The Keg, St. Catharines

Sunday July 5

A long day's drive up to Canada, and we didn't want to put our hostess out with a hungry late arrival. So we stopped for a relaxing dinner beforehand, at The Keg.

Now this is a chain restaurant, but they try to use local sources, and their St. Catharines branch is in a historic industrial building, some kind of Mill, with the logo written on the smokestack. It's also very comfy and dark inside, which is good when you've been driving for eight hours.
We just had mains: top sirloin with three mushroom topping in balsamic cream sauce; and a New York striploin with added blue cheese and roasted garlic crust, which was a nice touch.
Baked potatoes came on the side, one with three-cheese topping and the other with sour cream and bacon bits; the potatoes themselves were rather dry and overdone, so the sour cream was needed.
A bottle of Kendall-Jackson cab sav was also much needed; luckily our destination was only five minutes away.

Independence Day

Saturday July 4

We know a barbeque is traditional for the Fourth of July, but the weather was unpropitious: hot, humid, and eventually it just gave up and rained. So we "grilled" indoors, in a frypan. The first traditional treat was the season's first local corn, golden-kerneled, just with butter and salt. Then, hot dogs - or rather, bratwurst from Trader Joe's, mit sauerkraut (echt Deutsch, really). And traditional American Potato Salad: yukon gold potatoes, chopped celery, scallion, and red bell pepper, moistened with mayonnaise and a little grain mustard (French!).

Tuna Steaks with salsa

Friday July 3

Pan fried tuna steaks until opaque on each side but still lovely and rare in the middle. Then a cool fresh salsa with tiny cubes of Amish tomato, red pepper, scallion, cilantro, and just a little half of the home-pickled jalapeños.

Ants Climbing the Lion's Head

Thursday July 2

Sort of a combo of two classic Chinese dishes: Lion's Head and Ants Climbing Trees.
Marinate 1 pound ground pork in a tablespoon soy and a tablespoon yu xiang wine. Chop up 1 tbsp ginger and 2 cloves garlic. Wash and halve two baby bok choys. Have chicken broth, sesame oil and oyster sauce standing by.
Heat vegetable oil in wok to high, stir fry garlic and ginger, then pork until no longer pink. Melt a quarter cup of chicken broth over it, then nestle bok choy into mess, cut sides down, drizzle with a little sesame oil, turn down heat, and cover to simmer. Keep cooking and shifting until bok choy is limp and tender. Stir in 1 tbsp or more oyster sauce. Serve by draping bok choy on platter, heaping pork over it.

Salmon and Asparagus in Cream over Penne

Wednesday July 1

Or things to do with asparagus, cream and pasta that aren't a Saffi, though done very much in that manner. This was the last day of our poached fresh salmon, and it broke down very nicely to thicken the sauce. A whisper of lemon juice to brighten it.

Cherry Soup and Salmon Cakes

Tuesday June 30

A hot day calls for cold soup. So we boiled up a couple of pounds of cherries in a rather overly-sweet Riesling with just a touch of cinnamon and cloves. They're so much easier to pit that way. Grinded it all up and served it with a lattice of cream.
Then left-over salmon for salmon cakes dipped in panko, which really does make for a crunchier crust.

Cold salmon with quick sorrel-cream sauce from the Herbfarm cookbook; boiled garden green peas.

Sunday June 28

Chop up a shallot or scallion and briefly sauté in 1 Tbsp butter until wilted (if scallion, white parts first). Destem and rough-chop a loose salad-spinnerful of sorrel leaves. Throw half in on top of the scallion and stir until wilted, 1 min; throw in rest and stir until wilted, 1 min; add enough cream to make a nice sauce, and heat through until bubbly. Pour over cold fish.