Here is a simple but exotic little hors d’oeuvre and apéritif duo to spice up your summer dinner party: North African Merguez Sausage Bites and Lebanese Arak.

Merguez sausages are warmly spiced with harissa (a paste made from red chili peppers) and flavoured with fragrant coriander, cumin, fennel, paprika, hints of cinnamon, and garlic. I buy my merguez sausages from Adonis; their version is part lamb, part beef, and really tasty.

A garnish of Torshi Lift looks spectacular on the platter. Torshi Lift is a crunchy pickled turnip served before a meal or with grilled meats. Torshi means sour and lift is the Arabic word for turnip. The bright pink colour comes from adding beets to the pickling process. Second only to the recipe my father-in-law used to make, Adonis sells the best Torshi Lift that I have tasted in our region (ask for them at the olive counter).

Merguez Sausage Bites:

1. Grill whole merguez sausages slowly over indirect heat first and then for a few moments over direct heat, until fully cooked.
2. Let rest, and then slice thickly on the diagonal. Skewer two or three together pieces together on cocktail picks. Garnish the platter with picked turnip.

The perfect apéritif to serve with the merguez is Arak: a Middle Eastern, anise-flavoured, distilled alcohol similar to French Pastis but unsweetened. The anise in the Arak will pair well with the fennel notes in the sausage. But watch out, Arak is 50% alcohol. Click here for a link to the Arak my husband recommends, available at LCBO Vintages.

How to Serve Arak:

1. Take a small, narrow glass (like a Moroccan tea glass), pour in one ounce of Arak and then two ounces of cold water. The combination will turn milky-white. Then add one ice cube (optional). Arak is extremely potent so just have one ounce or they may catch you belly dancing on the table. It is meant to awaken your appetite before the meal; too much Arak will dull it.

I found these vintage Moroccan tea glasses at Curries Music & Antiques in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

I thought I’d share a little inspiration with you – some photos of edible flower ideas that I have collected and pinned to my Olive Edible Flowers board on Pinterest. I haven’t tried the recipes yet but the photos give me an idea of how I can use edible flowers in my own cooking.

They inspired me to add flowers from my garden to a simple tomato mozzarella salad I saw on a Barefoot Contessa episode, prepared by a California chef. I think the yellow pansies look so pretty against the orange and red wedges of heirloom tomatoes. I love the casualness of the torn pieces of fresh mozzarella tucked in between the tomatoes. I didn’t have time to make the basil-infused olive oil they used on the show, so I drizzled the salad with my best extra-virgin olive oil and added whole basil leaves for drama and ease. I thought a jolt of black and a touch of saltiness would be nice, so I scattered on a few sundried black olives (you can find them at Adonis or Longo’s – check my grocery store directory for locations). Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

Here is a taste of some of the many pins I have collected on my board. Click on the photo/link and you will be directed to the original site for recipes or instructions. If you try any of them please let me know how they worked out for you.

Spring Bouquet Popsicles by Marla Meridith www.familyfreshcooking.com

I am definitely going to try the recipe for these darling Spring Bouquet Popsicles filled with pretty blossoms and flavoured with orange blossom water (I have the fondest memories of orange blossom water en Provence). What a sweet idea for a birthday party. I just love the messages that are handwritten on the popsicle sticks (click the link to see the full post and recipe). The recipe would make lovely ice cubes too. Thanks to Marla Meridith for permission to share her gorgeous photo and recipe from www.familyfreshcooking.com.

Zucchini Blossom Mini Quiches from www.emmadime.com

How about these adorable Zucchini Blossom Mini Quiches from www.emmadime.com?  Wouldn’t these be perfect for a baby shower? Thanks to Emma Dime for permission to share her stunning photo and recipe.

