Canada Day with Our Best Friends and Family

 

This is the weekend we look forward to through the long cold spring.   Originally deemed “Girls’ Weekend” when children were off at camp and husbands made themselves invisible, Canada Day weekend has morphed to include a wide variety of friends and family.  Perhaps that is more in the spirit of our National Holiday.

Cooking together, we work like a well-oiled machine.  Everyone brings their strengths and specialties to the table.  On Saturday, while Ted trimmed and grilled the perfect Beef Tenderloin, Mark mixed up a delicious batch of Rhubarb Gin and Tonics.  Tim grilled all the vegetables for the Grilled Vegetable Torte, as well as asparagus and tomatoes.  Jane taught her grand daughters, Rachel and Nadia, how to make a perfect pie crust for Kris’ Rhubarb Pie.  And Bev kept the entire kitchen tidy, clean and  organized with everyone’s help.  Meanwhile, Andrea spent the weekend cuddling with her new Flat-coated Retriever puppy, Wally!

 Rhubarb Gin & Tonic

1 ounce gin

1 ounce Rhubarb Syrup

tonic water

ice

sprig of mint

wedge of lime

For one cocktail, mix together the gin, Rhubarb Syrup and tonic and pour over ice.  Garnish with mint and lime.

For the Rhubarb Syrup:  

2 cups rhubarb, diced
2 cups water
1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cheesecloth

Place rhubarb, water, white sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to LOW. Simmer for 30 minutes, trying not to stir the mixture too much- you do not want to break up the rhubarb. Cool for 25-30 minutes. Pour through the cheesecloth into a large bowl. This clear, rosy syrup will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.

Grilled Vegetable Torte

This dish makes for a nice presentation of simple grilled vegetables and cheese.  It can be made ahead and served cold or at room temperature if desired, but we enjoyed it hot from the grill.

2 medium eggplants, sliced crosswise ¼” thick

2 large zucchini, sliced crosswise ¼” thick

1 large red onion, thickly sliced

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

¾ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano

Slice the eggplants and zucchini, sprinkle them with kosher salt, and lay them out on paper towels to drain for ½ hour.  Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH, and lay the whole peppers on the grids.  Grill the peppers until the skins are charred and blackened, then let rest until cool enough to handle.  Peel, seed and thickly slice them.  Brush the eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil, and grill on both sides until tender-crisp.  At the same time, brush the onion slices with olive oil and grill them on the top rack. 

To assemble:

Lightly oil a 10” spring form pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Layer the vegetables as follows: 

Eggplant

Salt and pepper

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Red Peppers

Basil

More parmesan cheese

Zucchini

More parmesan cheese

Red Onions

More parmesan cheese

Yellow Peppers

Salt and pepper

More parmesan cheese

Eggplant

Place another heatproof dish over top, and press down.  Cook on the top rack of a preheated barbecue on MEDIUM until heated through, about 25 minutes.  Unmold and slice into wedges.

Rhubarb Pie

This recipe for “Four-Generation  Rhubarb Pie” is from Anita Stewarts Canada(2008). It stands out from others, due to the fact that it has a lovely sauce created by folding a soft meringue into the rhubarb filling mixture.  It is lovely and creamy.

1 ¼  cups granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

3 tbsp orange juice

Grated rind of 1 orange

¼ cup melted butter

3 eggs, separated

2  ½ cups rhubarb, diced

9-inch deep pie shell

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with the flour and salt. Stir in the orange juice, rind and the melted butter to make a paste-like consistency.

In a small bowl, gently beat the egg yolks and stir into the orange juice mixture. Add the diced rhubarb and stir to coat thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the rhubarb mixture, taking care to incorporate thoroughly but not to deflate the egg whites.

Pour into the pie shell and bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 375°F oven.  Reduce heat to 325° F and bake for 25-30 minutes longer until golden brown and the centre is set.