the end of summer is delicious at cibo bistro
It’s not too late to enjoy Cibo Bistro’s (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426, cibobistro.com) summer menu, especially the dishes with zucchini blossoms—stuffed with oxtail ragu; topping crostini with shaved zucchini and blossom petals; and adorning orecchiette with ragù Calabrese, blossoms and Crotonese cheese. So good. Also, gorgeous lamb chops from Four Whistle Farm; toothsome crostini with summer peas and mint or buttery culatello with BC nectarines. Save room for the olive oil cake. Sublime.
love those cigar-chomping reds?
Check out the 8th Annual Big Beefy Reds & Beef Brisket Tasting at Vines Wine Merchants (2331 Rabbit Hill Road, 780-434-9444, vineswinemerchants.com) on Tuesday, September 3, 7pm. Tix: $39.99/p+ call to book.
organic alberta screens the documentary from seed to seed
Organic Alberta is screening a documentary by Katharina Stieffenhofer called From Seed to Seed, Tuesday, September 10 at the Metro Cinema (Garneau Theatre, 8712 109 Street). The film tells the story of a diverse group of Manitoba farmers and scientists as they work to marry age-old traditions with cutting-edge science to grow food ecologically in a changing climate. The silent auction is at 6:15pm followed by the film at 7pm. Tix: donation (cash, cheque or e-transfer), www.facebook.com/events. Check out the trailer here: fromseedtoseed.com
tawâw at the museum
Meet chef Shane Chartrand and co-writer Jennifer Cockrall King Saturday, October 19, 3pm at Tawâw: There is Room. This is a LitFest event, hosted by Linda Tzang and is part of the Downtown Business Association’s Harvest Week. This is gonna be great! Tix: $25/p+, eventbrite.com
six easy ways with green beans
Green and yellow beans taste like summer. There are tons of just-picked green beans showing up at the farmers markets now. The yellow beans are just about done this year, but, if you do snag some— steam, then toss with butter, salt and pepper. That’s all they need.
- Eat raw. Treat green beans to a shower under the tap, shake dry, snap the ends if you like and chomp away
- Make a Nicoise salad. This is a delicious recipe with sablefish from Okanagan chef Rod Butter
- Toss green beans and fresh nectarine slices in a little olive oil and sherry vinegar. Grill until soft and a bit charred in places. Serve with a scattering of BC hazelnuts
- Sauté beans with a bit of onion, shallot and red pepper and slather on the Sambal a la Ruby Chen of Peas on Earth
- Got lots of fresh herbs in your garden? Roast green beans with garlic cloves, scallions and handfuls of chopped fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. Toss all in a good olive oil or cold-pressed canola and lay out on a sheet pan. Roast until the beans are shrunken, squishy and quite dark in places. Throw in some cherry tomatoes if you like
- Make a green bean casserole with wild mushroom sauce. Remember those beans your mum used to make with wild mushroom soup? These are better.