Zucchini Flowers from Hutchinson Farm

Look at these beautiful zucchini blossoms from Hutchinson Farm in Burlington (thanks for permission to share your photo, David). Find out why they are picked to order at dawn (call a day ahead), plus helpful tips here. Hutchinson Farm suggests using them in cheese quesadillas. I saw a great recipe for Squash Blossom Quesadillas on one of my favourite cooking shows, Pati’s Mexican Table, and have pinned the recipe to my Olive Edible Flowers Pinterest board, along with stuffed zucchini blossom recipes. Zucchini and pumpkin blossoms will be ready at Hutchinson Farm in Burlington near the end of July. In May, Hutchinson Farm also sells nasturtiums which David says are “an awesome edible flower”.  Contact Hutchinson Farm for more information.

Last summer, I found zucchini blossoms at Mississauga Central Farmers` Market. And Longo`s carries zucchini blossoms when in season (soon) and can get edible flowers in pretty much all year round. If you don’t see them in the produce section, speak to the Produce Manager; he may be able to order them in for you.

Your own garden can be a great source for edible flowers; just be sure they are organic and verify they are edible by checking with a reliable source before serving them.

To visit my other Pinterest boards and see all the inspirational photos and recipes I have collected, click here.

Kick off summer with a Canada Day celebration featuring Olive’s finger lickin’ Kansas City-style Barbeque Chicken. We used to steer away from barbeque sauce and chicken – a combo that left the poor bird burnt on the outside and flavourless on the inside. But over the years I have researched, tested tips, tweaked my method, and ended up with a recipe that we love (scroll to the bottom).  Hope you will too.

Finish off your barbeque with the quintessential Canadian dessert: the all-Canadian butter tart. I overheard some American tourists wondering why we Canadians love these gooey, runny tarts so much (they don’t have them in the US). I suggested they head straight to Kate’s Town Talk Bakery for the answer. Small batch, baked from scratch, using a tried and true recipe passed down from Kate’s Grandma Doris. A tasty crust that doesn’t collapse and spill filling all over you. Filling that isn’t all drippy nor cloyingly sweet, but caramelizes around the edges into chewy, toffee bliss. Now that’s my idea of a great butter tart! Available plain or with raisins or pecans; mini or regular sized.

Olive’s Kansas City-style Barbeque Chicken

Serves 4 (2 small pieces of chicken each – recipe easily doubled)

Part of my method comes from a recipe clipping that I think appeared in one of my favourite cooking magazines, Cuisine At Home, a few years ago (Root Beer Barbeque Chicken). The chicken is fully roasted in the oven first and then dipped in the barbeque sauce to absorb the flavours, and then grilled immediately.

I pour my Kansas City-style Barbeque Sauce recipe over the hot roasted chicken, put it in the fridge for several hours to marinate and chill the meat, then grill it cold out of the fridge, dipping it back into the sauce each time I turn it on the grill, building up a caramelized crust while I warm the meat. Most of the work is done ahead; it just takes a few minutes on the grill. The end result is flavourful meat with a lovely caramelized crust. The perfect barbeque party chicken.

If you want to serve my Kansas City-style Barbeque Chicken with my Kansas City-style Barbeque Ribs, make my Big Batch Kansas City-style Barbeque Sauce and prepare the ribs in the oven the day before. The next morning roast the chicken and chill it in the sauce. Just before serving, take the ribs and chicken out of the fridge and put them straight on the grill for a few moments, as directed.

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken drumsticks (bone-in, skin-on)
4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Olive’s Big Batch Kansas City-style Barbeque Sauce (see August 2013 post)

Directions:
Two to six hours before grilling:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange chicken pieces on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Brush oil on chicken to coat evenly. Season well with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast chicken at 375°F until juices run clear and skin is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the barbeque sauce gently, stirring occasionally.
3. As soon as chicken is cooked, put the hot chicken in a heat-proof casserole dish; immediately pour warm barbeque sauce over hot chicken to coat evenly (use all of the sauce). Cover. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but preferably up to 6 hours.

