Riverdale Farmers Market, Kiwi's in the Park, Bruce Willis and Roger Federer!

We've had a quiet time of late.... I say we and that is more the royal 'we' ...meaning me... because the boyfriend has been back in the States keeping face and pace with the locals at the 'Hopper and on various golf courses. ( He tells me he goes down there for work... but I dunno... sounds more like hijinks's at the 19th and recreation to me!) If he ever puts digit to keyboard you might hear about his exploits from the horses mouth!

Though its not all floor mopping and dish washing pour moi either!

I'm just back from an afternoon spent with new mum Michelle and new granny Barbara Joyce, Kiwis newly arrived in TO. Barbara and I strolled with 9 week old Charlotte up Yonge Street to Rosedale cafe 'Doria' where we sipped tall glasses of iced tea laced with homemade lemonade and nibbled bruschetta. (Pip and I met the pair at our local park on Sunday. Pip wearing his map of NZ tee shirt attracted the ladies attention).

Michelle joined us after work (she's a plastic surgeon) and while perusing the LCBO at Summerhill (that's short for great big booze shop) we were embroiled in the Sobieski Vodka launch and celebrity guest appearance by Bruce Willis!.. who though kinda cute (its the eyes that do it) is not nearly as yummy in real life as on screen! A recent poll up here cast him as the action hero most women would prefer to take a tumble with! He was in town promoting his latest movie The Expendables.

Sobieski Vodka launch spokesman Bruce Willis at LCBO Summerhill

Back at our pad, I've been working away at my family history website...researching and putting together a blog/website of Dad's family story in the states. Its the marrow in the bone for me... I love this stuff... and along the way I've met and made new friends, learnt about the history of the British, French and American settlements and wars in the States and Canada, which Dad's ancestors were a part of http://www.phillipsfamilyancestry.blogspot.com/  (I've utilised a ready made blog/website template from Googles blog function. Blogger.com)

When I'm not glued to my laptop I'm on my bike, cycling around the city running errands, shopping for farm fresh produce at the Riverdale Farmers market and generally enjoying getting out and about...or 'oat in a boat' as they say up here. It's fun freewheeling around the city, wind in my hair, cooling off downhill and heating up uphill. Bikers are well catered for with bike lanes aplenty and wide footpaths when evasive action is necessary. My quick release basket clipped onto the handlebars means I can only shop for one basketful at a time...perfect!

Cabbagetown gardens in full summer bloom.

Riding through Cabbagetown to the Farmers Market which runs Tuesdays 3-7pm was lovely this week. The summer flowers are in full bloom, a true mix of tropical and traditional plants bloom for the short weeks of summer heat. The steamy tropical humidity means that things like taro, hibiscus, mallow, huge begonias like peonies and all manner of variegated tropical foliage grow like triffids and bloom like crazy along side the most prolific hostas I've ever seen ( a giant white flowering variety is out now all over the city). Green, white, pink and blue hydrangeas, orange day lilies, great clumps of yellow black eyed Susan's and sunflowers signal summers height here.

Riverdale Farmers Market

The Farmers market is quite small, but each stall is top notch product for these parts. I bought delish

artisnal cheeses from Monfort diary at Stratford, Ontario. Click the artisnal cheese link to read about the trials and tribulations of this innovative cheese maker and how the company got itself up and running after a run of bad luck. To go with my mozzarella I spied a basket of zucchini flowers.

Fiore Fritti in the making and fav fruit and veggie stall.

Back home, following David Rocco's recipe for Fiore Fritti,  I stuffed the Zucchini flowers with the soft white spongy mozzarella cheese and a slither of anchovy then coated in a mix of flour and white wine to make the batter. A whip through some shimmering olive oil in the pan and hey presto golden deliciousness which we'd eaten before I could take a piccy.

Along with those I sandwiched home grown sage leaves with more anchovies and dipped in the same vino batter. A little platter of Braesola (fine paper thin air cured beef) rolled around rocket and pepper spiked ricotta finished out Tuesday night repast.

Anchovy stuffed sage leaves. Mac ever hopeful of tidbits. My bike basket full of goodies.

Last night we headed out with crampons and GPS to the Rexall Centre at York University to watch the evening semi-final match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Along with friend Lori and daughter Kirsten, we'd booked last minute and were in the nose bleeds (cheap seats in the gods). Expecting the same slick north american crowd moving systems we took the TTC (subway) and shuttle. Allowing nearly two hours for the journey we barely made it to our seats as Roger and Novak took the court. We've been spoilt by the American Open (tennis and golf) military like organisation. That said it was a lovely evening, and our top row seats were far closer to the action than we'd hoped.

