Anytime Summer Salad

As someone who has lived in Canada his entire life, I'll never understand people who like winter over summer. My hometown is the world's coldest capital city more often than not. You would think by now I would get accustomed to all the ice, slush, and snow that make every winter seem rougher and more frigid than the last, far from it.  I'm one of those people who never complain when the mercury rises above 30 degrees Celsius.  Mainly because I know windchills below 30 degrees Celsius will soon be a regular part of the forecast. For me, it's much easier to enjoy the weather when it's hot and sunny than when it's cold and dreary. Yes, there are bright days in the winter, but the cold saps any desire to be out in it for any longer than I have to. For those who also prefer the weather hot and muggy over bone-chillingly frigid hopefully, this recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks can take you back to the dog days of summer, or at least be a sweet and salty treat for after you're done shoveling your walkway.

Ingredients:

300 g fresh watermelon, cubed or scooped (yes, this would be better when watermelon is in season)
120 g feta cheese, cut into small pieces
40 g red onion, sliced as thin as possible, soaked and drained (water or vinegar will work)
15 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g balsamic vinegar (or 6 g lime juice)

•  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, making sure everything is coated.
• Play with the tastes by adding black olives for more saltiness; red pepper flakes for more heat; and mint leaves for their refreshing cooling effect.

Summertime Ceviche

Ever since I first tasted it at a cooking class at Urban Element I've been a fan of ceviche. It's the perfect dish for these steamy summer days when you don't want to add more heat to your home by turning on an oven. Ceviche is made using acids (citrus juices) that cause the proteins in the seafood used in the recipe to change on a molecular level similar to the change that occurs when the proteins are cooked. I like to use the recipe in my favourite cookbook, "Cooking For Geeks", with the addition of an element I learned at the Urban Element; I also like to listen to listen to Action Bronson's "Ceviche" while making this, but that's strictly optional.

Ingredients:

500 g bay scallops, rinsed and patted dry
130 g lime juice
60 g lemon juice
15 g ketchup
7 g garlic, chopped on run through a garlic press
18 mL olive oil
4 mL balsamic vinegar
1 small red onion (70 g ), sliced as thinly as possible
1 shallot bulb, sliced as thinly as possible
1 plantain
canola oil

1. Mix everything but the scallops, plantain and the canola oil in a bowl. Add the scallops to the bowl and make sure everything gets covered by the marinade. Cover the bowl securely and store it in the fridge. Mix everything up again in two hours, then allow it to sit overnight to allow the acids to do there thing.
2. Before you're ready to serve the ceviche, preheat 3 cm of canola oil to 190 C in a large skillet over medium-high heat (or plug in your deep fryer if you have one). Cut the ends from the unpeeled plantain, then halve it crosswise. Peel the plantain then cut it lengthwise into very thin slices (use a mandolin if you have it). Fry the strips in batches, turning frequently, until they are golden. Drain on paper towels, and season immediately with kosher salt.
3. Take out the ceviche from the fridge, and plate it. Top with the fried plantain you have made.

I Scream, You Scream...

...on hot day like this, we all scream for ice cream. If you forgot to pick some up over the long weekend, or if you don't want to chase down the ice cream truck, you may want to try this super-fast way to make a cool treat.