You sure wouldn’t know it by the weather these past few weeks on the Wet Coast, but summer is here at last. Sunshine has been a commodity in short supply in this greyest of springs. Things usually turn around later on, and I’m rather looking forward to indulging in many a sun-soaked bask outside with a sweating bottle of beer or a sharply chilled glass of rosé.
We got a jump on things this past weekend with our first farmer’s market visit of the season. It’s early, but there’s plenty of goodness to be had already: plump strawberries bursting with crimson juice. Crisp fresh herbs and salad greens that blow away the flaccid, plastic-binned impostors trucked in from California and Mexico. Juicy red campari tomatoes.
Coming back from the market, I was famished from the long bike ride so I decided to whip up a simple summer pasta for lunch using some of our bounty.
Here’s the recipe: boil a pot of salted water, add pasta of your choice and cook until al dente. Drain and toss gently with a fistful of torn fresh basil leaves, some sliced tomatoes, and bocconcini. Top with grated parmesan and fresh ground pepper. Eat.
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The coming of summer also brings with it an annual tradition of sorts: the summer fun list. As a concept, it’s pretty self explanatory. Much of what I have down so far has to do with food (which is why I’m sharing it here: I’m not normally the self-indulgent type). Consider it a living document that will grow and shrink with the passage of time. This year’s is particularly poignant for a number of reasons, not the least of which is this summer expires the day before my 34th birthday. These best of days, like youth itself, are fleeting.
- Bake a pie 100 per cent from scratch. Blueberry or lemon cream. Yes.
- Watch the sun set over the ocean.
- Watch a World Cup game on Commercial Drive.
- Skip work to drink beer on a patio.
- Picnic in the park with homemade fried chicken, potato salad, biscuits and crisp white wine.
- Make ribs.
- Take in one of the Irish Heather’s Long Table Series dinners.
- Make hollandaise/béarnaise sauce.
- Host a classic cocktail potluck featuring selections from David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. I call the Old Fashioneds.
- Party till dawn.
- Take another class at The Dirty Apron.
- Finish my blog rebrand.
- Write a long essay on food or cooking and submit it to Fire & Knives.
- Make (or at least find in a store) duck confit.
- Make a Sunday ragu.
- Eat at Salumi.
- Play more guitar.
