Weekly Tips: June Edition
In spite of the cold weather, Executive Chef Lorenzo Loseto was pleased to find all the early Ontario summer field produce available at the Ontario Food Terminal. He bought zucchini, zucchini flowers, lettuces, dandelion herbs and wonderful strawberries which were sweet and looked good. He particularly recommended the early English peas which are small and are best at this time of year.
Rhubarb and asparagus ware still around. The cold weather may have prolonged their season. The year the Chef found that his long-time favourite supplier of white Ontario asparagus, Jensson Farms in Simcoe County was back in production after a two-year lull. This asparagus is superb this year.
Californian produce prices were down somewhat and there were no shortages of the artichokes, broccolini, celery and fennel which the Chef wanted. The Chef noted that unusually this year, blood oranges from Spain were still on offer. He bypassed them as too late in the season and he bought loquats from Spain which he recommends.
Currently, the Chef is using wild BC porcini and morel mushrooms. He has a line on a grower of domestic Ontario mushrooms who for the first time is offering wild chanterelles which the Chef is very much looking forward to trying.
Atlantic soft shell crab season is over, but the Chef is still receiving BC spot prawns. They are alive when they arrive at GEORGE and are deliciously sweet. The Chef serves them with the white Ontario asparagus.
Another fish which we recommend you try is the Atlantic mackerel.
The Chef likes the sweetbreads he buys from La Ferme Black River in Quebec. Sweetbreads can tend to be gristly, but the Chef finds this supplier avoids that problem.
Meat dishes the Chef currently suggests are lamb loin with grilled fennel and B.C. porcini mushrooms and veal tenderloin with scalloped sweet potatoes and English peas.
The Chef offers three new desserts: vanilla cheesecake with sponge toffee and pecans, a cherry miso tarte and a spectacular chocolate chess pie with raspberries.
Our enclosed 19C courtyard patio is now open with sunshades, flowers, and water features. Apart from offering all our regular menus, we have inaugurated this year a new PATIO MENU (see below) featuring cold and hot sharing-plates all at affordable prices including our special summer cocktails.