With Kirsten and Lori on way to Rogers Cup semi's.

When Federer won the first set 6-1 in 26 minutes we thought we'd be back on the bus by 8pm. Thankfully Novak stepped it up and won the second set and the final was a nail biter. We saw some great rallies and I loved the depth and texture of Federers play, his control of the speed and spin of the ball is wonderful.

Action on centrecourt in Toronto

Firework's lit the sky when the final point was won and we happily trooped back to wait again for buses put on by the LCBO ( Liquor Control Board of Ontario) to shuttle us back to the subway.

Federer wins Semis

Sunday morning, with a humidex forecast into the 40's, we hit Cherry beach early with Mac, enjoying lakeside temps degrees lower than downtown. Also strolling with his dog was Steven Sabados of Designer Guy's fame. Pip and I swam afterwards, much to the locals horror, apart from a group of five serious swimmers training, you rarely see anyone brave the gorgeous refreshing lake water! Though two paddle boarders, a group of canoeists and some windsurfers from the club along the bay did prove that Canadians do love being on top of the water rather than in it!

Apres morning at the beach. It's a dogs life afterall!

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Niagara Wine Country, Ice Wine and Inn on the Twenty

Last Saturday we spent the day exploring Niagara wine trail, starting off with a picnic by the lake at St Catherine's, the home of Brock University just shy of the main wineries. We started off at Jackson Triggs gorgeous new winery, our friend Susie was on the hunt for the delicious Ice Wine they make so well. Ice wine is the real star of Ontario wine making, the best are on par with the sumptuous Beaumes des Venise of France.

 

 

Jackson Triggs

 

The grapes for Ice Wine can only be harvested after the first frost hits. These grapes are harvested after being frozen on the vine and then, while still frozen, they are pressed. They must be picked early - before 10 a.m. During both of these processes the temperature cannot exceed -8 degrees C. At this temperature (-8 degrees C) the berries will freeze as hard as marbles. While the grape is still in its frozen state, it is pressed and the water is driven out as shards of ice. This leaves a highly concentrated juice, very high in acids, sugars and aromatics.

 

You can book to be a part of the harvesting, something we will think about doing this winter if we are still here for harvest.

 

Pip and Mac strolled in the sunshine while Susie and I poked around at Inniskillin Winery, another Ontario winemaker famous for their ice wine. This winery lies on a similar latitude to our vineyards in Otago albeit in the opposite hemisphere!

 

 

Cave Spring Winery

 

After stopping at a farm stall for deep purple prune plums (which I turned into Plum Kuchen on Tuesday night, see recipe below) peaches, apples, Ontario corn and fat beefsteak tomatoes we drove up the Niagara river, past historic Fort George which lies riverside opposite Fort Niagara in New York State just a few hundred metres away.

 

Taking the Kings Road, the old coach road that once ran up to Toronto, we headed inland for Jordan Village and the Inn on the Twenty where we dined on the patio with Mac at our feet. The Inn on the Twenty was brought to fame by Micheal Olson, head chef and husband to Anna Olsen of Food Network fame. Though Micheal is no longer at the helm, the food was really marvellous and our chardonnay wine flight from neighbouring Cave Spring Winery was super fab. Susie had the duck which had been smoked to a delicate rare and served with white beans and a Parmesan tea poured around it at the table. Pip's frenched pork chop also slightly smoked with a chantarelle and corn gratin and pinot noir sauce was the best of all three. My salmon was perfectly succulent with crispy skin. All were served with the best sauteed spinach we'd ever had.

 

 

Inn on Twenty Fare

 

The sun had set by the time we were wending our way back down the QEW highway into Toronto. The traffic slowed just outside the Molson amphitheater on the lakeside where Paul McCartney was performing, so we rocked to his beats while we crept along! It was a magic Ontario summer evening, the air finally fresh after a week of humidity.

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Plum Kuchen recipe.. orginally given to me by Dina, a fav client at the Cookbook Store in Toronto.
Based on an old Jewish/Austrian classic, this never fail cake is perfect for pudding or coffee. I mix this by hand but a  food processor makes for super fast prep.

