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If you can’t make it out to Canada’s Largest Ribfest this weekend (August 30th to September 2^nd in Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park), here’s a recipe you can enjoy in your own backyard. Sure to put the smile back on any last-day-of-summer sad face, my Kansas City-style Barbeque Ribs are a great way to end summer vacation.

There are a few easy steps involved but most of the work is done ahead of time, making these ribs perfect for special occasions. My ribs are steam-baked in homemade barbeque sauce and a slow oven the day before, chilled in the fridge overnight, and then finished on the grill for 15 minutes to impart a smoky flavour and a caramelized crust. The end result: tender ribs in a lip-smackin’, finger-lickin’ homemade sauce that is dead-on delicious. And you don’t have to worry about a grill for hours.

My barbeque sauce recipe is Kansas City-style: tangy, sweet and a bit spicy – just the way olive it! Make the barbeque sauce at least one day ahead – the flavours deepen overnight. I make a big batch and freeze it in smaller portions. The acidity of the vinegar in the sauce will be mellowed by the richness of the meat – both setting each other off perfectly, I think – so don’t judge the sauce until you taste it on the finished ribs.

Olive’s Big Batch Kansas City-style Barbeque Sauce

Delicious on ribs or chicken. Make one day in advance.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup water

3 cups tomato ketchup

1 cup apple cider vinegar

⅔ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup prepared yellow mustard

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup honey

½ cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, so the garlic doesn’t burn; add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir thoroughly with a whisk.
3. Set the pot back over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently; immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
4. Store overnight in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to deepen, or freeze for longer storage. Freeze in 2 cup portions. One 2-cup portion is enough for 2 racks of ribs.

The method I use to cook the ribs (that I learned from a Trish Magwood Party Dish recipe – Sticky Barbeque Ribs) infuses the meat with barbeque sauce. The key is to seal the ribs very tightly in foil and then slow roast them in the oven for two hours until they are fully cooked – you will be rewarded with tender ribs that just need finishing on the grill.

Another key to success is to chill the ribs to firm the meat before grilling them – so after I bake my ribs in the oven, I chill them in the fridge overnight and then put them on the grill cold (straight from the fridge) to finish them. I learned this tip from a cooking show long ago; it has always worked, I didn’t ask why….but then I thought my readers deserved to know the science behind it. So, I went to The Food Lab and asked part-scientist/part-chef Kenji López-Alt (Chief Creative Officer, Serious Eats) for his expert opinion and am grateful to have received his prompt answer which he has allowed me to share with you:

“…chilling increases the viscosity of internal juices which makes them a little firmer so they don’t fall apart. It also lets you char the exterior without drying them out.”

Kenji Lopez-Alt’s weekly column The Food Lab on Seriouseats.com explores the science of home cooking. Click here to read his column, follow him on Twitter or Facebook or send him an e-mail. Thank you Mr. López-Alt!

Ribs should be cooked until they come cleanly off the bone when you bite in but are not falling off the bone when you pick them up to eat them. If you follow my recipe, that’s how your ribs will turn out.

Olive’s Kansas City-style Barbeque Ribs

Serves 4 (half rack portions)

A great make-ahead dish for a summer barbeque party. Prepare these ribs one day prior to grilling them.

Ingredients:

2 racks baby back pork ribs (back membrane removed – ask your butcher or do yourself)

