I spent most of July on vacation, enjoying visits with family and friends and feasting on all of the amazing fruits and vegetables in season.

And, we’ve also been thoroughly enjoying sipping coffee on our back deck and reading on weekend mornings. So come on over for some travel adventures AND recipe ideas for what to cook in August!

We headed east to Toronto and area for visits with family and friends in mid-July and the weather was spectacular!

Scott and I went for a couple of lovely bike-rides along the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario.

We also spent a bunch of time around my parent’s backyard pool because you just can’t beat sunny, bluebird Ontario summer days. And, we always joke that it’s like being at an all-inclusive resort – there’s always snacks and drinks! (Thanks Mom & Dad for being the best hosts!)

Much of our vacation centred around enjoying the outdoors and food with family and friends. We even took a day-trip out to Prince Edward County for lunch at the Drake Devonshire which has the most lovely lake-view from their patio.

Then, we then toured around to a couple of wineries.  We stopped in at Rosehall Run which has one of my FAV sparkling wines, the Pixie, and checked out The Grange’s variety of wines plus their new cider and stunning views.

We stopped in at Hinterland which I had not been too before and absolutely LOVED their Les Etoiles Sparkling Wine.  The tasting room was beautiful and open-air concept which continued to a patio that looked out at the vineyard.

I find Prince Edward County so magical and serene; I love visiting when I’m back in Ontario when I can for the scenery, wine and the food. If you are ever in Ontario I highly recommend going!

Before we headed back to Calgary we spent a couple of days in Toronto. One morning we had croissants and these Italian ‘donuts’ called bomboloni which are one of the best bites of food I’ve ever had at Sud Forno. I will DEFINITELY be going back there again! And, we also made a lovely family dinner on the weekend featuring an epic rib-eye steak that was made for sharing.

It was truly a wonderful trip and when we got back to Calgary it was hard to get back into the swing of things! But one lovely surprise when we returned was our garden in full bloom, specifically the radishes! These French Breakfast Radishes are AMAZING.

I’ve been enjoying them on sourdough, making many lunches of my Toasts with Radishes, Pea Shoots & Feta recipe. They’re also delicious with just butter and a sprinkle of salt on toast too.

We’re definitely cooking seasonally lately, especially with all of the fresh produce we get weekly from our YYC Growers food share and from our garden. So, here are some of my favourite recipes that you can make in August:

Apricots: Easy Apricot Jam

Berries: Aloha Breakfast Bowl

Corn: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Peaches: Peach & Prosciutto Summer Foccacia

Strawberries: Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Tomatoes: Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Sourdough Bread Board

I can’t wait to make some of these recipes on repeat the next couple of weeks while all of the produce is in season! AND if you’re looking for a cool treat, I made three easy Fresh Fruit Popsicle recipes for the Italian Centre Shop here in Calgary including Strawberry-Basil and Peach & Mint flavours!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I travelled to Prince Edward County in Ontario for a Food Photography course organized by the lovely photographers at The Illuminated Table and the location is literally everything I could ever want – food, wine and beautiful scenery.  

On the first day we visited Closson Chase Vineyards where we tasted wine, enjoyed charcuterie and then photographed the food and wine outside.

Then we enjoyed a group dinner at the Agrarian Bistro in Bloomfield where I got to know a fellow food blogger more too! (Check out Gabrielle from eyecandypopper.com)

Day 2 was a full day of learning, styling and photographing and we were at a beautiful setting at From the Farm Cooking School.  The following are a couple of my favourite photos that I styled and took that day.

That night we had dinner at The Hubb, located where we stayed at Angeline’s Inn, and it was supremely delicious food.

As you may have noticed my food photos on Cooking in my Genes are light, bright and with a marble-white background, however, I’ve always wanted to learn how to shoot in a more ‘moody’ style which we did and I just LOVE how it turned out!

On Day 3, our last day, we visited the farmer’s market with a little assignment to ‘tell a story’ through our photos, photographing not only food but people. It was fun to actually go around and talk to the vendors to learn about what they were selling and then take some photos.

To end off the trip we enjoyed a lovely brunch and took in some of the scenery at the Drake Devonshire – a must-visit if you’re in the area.

And on my way home I stopped to pick up some wine to enjoy as I finished the rest of my visit to Ontario at my parents. The two vineyards I stopped at are tops on my list, I love the ‘Pixie Sparkling Rosé’ from Rosehall Run Vineyard and ‘County Chardonnay’ from Norman Hardie. I also need to note that Norman Hardie’s Vineyard has the most amazing wood fired thin crust pizza which you can enjoy on the patio with a glass of wine in hand.

In between all of my travels I devoured a new book called ‘The Woman in Cabin 10‘ – if you love a good mystery with a twist you’ll love this book and it would be the perfect summer read.

I have some really exciting collaborations coming up that I can’t wait to share with you over the summer months – they involve food (of course), new recipes and gatherings with friends!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.