LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2016

SPICY PLUM GINGER ALE Ripe plums give this refreshing soda a deep fuchsia hue, while a generous amount of ginger delivers a spicy kick. The lime lends its sparkle of acidity and ties all the flavours together. It will be hard to go back to bottled ginger ale. 2 oz Plum-Ginger Syrup, chilled (recipe follows) ½ oz strained fresh lime juice 6 oz soda, chilled Lime wedge to garnish 1 Fill a chilled Highball glass three-quarters full with ice. Add Plum-Ginger Syrup and lime juice. Top with soda. Lightly stir until evenly coloured. Garnish with lime wedge. Makes 1 drink PLUM-GINGER SYRUP Feel free to substitute any plums in season— yellow, red or damson, for example—as long as they’re ripe and fragrant. This syrup can also be used to sweeten iced tea; or drizzle it over vanilla ice cream with sliced plums for a quick sundae. 2½ oz (75 g) fresh ginger 3 ripe black plums (about ¾ lb or 375 g), diced 1 cup (250 mL) water 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar 2 wide strips lemon zest 1 Peel ginger and finely grate on a rasp set over a small bowl. You should have about 3 tbsp (45 mL) of grated ginger and juice. Set aside. 2 In a large saucepan, bring plums, water and sugar to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add ginger and lemon zest. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. 3 Fine strain into bowl, pressing gently on solids to extract syrup; discard solids. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass jar with lid. Refrigerate up to 1 month. Makes 1½ cups (375 mL)

PLUM SHOOTER Black plums have a great taste that comes through in these shooters. These are best after a meaty barbecue when you want something lighter to finish. To cut calories, substitute ricotta for the mascarpone. For an alternate presentation, consider using a different co- loured plum for the second layer. Any ripe plum can be used. Use small glasses to serve. 2 large black plums, pitted and cut in ½ inch (1 cm) dice, about 2 cups (500 mL) 3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar, divided 3 tbsp (45 mL) pomegranate juice ½ cup (125 mL) mascarpone ¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream 4 sprigs fresh lemon verbena or mint 1 Toss plums with 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar in a bowl. Stir in pomegranate juice. 2 Combine mascarpone with whipping cream and remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar in a sepa- rate bowl and stir until incorporated. 3 Add a layer of mascarpone to bottom of each glass. Top with fruit and some juice mix- ture. Add another layer of mascarpone and top with more fruit and juice. Finish with a small dollop of mascarpone and top each with a sprig of lemon verbena or mint. Serves 4 $29.95 For an easy match try this finely balanced liqueur. It delivers comparable sweetness with refreshingly tart pomegranate flavours and enough power to comple- ment this dessert. Serve chilled, straight or on the rocks. Maraska Stara Sljivovica LCBO 233627 $26.80 Sljivovica is aromatic eau-de-vie (fruit spirit) that is typically distilled from Damson plums from Central and Eastern Europe—in this case Croatia. This version presents wonderfully fragrant floral, plum and light earthy flavours that will elevate this dessert to a whole new level. WHAT TO SERVE Pama Pomegranate Liqueur LCBO 414

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