Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Early summer menus…..
I’ve been dragging my feet on updating for the past week, for no real reason other than I haven’t felt much like writing. I was in Victoria for a couple of days at union meetings, have had some grievance hearings, and a lot of work piling up. Plus I have been working on a wedding present for two friends, and that has been taking up all my creative energy (but I can’t share it yet for fear they might see).
The garden is doing remarkably well and I am regularly harvesting radishes, lettuce and greens, gai lan, turnips and as of last night, garlic scapes! I have to acknowledge that while everyone has been complaining bitterly about the grey June, I’m convinced that all the water and the slow-warming soil has been good for many things. Nothing is growing super-fast, but it’s all looking healthy and lush – much better than last year which was colder and made for a later-starting season.
Probably the best thing about the last week has been a succession of amazing dinners. It’s farmer’s market plus garden season, not to mention that spring motivates me to clean out my canning cupboards and use up as much as I can before we are back into harvest season. Here are two menus both seasonally-inspired and amazing!
Early Summer Dinner Menu #1 (Grad School Catch-up)
Appetizer: Triple-Cream Brie and Crackers
Drink: Prosecco with Apricot-Rhubarb Cordial (or gin and tonic with same)
Garden green salad with Kashkaval cheese
Pork Roast wrapped in Pancetta (Apple-maple jam as condiment)
Spinach and Mushroom bake
Gnocchi with swiss chard, garlic and kale
Desert: Chocolate
Early Summer Dinner Menu #2 (Father’s Day)
Chicken Biriyani
Spinach-Chickpea curry with coconut milk
Condiments: Tomato Chutney and peanuts
Wilted garden greens
Strawberry Shortcake served in mason jars. See here for an example of what I mean. See here for a sponge cake recipe.
Now that I’ve broken this streak of not-writing, I plan to be back regularly with more actual stuff to say. It’s all about getting over that first post after an absence after all.
Red Cedar 
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