LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

GRI LLED AUTUMN VEGETABLE ORZO SALAD Take the best vegetables the harvest has to of- fer, grill them until tender then toss with pasta and a simple vinaigrette and you can’t go wrong with this pasta salad. The orzo gives it a sophis- ticated look and texture and the greens add a fresh punch. Grill the vegetables ahead of time, have the pasta cooked and ready, and whisk up the vinaigrette, then just toss it together and pile it on a platter to serve. Cold-pressed canola oil has a deep flavour and can withstand the heat of the grill so you can use it on the vegeta- bles and in the vinaigrette. If using olive oil, use a lighter flavoured oil for grilling, then a bold, extra virgin oil for the vinaigrette. 2 zucchini 1 small eggplant 3 sweet peppers (mixed colours) 8 oz (225 g) large cremini mushrooms ⅓ cup (80 mL) cold-pressed canola or olive oil, divided Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 lb (455 g) orzo 3 cups (750 mL) baby spinach or kale, chopped VINAIGRETTE 2 Cut zucchini and eggplant lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick (5-mm) slices and place in a large shallow dish. Cut each pepper into 6 or 8 length- wise strips and place in a large bowl. Cut mush- rooms in half and add to peppers in bowl. 3 Drizzle 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the oil over pep- pers and mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Drizzle re- maining oil over zucchini and eggplant slices, rubbing to lightly coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 4 Working in batches as necessary, grill zuc- chini and eggplant, turning once, for about 4 to 5minutes per side or until grill-marked and ten- der. Return to dish to cool. Grill pepper strips, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until tender and browned; return to bowl and let cool. Grill mushrooms for about 3 minutes or until tender and browned (no need to turn them); return to bowl and let cool. (Vegetables can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.) 5 Meanwhile, cook orzo in a large pot of boil- ing salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Let drain, then transfer to a large bowl. ⅔ cup (150 mL) white wine vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) Dijon or dry mustard Salt and freshly ground pepper ½ cup (125 mL) cold-pressed canola or extra virgin olive oil 1 Preheat grill to medium.

6 For the vinaigrette, whisk together vinegar, mustard and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup (125 mL) oil. 7 Stack zucchini and eggplant slices in piles, then cut crosswise on the diagonal into wide strips. Peel off charred peels from sweet pep- pers, if desired. Cut pepper strips crosswise on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces. 8 Pour about one-quarter of the dressing over orzo and toss to coat (you can cover and re- frigerate dressed orzo for up to 6 hours before serving). 9 Just before serving, add spinach and about half of the remaining dressing to orzo and toss to coat. Add grilled vegetables and remaining dressing and toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour onto a large platter or bowl to serve. Serves 12 MAPLE SRIRACHA EDAMAME Edamame in the pod makes for a fun nibble for guests to enjoy with drinks as the party warms up. The sweetness of maple and a sneaks-up- on-you heat of sriracha and ginger glaze the nutty-tasting beans. This version is pleasantly hot but you can certainly add more sriracha if you want to turn up the heat. Or divide the batch in half to make a medium and a hot ver- sion. Be sure to set out empty bowls to collect the empty pods. 2 lbs (905 g) edamame in the pod (fresh or frozen), divided 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced ginger 1 Add half of the edamame to a large pot of boiling salted water and return to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes or until pods are easy to split and beans are tender. Using a strainer, scoop eda- mame out of the pot and drain in a colander; rinse under cold running water. Cover with cold water and let stand, refreshing water as neces- sary, until chilled. Return water to a boil and repeat with remaining edamame. Drain well and spread onto a towel-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, for up to 1 day. 2 Heat oil over medium heat in a large skil- let. Add ginger and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Pour in maple syrup and sriracha; in- crease heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring. Add edamame and cook, gen- tly stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until beans are heated through and glazed. Sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 12 ¼ cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup 1 tbsp (15 mL) sriracha (approx.) Flaky salt

ROASTED SQUASH HUMMUS

A bowl of creamy hummus for snacking is a reliable crowd pleaser for any dinner party. This version gets an autumn twist with roasted squash and garlic. It benefits from being made ahead so you can have it ready to set out on a platter to greet your guests. 4 cups (1 L) cubed peeled butternut squash 5 cloves garlic ⅓ cup (80 mL) olive or cold-pressed canola oil, divided (approx.) 1 tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas 3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp (30 mL) tahini Vegetable crudités Crisp pita wedges, toasted baguette slices 1 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 On prepared baking sheet, combine squash, garlic, 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil, vinegar and tsp (2 mL) salt and pepper to taste, stirring to coat. Spread out in a single layer. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring twice, or until squash is very soft and browned. Let cool. 3 Drain chickpeas, reserving ¼ cup (60 mL) of the liquid. Rinse and drain chickpeas. 4 Transfer squash and garlic to food proces- sor, scraping in any brown bits and liquid. Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the remaining oil, lemon juice, tahini and tsp (2 mL) salt; pro- cess until smooth. 5 Drizzle in remaining oil and reserved chick- pea liquid with the motor running, adding just enough to make a smooth, fluffy hummus (it will thicken slightly upon standing). Season to taste with more salt and pepper. (Store, cov- ered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let warm slightly before serving.) 6 Spoon into a serving bowl; drizzle with more oil, if desired. Serve with crudités, pita wedges

and/or toasted baguette slices. Makes about 3½ cups (875 mL)

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150  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2018