2 cups Olive’s Big Batch Kansas City-style Barbeque Sauce

4 17”-square pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275ºF. Cut each rib rack in half.
2. Measure ½ cup of barbeque sauce into a separate container to brush on the raw ribs; do not contaminate the remaining barbeque sauce – refrigerate it for basting the pre-baked ribs on the grill and for serving on the table the next day.
3. Brush both sides of the ribs with the ½ cup of barbeque sauce, dividing it evenly among the 4 sections.
4. See instructional photos below. Place one rib section, meaty side up, on the centre of each piece of foil. Fold the sides of the foil up towards the ceiling. Leaving an air pocket on top of the ribs, bring the foil edges together at the top and fold down about ¾”; crimp tightly all along the edge with your fingers to make an airtight package; fold down two more times the same way. Repeat the same process to seal both ends of the packet. Take care not to puncture the foil during this process.
5. Carefully transfer wrapped ribs to a rimmed baking sheet; place tray on the middle oven rack of a 275ºF degree oven; bake for 2 hours.
6. After 2 hours, remove ribs from the oven but don’t open the packets; let cool, sealed in their packets, at room temperature for 15 minutes.
7. Carefully open hot foil packets. Remove ribs from foil and place in a baking dish; discard remaining juices and foil. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Chill ribs in the fridge overnight. Do not remove from the fridge until you are ready to grill – the meat should be chilled thoroughly when you put the ribs on the grill.
8. When ready to serve the next day, preheat grill to medium heat. Remove the cold ribs from the baking dish and place the ribs directly on a clean, well-oiled grill; immediately baste with barbeque sauce and grill for 5 minutes. Flip and baste again with barbeque sauce; grill for another 5 minutes. Flip and baste with sauce two more times, grilling for about 5 more minutes or until sauce is caramelized, lightly charred, and the meat is hot.  In total, you should have basted 4 times total and grilled for about 15 minutes or so.
9. Serve remaining ½ cup sauce in a bowl on the table for those who want to brush more sauce on their ribs.

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Here are some quick ideas for easy breezy assembly-only appetizers to download to your dock or deck this summer.  Gather some fresh and seasonal ingredients, make a few simple slices, and then assemble into beautiful and delicious appetizers that will leave you with more time to spend with your happy guests. Who wants to be in the kitchen when you can be down on the dock?

Spanish Twist: Peaches with Serrano Ham, Creamy Blue, & Honey

Wow your guests with a little Spanish flare: Spanish-style serrano ham, creamy blue cheese, and honey compliment juicy peaches, beautifully. Spanish food is hot in Toronto right now. Bring a little Barcelona to your own backyard.

Ingredients:

Peaches – pick out some fragrant, ripe Ontario-grown beauties.

Mild, creamy blue cheese – my favourite is Devil’s Rock Creamy Blue Cheese. The sharpness of this milder blue is softened by the creamy, rich texture of the cheese.

Serrano ham – Spanish-style dry-cured ham (similar to prosciutto). I use the Campesino brand.

Honey – use your best honey. Try some wonderful, locally produced wildflower honey such as Gibbs. Gibbs bees live the good life, on a former Christmas tree farm (in Canfield, Ontario), surrounded by mixed pines, wildflowers, clover, pastures, and hay fields.

Directions:

1. Let the blue cheese come to room temperature to be easier to spread. The serrano ham should also be served at room temperature. Cut the ham into strips narrower than the width of the peach (so both ends of the peach will show through when you wrap it around) and long enough to wrap around the slice at least 1 ½ times.
2. Just before serving, slice the peaches into wedges. Smear a touch of blue cheese on each slice. Wrap with serrano ham. Drizzle with plenty of good honey. Serve immediately.

Balsamic-Drizzled Strawberries Stuffed with Prosciutto & Arugula

My friend attended an evening at a friend’s cottage on Prince Edward Island and came back with this delicious and different approach to the old standby of melon and prosciutto. The arugula adds a slight peppery punch that pairs well with the sweet tartness of the strawberries and balsamic glaze. The prosciutto brings in a touch of salt, leaving a wonderfully balanced combination of flavours in your mouth.

Ingredients:

Strawberries – locally grown and sweet. Strawberries in August? Well yes, if you buy local berries grown on ever-bearing plants that produce wonderful fruit right up until frost.

Prosciutto – buy the best you can find. I use Longo’s Prosciutto di Parma (ask for it at their deli counter).

Arugula – try to find baby arugula. Longo’s Organic Baby Arugula is tiny and perfect.

Balsamic glaze – I use De Nigris Balsamic Glaze. Don’t bother making your own. This glaze is priced right, keeps well, and best of all, comes in a squeezable bottle so you can add some drama to your drizzle.

Toothpicks

Directions:

1. Slice the top off the strawberries to remove the hull and leave a clean cut.
2. Cut a small piece of prosciutto (big enough that you can fold it over once or twice and fit it nicely inside the strawberry); place the prosciutto on the cut side of one strawberry half.
3. Place a small leaf of arugula (folded if necessary but you want a little green sticking out) on top of the prosciutto.
4. Place the other strawberry half on top; secure both halves with a toothpick. Place on a serving platter and drizzle a generous amount of balsamic glaze over top in an artful but haphazard pattern. Serve immediately.

