My husband loves tarts. Pies are a source of joy, but he likes nothing better than to sink his teeth into a fruit custard tart. The fruitier the better.

The summer provides a cornucopia of fresh fruit: fat little blueberries, raspberries, peaches and apricots just to name a few.

Today’s recipe is dedicated to all the tart lovers out there - Honey-Glazed Peach Tart. For the crust, I use John Bishop’s pastry recipe. It’s simple, easy to make and serves as a delicious platform for any fruit and custard topping.

Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups white flour sifted
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, not soft
• 1/3 cup of icing sugar

Combine flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until it forms a ball. Trace the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan onto parchment paper. Cut out the circle and place it in the pan. This will make it easier to remote the tart onto a serving plate after it is baked. Use approximately 2/3 of the dough to line the bottom of the pan, and press the remainder up the sides. It works well to form it into a roll first, and then press it evenly up the sides (about 1 inch/2.5 cm). You can also just roll this into a regular glass pie plate if you don’t have a springform pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake crust until golden brown for about 25 minutes, pricking crust with a fork if bubbles form.

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
6 ripe medium peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons peach preserves, melted

For filling:
Mix sugar, flour, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Add peaches and toss to coat. Pour into baked crust. Drizzle honey over peach mixture; dot with butter and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until peaches are tender and almonds are toasted, about 35 minutes. Brush fruit and almonds with peach preserves. Cool 15 minutes before serving. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Store tart at room temperature.)

Mascarpone Cream
1 cup chilled whipping cream
6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese*
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For mascarpone cream:
Using electric mixer, beat cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Slice tart into 6 wedges and serve with dollops of mascarpone cream.

Cheers,

Julie

I’m expecting Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Popeye and Olive Oil for potluck dinner on Saturday night. Batman and the Hulk may also show up. It’s our annual year-end summer bash at the lake and we usually go out with a bang.

This year’s theme, “Super Heroes,” promises to be an interesting night. I’ve learned since we first bought our cabin, that the cottagers take this event very seriously. We failed to dress up for our inaugural party, “Mexican night” and were put to great shame with our lack of effort. We’ve since made up for it.

Two years ago, I was Julia Roberts and Jackie Chan was my date, as we celebrated a night at the Oscars - see above photo. Yes, we’re standing on a red carpet.

The evening commences with an extended happy hour followed by an amazing potluck dinner. After that, and of course some libations, things get really interesting. We’ve an added surprise for this year’s party where the super heroes will have to perform. That’s all I’m saying, but look for the photos on Monday.

Part of the hosts’ job is to also come up with some prizes. Our goal was to keep them under $2 - something we managed to do thanks to the Superstore. With all the details neatly tucked away, we are now scrambling to get our own costumes together - this is proving the hardest part.

Any suggestions???

Cheers,

Julie

Tortillas are arguably one of the most versatile appetizers. From quesadillas to fajitas, many wonderful snacks can be created with this flexible flatbread.

Today’s recipe comes from the docks of Horne Lake. Andrea and Debbie have been urging me to include this appetizer - tortilla with fig jam, pancetta and asiago cheese on my blog. While I don’t have the exact amount for the ingredients, you can ball park it depending on how many tortillas you use.

Tortilla with fig jam, pancetta and asiago cheese

Ingredients

• 4 10 - 12″ white flour tortillas
• 1 small jar of fig jam
• 200 grams of sliced pancetta
• 1 cup of shredded asiago cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. Place tortillas on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes - you want the shells to be crunchy but not browned.

Spread on warm shells, fig jam, then layer with pancetta and top with shaved asiago cheese. Place back in the oven for an additional 5 - 7 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Slice tortillas into eights and serve immediately with a gin and tonic, mojito or cold Corona.

It’s no secret that lime has been one of my favourite flavours this summer - from fajitas to mojitos, this zesty citrus has ruled my grill. Last night I squeezed it on my fresh cherries - awesome combination.

I came across this recipe for Chili Lime Tortillas on epicurious.com and with a few modifications have listed it below:

Chili Lime Tortillas

• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tsp lime
• 1/4 cup veg oil
• 4 10 - 12″ flour tortillas

Directions
Mix the first six ingredients together and brush mixture on flour tortillas. Place on cookie sheet (need two cookie sheets) and using a sharp knife cut into narrow wedges. Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate sheets (so the tortillas cook evenly) and then bake another seven to 10 minutes.

What’s your favourite tortilla recipe? Leave me a the details in the comment section below.

