Finishing Off The Farm Fresh Summer Vegetables

I discovered this past summer that one of the best ways to enjoy the peak of farm fresh vegetable season is gazpacho. Like all soups, this is extremely versatile and forgiving, but from the various approaches I've taken to it, this one topped the list.

BRAD'S GAZPACHO

(For 4)

Three juicy ripe tomatoes quartered; one red bell pepper quartered and seeded; one red onion sliced; one cucumber peeled and cut into chunks; 2 cups tomato juice; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup olive oil; tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 bunch fresh dill; juice of a lemon; S&P

Place all ingredients except S&P in a food processor and blitz until there are no chunks. Season to taste. That's it.

Refrigerate this for a while. It's best if you make it a day ahead, but still good if it's left for a few hours. Serve alongside some chicken or steak, or just with some fresh baked baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. One last chance before you have to wait until next summer!

First Restaurant Review

Okay, by no means am I suggesting I'm in any qualified to give restaurant reviews, but hey, in a sense we're all qualified because we all eat and we know what we like. After two years of opening up a culinary journey for myself, I've travelled from coast to coast and sampled from some incredible restaurants.

Before I begin review entries (positive ones only here), I'll start by naming my top 3 EVER. I can't say these are in any particular order, so I'll just go from west to east.

BRAD'S TOP 3 FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS IN CANADA

BON ROUGE RESTAURANT AND BISTRO (Victoria, BC)

I can't remember a time when I visited a city, and actually went to the same restaurant a second time because it was so good and I was utterly convinced that nothing else would ever measure up. Victoria is known for great restaurants, and all my dining experiences there were good, but this one absolutely blew my mind from start to finish.

This is a Parisian-inspired bistro with an incredible seasonal menu.

I saw a number of different plates, but my menu on night 1 was a crispy duck confit leg served on a white bean stew with red wine jus and fig jam. Night 2 was smoked blackened cod topped with figs, cherries and butter and served over mushroom risotto.

This was one of those dining experiences where I actually became high from the food - like some blissful euphoric daze of heavenly eating. Given that we had gone a second night in a row and sent so many compliments to the kitchen, the owner and executive chef actually came out to meet us. We chatted and he told us his culinary journey from his upbringing to his training to his aspirations for the restaurant.

If you find yourself in Victoria, GO HERE.
http://www.bonrouge.ca/


PIZ'ZA-ZA (Gatineau, QC)

Where has this pizza been all my life?! And who says pizza can't be a fancy candle-lit dinner with an incredible wine selection?

This is one of the National Capital Region's best-kept secrets. Constantly full, impossible to get a table more than 15 minutes after it opens, and an absolutely incredible ambiance. And did I mention the best pizza that I've ever had anywhere? I would be so bold as to say you've never had pizza until you've had this... unless you've had it from an authentic pizzeria in Italy. The crust is amazing, and what's truly special is that none of the pizzas are conventional. My favourite is the Paysanne with fresh tomato sauce, prosciutto, mushrooms, dried figs, and provolone. But they're all amazing and they have an over-the-top delicious selection of salads and desserts and the wine selection is one of the best in the region... even surpassing the more stuffy fancy restaurants in the region.

http://www.pizzaza.ca/restaurants/wine_cellars.php


GARDE-MANGER (Montreal, QC)

If you can find it, and if you can get a reservation (call six weeks in advance), you're set for one of the most amazing dining experiences Montreal has to offer.

This is the restaurant of renowned celebrity chef Chuck Hughes - you can check out his TV show, "Chuck's Day Off" on Food Network. This restaurant is cool, trendy, hip and absolutely stupendous in its rustic ambiance and stellar unique and truly originally delicious food.

No signage, no website, no ads, no paper menu. You just have to find it... that weird little pink lit box in the Old Port, where when you open up the little door you find a loud bustling restaurant full of people.

I started my first experience off with the lobster bisque poutine... yes, in the city known world-wide for its amazing poutine, this, one of Chuck Hughes' signature dishes, is a crispy bed of perfect fries topped with fresh cheese curds, chunks of lobster meat, and smothered with gravy... aka lobster bisque. I followed this up with tastings of blackened cod on perogies with carrot purée and bacon scallops with a crab salad exploding out of the shell of a crispy potato... did I forget to mention these were the best scallops I've ever tasted in my life?! And then of course I finished it off with Chuck's signature deep-fried Mars bar with ice cream - which lasted, I don't know, about 8 seconds.

This place is an adventure. If you live in Montreal or plan on going, call a good month or more in advance, and enjoy this spectacular culinary bliss.

http://www.pagesjaunes.ca/bus/Quebec/Montreal/Restaurant-Garde-Manger-Inc/2820256.html?adid=&tabSelect=&dymList=&origWhat=true&how=onlyonefound

So Much Better Than Benny

Now that that's out of the way and you know the truth about eggs (see below), time to experiment with delicious ways to enjoy that rich savory flavour. As I said several entries ago, the best way to taste the true flavour of a high quality egg is to poach it. No need to fry it in butter, no need for a Benedict sauce.

My favourite is to make little toasts. This can be done a thousand ways depending on what you like, but this is the most popular in my kitchen.

BRAD'S POACHED EGGS ON PROSCIUTTO TOASTS WITH SUNFLOWER SPROUTS

(For 2)

4 free-run eggs; 4 tsp & 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 4 toasts (baguette or your favourite); 4 slices prosciutto; 4 handfuls sunflower sprouts; olive oil; Kosher salt; fresh pepper

There is only a few seconds between a perfectly poached egg and a hard rubbery ball with no flavour, so as I always say, poach your eggs when everything else is done.

Toss your sprouts in a tbsp of apple cider vinegar and about a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of S&P. Set aside.

If you like your prosciutto a little crispy like me, lay it on a small baking sheet in a toaster oven and broil for about 45 to 60 seconds per side. If you don't have a toaster oven, just put them on a pan with a small drop of oil and fry on medium-high for about 45 seconds per side. Set aside.

Put your toasts a toaster oven or oven and keep warm when done.

Pour hot water into a large sauce pan and cover and bring to a gentle boil. While you're waiting for it to come to a boil, crack all your eggs into ramekins or small bowls. Be sure to be careful not to break the yokes. If there are casualties, place them in the fridge for something else - these do not make for good poached eggs. (TIP: The best way to crack an egg if you're using large eggs is gently against a flat surface (never the edge of a bowl). If you're working with small eggs or brittle shells, tap with a butter knife.)

Pour a tsp of vinegar in each bowl and swirl. When the water is gently boiling, quickly roll the eggs in, keeping them apart using a slotted spoon and gently nudging the egg whites over the yokes to make a ball. Quickly turn the heat to low and partly cover. They usually take about 2-3 minutes, but best to pick up the first egg you dropped and gently nudge the yoke - you're looking for a yolk very elastic and soft but the white somewhat solid. Quickly take them out and lay on a paper towel.

Drizzle the toasts with olive oil and lay the prosciutto on top. Place eggs on the prosciutto with a pinch of salt and a crack of pepper. Then top with sprouts.