Summer has finally arrived on the West Coast! The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and I have been spending my afternoons and evening reading at the beach. There is absolutely nothing like summer to make a boring workday into a mini-vacation!

I don’t know about you, but in the summer all I want to eat is fruit. This season is often the best time to get your favourite produce at its peak. Whether you’re biting into a fresh Gala apple or popping a handful of juicy green grapes in your mouth, fruit makes the perfect easy and refreshing summer snack.

If you’re looking for an interesting way to serve fruit this summer you have to check out the Watermelon and Watercress Salad (just reading that made my mouth “water”—groan) from Tony de Luca’s Simply in Season.

You can use cubes of melon or stamp out shapes from slices of melon with a fluted cookie cutter. While using both red and yellow watermelons adds a “wow” factor to this dish, choosing only the ripest fruit is more important, as this will dictate whether the salad is remarkable or leaves diners wondering, “What was Tony thinking?”

Serves 6

1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) aged sherry vinegar

2 Tbsp (30 mL) honey

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 red onions, cut crosswise into thin rings

2 bunches watercress, washed, dried, and stems removed

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

8 cups (2 L) cubed watermelon (1-inch/2.5 cm cubes)

additional olive oil for garnish

fleur de sel for garnish

2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped basil (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, and shallot. Add the red onions and watercress, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well.

To serve, arrange the watermelon and salad on 6 dinner plates. Drizzle each plate with olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Garnish with chopped basil if desired.

Last week I had the privilege of driving around Wendy Turnbull, author of Gems of Gluten-Free Baking. Wendy was in Vancouver to promote her new book, on the fifth stop of a six-city Canadian book tour! To see one of the many interviews that Wendy did while she was in town, click here.

The secret to Wendy’s baking success is in her gluten-free flour blend, GEMS flour. With this flour blend (recipe included in the book), Wendy shows you how to make moist delicious baked goods that no one will be able to tell are gluten free.

While Wendy was in town I did a lot of gluten-free eating! The best part about escorting authors on their media tours is getting to try out all the demo food. My favourite treat from the tour is definitely the Chocolate Fudge Brownie. With no eggs, no dairy, and no wheat, this brownie is not only gluten-free, it’s vegan, too! And speaking as the gluten-loving omnivore that I am, these brownies were delicious.

Chocolate lovers will be in heaven when they taste these delicious treats.

Yield: 20 small squares

1 cup GEMS flour
1⁄3 cup cocoa
11/2 tsp baking powder
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, ground
1/2 tsp guar gum
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts or
chopped dried sour cherries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8- x 8-inch pan.

In mixing bowl combine GEMS flour, cocoa, baking powder, sugar, salt, ground chocolate chips and guar gum.

In separate bowl combine water and cornstarch. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla and mix to blend.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat until blended. Stir in walnuts or dried cherries.

Spread mixture evenly into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

After a quick tally, only two members of the staff here at Whitecap are wearing green today: Grace Y, one of our star editors and myself. It appears as though the Irish spirit just isn’t present at Whitecap today.

However, Grace has more than made up for everyone else’s lack of enthusiasm with her nifty St. Patrick’s Day button.

If you’re having trouble getting into a St. Paddy’s Day mood, why not try this great recipe from Entertaining with Booze by Ryan Jennings and David Steele? Slainte!

Forest Mushroom and Irish Ale Soup
Perfect for warming the belly and the soul, this soup can nourish a family of 4 right through the cold, wet winter—or on a lovely spring day in March.

2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups (500 mL) sliced cremini or portobello mushrooms
2 cups (500 mL) sliced shiitake or porcini mushrooms
2 Tbsp (30 mL) brandy
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
2 cups (500 mL) Irish ale, such as Kilkenny

Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, gently tossing with the onion mixture to combine. Add the brandy, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and beer. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with a garnish of fresh thyme leaves and soda bread, if desired.

NOTE: Dried porcini mushrooms may be substituted if fresh are unavailable. Add them directly to the soup, heating until softened.

Like most of the country, I’m bummed by the prognosis of our marmot meteorologists. This morning, the three most famous groundhogs (Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam, and Wiarton Willie) all saw their shadows, meaning at least six more weeks of winter. Some in Vancouver might be excited about the thought of actually having real honest-to-goodness snow come February 12, when the world comes to town to frolic in our supposed frozen tundra. To us non-athletes though, six more weeks of winter just means six more weeks of heavy jackets and long underwear (again, unless you’re in Vancouver where it means umbrellas and soggy socks).

What better way to enjoy being stuck inside on a cold day than with a hearty stew! Try this one from Michael Smith’s The Best of Chef at Home:


Classic Chicken Stew
one 4 lb (1.8 kg) roasting chicken
1 stick (1/2 cup/125 mL) of butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) of all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) of chicken broth
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
a handful of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon (5 mL) of minced fresh thyme or rosemary
2 or 3 bay leaves
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) of heavy cream (35%) or sour cream
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) of frozen peas

Cut chicken into 10 pieces (2 thighs, 2 drums, 2 wings and 4 breast pieces).

Place a large heavy saucepan over medium heat and toss in the butter. Add a single layer of chicken pieces and patiently brown them until they’re caramelized on all sides. Remove from the pan and rest on a plate. Repeat with any remaining chicken. By cooking the chicken in batches you avoid cooling the pan below the high heat needed for caramelization.

When the chicken is browned, add the onions to the fat and juices remaining in the pan. Sauté until golden brown and caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté a few moments longer. Stir in the flour and then whisk in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer whisking constantly until thickened.

Add the vegetables, fresh herbs and reserved chicken and any juices from the resting plate. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until the stew returns to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low, just enough to maintain the simmer.

Cover tightly and continue cooking for 30 minutes or so.

Stir in the cream, green onions and peas. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2 or 3 days then reheat when needed.

Freestyle Variations:
For some exotic flavour, add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) or so of curry powder along with the chicken broth. For some Mediterranean flavour, omit the flour and replace the chicken broth with one 28 oz (796 mL) can of whole tomatoes. Stir in lots of fresh or dried oregano to finish.