Summer and the Living is Easy

This is the first full weekend of summer and it's time to celebrate fun in the sun with family and friends. We have collaborated with our good friend, Evan Macdonald of the Village Grocer, to bring you a "TASTE OF SUMMER". Our guide is chock full of tips and techniques from chilling to grilling to make summer entertaining easy and breezy. Be sure to drop by The Queensbridge Mill or the Village Grocer to pick up a copy.

Evan Macdonald, KING OF THE GRILL, joined us at our "Backyard Barbeque Bash" cooking class to officiallly launch our entertaining guide, A Taste of Summer. We designed our barbeque menu to start and finish at the grill with easy to make recipes. Evan is pictured here with one of his "grilled to perfection" Sizzling Flank Steaks. These steaks are vacuum sealed in their own marinade ready to grill.



Create real eye appeal on the plate with our Towering Tastes of Summer Vegetables. This unique presentation of grilled vegetables has its flavours inspired by Tuscany. Grilled eggplant, tomato, and zuchinni are layered, topped with goat cheese, garnished with fresh red pepper and basil and drizzled with balsamic viniagrette. Talk about wow factor! This dish just burst with colour and incredible taste sensations to dazzle even the most discerning palate.

Evan grilled up his famous "Fired up" jumbo shrimp which had been soaking in his secret marinade. The Village Grocer prides itself on its selection of high quality fresh fish and seafood. A summertime favourite for the grill is their Atlantic Salmon fresh from Jail Island which is marinated in Orange Ginger or Teriyaki.

We used one of Evan's grilled shrimp to create a cocktail and appetizer all in one. The recipe is known as "Hail Caesar! a la Bell" and comes from the entertaining repetoire of our good friend, Allan Bell. Allan has been catering events to remember for over 20 years. In fact, we just had to devote a section in A Taste of Summer called SUMMER SIPPERS AND FABULOUS DIPPERS to showcase his vast knowledge in creating memorable stress free gatherings.

Every backyard barbeque bash needs a good coleslaw. We just love this tangy version made with red and green cabbage and grated carrot. Not only does it taste fantastic but it looks fabulous on a white platter!

Our grilled fruit kebobs which we glazed with maple syrup makes this a truly Canadian touch to the grand finale of any barbeque. Grilling makes fruit burst with concentrated flavour by caramelizing its natural sugars. Add a flavourful glaze and you're done. How easy and delicious is that! For an added treat, remove the grilled fruit from the skewers and serve on top of waffles warmed on the grill along with scoops of ice cream.

Summer in Canada is short and sweet so we invite you to make the most of it! The key to success at any gathering is to keep it simple, casual and stress-free so you can have fun in the sun with your guests!

Happy Entertaining!

Karen & Linda