LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2025

Pick of the Crop from page 76

medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has reduced to 11/4 cups (310 mL), 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let cool for 5 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled, about 1 hour. (Mixture can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

5. Bake on middle rack until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in pan. 6. Using parchment edges, lift cake out of pan. With a sharp serrated knife, cut into four rows and four columns to make 16 squares. Serve immediately. Mid-Season Swap: Replace strawberries and rhubarb with 6 ripe apricots, halved and pitted, arranged, cut side up, in batter. Late-Season Swap: Replace strawberries and rhubarb with 2 to 3 ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and quartered lengthwise, arranged cut side down in batter. Makes 16 squares Berry-flavoured cider with an easy-going sweetness will work beautifully with our strawberry-rhubarb slab cake. Switch to a regular apple cider to accentuate the flavours of swapped-in apricots or pears. DOUBLE FRUIT SWIRL NO-CHURN ICE CREAM Egg whites stabilized with sugar are the fool proof trick to getting a stable, scoopable ice cream without the use of a machine. Bonus: It can be scooped and served straight from the freezer without needing time to soften. Here, classic fruit flavours are used to make the most of the season, so don’t be shy to use hyper-local fruit such as backyard mulberries or saskatoon berries. SWIRL 21/2 cups (625 mL) pitted and halved cherries 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh strained lemon juice WHAT TO SERVE Rekorderlig Wild Berries Cider LCBO 91850, 500 mL, $3.90

CORNMEAL SLAB CAKE Medium-grind cornmeal—look for Bob’s Red Mill at the grocery store—adds an unbeatable texture to this tender-crumbed cake. Before baking, a full tablespoon of sugar is sprinkled overtop, which helps keep the fruit juicy and plump, and prevents it from drying out. Because of the perishable nature of peak-season fruit, this cake is best baked and served the same day. 3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan 21/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 cup (250 mL) medium-grind cornmeal 1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder 1 tsp (5 mL) salt 11/2 cups (375 mL) + 1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar, divided 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lemon zest 3 large eggs 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 11/4 cups (310 mL) whole milk 12 strawberries, about 7 oz (200 g), hulled, halved 2 to 3 thin rhubarb stalks, about 9 oz (255 g), trimmed to fit pan 1. Position rack in centre of oven. Preheat to 350°F (177°C). Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan. Line bottom with parchment, overhanging edges on two shorter sides. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside. 2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside. 3. Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat 11/2 cups (375 mL) sugar, butter and lemon zest on medium until very light, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, just until combined, scrap ing down sides if necessary. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three stages, alternating with milk in two stages. Transfer bat ter to prepared pan and roughly smooth out top. 4. Place strawberries and rhubarb, cut sides up, on top of the batter, pressing lightly just to adhere. (They don’t have to be perfectly flush with batter as it will rise). Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar.

2. For the ice cream, bring a large pot with 1 inch (2.5 cm) water in bottom to a boil.

3. Combine egg whites and sugar in a large, heatproof bowl. Set on top of pot, ensuring bowl doesn’t touch water. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is frothy, white and very warm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk. Beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, stiff and com pletely cooled to room temperature, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Remove bowl from machine, then fold in 1/3 cup (80 mL) chilled cherry swirl mixture until no streaks remain. 4. Whisk cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold into egg white mixture just until combined. Scrape one third of cream mixture into a 5 x 9-inch (12 x 23-cm) metal pan, smoothing top. Drop one third of cherry mixture by spoonfuls overtop. Swirl with a wooden skewer. Repeat layering and swirling two more times with remaining cream and cherry mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 8 hours, or up to 5 days. Mid-Season Swap: Replace cherries with blackberries. Once blended, pass through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, working well to extract all pulp. Late-Season Swap: Replace cherries with autumn-fruiting raspberries. Once blended, pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, working well to extract all pulp. WHAT TO SERVE Fonseca White Port LCBO 276816, $19.50 Match the ice cream not the fruits with a sweet white port; its heavy texture and notes of honey, pear and almond pick up the underly ing taste of vanilla and cream. Serve the white port very cold. Serves 6

ICE CREAM 2 large egg whites 1/3 cup (80 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract 11/4 cups (310 mL) heavy cream, cold

1. For the swirl, crush cherries and sugar with a potato masher in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then reduce to

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———————— SUMMER 2025