Calm after the Storm

 

When you are hit with the intense extremes of weather that we experienced in Ontario last week, there is not much that you can do but stay calm and try to stay cool. By the time the weekend rolled around, the temperatures had dropped and the tornado warnings had been cancelled. We finally felt like eating a hearty meal!!

Everyone was happy to pitch in and help, even with the never ending job of picking the prolific green beans!

In our family, we always seem to have at least 2 proteins on the barbecue, to fit all of the different food cravings and aversions. This weekend, it was pork ribs and shrimp skewers on the Broil King Keg.  Follow the links where we recently posted some really great recipes.

We then decided to round out the meal with a super simple watermelon and feta salad, along with a deliciously refreshing green bean salad with a citrus dressing.

The real highlight of the week was definitely not food! We spent a beautiful evening in High Park in Toronto, watching Ted Witzels production of Shakespeare’sTaming of the Shrew at the Canadian Stage Amphitheatre.  It was a real delight.  He made such great use of the outdoor stage- it was clever, contemporary and thought provoking-we laughed and we cried!  What more can you ask from a performance? It runs until the end of August. Go see it!

Watermelon and Feta salad

1 small seedless watermelon, cut in ¾ inch cubes

1 seedless English cucumber, chopped

½ red onion, diced finely

3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

½ cup greek feta cheese, crumbled

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl and pour vinaigrette over top.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

 

Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar. Shake vigorously to combine.

  

Green Beans with Citrus Dressing

2 lbs green beans, trimmed

3 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh  basil, finely chopped

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

 Salt & pepper to taste

Combine lemon juice, dijon mustard, herbs, olive oil, salt & pepper in a jar and shake to combine.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add beans and blanch for 2 minutes, drain, then immerse in cold water for 2 minutes. Drain and place in a large salad bowl. Top with chopped green onions.Pour the dressing over the beans, adjust seasoning and serve.