Drinks/Recipe Magazine features Airstream

[Mackhopp]

I'm from Ontario, and up here we've got the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) that controls/sells our alcohol. A number of times a year the LCBO puts out a glossy magazine called Food & Drink featuring - you guessed it - food recipes and information on wines, coolers, spirits, etc...

It's a quite a good read, and I look forward to picking up the latest (free!) issue.

Lo and behold, in the summer 2006 issue there's an article entitled Summer's Bounty, featuring a great-looking Bambi splashed across the 1st two pages of the article. Nice inviting beach scene.

[Chaplain Kent]

Thanks for sharing the article and picture. I wonder where in Ontario you have beach camping?

[Mackhopp]

Hmmm. The actual article is at home (and I'm "hard at work" right now) so can't see it, but I wonder if it's a set.

The most obvious beach for camping that comes to mind in Ontario is Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, but you're not camping right down on the beach. Close though.

The article sourced Can-Am RV (www.canamrv.ca) in London Ontario for the Bambi so makes me wonder if it wasn't a set after all.

Anyhow - I had friends calling me up laughing (they've heard my passionate stories about Airstreams) when they saw the article. Thought I'd pass it on.

Cheers,
Michelle

[LuminumTraila]

So, Michelle, what kind of food and drink do they recommend for that setup? Any good recipes to share?

-J

[Mackhopp]

You be the judge if the recipes look good!

Three Melon Ices
Tomato Bread Salad
Stuffed Baked Peaches
Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Chicken
Mixed Berry Shortcake
Corn Stew with Shrimp
mmm....

Anyone interested in any of the above, I'll pass 'em on.

And upon closer examination of the picture, it's not on a set - it's the real thing. Nice sandy beach...

Cheers!
Michelle

[maxandgeorgia]

Please, share the recipes! They all sound summery delicious. ~G

[Mackhopp]

Okey dokey!

Here they are, one at a time...

Three Melon Ices

The same recipe can be used to make cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon ice. Make all 3 and serve a scoop of each. As with all homemade ices they are best consumed within 3 or 4 days.

1/2 large cantaloupe or honeydew or 1/4 small watermelon
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch salt

1. Peel and remove the seeds from the melon, then cut into chunks. Place in a food processor and process until pureed. Strain into a large glass measuring cup; you should have 2 cups of puree.
2. Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and stir to dissolve the sugar and then refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 2 cups.

[Mackhopp]

Tomato and Bread Salad

The success of this salad lies in the quality of ingredients used. The bread should not be too dense, the tomatoes the ripest possible and only the best quality olive oil will do. You don't need much dressing as the tomatoes' own juice is soaked up by the bread.

8 cups day-old bread cut into 1.5' cubes
4 large field tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, slivered
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, toss bread, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and basil. Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, pour over the salad and toss again. Leave the salad at room temp for at least 30 mins or up to 2 hours before serving, tossing again 2 or 3 times.

[Mackhopp]

Forgot to add that they suggest serving the following wines with the tomato salad:

Folonari Bardolino - Serve chilled, this wine's red cherry and herb flavours, light tannin structure and balanced acidity provide a refreshing match.

Colio Estate Marechal Foch VQA - This wine offers ripe berry fruit and bell pepper and herbaceous tones, which complement the flavours in this dish.

[Mackhopp]

Stuffed Peaches

Leave the skin on the peaches, it holds the fruit together and gives a great colour. Serve these peaches warm from the oven or at room temp.

1/4 cup toasted unblanced almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
4 peaches
1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place the almonds and brown sugar in a food processor and process until the almonds are chopped. Add the butter and pulse until blended.
3. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Place them in a baking dish, cut-side up. Place about 1 tbsp of mixture into the centre of each peach. Pour the Grand Marnier plus 1/4 cup of water into the dish then cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the peaches are soft but still holding their shape. The timing will depend on the ripeness of the peaches. Serve with the baking juices.

They recommend serving the following:

Southern Comfort - Sweet, intense peach and apricot flavours in this classic liqueur offer a delicious harmony to the flavours in this dessert.

Lakeview Cellars Vidal Icewine VQA - This dessert's combination of intense fruit flavours and richness requires a wine of similar complexity and depth of flavour.

[JimGolden]

You're making me hungry! Man, combining my favorite trailers with my favorite passtime (food) is a Win-Win!

Somebody call Alton Brown! (Did he ever sell his 28 footer?)

[summerkid]

What a great thread. Thanks!
I've always wondered about bread salads. Could they possibly taste good? I have such a phobia about soggy sandwiches ... !

[tin sista]

Those melon ices look yummy. Oops now what wine/liquor do we serve with them? Ok how about a nice homemade sangria? Or the melon ices could kinda float in the sangria. Hmmm....
Good point about the bread summerkid. I wonder if a baguette would be too chewy you know sort of give it a bruschetta thing going on?

[Mackhopp]

Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Chicken

This is a good dish for entertaining on a summer's evening, as it can be made ahead and is delicious at room temp.

