We are fully into summer and making our way over into late summer already. Summer is so fleeting. While I love this season and its sun soaked days and bounty of produce, it often feels a little frantic. Like there is so much to fit into such a short amount of time and squeeze out of every day. As someone who loves to do it all, I am doing my best to slow things down by taking time to just enjoy each day as it comes and take quiet moments in the garden and nature and to spend time with friends and family with feet in the sand. I am soaking up the beauty and warmth and trying and tuck some of it away (in my mind and freezer) to draw upon in the cold, dark months of winter.
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Salads
Cattail and Cucumber Salad with Tea Infused Vinaigrette
This super simple and refreshing salad was inspired by a trip to the bog with Isabelle Ranger of Namasthé Tea Co. on a very hot day summer’s day. Isabelle harvested some cattails while we were out and sent me home with a gift of some to use back in my kitchen. The young shoots can be eaten raw and have a crunchy, juicy texture and mild cucumber like flavour. If you don’t have access to cattails, you can make this salad with different types of cucumber for contrast in flavour and texture.
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Roasted Yam and Kale Salad Rolls
I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon cooking with a friend last week who happens to be a chef and a fellow lover of food. We have been meaning to cook together for some time and finally got things together to make it happen. The afternoon was a reminder that it really is more fun to cook in the company of others. Cooking with friends always results in great conversation, new recipe ideas and leads to sharing food around the table. What could be more perfect than that.
Deciding what to cook can sometimes be the hardest part. As we are nearing Spring, I am starting to crave fresher food, including greens, greens and more greens. Sadly, the fresh local greens are still a ways away so for this recipe we turned to some of our winter favourites and gave them a fresher twist in the form of a salad roll.
Based on what is in season and what I had in the fridge, Michelle came up with the filling combination which not only looks beautiful but tastes fantastic. The flavour profile is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the yams, bite of the pickled ginger and freshness of the kale and cilantro. These salad rolls are certainly more interesting and tasty than most and inspired me to be more creative with filling possibilities. Michelle described some she made recently with beets, fresh dill and watercress, wow!
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