LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2018

ASPARAGUS CROSTINI WITH MASCARPONE , PINE NUTS & LEMON ZEST Walking a fine line between rich and light, this crostini is like salad on toast. Thick, creamy mascarpone is dead easy to make and infinitely better than the stuff from a tub. Since a lot of heavy cream has additives to prolong shelf life, use organic cream for the best results. To toast pine nuts, dry-roast them in a small frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

2 Prick eggplant all over with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined roasting pan. Bake, turning once, until a paring knife inserted in thickest part meets with almost no resistance, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and split down middle to speed up cooling. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard peel and stem. Chop flesh and place in a sieve set over a bowl. Drain 30 minutes. 3 Place eggplant in a food processor with gar- lic, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Process until smooth. With machine running, add olive oil in slow steady stream. Season with salt and pepper. (Whipped eggplant will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before using.) 4 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 5 Drain and rinse chickpeas in sieve. Shake to remove excess water. Place on a baking tray lined with paper towel. Pat dry with more paper towel. Discard paper towel and toss chickpeas with oil and salt. Bake, shak- ing pan once, until crispy but still creamy on inside, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with curry powder and shake pan to distribute. 6 When chickpeas are almost done, place grill pan or nonstick fry pan over high heat. Work- ing in batches, cook naan until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and cut each into 6 similar-sized pieces (if necessary). Smear each piece with whipped eggplant. Top with some crispy chickpeas, chopped chili and cilantro leaves. Makes 24 Sawdust City Lone Pine IPA LCBO 398263, 473 mL $3.25 For a great taste sensation choose this full-flavoured local IPA. Its rich mouth feel, enlivening carbonation, assertive herbal hops, sweet malt, tropical fruit and citrus notes provide the perfect complement and con- trast to the bold flavours and spice in these vegan crostini. $14.95 This wine offers appealing lime-grapefruit and hon- eyed apple elements that are a wonderful complement to the dominant flavours in the dish. The hint of sweet- ness quells the heat from the chilies and curry, while the crisp acidity readies the palate for another bite. Henry of Pelham Riesling VQA LCBO 268375 WHAT TO SERVE

WHAT TO SERVE Tawse Spark Limestone Ridge Sparkling Riesling VQA VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 370361

$20.95 Surprise your guests with this locally produced Riesling- based sparkling wine that is extremely food-friendly. In this case, the green apple, honey, fine herb and lemon zest tones provide a pleasant contrast to the dominant flavours of these crostini. The zesty sparkle and racy acidity cut through the rich textures of the cheese and olive oil, cleansing the palate. ASPARAGUS CROSTINI WITH GRAPEFRUIT & MINT Omit pine nuts and lemon zest. Peel a small grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut 12 segments without any pith. Top each crostini with 1 seg- ment and a few mint leaves.

MASCARPONE 2 cups (500 mL) organic heavy cream 1 tbsp (15 mL) strained fresh lemon juice Large pinch fine sea salt

6 thick asparagus spears, trimmed 1½ tsp (7 mL) extra virgin olive oil ¾ tsp (4 mL) fresh lemon juice Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 12 slices baguette, cut ½ inch (1 cm) thick on bias

WHAT TO SERVE Trius Sauvignon Blanc VQA LCBO 221804

2 tbsp (30 mL) pine nuts, lightly toasted 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely sliced lemon zest Coarse sea salt for serving

$15.95

1 For the mascarpone, pour cream into a me- dium saucepan fitted with a candy thermom- eter. Place over medium-low heat and stir oc- casionally. When it reaches 180°F (82°C)—this could take 20 to 25 minutes—turn heat down to low and stir in lemon juice and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, maintaining a temperature between 180°F (82°C) and 190°F (88°C)—you may have to take it off the burner to achieve this. Remove from heat and cool 30 minutes. 2 While cream is cooling, line a sieve with a quadruple layer of cheesecloth. Rinse cloth with water, squeeze dry and reline sieve. Place over a bowl. Pour cooled cream mixture into sieve. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Unwrap cheese and discard cheesecloth. (Mascarpone will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 weeks). 3 Using a sharp Y-peeler with firm pressure, cut asparagus into thin slices lengthwise. Place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 4 Preheat broiler to high. 5 Place baguette slices on a foil-lined heavy-duty baking tray. Broil 4 inches (10 cm) fromheat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. 6 Spread mascarpone generously on tops of crostini. (Save rest for another use.) Top with asparagus. Sprinkle with pine nuts and lemon zest. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Makes 12

NAAN CROSTINI WITH WHIPPED EGGPLANT & CRI SPY CHICKPEAS These vegan, Indian-inspired crostini feature silky eggplant purée and curry-spiced chick- peas on smoky, grilled naan. To simplify the recipe, you could skip the chickpeas and use packaged bhel puri snack mix—a blend of puffed rice, peanuts and fried noodles—which is available at South Asian food shops and select supermarkets.

WHIPPED EGGPLANT 1 large eggplant, about 1¼ lbs (625 g) 1 clove garlic, grated on rasp 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp (15 mL) pomegranate molasses ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste ½ tsp (2 mL) curry powder

4 naan, about 4 oz (125 g) each or 24 naan rounds 2 red hot chili peppers, seeded, finely chopped Cilantro leaves to garnish 1 For the whipped eggplant, preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

120  FOOD & DRI NK EARLY SUMMER 2018