6 sweet red peppers
1 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup oregano leaves
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves

1. Preheat the grill.
2. Cut stems off peppers. Place them on the hot grill and cook until the peppers' skins are charred, 15 to 20 minutes, turning them frequently with tongs. Place the peppers in a large bowl, cover and leave to cool.
3. In a bowl, mix parsley and oregano leaves then add shallot and garlic. Chop 2 tbsp of the capers and add them to the bowl with red wine vinegar and oil. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper.
4. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove skins and seeds over a bowl to catch the juices. Cut the peppers into 1.5 inch chunks and place in a bowl. Strain the juice from the peppers, set aside 1/4 juice, and pour the rest over the peppers. Cover and refrigerate the peppers.
5. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow glass dish. Mix 1/3 cup caper dressing with 1/4 cup roasted pepper juice and pour over the chicken. Turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
6. One hour before cooking, remove the chicken and roasted peppers from the refrigerator.
7. Preheat the grill to high. Then leave 1 burner on high and turn the other burner(s) down the medium-low.
8. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade and cook the chicken, covered, on the hottest part of the grill until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the breasts to the cooler part of the grill and cook, covered, skin-side up for 10 minutes. Turn skin-side down and continue to cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reads 160 F.
9. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
10. Slide the chicken from the bone and cut into 1.5 inch chunks. Stir into the peppers with any juices from the chicken. Add the remaining dressing, toss, then arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with remaining whole capers and serve warm or at room temp.

Serve with:

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

"Ted The Mule" Cotes du Ventoux Rose

[Mackhopp]

Mixed Berry Shortcake

The berries in this cake all arrive in the market within days of each other. Use your favourite ones or mix the freshest ones available.

Shortcake
2 cups flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, cubed
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup icing sugar

Filling
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup icing sugar
4 cups mixed berries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
Extra icing sugar for dusting

1. Place flour and salt in a food processor to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup icing sugar and pour onto the flour. Pulse just until the mixture starts to form a ball. Divide the pastry in 2, flatten, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

3. Roll out the pastry on wax paper onto two 9-inch rounds, 1/4 inch thick. Using the paper, carefully transfer them onto 1 large or 2 regular baking sheets, removing the paper. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove them from the oven and cut 1 round into 8 wedges. Leave the pastry rounds to cool on the baking sheet(s).

4. Whip the cream and vanilla with 1 tbsp icing sugar until firm, and then refrigerate. Toss the berries with the remaining 3 tbsp icing sugar.

5. One hour before serving, fold the fruit and all the juices into the whipped cream. Slide the uncut pastry round onto a serving dish and spread the fruit and cream mixture over it. Dust pastry wedges with icing sugar and place them on top of the fruit and cream mixture.

Serves 8.

What to serve:

Graham's Late Bottled Vintage Port

Southbrook Winery Canadian Blueberry Wine

[Mackhopp]

Corn Stew with Shrimp

This corn and vegetable stew has a flavourful broth and is best served in a bowl with a spoon as well as a knife and fork.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bacon slice, finely diced
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red chili peppers, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
1.5 cups chicken stock
12 small new potatoes, halved
4 cobs corn, shucked
1 lb cleaned medium shrimp
2 lbs fava beans shucked, blanched and peeled
1/2 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring until the bacon begins to pop. Add the onion, lower the heat and cook until the onion softens.

2. Add the garlic, chili and 1 cup of the chicken stock; bring to a boil scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes, lower to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked.

3. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cobs. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add corn, shrimp and remaning chicken stock. Cover again and simmer another 10 minutes or until shrimp are cooked.

4. Uncover and stir in the fava beans and coriander, seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow soup bowls.

Serves 4.

What to serve:

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Chardonnay Bin 99 VQA

Vineland Estates St. Urban Riesling Dry VQA

[Mackhopp]

And although this next recipe wasn't part of the original article with the Airstream, I thought I'd throw it in as it does look quite yummy. From same Food & Drink Magazine.

Fuzzy Bottom

This is a fun dessert-in-a-glass. Make your own peach puree (see below) or substitute pureed peach baby food.

3 slices fresh peach
2 tbsp peach puree
1 scoop peach or vanilla ice cream or peach sorbet
3/4 oz Absolut Peach Vodka
3/4 oz Absolut Vanilia Vodka
1 oz peach nectar

1. In a glass, put 2 peach slices and peach puree.

2. In a blender, combine ice cream, peach vodka and vanilla vodka, then blend until smooth. Pour into glass.

3. Pour peach nectar into centre of surface of drink. Nectar will slowly sink to the bottom. Garnish with remaning peach slice and serve at once.

Makes 1 drink.

Tip: To make peach puree, immerse 2 firm, ripe peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel peaches, cut in half, remove pits, then chop peaches coarsely. In a blender (not food processor), combine peaches, 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp lime juice, then blend until smooth. The puree can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. Makes about 3/4 cup.

[maxandgeorgia]

Thanks for coooooooool recipes ~G