June 1 2016

Looking for an affordable bubble? Think crémant. These are the sparkling wines made in the traditional method (like Champagne) in regions of France other than Champagne, such as crémant d’Alsace, or crémant de Bourgogne for example, giving you a similar high-quality wine for lots less cash. We are especially taken with the crémant de Loire made by Langlois-Château. The house grows 71 hectares of vines in the Loire Valley, 45 in Saumur, 11 in Saumur Champigny and 15 in Sancerre, all Terra Vitis certified (sustainable viticulture).

The Blanc Brut is made from 60 per cent Chenin Blanc, 20 per cent Chardonnay, and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc hand-picked in six different terroirs — the Côtes de Saumur with its chalky-silico soil; the chalky Coteaux de St Léger; Layon’s schist and the chalky-clay of Puy Notre Bas, Montreuil Bellay and Haut Layon. This care and attention means more complexity in the bottle. The wine spends 24 months on the lees creating a fine and rapid mousse always a sign of quality for bubbly wines. We loved its minerality and elegant citrusy flavours.

Prefer pink? The Rosé Brut is 100 per cent Cabernet Franc, spends a minimum of 18 months on its lees and possesses delicious fresh strawberry aromas and flavours.

Both are dry, elegant and ready for all sorts of festive occasions, $27-ish in better wine shops.

The 16th edition of Indulgence, a Canadian epic of food and wine, happens Monday, June 8 at the Delta Edmonton South. Indulgence introduces local farmers to local chefs to create long-term business relationships as well as introducing both to fine VQA wines and regional craft beers. In addition to its key role in fostering our unique prairie gastronomy, Indulgence raises funds 
for children’s programs by The Junior League of Edmonton (over $100,000 to date) and the 
Slow Food Indulgence Bursary for NAIT Culinary students. There may be a few tix left … http://jledmonton.com/our-eventsfundraisers/indulgence/

The Swedish dishcloth is ultra-absorbent, ideal for washing up and cleaning up all sorts of messes in a beautiful fashion. Made of cotton and cellulose, the key to their absorbency. They are also biodegradable and go right into the compost heap when you are ready to say buh-bye. Designed and hand printed in Sweden and England, of varying designs and colours, priced from $6.95. Available at Bella Casa, Oil and Vinegar – Commerce Place, The Wired Cup, Maven and Grace, Provisions by Duchess, Hillaby’s Tools for Cooks and other fine retailers.

The From the Grill cookbook has everything you wanted to know about using your gas grill effectively, plus killer recipes, tons of tips and helpful hints. You know the recipes are going to work; the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen trademark is your guarantee that each recipe has been exhaustively tested in their professional kitchens. We can’t wait to try the Korean ribs, the spaghetti squash with ras el hanout butter, or the cedar-planked whole trout. The ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen cookbooks really are an Alberta treasure. Now available at Chapters, Indigo and online at http://www.atcoblueflamekitchen.com/ $20.

Jamie Kennedy’s salmon and asparagus salad
Certified organic rice and ancient grain brand Seeds of Change launched a grant program earlier this year, donating one percent of its net sales to support community gardens across Canada. (Alberta’s was the Parkdale Community Association West Bank Garden Bed Project in Calgary.) We liked this recipe that accompanied the press release — an ideal showcase of seasonal salmon and Edgar’s Farms fabulous asparagus available for just a few more farmers markets.

Spanish Style Rice Salad with Wild Sockeye Salmon and Shiitake Dust

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Slice the mushrooms as thinly as possible and spread them onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Place in the oven and dry the mushrooms until they are brittle, approximately 1 hour. Remove from the oven to cool. Grind mushrooms to a coarse powder using a spice blender or mortar and pestle. Reserve.

Empty the rice packet into a stainless steel bowl. Mix in the shallots in white wine vinegar. Reserve.

Blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and reserve at room temperature.

Slice radishes as thinly as possible and reserve in ice water. Cut hardboiled eggs in quarters lengthwise. Reserve.

Wash dandelion leaves in cold water. Drain and reserve.

Bring water to the boil. Add vinegar, lemon juice, salt to taste, bay leaves, crushed black peppercorns and shiitake mushroom stalks. Boil for 2 minutes then reduce heat to simmer.

Add the salmon fillet and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool salmon to room temperature in the cooking liquid. Break up the cooked salmon in large shards and reserve in ¼ cup) of the cooking liquid. Discard the rest.

To serve: In the bowl with the rice, gently combine salmon shards, radishes and dandelion leaves. Divide this mixture equally onto two plates. Arrange the eggs around the rice mixture on both plates. Cut the asparagus into 3″ lengths and arrange on the rice mixture. Sprinkle with shiitake powder and sumac powder. Drizzle with oil. Season. Serves 2.