There is no denying the fact: summer is almost over. The school zone sign is back in place, ferry line-ups reduced to tolerable lengths, sweaters pulled out of storage. As I begin to clean up the patio and the pots of straggling annuals and herbs, I can’t help but replay the great meals we have had at our home and at the homes of friends. I also can’t help but remark on some changes that have occurred.

            If asked last summer, it would have been unimaginable that we would not still be extolling the virtues of planked salmon done on the BBQ.  Nary has a salmon or wheel of brie, for that matter, “walked” the plank at our place all summer.  For two years, planking was the dernier cri in grilling in our household, and just like that, snuffed out. Perhaps I no longer found it cute when the “chefs” howled in laughter, calling for more power and a fire extinguisher, as the plank and all on it went up in flames. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a party-pooper.

            Probably the biggest change in our kitchen organization has been that Jordan has been enjoying far more creative time in “my” room, which isn’t always a pretty sight. I prefer to do all of my food prep in advance so that the kitchen is spotless when guests arrive; he prefers to leave the last minute assembling of a dish until he can perform for guests. He lays everything out, “mise en place” is the technical term, so that with a flourish, he can flip and toss ingredients together in front of an audience, often flourishing the floor. Perhaps the accurate term should be “mess en place”? It also means that I lose my bartender. We definitely have to work on this difference in philosophies over the winter. But lest I protest too much, I really do love sharing the cooking experience! Just wish it came with an able-bodied dish washer.

            Jordan’s salsa and pesto creations have been wonderful. With fresh ingredients from the market and from our own herb pots, he has created some works of pure genius. One of the best investments we made this year were two tomatilla plants, bought for two bucks apiece at one of the early farmers’ markets. They are still producing, and we have enjoyed many great salsas. Jordan has made several terrific berry sauces for meat dishes, one in particular using blackberries, port and Ribena. Now I know that you probably think of Ribena as something to add to milk or soda, but give it serious consideration in sauces. Served on pork or halibut or tofu; doesn’t matter, it just tastes great. His roasted corn salsa with blackened scallops in coleslaw was an instant hit, although someone didn’t get the part about “salad” and picked out all the scallops.

            Jordan’s basil pesto became a staple condiment in our fridge, used on everything from seafood to pizza.  Not homemade pizzas, but frozen ones with thin crusts. We always have a couple on hand; the plain cheese ones. We discovered that they grill well on the barbecue, and with the addition of pesto, salsa, capers, and any of the fresh herbs we have growing, they make for a spontaneous snack when a crowd shows up.

            Halibut became this year’s salmon. We grilled it every chance we could, always served with a fresh salsa. And pork; we definitely put more pork on our fork, as the old pork marketing slogan used to go. These days they prefer to call it “the other white meat” — guess that does sound more attractive. Stuffed pork roasts or pork tenderloin, dry rubbed, grilled, and served with chasseur sauce, a fancy gravy made with mushrooms, shallots and white wine. I may have to reconsider my 30-year abstinence from eating pork.

            Bread made its way back into our home in a big way. It started as an innocent trip to Twin Beaches Bakery for a fabulous 8-grain or sour rye loaf when we knew company was coming; which gave way to buying a loaf when we thought we might have company; eventually giving way to just admitting we were buying a loaf for our own dinner that night. I think we may have finally conquered this fear of flour thing. Take that, Dr. Atkins! There is also a killer Asiago bread available at Suzie’s. It is fantastic dipped in balsamic vinegar or cilantro pesto.

            My personal favourite this summer was roasted beets. At every opportunity, I would buy them at the market. The small ones work best for this. They can be washed, leaving the skins on and left whole, toss in olive oil and favourite herbs and roast until crispy on the outside; like a caramel candy inside. They could almost be considered dessert.

            And I may have re-invented the artichoke. It was for a ladies-only supper, and I wanted something lady-like. Found a recipe called, Leaves of Glory in which Individual leaves of steamed artichoke are randomly scattered over a platter with a dollop of parmesan-aioli mounded on the fleshy end. Because it can be prepared a day or two in advance, it definitely fits in with my philosophy of entertaining with food: never let them see you sweat!