1.  Reheat oven to 350F/175C
2. 1/2 and pit 12 Prune Plums (any plum will work..I've also used peaches or apricots fresh or canned)
3. Fluff (Cream) 1 stick of butter (1/4 of and NZ lb of butter) and  3/4 cup of white sugar.
4. Add three eggs, pinch of salt and 1 cup of flour.
5. Mix well.
6. Pour into greased springform cake or tart pan, spread out.
7. Place plums cut side down on batter. I start around the outside then fill centre.
8. Mix 2 tblspns sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle all liberally over plums.
9. Bake 30 to 40 mins. Serve warm or cold. Freezes well.
10. Needs nothing but I like to serve with a little whipped cream folded with natural yogurt or vanilla icecream.

Delish!

Riverdale Farm, Fiat Bambina's and Hanlon's Island

Just when I thought it couldn't get any hotter, it did! The heat is now oppressive. We long for summer and when it comes its too hot to enjoy. (Humidex readings into the 40's) Oh for the cool summer breezes of my island home!!

I've discovered biking is one way to make my own breeze so pursuading my loved on to join me we biked over to explore Riverdale farm, an urban rural oasis. Its also the site for a Farmers Market, each Tuesday, just  a few blocks away in Cabbagetown, an historically preserved suburb with charming Victorian houses and lush little front gardens all bursting with flowering hostas, hollyhocks, blackeyed susans and white hydrangeas.

Riverdale Farm

After a cucumber sandwich and cup of tea!! seated under venerable old nut trees with chooks roaming around our feet we headed off along the paths to the farm buildings. So charming. So quaint. So lovely to see moos and baas and chooks and to smell the sweet scents of farm manure and veggie garden mingling in the humid air. Half way round it started to rain... and it didnt stop! Taking my own advice, that we don't melt in rain, we finished our tour, though in a slightly less leisurely fashion!

Back astride our Canadian Tire steads we had the most wonderful, envigorating, childhood invoking ride home, soaked to the skin, splashing through tepid puddles in the tropcial downpour that didn't abate until we entered our driveway. I loved every minute of it. And yes its searingly tropical in Toronto in July and August. Who Knew!.

The following day we were back on the streets under full sun and came upon this unique display of Fiat Bambina's, all in mint condition lined up on the waterfront. Their owners lurking pridefully at the kerb.

Bambinas line up on the waterfront.

We toured the Antiques market at St Lawrence Market for heavens knows what, the outdoor adventure stores for a bike basket for McGregor and rode the waterfront for a couple hours until the water beckoned and the heat ramped up to unbearable. Stopping at a little dollar shop I provisioned for swimming (though the beige bikini doesnt look too hot in photo's) and we hopped on the first ferry which happened to be going to Hanlons Island. Riding with my basket full of brand new towels, (we hadn't quite prepared for swimming when we left home at 8.30 ish) we found a nice little beach, almost to ourselves on the back of the island just past the nudey ones and watched the yachts racing and swam in the clear waters of Lake Ontario.

The Toronto Islands and view back to the city

Many locals wont swim, too many years of being told of the toxins and pollutants. If we grow an extra toe or some nasty lumps... that will be our penance for enjoying a cooling dip or two.

Much later in the afternoon we stopped at the Rectory Cafe and had a very late breakfast/late lunch in the dappled shade. My crab cakes were divine and Pip's scallop and shrimp pasta was too. We drank a bottle of Blanche de Chambly, a wheat beer made in Quebec. Very yummy.

The Rectory cafe

Island paths, views to Toronto, antique life jackets line the roof of the ship, Pip ready to disembark, the old ferry full of happy bikers!

It's great to get out on the old ferries and see the city from the water. Its a good reminder that Toronto is very pretty in a modern clean city kind of way when you see it from afar. That tower is so reminiscent of our own Sky Tower too!

Sweet Tea Vodka, the little chair I bought in PA and Basmati rice from Indian store.

Sadly our dear neighbours Happy and Susie moved out this week. Happy is already in Saskatoon and Susie will leave later in the month. We will miss them both and their dogs. The same age as my son Matthew, it was lovely to have young ones around and we had a lot of fun together. Susie came back last night to watch the final of the Bachelorette with me....yep ..that's right..... Bachelorette.....(it was the Bora Bora vistas I lusted after though both chaps were very scrummy too!) so we bbqued corn with basil and lime butter and kabobs of beef beforehand and I poured my new tipple (discovered at Louie's in Pittsburgh) Sweet Tea Vodka with gingerale over lots of ice, garnished with mint and lemon...its a bit like a Pimms, in that non-alcoholic yummy drink way. Later we had ice cream sandwiches... homemade chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with a large skwodge of Maple Walnut ice cream. Yikes. I need pepto bismal and an omprazole afterwards. OOOPs.!