmeal crust, so this was a bit different but it was simple and something I'll definitely try again. Plus, it was a one dish meal with everything baked on a foil-lined tray for super easy clean up. As well, this meal could easily be turned into a vegetarian one dish feast by getting rid of the fish and throwing in some chunks of zucchini, yams and eggplant instead. What's not to love?

roasted fish with rosemary, olives and vegetables
2 large potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 small onion, quartered
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 t dried rosemary (plus additional sprinkle for fish)
2 T olive oil
1 t coarse salt
pepper to taste
1/4 c green spicy olives
1 T capers
2 filets of fish
juice of half a lemon

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a foil-lined walled cookie sheet, evenly line the pan with the cubed potatoes and large onion chunks. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss everything around with your hands to coat. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes until starting to brown.

2. On a plate, season the fish and the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper and a bit of rosemary and coat with the remaining olive oil. Use your hands to make sure everything is covered with the oil and spice.

3. Push the potatoes to one side of the cookie sheet and place the fish and the tomatoes on the other side. Fill in remaining gaps with olives and capers. Squeeze lemon juice onto the fish and tomatoes. Return tray to oven for another 20 minutes or so, until fish is cooked and tomatoes are roasted and wrinkled. Transfer onto plates and serve.

i confess, i'm a picky eater

I know, I should be ashamed of myself! But truth be told, I'm just not fond of some foods and I may even get a bit squeamish when push comes to shove. Sure, I've overcome many a food-dislike (believe it or not, I hated strawberries but now, I can't get enough of them!) When I was a kid, I would never dream of eating a tomato....and now I can almost say that I like that darn fruit (well, with very specific rigid guidelines in the care and preparation of said fruit). I wish I could give every fruit or vegetable or dish it's fair shake, but old habits die hard. Take the simple greek salad as an example. When I go to a Greek restaurant and it comes with my dish, I'll gladly eat the onions, olives, feta and green peppers, but I'll only peck at a cucumber or a tomato. I've already been won over with having tomatoes and cucumbers in sandwiches, but I'm still not keen on them appearing in my salads. But, ooooh, I love me a greek salad and sometimes modifications are necessary for the picky eater. Carrots replace tomatoes for colour and every colour pepper (not just green) go into my salad for sweetness and crunch. And while it may not be traditional, my mock "greek" salad has converted many a guest over the years. This salad is one of my favourites and nothing ever gets left on the plate but the olive pits. And that is a very, very good sign.

mock greek salad

1 red pepper, large dice
1 yellow pepper, large dice
1 green pepper, large dice
1 small red onion, large dice
2 carrots, cut into coins
1/2 c black kalmata olives
1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 T dijon mustard
1/4 t white sugar
1/4 t dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Place the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the olives and the feta and toss well.

2. Prepare the dressing. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, sugar, oregano, salt & pepper. Shake vigorously in a tightly lidded jar until fully blended. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour over salad and toss again.

This salad is best if left marinating for a couple of hours and served chilled, but it's also delicious served right away.