Dinner Under the Cherry Blossoms

My Cherry Tree before Dinner

Spring is such a great time of the year, the asparagus is sending up their first shoots in my country garden, the ramps are out in the woods, and my cherry tree is in full bloom in the city.  The tree covers most of my yard, providing a spectacular umbrella over the table.  It is like a beautiful cloud that comes and goes quickly, lasting barely more than a week, dropping petals like confetti from the skies.

To celebrate the arrival of the flowers, I invited some friends for Sunday dinner under the tree.  I grilled asparagus, portebello mushrooms, peppers, heritage cherry tomatoes, new potatoes, chicken and sausage as well as sautéing some wild leeks I had brought from the country.  For desert, we grilled figs and served with ice cream.

Grilled Potatoes, Asparagus, Ramps, Portabello Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Grilled Asparagus

a bunch of asparagus

good sea salt, I used sel gris 

Heat grill to hot,  I hold my hand over the grill and if I can count higher than 3 it is not hot enough.  Lay asparagus out on grill perpendicular to the grill.  Cook for about a minute or until asparagus starts to brown, roll asparagus to other side and repeat.  Remove asparagus and arrange on serving plate.  Sprinkle with coarse salt, and serve hot or at room temperature. 

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Portebello Mushrooms

3 large portebello mushroom caps

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 

1 tablespoon of old style mustard, with grains

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Make a dressing with the olive oil, balsamic and mustard, garlic.  Brush dressing on both sides of mushroom caps.  Heat grill to medium, hold hand to about 5.  Place caps skin side down on the grill and grill until the juices start to run inside the cap, being careful not to burn the underside.  It takes a few minutes.  Flip the cap and grill for another minute,  and then flip again and re baste with the dressing.  Cook for a minute or two more and remove from grill. 

I like to cut the mushrooms into wedges and serve at room temperature. 

Grilled Peppers

Grilled peppers about to be wrapped in news paper

a selection of red, yellow and orange peppers

2 tablespoons of olive oil

juice of a lemon

seasonal herbs

Place whole peppers on a hot grill.  Char skins of peppers, on all sides.  Remove and wrap in newspaper until cool.  Gently peel the charred skin off the peppers, tear the peppers open and remove core and seeds.  Tear remainder of pepper into strips and place in bowl.  Add olive oil, juice of lemon, and some fresh herbs, and serve room temperature. 

Grilled Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

Grilled Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

3 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of red and yellow cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 sprig of basil, leaves coarsely torn

Wash and dry tomatoes.  Coat with olive oil and place in barbecue basket.  Over medium heat grill  tomatoes, shaking often.  When tomatoes begin to split and get a bit of colour, remove and place in a bowl.  Add basil and half of cheese.  Toss.  Add remainder of cheese to top of tomatoes.

Grilled New Potatoes

1 quart of small new potatoes

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt

4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed

Par boil potatoes on stove.  Drain, add  1/2 of olive oil, fresh thyme, and coarse salt, and toss well.  put in grill basket and place over hot grill.  Toss occasionally, until the skins of the potatoes are nicely roasted.   Remove and place in bowl.  Stir in the remainder of olive oil, salt and thyme.  Serve either hot or at room temperature. 

Grilled Lemon Rosemary and Garlic Flattened Chicken

Recently when Bill, Debbie and their son Matthew came for dinner, I grilled vegetables from my garden and this chicken that my neighbour raised, for dinner.  With the exception of the lemon and olive oil, everything I served for dinner was local.  

I first made this chicken while camping in Killbear Provincial Park a number of years ago. We arrived at our campsite late in the day and immediately started the fire after pitching the tent.  One of the great things about the older campgrounds in the provincial parks is that they have fire pits with grills to cook on.  Friends of ours were camping the first time and I was making dinner.  I prepped the chicken the night before at home, threw it in a freezer bag, froze it over night and packed it in the cooler for the trip north.  Small new potatoes, cut in half, thrown in the cast iron pan with some olive oil, coarse salt and tyme, and fresh corn on the cob that we picked up from a road side stand on the way north completed the dinner.

