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This captures things nicely . .

Zucchini Carpaccio

I am being overrun with zucchini - even after the deer broke into the garden and chewed off all of the zucchinis they could find AND three plants rotted from too much rain!

Most of my time online is spent googling for a new zucchini recipe.

I've made zucchini carpaccio before. It makes a easy, fresh-tasting starter. Whenever I make it I think to myself  'this was so easy and delicious I should make it again!' Then I forget about it.

Even if you have half a zucchini left, you can make Zucchini Carpaccio for yourself. Zucchini Carpaccio is a play on regular beef carpaccio, thin-shaved slices of prime tenderloin, topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, salt, freshly ground black pepper, a good squeeze of lemon and a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.  

Instead of beef, we’re using thin-sliced raw zucchini, and we’ll brighten up the dish with feta cheese, nuts and fresh herbs.

This recipe provided lots of options which I liked - plenty of ways to personalize it to make it suit your tastes and indeed, mood.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Carpaccio

2 zucchini
1/4 cup chopped nuts - walnuts, pecan, pine nuts, slivered almonds (I used pine nuts)
1/4 cup crumbled or shaved cheese - feta, parmesan, goat cheese, smoked gouda (I used parmigiano)
1 tablespoon minced fresh herb - basil, tarragon, dill, oregano, mint, chives (I used mint)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (use the BEST olive oil you have!)
1/2 lemon
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice the zucchini into paper-thin slices with a mandoline slicer. Arrange the zucchini slices slightly overlapping on a large platter.

Nuts are best toasted, but you can skip this step if you're short on time. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts, and gently toast until fragrant and lightly golden. Immediately remove from heat and sprinkle on the zucchini.

Sprinkle on the crumbled cheese and fresh herbs. Drizzle on the olive oil, squeeze the lemon all over and season with salt and pepper.

Travel Tuesdays - 13th Street Winery

Yesterday I took mom to the Niagara wine country for her first outing in 16 months.

I decided to take her to 13th Street Winery - they have a great combination of wine, art, and food. Perfect for a nice time in Niagara.

We wandered the sculpture garden.

We noticed the covered sitting area starting to fill up so mom grabbed a prime table while I went to order wine and our pizza. A Margherita for mom and a Peach and proscuitto pizza for me

After lunch we visited the bakery (the 13th Street Winery Butter Tarts were rated the top in Canada a few years back) and bought some treats for home.

It was a brilliant gettaway - perfect fro getting the hang of being out and about after a long lockdown.

Seagulls

Proof (if it was needed) that seagulls are vile beasts.

Grilled Zucchini Panini

The other day I deemed myself too hot to cook dinner. I had spent the better part of the day canning relish and pickles and there just wasn't enough energy to hang out over the stove any longer. I also didn't feel like eating a big meal.

I was done.

I happened to be looking for recipes to assist me in using up a glut of zucchini and this came up.

I had all of the ingredients and it wouldn't require the stove . . . problem solved.

The pic is sort of crappy (OK, not sort of, it just is. LOL) so ignore that. This sandwich itself was delicious.

I used yellow zucchini because these have been particularly prolific in the garden.

Grilled Zucchini Panini

2 large zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 6 to 8 1/4-inch-thick slices (12 to 16 slices total)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough bread

Prepare a medium-high (425°F to 450°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Brush the zucchini slices with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the zucchini until grill marks form on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the slices and continue to grill until tender, about 1 to 2 minutes more.

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon zest, 3/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Spread 4 slices of bread with the ricotta mixture, top each with 3 to 4 slices of the grilled zucchini, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with 4 more slices of the bread.

Brush both sides of the sandwiches with oil and grill in a hot panini press until crisp and golden-brown, about 4 minutes. (Alternatively, cook in a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.)

Travel Tuesdays - Stratford

Last week I met my friend Carolyn at Stratford. It was the first time I had seen her in close to two years. There we were, both double dosed, able to hug and watch a performance. It was both weird and blissful.

The festival has just reopened with all sorts of COVID restrictions. They have set up stages under huge tents - but they still only accommodate about 250 people. Everyone is very socially distant. What is on the stage is impacted as well - there is no full orchestra, the number of people on the stage is limited -  so limited in fact that the festival had to create new material for this season. They aren't running your favourite Shakespeare plays.

Anyways. I arrived earlier than I needed to but later than I had intended. As a result there was no shopping for me. I parked in the big parking lot close to the theatre thinking if I parked early I'd get a prime spot. I need not have worried since in the end there were only two cars parked in the entire lot.

I wandered along the rive and visited with the ducks and swans.

The gardens in front of the theatre were particularly lovely this year.

Around the back of the main theatre they have a sculpture commemorating Shakespeare.

Carolyn cut it close but we were seated in time to catch up a bit before the show started.

After the play we couldn't figure out what we wanted to do. I had heard of a new retail space on the outskirts of town so we went there, grabbed some lunch and chatted for what seemed like an eternity but clearly wasn't. How nice to be among good people once again. I've missed that.

People, People Everywhere . . .

This seems about right!

 

Travel Tuesdays - Paris

No, not that Paris.

On Saturday we took a day trip to Paris Ontario, a town about 45 minutes west of us. Established in the 1850's, Paris had a rough and tumble industrial era, followed by post-industrial decay, and is now going through a revival of sorts. Paris has been called one of the prettiest towns in Ontario, although to be fair we've been to a number of towns which make that claim to fame.

Speaking of claims to fame - have you heard of Plaster of Paris? The gypsum to create the compound was found in large quantities on the banks of the river.

The first long distance call was answered in Paris - with Alexander Graham Bell on the other end in Brantford. There is a historical plaque marking the building where the call was answered.

We had a self-guided walking tour created by the local historical society printed off. We wandered about looking at the things of historical importance. This was followed by some shopping and a delicious lunch on  a patio overlooking the river.

All in all, a nice day away.

Cats Are Like This

Anyone who has ever had a cat will understand this dynamic . . . we'd be feeding Beckett 24/7 if he had his way!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

I had cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten. I turned to Google for inspiration and this marinated vegetable salad came up.

A good, old-fashioned Marinated Vegetable Salad is a classic dish that will never go out of style. It is one of those salads that appears like clockwork in the summer, often served at picnics and cookouts alongside grilled meats. It is the perfect complement to those dishes and just perks up the whole situation with beautiful colour and fresh taste.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe. It calls for mushrooms but I didn't have any so I left them out. It calls for red peppers and you guessed it - I didn't have any. Instead I used some of those pickled tear drop peppers that I had in the refrigerator. They added a delicious hit of flavour so I think I'd use them again on purpose in the future.

Enjoy!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
1 heaping cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 8 ounce package mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar or small container with a lid and shake well. Refrigerate while you prepare the salad.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl about halfway with water and then fill with ice.

Place broccoli and cauliflower into the pot of vigorously boiling water and allow to boil for 2 minutes. Quickly drain and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Once vegetables are completely chilled, transfer to a colander to drain well. Pour off some of the water from bowl and replace with fresh ice. Repeat process with carrots, cooking about 3 minutes.

Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. When ready to serve, stir in Parmesan cheese.