LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2025

Platter Up from page 64

2. For the filling, mix strawberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally, while preparing shortcake biscuit. 3. For the shortcake biscuit, mix flour, gran ulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and work gently between fingers and thumbs to create flakes. Keep working until mixture is crumbly and some pea-sized pieces remain. Drizzle cream into the bowl, then gently mix with a fork to combine. Lightly knead a few times in the bowl until flour is just incorporated, and a dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. 4. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick. Using a 21/4-inch (6-cm) round cutter, cut into rounds. Gently re-roll scraps, taking care not to over work dough, and continue cutting rounds until no dough remains. 5. Transfer fruit mixture and any juices into pre pared baking dish. Arrange rounds overtop—it’s okay if they touch or slightly overlap. Whisk egg with water in a small bowl until smooth, then brush over biscuits. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. 6. Bake in bottom third of oven until fruit mixture is bubbling and topping is golden brown, 70 to 80 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream. Mid-Season Swap: Replace strawberries with blueberries. Using a potato masher, lightly crush blueberries to release some juices before com bining with rest of ingredients. Late-Season Swap: Replace strawberries with 8 medium-size peaches—they can be blanched and peeled or left unpeeled, if preferred— pitted and sliced into thin wedges. WHAT TO SERVE Früli Strawberry Beer LCBO 380923, 4 pk, $17.05 Pump House Brewery Blueberry Ale LCBO 43853, 473 mL, $3.75 Something in the Water Painted Lake Peach Crisp LCBO 42870, 473 mL, $3.95 A cold fruit beer is a great match to our cobbler, its flavour matched to the seasonal fruit in question—strawberries, blueberries or peaches. Serves 6 to 8

VEGGIE MIXED GRILL ANTIPASTO WITH BURRATA & PARSLEY-CHILI SAUCE Encompassing a good range of flavours and textures, this recipe sees five vegetables grilled to smoky perfection and served with creamy burrata. There is also a zippy parsley sauce, which is like an Italian cousin to chimichurri. With a basket of focaccia, this makes a show-stopping summer appetizer. PARSLEY-CHILI SAUCE 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 6 fresh red finger chilies, seeded, finely chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp (2 mL) finely grated garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 medium-size head radicchio, cut into 8 wedges 1/2 lb (225 g) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into 12 wedges 1/2 lb (225 g) flat beans Good-quality balsamic vinegar and fresh lemon juice for drizzling 2 burrata (each 200 to 250 g) Focaccia for serving 1. For the parsley-chili sauce, combine parsley, chilies, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and stir in vinegar. 2. For the vegetables, slice eggplant into rounds 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick. Lay out on a baking sheet and blot both sides with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Brush both sides with oil. Sea son with salt and pepper. Pile slices on top of each other at one end of tray. Lay out radicchio wedges on exposed part of tray. Brush all sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pile on top of each other. Lay out shiitakes on exposed part of tray. Brush both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper. 3. In a large mixing bowl, toss fennel and flat beans with enough oil to coat lightly. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again. VEGETABLES & BURRATA 1 eggplant, about 1 lb (455 g) Extra virgin olive oil for grilling

SHORTCAKE COBBLER Shortcake made with a biscuit is one of the true joys of summer, and this cobbler brings it all together in one dish with ease. The fruit filling is made to be loose and saucy, ready to be sopped up by the biscuit topping. When rolling out this dough, use up every single scrap that you have. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as the shortcakes will rise beautifully overtop of the bubbling fruit below. FILLING Softened butter for greasing pan 6 cups (1.5 L) hulled and halved strawberries 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (15 mL) strained fresh lemon juice 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract SHORTCAKE BISCUIT 13/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) cubes 3/4 cup (175 mL) heavy cream 1 large egg 1 tbsp (15 mL) water 11/2 tsp (7 mL) coarse white sugar Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving 1. Arrange rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat to 325°F (163°C). Generously butter an oval 9-cup (2.25-L) baking dish.

122

———————— SUMMER 2025