This summer has been so dry that there is a fire ban and so have had to use
the gas barbecue which is almost as good, but lacks the smokey taste of the fire. 

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 large head of garlic
• 2 lemons
• 1 bunch of rosemary
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley
•  olive oil
•  salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
• 1 large freezer bag

Cut the whole chicken down the centre of the breast and open flat.  Clean inside ribs, and salt.  Smash garlic cloves with side of knife and continue to mash with the side of knife until the garlic is paste like.  Rub half of the garlic into ribs of the chicken.  Finely chop rosemary and mix with the remaining mashed garlic. Lift up skin over breast and stuff rosemary and garlic mixture between breast and skin.  Carefully place skin back in place. Generously salt and pepper skin.  Place in large freezer bag with the juice of a lemon and refrigerate until ready to cook, a minimum of one hour, but overnight is better.  Grate skin of lemon and mix equal parts sea salt, and save for when chicken comes off grill.

Fifteen minutes before cooking turn the barbecue on high.  If you are using a fire, build a good bed of coals, and test heat by holding hand over fire. You should be able to hold it for the count of 3.  When the grill is hot, paint the grill with olive oil and place chicken, rib side down in the centre of the grill.   Place something heavy on top, like a cast iron frying pan to flatten the chicken. Turn grill down to medium.  Leave for 15 to 20 minutes depending on size of chicken and temperature of grill. Flip the chicken and weigh down again.  Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes and the skin is crispy and golden and juice runs clear.  Sprinkle lemon zest and salt mixture over chicken and tent and let rest for 10 minutes.

Finely chop 1 branch of rosemary, 2 branches of parsley and 1 clove of garlic.  Mix with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and juice from one lemon.  Serve with chicken.

Maple and Bourbon Planked Salmon

A number of years ago, I came across Ted Reader's "The Art of Plank Grilling" in the barbecue section of Canadian Tire.  I love this book and the kooky inventiveness combined with the practical 'how to' directions for preparing special plank applications.  I think, I drove most of my friends crazy for about a year, cooking everything on a plank.  Since then, I have evolved a few favourites that I always come back to. It continues to be my favourite method to barbecue salmon for a group because of the cedar smokiness and the moisture that the plank affords the salmon.  

Plank not soaked long enough will need additional spraying during grilling 

Making anything planked requires planing ahead, because, first you need the plank, which can be difficult to find, and secondly, the  plank needs to be soaked in water,  preferably overnight. I use a shallow glass roasting dish filled with water to soak the plank, weighing the plank down with another dish.

• cedar plank larger than piece of salmon selected
• large multi-portioned salmon fillet
• one lemon
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of bourbon
• red chilli with seeds removed
• coarse sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• tablespoon of butter

Soak cedar plank in water overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.  In the mean time, prepare glaze.  Combine maple syrup, bourbon in small stainless steel pot. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add chopped chilies and set aside.  

Heat barbecue grill to high. While the  grill is heating up, salt and pepper skinless side of the salmon, squeeze 1/2 of lemon on top of salmon, lightly paint top of salmon with glaze.  Set fish aside and let warm to room temperature while preparing the plank.  Place plank on hot grill.  Cover grill until plank begins to crackle, about 5 minutes, remove and sprinkle coast sea salt on plank.  Turn grill down to medium, then place salmon on plank and place plank back on grill.  Close lid and leave for 15 to 25 minutes depending on thickness of salmon. Be careful not to over cook. The plank will smoke, which provides the flavour, but if it starts to flame,  spray the plank with water.  When done remove from grill.  I place plank on large serving platter.  


Heat remaining glaze, add butter, and stir.  Squeeze other half of lemon on top of salmon, and drizzle maple/bourbon glaze with butter over length of salmon.