Just before serving:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. When ready to grill, place chicken in sauce next to grill. Remove each piece with tongs, let excess sauce drip off, and place directly on a clean, well-oiled grill (keep tray of sauce beside grill to dip again). Grill for a few minutes.
2. Remove each piece from grill and dip in sauce again. Return chicken to grill, turn over, and grill for a few minutes. Grill just until sauce has caramelized, skin is slightly charred, and chicken is hot throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes (dip chicken back into sauce each time you turn it on grill). Serve immediately.

This summer, Olive is living life through rose-coloured glasses, thanks to a gorgeous Wild Rose Petal Syrup from Forbes Wild Foods. This exquisite syrup is made from pure organic sugar, water, lemon juice, and the fragrant petals of the five-petal wild rose that grows across Canada. Delicate rose petals suspended in a beautiful pink-tinted syrup; a luxurious mouthfeel with soft notes of rose, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of lemon that keeps it from tasting cloying. I swoon every time I taste it.

Forbes Wild Foods (based in Toronto) supplies high-end, sustainably-harvested wild foods from the Canadian wilderness to restaurants, hotels, gourmet stores, Toronto farmers’ markets, and on-line customers.  Founder Jonathan Forbes was recently celebrated as one of the top twenty picks from twenty years of Food & Drink (20 Things We Love, Food & Drink 20th Anniversary issue, Autumn 2013, page 134). To learn more about the high quality and sustainable practices used by Forbes Wild Foods click here.

Wild Rose Petal Syrup is sumptuous simply poured over your favourite vanilla ice cream (I like Kawartha’s Vanilla or Belly’s 16 Vanilla Bean). What an easy but elegant summer dessert to dazzle your summer dinner party guests.  Look at the pretty wild rose petal; be sure to spoon a few out as garnish, they taste delicious.

It is absolutely dreamy in my Black Cherry Rose Water Sherbet. Replace the half teaspoon of straight rose water with 3 tablespoons of Wild Rose Petal Syrup (maybe a touch more) and cut the white sugar back to half a cup.

In my Ispahan Parfait, replace the homemade rose syrup with an equal amount of Wild Rose Petal Syrup.  You could also replace the yogurt with whipped cream and serve this chic fruit salad on meringue; or with ice cream in a crêpe. Hmm, I wonder what an Ispahan Martini would taste like…raspberries, lychee, rose syrup, and almonds? Ooh là là!

Like the flirty skirts of the cancan dancers, rose-scented stewed rhubarb is saucy and pretty; its tartness tamed by a sweet hint of je ne sais quoi.  Serve cold, layered with plain yogurt and garnished with pistachio dust for a delicious breakfast parfait; or warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for dessert.  I made this batch with Ontario greenhouse rhubarb and it turned out such a pretty colour of pink.

Rose-Scented Stewed Rhubarb

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped (3/4” pieces) fresh rhubarb, root ends and toxic leaves discarded (from about 1 pound of fresh rhubarb stalks)
1/3 cup sugar (preferably Demerara sugar)
3 tablespoons Wild Rose Petal Syrup

Directions:

1. Place chopped rhubarb in a medium glass bowl. Sprinkle with sugar; stir. Let rest on the counter for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice more, until rhubarb begins to release its juices and sugar dissolves.
2. Place the rhubarb in a medium saucepan. Gently simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add rose syrup.  Serve warm or cold.

Strawberry Rose Angel Food Cake

I had fun dreaming up a Strawberry Rose Angel Food Cake. It was the first time I made it and we liked it but next time I may make a few changes as noted below. I thought it was worth sharing the recipe with you now, as inspiration? I used a store-bought angel food cake but you could easily use a mix; add a little rose syrup to the mix before baking for an added touch of rose.

The only thing a bit complicated about making this ultra-feminine cake is getting your hands on the Wild Rose Petal Syrup (okay, that’s easy just order on-line from Forbes Wild Foods) and the candied rose petals (hey, you can order those on-line too from Golda’s Kitchen). The rest is a breeze using ready-made, store-bought ingredients.

