LCBO Food & Drink Magazine - Early Summer Issue 2012

The Early Summer issue of the LCBO Food & Drink magazine was released today and I don't feel 'ready'. I am still waiting to get all rhubarb-y with the last issue but have yet to source a local harvest. Is anybody else feeling behind with their Food & Drink reading? Thankfully today's glossy complements well with the still ever so active Spring mag.

Maybe what had me the most fired up in this issue was seeing Vicki Emlaw of Vicki's Veggies featured in Cynthia David's Spotlight segment called The Accidental Gardener. Vicki's Veggies is located outside of Milford in Prince Edward County. Not only is she well-known in the County, her produce is used by many chefs cherishing 'local' goodness and she is active at two markets in Toronto on Saturdays. Last year, I FINALLY picked up some of her famous heirloom tomato plants, as well as a flat of young basil seedlings. My favourite plant was the Yellow Perfection.



It's featured here in this showy heirloom tomato salad.



Watch for her seedling sale in May. It's a great excuse to visit the County. Congratulations Vicki!

Recipes dog-eared in this issue:

• bang bang chicken noodle salad (From Coriander in the kitchen by Marilyn Bentz-Crowley)
• Roasted Black Cod with Spicy Paella (From Flower Power by Sarah Goddard and Lucy Waverman)
• Baked Scallops with Herbed Crumbs (From Matching Up by James Chatto and Lucy Waverman)
• White gazpacho with green grape granita (From ice & easy by Christopher St. Onge)
  
• Shaved Asparagus Mimosa Salad (From What's Fresh for dinner by Lucy Waverman)
  
• Canadian Cheddar, Bacon and Tomato Stratas (From A Layered Approach by Monda Rosenberg)
• Coffee Molasses Barbecue Sauce (From Coffee Breaks by Heather Trim)
  

Rick Shurman and Earl Torno are setting you up for Olympic Party hosting success with their British Invasion playlist. So clever. When Canada is walking all over our competition, dare you crank Another One Bites The Dust by Queen? (I for one will be fixated on our rowing crew come late July.) Check it out on iTunes.

Brenda Morrison draws your attention to Belvoir fruit farms' traditional English fruit drinks in Inspired Ideas. They make cordials, pressés and fruit crushes. I have seen their product in shops (Jacobson's on Beechwood in Ottawa to name one) and think they are a nice treat item for your bar when entertaining those choosing not to imbibe. They are imported from the UK though. Anybody have a lead on a similar Canadian product?

Are you still feeling rhubarb-y too? Then you may want to work the the Spring and Early Summer issues in tandem over the next month.

Plan ahead: The Summer issue hits the stores 8 weeks from today on Wednesday, June 27th.