Cheers,

Julie

Summertime and the grillin is easy. Fresh grilled halibut topped with mango salsa is a quick and easy meal - ideal for cottage guests.

With cottage season in full gear, it seems we have visitors booked from now until Labour Sunday. While it’s great to have friends come and visit, those extra mouths to feed can really wear a person out.

Here’s a quick and easy dinner that takes 35 minutes from start to finish - grilled halibut with mango salsa. The salsa can be prepped up to six hours in advance. You can also substitute halibut for salmon, walleye or lake trout.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of fish
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• sea salt or kosher salt

Prep fish 30 minutes before grilling by removing from fridge, pat dry and brush on sesame oil. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and return to fridge. Heat barbecue to medium-high. I use a fish basket on the barbecue, but if you don’t have one, clean the grill thoroughly and brush on olive oil. Lay fish skin side down and cook for 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Turn over and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove from grill , top with mango salsa and serve immediately.

Salsa

• 2 cups of fresh chopped mangoes
• 1 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 2/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (approx 2 limes)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper - finely chopped (make sure to remove any seeds)

Mix together, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until fish is served.

Cheers,

Julie

Created in Cuban, enjoyed by Hemingway, the Mojito (pronounced moh-hee-toh) has finally made it’s way to Horne lake. A minty, slightly sweet drink originally from La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, seems to be making a big splash here in Canada.

Loaded with mint leaves and lime juice, this Cuban cocktail is a refreshing and deceptively healthy drink (it also contains sugar and alcohol - but then again so does red wine and it’s healthy isn’t it?).

Listed below is the authentic Mojito recipe according to TasteofCuba.com. The drink is served in “collins” glasses, but authentic Mojito glass sets are available online. I’m currently in the process of trying to track down a wooden muddler to smash the mint leaves, but the back of a spoon will also do the trick.

Mojitos

• 1 tsp white sugar
• juice froom 1 lime ( 2 ounces)
• 4 mint leaves
• white rum ( 2 ounces)
• 2 ounces of club soda

Place the mint leaves into a tall collins glass and squeeze the juice from a cut lime into it ( 2 ounces). Add white sugar, then gently mash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with the muddler. Add crushed ice, stirring in rum. Top with club soda and garnish with a sprig of mint.

To see a video of how it’s made click on www.bacardimojito.com. Don’t get sucked into buying the $12 muddler online at this website - they charge $15 just for shipping alone.

This is a great cocktail for happy hour at the cabin!

Cheers,

Julie

Penny Caldwell, the editor of Cottage Life magazine is pondering a TV for the cottage. In this month’s summer edition she writes:

“The cottage is not a place where you take a TV set. TVs lead to unsightly towers and moral degradation (they don’t call them idiot boxes and boob tubes for nothing). Bringing one to the cottage is the first tumble on the slippery slope toward unstoppable development on our shoreline. In effect, TV at the cottage signals the decline of cottage country as we know it…”

While it is true that your brain uses less activity watching television than it does sleeping thereby earning it the title, “Boob Tube,” I’m not sure watching an occasional movie at the cabin is going to destroy cottage life as we know it.

Penny’s tongue-in-cheek article is part of our Canadian psyche which states, “You should be outside playing on a sunny day not watching TV,” a sentiment echoed by Chritian Lander, author and blogger of StuffWhitePeopleLike.com.

There is no doubt that once I turn on the boob tube I have a hard time turning it off even though there is absolutely nothing worth watching, but according to Penny’s editorial, her sole reason for wanting a TV at the cottage is to watch movies. Never once does she mention missing Peter Mansbridge or Rex Murphy- who incidentally are the only two things you’re going to be watching without a satellite dish in cottage country.

Is there anything wrong with watching movies at the cabin? A bowl of popcorn, a blanket and a good movie is a very enjoyable evening. I think we’re loathe to change traditions at the cabin. It’s our rituals that hold us hostage. Old rocking chairs, lumpy mattress and no dishwashers might be the way my parents cottaged, but I’m not sure I want that to be part of my experience.

Penny, I strongly urge you to break down and buy a DVD player. They’re lightweight and portable. Technically, you’re not watching TV, and more importantly, you’ll be able to watch movies in your hammock!

Cheers,

Julie

When it comes to cooking fish, there are four ingredients that no kitchen should be without:

• Limes
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Pepper
• Corriander

Marinating and grilling any white fish using the above combination can bring any fish hater to their knees, myself included. We’ve used it on tuna, snapper and halibut. The result? We now eat more fish.