Tomato Bocconcini Basil Skewers

When local tomatoes are in season, you can’t beat this colourful summer classic of juicy tomatoes, soft mini buffalo mozzarella cheese balls, the lovely licorice note of fragrant basil, a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze, and a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt.

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes – choose the ripest, most colourful, locally grown cherry tomatoes you can find. And for heaven’s sake, please don’t store them in your fridge.

Fresh basil leaves – hope you are lucky enough to have some growing in your garden!

Mini buffalo mozzarella cheese balls – top quality is crucial here. Bella Casara Mini Buffalo Mozzarella Soft Cheese is made from 100% buffalo milk. It’s locally produced in Vaughan, Ontario by family-run Quality Cheese Inc.

Balsamic glaze – I use De Nigris Balsamic Glaze. Don’t bother making your own. This glaze is priced right, keeps well, and best of all, comes in a squeezable bottle so you can add some drama to your drizzle.

Good quality sea salt

Mini skewers

Directions:

1. Cut the fresh basil leaves in long, wide strips (along the length of the leaf); wrap one strip around each cheese ball and skewer.
2. Anchor a cherry tomato at the bottom of the skewer.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with plenty of balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.

The Details:

 

I have a deep appreciation for good corn, rooted in the fields of Kent County that surround my mother’s childhood hometown of Chatham, Ontario.

I was raised to worship Kent County corn. My mom fondly recounted how her sister Jean would come home from work with an armful of the precious cobs, freshly picked and so sweet. Dinner that night would be a corn feast, honouring cob after sweet cob of golden summer.

The key to being crazy about corn is to buy the very best locally grown corn you can find; then cook it and eat it as soon as possible on the day you buy it. When you bring it home from the farm market, get it straight into the fridge and don’t husk it until just before you plan to boil it. Then boil it in plenty of fresh water without any additions: once the water is boiling, cook for 3 to 4 minutes for young cobs and 5 to 7 minutes for mature cobs.

Where can we find the best corn in the Peel Halton area? My answer is Allison’s Farm Market in Georgetown, Ontario.

The first time I tasted Allison’s tender, sweet corn I was hooked-at-hello. Olive Allison’s Farm Market corn so much that when the local corn season arrives, I make the journey to Georgetown from Streetsville. This year, I was so eager that I showed up a bit too early, LOL. Next year, I’ll call first to find out when the corn will be coming in from the fields.

Bob Allison was kind enough to invite me onto his corn fields recently, to teach me a bit about what makes his corn taste especially good.

The Allisons have been farming their land since 1965 and have been growing sweet corn since about 1975. They started out with an honesty box on their front yard and have grown into a permanent farm market where they sell their homegrown corn and pumpkins, as well as a bounty of fresh, local fruits and vegetables they bring in from other farms.

The Allison’s grow Gourmet Sweet supersweet corn: 1 acre of yellow corn and about 30 acres of bi-colour (Peaches & Cream) corn. Colour is just visual and doesn’t affect the taste of the corn. They plant a new patch of corn about every three days. The last patch is planted in early July and ripens the end of September. Bob’s crew looks for ripe ears on the stalks and hand picks them.

As soon as the corn is picked, its sugar starts to turn to starch. The hotter the weather, the faster the corn will deteriorate. That’s why Bob and his crew take extra special care to chill the corn right after it is picked. You will notice the difference between Bob’s corn and grocery store corn, which can get left out in warmer temperatures for a week.

When selecting corn, look for big cobs with moist, dark green husks and moist, stiff and dark silk.

All of these beautiful ears of corn that I bought from Allison’s Farm Market were perfect.

Please don’t buy already husked, cello wrapped, foam tray packets of corn. Please buy your corn locally and fresh, the day that you want to use it, ideally from a farm market. If you are a corn worshiper like me, it’s well worth the lovely country drive to Allison’s Farm Market in Georgetown. I often drive to Georgetown just to get their corn but come back with a bounty of fresh summer fruits and vegetables.

The Allisons also have a stand at Georgetown Farmers’ Market – so if you go on a Saturday morning, you can enjoy this lovely, vibrant market that runs along Main Street in historic downtown Georgetown.

