Cherry Jícama Crostini

I escaped the riot city that was Toronto this weekend and am home in Halifax enjoying the sea, the rain, the fully equipped kitchen of my parents' house. Gadgetry like cherry pitters, mango splitters, various styles of cheese slicers do make me covetous, but it's the digital scale that I wish for most of all. One day.

Anyways, my bff (she of wollstonecraft) came to visit and we whipped up some seasonal crostini before dinner tonight.


Cherry Jícama Crostini (adapted just barely from Fine Cooking June/July 2010)

• 1 cup sweet cherries (or 5 1/2 oz if you are blessed with a scale), pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup diced jícama (Mexican root vegetable, mostly here for crunch rather than taste-you could substitute a crisp apple if you can't find it. Use your leftover jícama to make this lovely summer salad)
• 1 scallion (green onion), thinly sliced
• 1 tsp chopped mint
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• Pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup goat cheese (or 2 1/2 oz)
• 1/3 cup ricotta (or 2 1/2 oz)
• 1 baguette

Mix cherries, jícama, scallion, mint and vinegar in a medium bowl. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

In another bowl mix goat cheese and ricotta and season with salt and pepper.

When ready to assemble, cut your baguette into 1/2 inch slices and toast. Spread with cheese and top with cherry mixture.

I love this cornbread so much...

Well, he'll tell you:

I looooove cornbread. I actually don't care much for chili but will often suggest it just to have cornbread alongside. I played with the Cook's Illustrated recipe a bit to spice it up and make it even cornier.

Cornbread

• 2 tbsp unslated butter, melted
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk-if you don't have buttermilk, you can make a good substitute with the ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 tbsp vinegar
  
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1. Pre-heat oven to 425˚. Grease 9 inch square baking pan with butter.
2. Mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well.
3. Crack eggs into the well and mix, then add buttermilk and milk and stir until just combined. Add melted butter along with pepper and corn and mix.
4. Pour batter into pan and bake until golden brown and lightly cracked, about 25 minutes.
5. Allow pan to cool 5-10 minutes on wire rack, and serve warm.

A veritable deluge of posts coming soon as I count down to back to school. Next: Ribs!

Guacamole

This isn't that much of a recipe-so much of it is 'to taste' but it's delicious and summer-y and possibly the easiest thing I've ever posted. No special equipment necessary-if you own a bowl and a fork you are all set.

• 2 ripe avocadoes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 0-1/2 cup mayonnaise (to taste)
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 chopped tomato, if you like

Mash all ingredients together (except tomato, stir that in last if using), and serve with tortilla chips.

Bruschetta and Beer-can Chicken

With the barbecue on for chicken, why not toast some bread for delicious bruschetta? Cut a baguette/similarly shaped loaf into thick slices and toast on barbecue (this will go very quickly, remain alert!) Rub some crushed garlic onto the bread and mix coarsely chopped tomato, fresh basil, a bit of olive oil and salt in a bowl, and then top with tomato mixture. Serve immediately!

Now: do you like beer? Do you like chicken? Have a barbecue? Well, do I have a recipe for you. Once you get the technique down (not hard), there are endless variations to this impressive/succulent take on roasted chicken.

Beer Can Chicken

• 1 can beer
• 1 chicken, 3-4 lbs
• 2 tbsp all-purpose bbq rub
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups wood chips of your choice
  

1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer over wood chips or drink if not using wood chips. Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set aside.
2. Remove chicken's inside stuff. Rinse inside and out under cold running water and drain and blot dry, inside and out with paper towels.
3. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 tsp inside neck cavity. Drizzle oil over the outside and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tbsp of rub and rub in. Spoon remaining rub into the beer through the hole in the top of can. Beer will probably foam up, no worries.
4. Hold the chicken upright and lower it onto the beer can, so the can fits in the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a tripod. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chickens back so they don't get scorched.
5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using charcoal, place a large drip pan in the centre. If using gas, place all the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
6. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the centre of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through, 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the chicken with aluminium foil. Using tongs, hold the chicken by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. Let it rest about 5 minutes and then, being sure not to spill hot beer/burn yourself, lift it off the can. Carve the chicken and serve.