In fact, because I was in a rush to capture the natural light for my photo-shoot, I bought white buttercream icing from Bulk Barn for the first time ever – don’t laugh, it was fine and saved my morning. Bulk Barn is in the same ‘hood as Golda’s Kitchen.  I beat a cup of whipping cream into the buttercream to tone down the sweetness. I was happy with the stability of the icing but it was still pretty sweet and I had about 1 ½ cups of extra icing left over. Next time, I am may try using a ratio of 3 cups buttercream to 1 cup of whipping cream (instead of 4:1) or probably will just use 4 cups of whipped cream and no buttercream. The recipe below uses my original measurements.

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into bite-sized pieces (save one whole for garnish)
3 tablespoons Wild Rose Petal Syrup
1 package (.5 oz/14 g) candied rose petals (optional)
1 already-made angel food cake
4 cups prepared white buttercream icing (see suggested amendment above)
5 tablespoons juice from mashed, rose-infused strawberries
1 cup whipping cream (see suggested amendment above)

Directions:

Place strawberries and rose syrup in a medium-size bowl. Roughly mash with a potato masher or fork to release the juice from the strawberries.  Let sit at room temperature while proceeding with next steps.

Finely chop candied rose petals (the ones in my photo of the finished cake at the bottom of the post are a bit too big and too crunchy). Set aside.

Cut off the top third of the cake, slicing evenly with a serrated knife. Set aside and reserve top. Using a knife, cut a circle about 1” or so from the outside of the cake and another concentric circle about 1” or so from the inside of the cake, cutting only halfway down through the bottom two-thirds of the cake. When the top is placed back on the cake, the trench will sit in the middle third of the cake.  Use a fork to help you remove the cake in the trench and discard those pieces.

Strain strawberries in a fine sieve, reserving both the juice and berries separately.

(See amendments noted above) In a large bowl, place 4 cups white buttercream icing and 5 tablespoons of reserved juice from mashed strawberries. While beating with an electric mixer at high speed, slowly pour in one cup of whipping cream. Beat until frosting holds soft peaks.

Measure out 1 cup of frosting and set the remaining frosting aside. Fold 1 cup of frosting into reserved strawberries, folding gently until combined. It may separate a bit but it’s fine. Spoon into trench.

Cover with top section of angel food cake. Spoon remaining mixture into centre hole of cake to fill. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Garnish with fanned whole strawberry and sprinkle with finely chopped rose petals. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Serve.

Forbes Wild Foods

For the past three years, Streetsville United Church Sunday School has served a cup of kindness to our treasured seniors at our annual Seniors’ Tea. With the help of the children and their wonderfully supportive parents and teachers, we pull together a free lunch of tea sandwiches, dainty desserts, hot tea, and lemonade.  Here is how we do it:

Make cups of kindness cards (download paper teacup pattern here) using pretty patterned paper (cardstock purchased at Walmart), an x-acto knife, and glue. Fill each cup with a couple of paper hearts decorated by the children and one tea bag. Make one cup for each place setting.

Gather up the children. Have fun creating beautiful tissue paper flowers (instructions here – no need to snip the ends to make a petal shape). Don’t they look like they belong in Monet’s garden?

Put out a plea to the congregation for donations of unwanted, pretty, fine china teacups. If you like, glue the bottom of the cup to the saucer using a hot glue gun.

Place a cheap but cheerful dollar store flower blossom in each cup (Dollarama is a good source). Offer them to the seniors as take-away gifts; take out the flower and use the cup as a jewelry holder or candy dish.

Set tables in cream-coloured tablecloths, plates, napkins, and tea cups (tablecloth, plates, and  napkins found at Party City). Place one cup of kindness card at each place setting. Evenly space flower-filled china teacups down the centre of the tables. Add bursts of colour with tissue paper flowers. Leave enough space for serving platters and tea pots. Don’t forget teaspoons, milk, and sugar.

