LCBO Food and Drink Early Summer 2016

SEASONAL MYSTERY PRODUCE

May is the wake-up call for backyard gardeners. Radishes in astonishing colours are arriving daily, tender Ontario spinach beckons and red field rhubarb is ready to be made into crumble.

MAY

DANDELION GREENS As everyone with a lawn knows, dandelions are a sure sign of spring. The young leaves need to be picked before they flower. Toss them raw in salads or sauté them in olive oil with strong flavours like garlic, bacon and anchovies to tame their bitterness. Bunches are also available year-round in the supermarket.

HOP SHOOTS Ontario craft brewers can now make truly local beer thanks to hop growers such as Meadow Sweet Farm in Gormley. The young, tender shoots are found in restau- rants and CSA baskets, and taste a little like asparagus. Chop and sauté them in butter to serve as a green vegetable, or slip them into a frittata or risotto.

STINGING NETTLES

MAITAKE Feathery clusters of locally grown maitake mushrooms are sprouting year-round in Ontario farms. Prized in Asia for centuries for their nutritional benefits, these soft grey ’shrooms are also beloved for their firm meaty flesh and rich woodsy flavour. Break them into florets then pan-fry in olive oil and butter until the tips brown. The wild version is known as hen of the woods.

Use rubber gloves to handle this wild spring green as its jagged leaves and stem are covered with hairs that sting when touched. Soaking in water or cooking subdues the stinging chemicals. The iron- rich leaves taste like spinach mixed with cucumber. Use them in polenta or pesto, as a purée or in a soup. Or try the Wild Nettle gouda from Mountainoak Cheese in New Hamburg, Ont.

KALETTES British seed house Tozer Seeds spent 15 years developing this frilly little cabbage, a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. Growers from California to Ontario are now trying to figure out how best to grow it. Serve sweet and nutty kalettes raw or cooked. Make a green salad by separating the leaves and tossing them with a dressing, or sauté them for five to seven minutes until tender. To roast, spritz with olive oil and cook at 475 ° F ( 240 °C) for 10 minutes.

PHOTO CREDITS: DANDELION GREENS: ©ISTOCK.COM/ANDRISTKACHENKO; STINGING NETTLES: ©ISTOCK.COM/LENTA; KALETTES: VINCE NOGUCHI; HOP SHOOTS: BON APPETIT / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MAITAKE; ©ISTOCK.COM/KAZUYA1234567890

FOOD & DRI NK EARLY SUMMER