If you’re entertaining a gang at the cottage and are looking for something unique, consider making fish fajitas. It’s a simple, straightforward meal that can be prepped in advance leaving you free to enjoy a drink with your guests. I like to serve them with corn on the cob and Spanish rice.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• juice from one lime
• dash of hot pepper sauce

Mix all ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate.

Fish

• 1 3/4 pounds of halibut (or any white fish)
• juice from 3 limes
• course sea salt
• cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Squeeze lime juice over fish (front and back). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh corriander. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Tortillas

• 12 large white tortillas
• spicy fresh salsa

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Heat skillet over medium heat. Stack 2 tortillas. Sprinkle top with water. Place in skillet, wet side down. Heat 1 minute. Sprinkle top with water. Turn stack over, heat 1 minute. Transfer stack to large sheet of foil. Repeat. Enclose tortillas in foil. Place in over to keep warm.

Grill Fish

Place fish on a clean, lightly oiled preheated barbecue grill (I use a wire fish basket). Cook at medium heat approx. 4 minutes per each side depending on the thickness of the fish. Fish is cooked when flesh just flakes when tested. Cut into pieces.

Spread a teaspoon of sauce on each warm tortilla. Place several small chunks of fish on top. Add a teaspoon of fresh salsa and roll together, folding in the corners.

Serve with corn on the cob, nachos and cold Coronas.

Cheers,

Julie

Oh the buzz has started. School’s almost out and the kids are raingy. The warm days and long nights have us staying up later and later. Cottage season kicks into high gear this long weekend and I’m excited. After months of being pent up indoors, I’m looking forward to getting to the cabin and playing hard.

One of my favourite play toys is our XM Satellite Radio. I can’t say enough good things about this gadget or the service. The technology continues to improve and the price keeps dropping to the point where we are now considering getting one for our boat.

While I love peace and quiet at the cabin, I also love my music. This week I’m doing a count down to Canada Day and today it’s all about the music.

Below are tunes I’m downloading onto my iPod taking to the cabin. If you have a favourite - leave me a comment.

iTunes Play List

• Viva la Vida - ColdPlay
• Money Honey - State of Shock
• Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
• Shake it - Metro Station
• I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
• Camp Rock - Jonas Brothers (for Jillian)
• Underneath - Alanis Morissette
• Dirty Little Secret - The All- American
• Never Too Late - Hedley
• Vertigo - U2

What are you listening to this weekend?

Cheers,

Julie

I’ve written a lot about hosting guests at the cottage. We’ve had some interesting experiences and we had some awesome experiences. This past weekend was a guest experience of the awesome kind.

One thing I’ve come to realize that doing everything yourself, the cooking, the cleaning and the entertaining is NOT the way to go.

Heading into the weekend I was so tired I was actually kind of dreading it. Turns out my worries were unfounded. While the gals, myself excluded, ended up cooking most of the meals, everyone pitched in and helped out.

It was great. I know some people like to fuss over their guests. I want my guests to have a good time and not fuss over them. I think the secret for me is inviting people to the cottage with whom I feel comfortable and can ask them for help.

Despite finding a dead mouse in the bed and dead spiders underneath it, my guests were undeterred. The weather was awesome, the new boat worked and the food - red berries and all, was fabulous.

Here’s to great weekends and great friends to share them with.

Cheers,

Julie

The above photo is Jean and I enjoying ice cream at the Coombs Country Market - a great start to our weekend.

Why is June the busiest month of the year? Just when the weather turns nice and the cabin is open and waiting patiently to be used, our social calendar fills up.

Baseball is into playoffs. There are piano recitals, barbecues and cocktail parties. It seems everyone wants to get together before the kids break for summer holidays. And there sits the cottage, and the new boat, begging to be played with.

I just look at our calendar and roll my eyes. At the rate we’re going we might not get there until August. Is it rude to say, “Not this weekend we have a cottage?” I’m free from September through till May. November is wide open.

I’m not sure why people feel this sudden urge to socialize. I have some theories. Once the weather turns warmer, and the days are longer, we want to be outside. Barbecuing and drinking beer in the backyard is a great way to entertain friends, especially friends with young children.

Our plan to spend Father’s Day at the cabin has been squashed. Baseball games, year-end activities and fatigue means another weekend spent in the city. Sigh.

For those of you who are able to say “NO” and not feel guilty - Bravo! I hope you have a great time.

For the rest of us, I’m taking orders for “NOT THIS WEEKEND -I HAVE A COTTAGE” T-Shirts.

What’s keeping you from your cottage?

Cheers,

Julie