Grilled Scallops over Roasted Rhubarb

Last Thursday we gathered with some of our walking friends at the 17^th annual Empty Bowls.  This fabulous win-win event is organized by the Waterloo Potters Workshop and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in aid of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.  Talented local potters create a beautiful array of bowls, and you are invited to chose your favourite to keep.  With this bowl you taste a delicious variety of soups made and donated by local restaurants who are showcasing their culinary offerings, all the while being serenaded by local musicians.  And all proceeds go directly to our regional food bank.  To date they have raised over $220,000!  Just one more reason to be proud of this great community. 

 

For a satisfying and light meal, choose your favourite seasonal soup and pair it with this fresh and flavourful salad:

Grilled Scallops over Roasted Rhubarb

Serves 2 as an appetizer

 For the scallops:

Juice of ½ orange

2 tablespoons vermouth

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch hot smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 large dry scallops

For the rhubarb:

2 large stalks rhubarb, cut into sticks

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Zest of 1 orange

For the salad:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 cups mixed baby greens

In a small glass dish, combine the orange juice, vermouth, olive oil, herbs and spices and whisk together.  Add the scallops and refrigerate for ½ hour.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM LOW.    Place the rhubarb in a single layer in a metal dish or foil pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and orange zest.  Place this on the top shelf of the barbecue, reduce heat to LOW, and cook undisturbed for 25 minutes, or until the rhubarb is very tender.  Remove from barbecue and let cool.

Grease the grids well with sunflower or vegetable oil and increase the temperature to MEDIUM.  Grill the scallops quickly, about 2 minutes per side.

Whisk together the vinaigrette in a medium bowl and toss in the greens.  Place the greens on 2 salad plates.  Carefully transfer the cooled rhubarb in 3 sets of 2 sticks and place on top of the greens.  Top each rhubarb stack with a grilled scallop.  

RHUBARB

 
Of all of the foods that present themselves to us in spring, rhubarb is one of the most fantastic! It grows right before your eyes. The colour is so beautiful. The flavour is shockingly sour. What is there not to love about rhubarb?  Last year, we included a recipe for a luscious rhubarb cocktail and made a lot of our readers happy.
This year, when our friend Cathie Jenkins once again called to let us know that she wanted to share some of her and Wilf's rhubarb harvest with us, we had this pie recipe in mind to try. We made it last week to bring to a dinner at Bruce and Stellas on Wolfe Island and it was such a hit, that we decided to make it again this weekend.

Funny story about that- we have a group of friends that we see a couple times a year, and we take turns hosting the dinner. It had been a while and we were looking forward to preparing dinner for our friends at our place on Saturday night. When Sylvia saw my email about picking the rhubarb for the pie, she sent a message back, remarking that she hopes my family enjoys it. Strange?! Long story short, it turns out that dinner was at their place on Saturday night! Needless to say, there was plenty of food to go around this weekend, and a lot of people benefited from my gaff.

We saved the ribs that we had been smoking for Sunday brunch with Mom, and enjoyed a delicous dinner on Saturday featuring Cedar Plank Salmon and fiddle-heads. What a great treat!  You have got to try Don's recipe for Cedar Plank Salmon with Chevre/Sun-dried tomato crust!

Sylvia and Muriel love it when Don cooks!

Al wonders how this crooked photo is going to look

Even Taffy is ever hopeful!

 

Cedar Plank Salmon with Chevre/Sun Dried Tomato Crust

The soft goat cheese and sun dried tomato crust provides a tangy flavour and protects the salmon from drying out while grilling.  As always, the salmon comes from T & J's Seafood

1  3-pound salmon fillet, skin-on

3/4  lb chevre

3 tbsp sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

                                               

1 large untreated cedar plank

To begin with, soak an untreated piece of cedar in a container of water for at least an hour. You may need to place a weight on top to keep the wood immersed. Meanwhile, combine goat cheese, chopped sun dried tomatoes, salt & pepper  in glass bowl. Spread carefully over the top surface of the salmon fillet( skin side down) and place in the refrigerator until ready to grill. Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to LOW.

Pat the plank dry and oil the upper side. Place plank directly on the grids and heat until plank begins to smoke. Slide the salmon, skin side down onto the middle of the plank and grill with the lid closed until the salmon is just opaque at the thickest part. A 3 lb. fillet may take 20-30 minutes.  If the plank starts to burn, turn off the burners below the plank and continue grilling indirectly.

The fiddle heads were delicious and looked so pretty with the rosy pink salmon

Rhubarb sour cream pie

Pepper is wondering if she finally gets to try pie?!

Pastry:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable shortening, very cold and cut into chunks

1/4 cold water(place in freezer for 5 minutes)

Filling:

4 cups rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

1 egg

1 ½  cup white sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/3  cup flour

Zest of 1 orange

 Topping:

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

¼  cup melted butter

Preaheat oven to 450° F.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and continue blending until the crumbs are the size of peas. Sprinkle in cold water and toss lightly with a fork. Gather the dough into 2 balls. Roll one ball out on a lightly floured surface and place in pie plate. Wrap the other ball in Saran Wrap and place in refrigerator to use the next day, when you get a craving for more rhubarb pie.

Combine rhubarb, egg, white sugar, sour cream, flour and orange zest in a large bowl and mix. Pour into pie shell.  Prepare topping by combining flour and brown sugar with melted butter. Spread this mixture carefully over the surface of the pie. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes at 450 °, then reduce to 350°and continue to bake for 40 minutes