Ask the Sunday School parents to contribute homemade tea sandwiches, cookies, and squares. Scroll to the bottom for instructions on making and cutting tea sandwiches. Cookies and squares should be delivered already cut in small sizes; make enough for each person to have a total of three or four pieces. Arrange assortments of sandwiches and an assortment of desserts on large platters to pass around during the tea. Make sure your platters are light enough for children to carry and line them with paper doilies (Party City is a good source for both). Ask someone to bring raw veggies (cut in small pieces) and someone else to bring tea, milk, sugar, and lemonade for the kids. Round up some parents to help cut the sandwiches and arrange the platters just before the tea begins (you may need them to bring cutting boards and knives). Ask the kids and parents to help serve at the tea and help clean up after too.

Make an announcement several weeks in advance, inviting the seniors of your congregation to join you for tea; ask them to sign-up in advance so you can get a good idea of the numbers. On the day of the event, greet them with smiles. Pour them a cup of kindness. Sit and enjoy the luncheon together. Your friendships will blossom and I bet that it will turn out to be just as heartwarming an experience for you as it is for the seniors.

Simple Tea Sandwich Instructions

The Streetsville UCW taught me how to keep the sandwich making simple and fuss-free while keeping the sandwiches as fresh as possible (they have lots of experience serving luncheons to large groups at funerals). Be sure to scroll to the bottom for important How to Make the Sandwiches and How to Cut the Sandwiches instructions, as well as useful Sandwich Calculations.

Keep the fillings traditional and not too adventurous so that both old and young will enjoy. We make egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad, cream cheese and cucumber. Lettuce will wilt and get mushy and other toppings will make the sandwiches gloppy and soggy, so don’t add them. I’ve included my Mom’s super easy recipe for Ham Salad Sandwiches.

Ham Salad Sandwiches

I loved opening up my school lunch bag to find one of my Mom’s ham salad sandwiches. This recipe makes enough filling for one loaf of sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 tins (156 g each) Maple Leaf Flakes of Ham

1/3 cup (scant) real mayonnaise

1/3 cup (scant) sweet green relish

1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 loaf of thinly sliced sandwich bread

Instructions:

1. Open, drain, and discard liquid from cans of ham. Add ham to a medium bowl; mash with a fork to break into flakes.
2. Add mayonnaise and relish; mix thoroughly.

How to Make the Sandwiches:

1. Save the plastic bread bag and tie. Do not cut the crusts off the bread; leave the crusts on. Remove and discard outer ends of loaf.
2. Spread butter lightly and evenly over one side of each remaining slice (spread to edge of the crust). Spread sandwich filling evenly over half of the slices. Top with 2nd half of buttered slices. Press down lightly.
3. Do not cut the crusts off the bread. Do not cut the sandwiches. Assemble the whole sandwiches back into a loaf and place the whole loaf back in the plastic bread bag and seal it tightly closed. Refrigerate for at least one hour, until ready to serve. Can be made the night before.

How to Cut the Sandwiches Just Before Serving:

1. Just before serving, cut each whole sandwich into 4 triangle-shaped sandwiches. We leave the crusts on to avoid wastage.
2. Arrange an assortment of sandwiches on platters with pointed ends visible.
3. As each platter is filled, cover it completely with lightly dampened, clean J-Cloths and then seal with a covering of plastic wrap to prevent the sandwiches from drying out.
4. Once all of your platters are ready, remove the J-Cloths and plastic wrap and serve immediately.

Sandwich Calculations:

We allow 6 small tea sandwiches per person (which equates to 1½ full-sized sandwiches cut into 6 tea sandwich triangles, using 3 whole slices of bread). We always have some leftover but like to have extra in case any seniors, who haven’t signed up in advance, decide to come at the last-minute; people are more than happy to take home any leftovers. The average loaf has 16 slices of bread (crusts excluded) which will make 8 sandwiches.

# of guests (seniors, children, and adult helpers) × 1.5 tea sandwiches = total # sandwiches

total # sandwiches ÷ 8 sandwiches per loaf = total # loaves required