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Three years ago we had said good bye to our friends and ventured north to Verona for the second part of 'Jerry's 50th birthday trip'.
Verona was fabulous but HOT! So hot that we'd find ourselves standing in front of random shops trying to cool down from the blast of cool air which escaped everyone time someone opened the door.
Something remarkable happened last week and in true Canadian style few people noticed.
On Tuesday the Foreign Affairs minister stood up and gave a significant speech in the House of Commons. In it, without mentioning Trump by name once, she made it clear that America has left the world and that Canada and its allies will hang together awaiting its return.
We've had our differences before (the war in Iraq being a good example) but even then we managed to get along on other things. The Canadian government effectively signaled to our European and Asian allies that we are with them, not with the Americans.
As a result, for the first time in our country’s history, Canada’s foreign policy is essentially completely opposed to the foreign policy of the United States.
Who would have thought we would live in such times?
Yesterday was National Rosé Day.
You can see from the pic above that we celebrated appropriately. North Americans are slowly starting to appreciate a nice Rosé done in the true style - black-skinned grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period, typically one to three days. The longer the skin contact the more intense the colour of the final wine.
The wines should be dry and crisp making them perfect for a summer's day.
Unfortunately rosé wine got a bad reputation in the new world thanks to those horrid white zinfandel and blush wines from California. These wines were kool aid sweet. Made from blending white and red they became incredibly popular in the 80s and 90s but then soon went out of favour. I am sure many people remember those when offered a glass of rosé and turn up their nose. Of course, this just means more for ME!
Rosés have become quite popular in Canada. It used to be that when I went wine tasting in Niagara there was one winery which had a delicious rosé on offer. Now it is rare to find one that does NOT.
In the background of this picture are the last of the peonies from the garden. I have told the story before of how these flowers grow from rot stock that has been in the family for generations. . . more than 200 years actually. I'm not prone to sentiment now the tug of family ties however every year I breathe a sigh of relief when the peony shoots start to poke from the soil in the spring showing that they have survived another Canadian winter.
When I was act the farm last week to buy flowers i spotted a sign saying that the last of the rhubarb was on sale. I bought two bunches. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I didn't want to miss it!
Later that same day I was at the grocery store and saw a display of the first Ontario strawberries of the season.
Now I had a plan since strawberry rhubarb (something) is a wonderful combination.
I ended up making a cobbler from a recipe I found on the Simply Recipes blog.
I like cobblers - a delicious fruit filling with a biscuit topping far more than a pie. It is a heck of a lot easier to make as well. I'll admit it, with work being so hectic I am a big fan of easy. :-)
Try serving this version warm with vanilla ice cream. MMMMM
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks (about 1 1/4 pounds or 560 g) cut into 1-inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
1 1/2 cups strawberries (1/2 pound or 225 g), stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more if you want the cobbler filling sweeter)
2 Tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
1 cup (130 g) all purpose flour
2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp, 57 g) butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Toss the rhubarb and strawberries with sugar, tapioca, zest, let rest: In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest.
Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Make the biscuit topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, the baking powder and salt.
Use your (clean) hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pieces of butter no bigger than a pea.
Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened (do not over-mix!).
Put fruit in casserole, top with biscuit dough: Pour the strawberry rhubarb mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the biscuit dough on top of the fruit, like cobblestones.
Bake: Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.
Three years ago we were preparing to leave Tuscany after celebrating my 50th birthday year.
My mind wanders often back to that amazing trip.
Have you seen this picture making the rounds of social media right now?
Last week a tornado touched down in Alberta.
This guy was in his back yard cutting the lawn when the twister touched down. Rather than run inside for cover, he kept a wary eye on it and finished cutting the grass.
That is Canadian heartiness for you!
Or as some have said, it is a bit like watching the reality of 2017 race towards you from te corner of your eye.