For the most part, our summers are about relaxing after the long winter that has taken its toll on us. Summer on Lake of the Woods brings us the times we look forward to; going to the Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays,sprucing up our gardens and decks with colourful arrangements of annuals and the odd perennial plants and preparing our boats to craft the waters of the vast and beautiful lake which we call home.
One of our other summer rituals is cooking; from barbecuing on the deck, to family dinner parties and picnics on favourite and untouched spots on the lake. Summer feasts in all forms are granted after the shopping, driving to the cottage and hauling the food for the summer larder. We, the cottage chefs, are always on the lookout for easy ways of preparing and serving our family and guests colourful and savory culinary delights that have been created in camp kitchens or over campfires.
A second option for culinary feasting is having your party catered by local chefs and/or restaurateurs’ who offer a wide variety of choice menus to suit your desired party or family event. For some, this is the easiest way to ensure the culinary experience of their guests, while being able to relax, visit and enjoy the occasion with them.Turning the preparation and clean up concerns over to capable caterers can shift the focus to hosting and to enjoying a meal with friends and family.
Shopping for the Cottage Feast
As in many areas during the summer, it can be crowded to shop at the larger markets like Safeway and No Frills food marts. To achieve less stress, I suggest you try and after dinner shop; less traffic on the roads and the lake can make for a more enjoyable experience. However,if you like the hustle and bustle and sounds of the Farmers’ Market on the Harbourfront, get there early with your cup of joe from Hojoe Coffee &Books on Main Street in hand. They have a great selection of barista-made coffees and teas, together with a good selection of baked goods to sooth the morning munchies.
There are many other places to find your prime source of great foods in our area. By land and by boat, you can reach the village of Keewatin and find Bigway Foods and their excellent arrangement of fresh seafood and deli products. Keewatin Place is also a local favourite.
Shoal Lake Wild Rice Company is a great summer’s venture over the tracks in Keewatin, bringing you to the processing plant where thousands of pounds of organic wild rice is cleaned and processed for sale in Canada and abroad in Europe and Asia. Contact Shoal Lake Wild Rice at 547-2851 for more information.
Steering the course of the food list,there are several places such as the Wholesale Club store, offering wholesale prices on most every kitchen basic you need including an amazing selection of professional cook and bake ware.
Circling back towards town, hit the liquor and beer stores to get your home bar stocked for the summer season.
New to the city is the No Frills food market, loaded with low cost, yet great quality foods for stocking family homes and cottages.
Winding back through the streets of Kenora is the Second Street Bakery, offering great coffee, pastries and bread products including a good selection that are gluten free for those who have wheat allergies. Call them to place an order at 468-5454.
Now that you have wandered the culinary circle of places for great food shopping, its time to return to your kitchen with some suggestions for some very good summer salads and dinner ideas.
Consider adding to your experience of food and fun for the season with cooking classes offered by Dave Hensrud. Group together some friends and have them learn to prepare a full course meal for family and friends to enjoy. Aprons, note books and chilled summer refreshments set the scene for Dave and his staff to help you create a culinary feast for any occasion. Call Dave at 468-4028. Cottage Cuisine was compiled and written by Chef David Hensrud of Dave’s Traveling Feast.
Nutted Wild Rice Salad
6 cups of cooked wild rice
2 cups of chopped celery
2 cups of chopped red & yellow peppers
1 cup of chopped red onion
1 cups of chopped water chestnuts
2 cups of pecans or walnuts
1 cup of yellow raisins
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 cups of white vinegar
1 cup of grape seed oil
1 1/2 cups of olive oil.Combine all in a large bowl & store in large container in the fridge; great with meats & fish and poultry. Also great with feta cheese & balsamic vinaigrette.
Beet and Fennel Salad
5 lbs of boiled and sliced beets
2 small bulbs of fennel, chopped or sliced
1 cup of olive oil and balsamic vinaigretteCombine all. This is great served with cold cuts and / or cold roast beef.
New Potato Salad with Crème Fraiche and Blue Cheese
4 lbs of boiled and cooled new potatoes
(Netta gem and Ruby reds are the best or this summer salad, available at most summer markets and stores.Crème Fraiche is equal combinations of sour cream and whipped cream. Add some blue cheese and fresh dill and you have a very tasty salad to accompany pate to cold poached salmon.
Dave’s Giant Cinnamon Buns
4 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp of salt
3 heaping tablespoons of instant self rising yeast
6 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup soft butter
1 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons of cinnamon to spreadMix dough all together then knead until a firm ball, cover, let rise 60 mins. Flour your counter top and spread dough out using a rolling pin. Roll out until your dough is quite thin.
Spread soft butter all over dough surface, then brown sugar, then cinnamon. At one end of the dough mass, start to roll a firm, yet soft
cinnamon roll.Grease a cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper. Cut giant roll into one and a half inch sections and place on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise. (Tip: covering dough with a wet towel and woolen blanket will allow dough to rise faster.) Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Other additions to this recipe would be pecans, fresh ginger, blueberries, icing sugar or soft cream cheese with maple syrup mixed into it.
