LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

savoury Surprises from page 66

not falling apart. Reserve at room temperature if using the same day. Otherwise, refrigerate the whole mixture, and bring to room tempera- ture before serving. 2 For the pesto, place the basil leaves, garlic, salt, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the grated Par- mesan cheese and process to combine. Set aside. 3 For the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottom of a round 8-inch (20-cm) cake pan with parchment paper. 4 In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until very light in colour and tripled in volume. On medium speed, drizzle in the olive oil followed by the milk. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 5 Spread half the batter in the pan. Spoon 6 tbsp (90 mL) of the pesto around the batter and spread to within an inch of the edge of the pan. Top with the remaining batter, spreading it carefully to the edge of the pan. Scatter the pine nuts overtop, gently pressing them into the batter, and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse or kosher salt. 6 Bake until the cake has risen and just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. 7 Remove the cake from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature, topping each portion with the slow-roasted tomatoes, including some of the cooking oil. Add a small spoonful of pesto, if desired, and a basil leaf. The cake is best the day it is baked but can be wrapped and stored at room temperature overnight. Wrap in foil and re-warm in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serves 8 to 10 WHAT TO SERVE Azienda Agricola Il Botolo Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG 2015 LCBO 516012 (online Destination Collection, see page 24) $26.40 The Barbera wines of Italy’s Piemonte region have a lively, juicy texture, which is an ideal match for dishes with tomatoes. Herbal notes in the wine mirror the fla- vourful basil pesto. Batasiolo Barolo DOCG LCBO 178541 $29.85 Also from Piemonte, Barolo has plum and cherry aromas and flavours with hints of violets and leather, bringing depth to the pairing. The flavours of olive oil in the cake enhance Barolo’s earthy complexity.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CRUMBLE CAKE

With a little advance planning, you can pre- pare this unusual cake with ease. The brioche dough may seem daunting but, trust me, with a good mixer at hand, it’s simple, straightfor- ward and worth the time. You will only need half the dough, but the other half can be frozen for future use. Just be sure to mix it a day in advance for it needs to chill overnight. Quick- rise instant yeast can be mixed directly into the other ingredients—no pre-dissolving re- quired. The squash can be roasted a day ahead, the crumble is a snap, and there you have it! This would be lovely served with a simple green salad. BRIOCHE ¼ cup (60 mL) whole milk 1¼ tsp (6 mL) quick-rise, instant yeast 3 eggs, room temperature 1¾ cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour, divided 2½ tbsp (38 mL) sugar ½ tsp (2 mL) salt ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature ROASTED SQUASH 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil Salt and pepper 2 sprigs rosemary CRUMBLE ¾ cup (175 mL) panko crumbs 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped parsley ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt Pinch pepper 2 tbsp (30 mL) melted butter ¾ cup (175 mL) soft feta or goat cheese for assembly 1 For the brioche, pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk in the yeast fol- lowed by 1 of the eggs. Add ½ cup (125 mL) of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Sprinkle ½ cup (125 mL) more

PESTO CAKE WITH SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES Olive oil cakes seem to be all the rage and this one goes the extra step with a ribbon of basil pesto running throughout. A topping of slow- roasted colourful tomatoes, along with their cooking oil, makes this extra flavourful and picture-perfect. You will have a bit of pesto left over, so use some on the top of the cake when serving, or save it for your next pasta dish. In my books, you can never have too much pesto! TOMATOES 4 cups (1 L) red and yellow grape or cherry tomatoes ½ cup (125 mL) olive oil ½ tsp (2 mL) salt 6 sprigs thyme 4 garlic cloves, smashed PESTO 2 cups (500 mL) packed basil leaves 1 clove garlic ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

2 tbsp (30 mL) pine nuts ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil ¼ cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese CAKE 1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour 1½ tsp (7 mL) baking powder ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt ½ cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil ½ cup (125 mL) milk, room temperature 3 tbsp (45 mL) pine nuts, lightly toasted Coarse or kosher salt for sprinkling Fresh basil leaves for garnish Pinch of ground pepper 3 eggs, room temperature

1 For the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Combine all of the ingredients in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm), or equivalent size, shallow baking dish. Bake for 2 to 2½ hours un- til the tomatoes are soft, slightly wrinkled, but

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144  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2018