LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2019

7 Rub one side of each bread slice with the garlic clove to flavour the bread. Using the cut side of the tomato, vigorously rub slices of bread to saturate with tomato juices and pulp. It doesn’t have to look perfect. Place on a platter and sprinkle generously with sea salt and olive oil. 8 Serve by placing 2 slices of bread on each plate and topping with a scoop of clams with cooking liquid. Serve scallions alongside.

5 Place granita in small bowls or glasses and serve with Lemon Pignoli Cookies (recipe follows).

Serves 6

Grilled clams & scallions over pan con tomate

Serves 4

Preparing the clams over the grill means you can remain outside and enjoy the sunshine (and your wine) while cooking your lunch. Make sure to soak clams in cold water for 20 minutes before cooking: they will spit out any remaining sand inside the shell. Li clams from the soaking water and give another good rinse. Now they’re ready! 8 scallions, whole 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling Sea salt to taste 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme, finely chopped 2 tsp (10 mL) garlic, finely chopped, plus 1 whole clove, peeled 3 tbsp (45 mL) dry white wine 2 lbs (905 g) fresh clams, cleaned 8 slices of good quality, dense bread about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick 2 ripe tomatoes, the most flavourful available, sliced in half 1 Preheat grill to medium-high. 2 Toss scallions with 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and salt to taste; set aside. 3 In a small bowl, stir together remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, thyme, 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic and white wine. 4 Into an ovenproof pan, add wine mixture and clams. Enclose the pan with foil or a lid so that it is completely sealed. Set aside. 5 Place scallions and bread on grill and cook until scallions are lightly charred and tender, and bread is lightly toasted and golden on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. 6 Place clams on grill over heat and close grill lid. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes or until all clams are open (discard any that remain closed).

lemon pignoli cookies These are the perfect summertime cookie— light and airy, like lemony clouds. 2 cups (500 mL) whole blanched almonds ⁄ cup (175 mL) sugar Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated with a rasp, about 1 tsp (5 mL) 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar, plus more for dusting 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten ⁄ cup (125 mL) pine nuts 1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). 2 Place almonds, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor; process on high until very fine, about 3 minutes. It should have the consistency of sand. 3 Add icing sugar and egg whites. Process until well combined, scraping down sides as needed. 4 Drop 12 to 18 individual tablespoonfuls of mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dampen fingertip with water and gently flatten the top of each cookie. Top with 10 pine nuts per cookie. 5 Bake on the middle rack of oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from sheet to cool, then dust with icing sugar.

STRAWBERRY GRANITA You can scrape the granita to create shavings the day before and keep frozen in a closed container until ready to serve.

1 cup (250 mL) water 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 4 cups (1 L) whole ripe strawberries 3 tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice

1 In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar over low heat until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 2 Place strawberries and lemon juice in a food processor. Add cooled sugar syrup to processor and blend until mixture is smooth. 3 Pour strawberry mixture into a glass pie dish or baking dish and place in freezer. Let freeze for 30 minutes, then use a fork to stir the mixture. Return to freezer and allow to freeze for another 30 minutes. 4 Once again, stir the mixture well and place in a glass or plastic storage container with a lid. Leave in freezer until completely frozen. Before serving, use a fork to scrape the gra- nita to create shavings. Keep in freezer until ready to serve.

6 Continue baking remaining batter.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

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SUMMER 2019 FOOD & DRINK