Harvest Bounty

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Salmorejo
Tomatoes with Sumac Shallots

Zucchini with Thyme and Walnut

Cod, Clams and Corn with Parsley

Sabayon

Such abundance in September! Still in the time of Covid, we got together in Kaarina's backyard Bamba Shack but eventually moved indoors - social distancing, of course. Lovely Laura was unable to join, so it was an Epi trio of Kaarina, Caroline and Diane.

Kaarina

 

Salmorejo

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this journey with my friends, the Epitourists, it’s that great food doesn’t need to be complicated. Like there’s no need to over direct a cob of corn. A bit of butter, a sprinkle of salt and it will sing all on its own.

So the Epitourists’ September Harvest Bounty production followed the Keep it Simple, Keep it Local and and Keep it Seasonal rules. The stars of the show were local Ontario corn, tomatoes and zucchini with a supporting cast of garlic, shallots, thyme, parsley and basil, Niagara peaches and Concord grapes. The guests  - fresh clams and cod - came from the East Coast.Our welcome G&Ts were infused with basil from a pot in my garden. Our first course, Salmorejo, a cold Spanish tomato soup from Córdoba, was laced with fresh garlic from Laura’s Wolfe Island garden. 

Salmorejo, not to be confused with its cousin gazpacho, is super quick to prepare and an easy hot weather solution to a bumper crop of tomatoes if you’re lucky enough to have one. No cooking involved. You need ripe tomatoes, rustic bread, garlic, olive oil, Sherry vinegar and a food processor. I used a traditional garnish of boiled eggs, Serrano ham and pitted olives. Here are no-fuss directions from my Spanish food guru, chef Jose Andres.

Diane

In charge of the salad course I consulted Ottolenghi's Simple for the recipes: tomatoes with sumac shallots and zucchini with thyme and walnut. 

I was able to use fists full of fresh basil and thyme from plants out my back door. Making these colourful salads was a very visual and tactile experience for me: peeling long curls from the zucchini; massaging fragrant oil into the white flesh; gently lifting the multi-coloured tomatoes to hide bits of fresh green basil. 

After the salad course I watched Caroline prepare fresh clams as I'd never had them before. Not as intimidating to cook as I thought, and a real show with all the sizzle and steam. But then, Caro does make it seem easy. The Bon Appetit recipe called for a generous amount of shallots in the bottom of a hot pan, fresh white wine added to evaporate for one minute, then add the clams and steam for another 5 minutes. Delicious brine drizzled on top and served alongside fresh corn and cod browned on the skillet. 

For an encore Kaarina disappeared into the kitchen to whip up sabayon. Smooth and silky, it warmed up the last of the season’s Niagara peaches (still so sweet), raspberries and blackberries. This Julia Child classic will wrap up any meal in style.

After, a selection of cheeses, concord grapes and crackers, a splash of Scotch.

Feasting on each other's company.