COCKTAIL PARINGS

Food pairings for cocktails, it can be done.

Did you come to one of our Victoria Gin tastings at the LCBO? The last two weekends we were out sampling the delicious Canadian gin at locations around the GTA.

One of the messages I tried to impart was that you CAN pair food with cocktails. I admit it can be challenging but when you find one that works it's a revelation. If you've ever had a perfect food and wine pairing you'll know how the right dish can bring the right wine to a new level, this works the same way.






Here we pair a fresh Cucumber Crostini with a classic Gin & Tonic. This recipe match can represent the first in a series of food pairings, a good place to start since it's summer and you will likely be entertaining and probably serving at least a few Gin & Tonics. 









A simple snack, the Cucumber Crostini combines just a few fresh ingredients but creates an amazing pairing. It's the high alcohol level (unlike wine) that can mask the taste of food and one of the reasons why it can be difficult to match cocktails with dishes.

The triple cream cheese acts to counter the high alcohol content in the gin. The cucumber refreshes and matches the herbaceous quality of both the gin and the tonic (try your next martini with a slice of cucumber, you won't be disappointed).

The mint opens up the nasal passages and invites you to use your sense of smell to taste more of the flavours in the food and the drink (one of the reasons mint makes a terrific drink garnish even when there isn't any mint in the drink).

The savoriness of onion is a match for the other flavours in this nibble but also an excellent highlighter for gin (think gibson).

Cucumber Crostini

25 crostini, or other small crackers
200 g triple cream brie, St. Andre or Creme de bourgogne
1/2 English cucumber
2 green/spring onions
1/4 c fresh mint

Slice cucumber, onions and mint very thin. Spread 1 tsp of cheese on each cracker. Layer on cucumber, sprinkle with onion and mint.



Do you have a favorite snack to eat with a Gin & Tonic? Did you try this recipe? Let me know!

WILD LEEKS

The wild leeks are here!

They're available at local farmers market throughout Toronto and if you've never tried them, now's the time. I would describe the flavour as somewhere in between onions and garlic. If you love a savory cocktail (and I count myself among those who do) this will probably change your world.  This week we have a simple recipe for pickling your leeks and using them to make a Wild Leek Gibson. I included some footage and photos from a day of foraging a few years ago.

If you want to bypass the market and forage your own leeks (it's really fun) you'll need to know what you're looking for. A wild leek or ramp has two lovely green petals with a pink stem and white bulb on the bottom.  We were very lucky to have access to an 100 acre property about an hour north of Toronto, that is covered in leeks in the spring.

Did I mention the spiders? I did. I'll say it again, so many huge spiders!
Even if you buy them at the market you'll need to wash them very thoroughly. They won't have any pesticides, which is great but slugs and spiders love to live on the leeks. The mud clings to them as well.

Trim the greens and buzz them up with some olive oil and salt. Freeze them in muffin tins lined with cling film. Throw them in soups or on pasta. The bulbs are what we're after here.

When pickled, these leeks make a delicious Gibson. They are easy to make (recipe below) and worth canning, they are very pricey at the market so you'll want them to last.

Like many classic cocktails, this drink is very simple but so tasty.  

Wild Leek Gibson 
1 3/4 oz gin
1/4 oz dry vermouth
1 pickled wild leek
*dirty, add 1 dash pickling liquid

Method
In a mixing glass add gin and vermouth , (*& pickling liquid), fill 3/4 with ice, stir to chill, strain into a martini glass, garnish with leek











Pickled Wild Leeks
4 C leeks, trimmed bulbs only
2 C cider vinegar
1 C white vinegar
3/4 c sugar
3 tbsp pickling salt
3 tbsp pickling spice (buy one premixed or make your own)

Method
In a large pot add all ingredients excepting leeks, bring to the boil, add leeks, reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Pack in HOT sterilized jars, simmer in water bath until sealed, cool.

These instructions assume a familiarity with canning. If you've never canned before you'll need more information. I lost some batches of fruit when I first started, I was sad, so very sad. Here are a few links for canning basics to help you avoid the same mistakes.

http://www.canningbasics.com//

http://www.simplebites.net/canning-101-the-basics/

http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/step_by_step___your_guide_to_home_canning/32.php


Have you tried our leeks at an event in the past? How does making your own compare?