Allison’s corn is so delicious that (dare I say it?) it is even better than the Kent County corn that my Chatham cousins brought to our cottage last week. Perhaps I overcooked the Kent County corn? I am grasping at corn stalks here, trying to remain in good standing with my dear Chatham family. I can hear the butter knives being dropped on the floor in Chatham right now. I will have a lot of explaining to do.

I don’t have a recipe for you because good corn should be served unadulterated…

Or perhaps with a splurge of Stirling Whey Butter smeared over top. Mmm…creamy, slightly nutty, all natural buttery goodness. Artisanally crafted in Stirling, Ontario at Stirling Creamery since 1925.

Tel: 905-873-8283

Open: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from June to Oct 31^st

On-Farm Market: Grow and sell their own sweet corn and pumpkins. Bring in strawberries, apples, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, green beans, blueberries, peaches, melons, preserves, pies, bread (weekends only), fall décor, mums.

Farm Market Stand at: Georgetown Farmers’ Market

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Stirling Creamery Butter: Available at Longo’s & Goodness Me! Visit Stirling Creamery’s website for other GTA locations.

Hot off the Olive Press! Paramount Fine Foods restaurant is opening up a second Mississauga location at Erin Mills Town Centre (Erin Mills Parkway and Eglinton Avenue), hopefully sometime in the fall of 2013. Paramount Fine Foods serves Middle Eastern cuisine.

Our first experience with Paramount Fine Foods was at their 1290 Crestlawn Drive, Mississauga location. My husband had just returned from a family visit to Montreal, which always includes fabulous Middle Eastern food. He wanted to find out if Paramount’s food could compete with Montreal standards. We weren’t disappointed.

Compared to the surrounding industrial neighborhood, the elegant interior decor of the Paramount Crestlawn Drive location is a pleasant surprise. The parameter of the room boasts a charcoal grill and bakery counters. Warm woodwork and beautiful chandeliers create an inviting ambiance in the seating area.

Even more pleasant than the decor is the service. Though you order at the cash, the food is delivered to the table quickly and our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about the restaurant.

The first thing that strutted to our table, warm and puffed up like proud roosters, was a basket of freshly baked pita bread straight from the wood burning oven. Promise me that at least once in your life you will treat yourself to freshly baked Middle Eastern pita, which is thinner and tastier than other pitas.

I had to treat myself to a fresh mango juice because olive mangoes! The fattoush salad is fresh and crisp with romaine lettuce, parsley, red and yellow pepper, tomato slices, and deep fried pita bits in an authentically acidic dressing. We also ordered a bowl of tahina sauce to drizzle on our rice and meat. Olive tahina sauce (try my Grilled Trout with Tahina Sauce and Grilled Lemons).

I ordered the BBQ Beef: two skewers of charcoal grilled striploin beef. My husband ordered the Mixed Grill: skewers of shish taouk (marinated chicken breast), kofta (spiced ground beef), and bbq beef. All of the meat is so tender and flavourful that it is mouthwatering just to recollect. Paramount serves charcoal barbequed, sodium-nitrate-free, grass-fed, Ontario Halal meats prepared in the Paramount Butcher Shop.

Our plates included a small container of hummus or garlic mayonnaise, picked turnip, and picked celery. The fries are good but the rice is even better – nicely seasoned and fluffy.

The Arabic pastries are handmade and baked fresh daily in Paramount’s full bakery. They display them on huge, impressive trays behind the counter.  You can enjoy them in the restaurant or take them home.

My husband was in heaven. He selected a sampling of a few different kinds to share. Delicate layers of crisp pastry, sticky sweet with crunchy nuts.

These little babies, filled with beautiful pistachios nuts, have always been my favourite and they are exquisite.  Don’t they look like hungry baby birds?

The menu is extensive: appetizers, salads, sandwiches, grilled meats and chicken, shawarmas, falafels, Arabic style pizzas made to order and baked in a wood burning oven, fresh fruit juices, and fine pastries. We both agreed that Paramount Fine Foods restaurant is among the best Middle Eastern food we have tasted outside of Montreal. Reasonable prices, pleasant atmosphere, friendly efficient service, and good food. Olive Paramount Fine Foods!

Paramount Fine Foods plans to open in the fall of 2013 at Eglinton Avenue West and Erin Mills Parkway, in Mississauga.

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Check out their website for photos, videos, and other Paramount locations and hours in Mississauga, Hamilton, Toronto, Thornhill, and London: www.paramountfinefoods.com

What better way to celebrate the arrival of summer than under a perigee supermoon (the closest and largest full moon of 2013)…

with an equally spectacular strawberry tart?

My Strawberry Tart is a simple but elegant way to showcase the fragrant, local field strawberries that I picked up at Streetsville Farmers’ Market on Saturday.

Based on the gorgeous fruit tarts popular in France during festival time, my recipe is an easy and relatively healthy summer dessert that looks almost as stunning as a tarte aux fraises from a fine Parisian pâtisserie. After listening to the utterly charming audiobook French Women Don’t Get Fat (read by the author herself, Mireille Guiliano), I learned that the fattening pastry cream, that is often spread over the base of a tarte aux fraises, is not necessary. Great, because I am not crazy about pastry cream, but olive strawberries!

There are a few easy steps to this tart. You can make the simple syrup required for the coulis well in advance. It keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in your fridge and can be used to dress a fruit salad or to sweeten homemade lemonade or ice tea.

Bake the crisp, shortbread cookie crust in the morning, filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma, then set it aside to cool. It has a hint of ground almonds, which you can replace with flour if there are allergy concerns.

Later (at least two hours before you want to serve the tart), fill the tart with a concentric arrangement of the prettiest, similar-sized, scarlet-coloured strawberries you can find. Then make the coulis and glaze the berries immediately. The berries will glisten under the coulis; both will perfume the air with sweetness. Refrigerate the tart for at least two hours to allow the coulis to set. It’s best eaten the day it’s made but it is still good the next day or two, with a softer crust. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if you wish.

You can use other seasonal fruit instead, such as raspberries, peaches, or apricots (but not kiwi, pineapple, papaya, or figs). Make sure you use the same fruit for the coulis.

Olive’s Strawberry Tart

Simple Syrup:

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved, stirring a couple of times. When the sugar is completely dissolved, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool before storing in a covered jar in your fridge for up to 2 to 3 weeks. Can be used to dress a fruit salad or sweeten homemade lemonade or ice tea.

Shortbread Cookie Crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the inside of a 10” round tart pan with straight, fluted sides and a removable bottom.

Mix the flour, ground almonds, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk until combined. Cut in the butter by rubbing the flour mixture and butter between your fingertips, until the mixture blends into coarse crumbs. Knead gently with your hands to form a ball.

Distribute pieces of the dough evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Using the heel of your hand, pat the dough to cover the bottom and sides evenly. Make sure there are no gaps. Bake on the middle oven rack for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before adding the fruit.

Strawberry Filling & Strawberry Coulis Glaze:

2 quarts of strawberries, washed, dried thoroughly, and hulled but left whole

Pick out the best-looking, similar-sized berries and arrange them on top of the crust in an attractive, concentric pattern, with their tips pointing up and their hulled ends pointing down.

Note: You will need approximately 1 ½ quarts of strawberries to fill the tart and for the coulis but buy 2 quarts just to be sure and to allow you to pick out enough of the best berries for the tart. You will need 1 ½ cups of strawberries for the coulis.

Coulis Glaze:

Prepare the gelatin sheets according to package directions, first following the Basic Directions and then the Cold Preparation Directions.

Meanwhile, purée the raw strawberries with a squeeze of lemon juice in a food processor. Add the simple syrup and blend. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, rubbing through with a rubber spatula. Discard the seeds and remaining pulp.

Before the gelatin begins to set, fold the gelatin into the strained coulis; then immediately pour the coulis evenly over the tart to glaze each berry. Refrigerate the tart until the coulis is set, about 2 hours. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Note: I learned the basics of simple syrup, coulis, and glazes from the Gordon Ramsay Desserts cookbook. He uses many interesting ingredients to whip up different variations of flavoured stock syrups, coulis, and glazes. It’s well worth checking out the cookbook, available from the Mississauga Library. I modified his recipes for Stock Syrup and Coulis to fit the requirements of this recipe.