Clinging To Summer: expeditions and eggplants

Ah, August. Does anyone else feel as though they have to spend every waking minute outside or else the Summer Fairy might come along and peevishly take back this good weather? I guess this feeling is exacerbated by all the free time I have because: teacher. I have another 3 weeks (exactly) of freedom, and while I have to start prepping for my various classes, I plan on continuing to spend a lot of time outdoors.

I love my home, but being in a basement suite- even one which is more of a "garden suite",  barely below ground- means that I have to step outside to really get an idea of what the weather is doing.  So that's partly it. Also, I'm still on this health kick, and nervously sure that if I take a day off from moving my body in some way, I will turn back into a dough-y couch potato for good.

This weekend has been particularly active, kind of as an antidote to feeling let-down. My sweetie and I had made vague plans to get away on a bicycle trip this weekend, but he was too busy and I was too broke to make that a reality.  So I resolved to make as much fun for myself as I possibly could, with an emphasis on things that were affordable (free, if possible), outdoors-y, and healthy.

Reader, I succeeded! In fact, it's been such a lovely weekend that I'm not even sorry we didn't get away, although I can always use more time with my love. Here's what I've been up to so far:

• On Thursday, I biked all the way to Richmond for a job interview, Then I biked over to the Flying Beaver Pub, which is pure heaven because it is situated by two things I love: water (the Fraser River), and the airport. In case you don't know this about me, I am a giant nerd about planes, and even though I don't love flying in them, I do love watching them take off and land. The bigger the better. I biked around Richmond and back to Vancouver and then I think I slept for about 10 hours because I was exhausted. But oh, so happy. (I'm not going to review the food at the Beaver because it's pretty standard pub food; neither particularly good nor particularly lousy. I find that if you've exercised at all in order to get there, you'll enjoy the food more than if you drive.)
• On Friday, I hiked to Quarry Rock, in Deep Cove. I made this a weekday trip as I'd heard it was a popular destination, but it was still super-busy. If you like solitude, this hike is definitely not for you. At just over an hour (round-trip, and for me, although I seemed to walk at a fairly average pace compared to others on this hike) it's not very challenging, and I saw little kids, little dogs, and poorly-shod tourists all successfully navigating the trip. The woods are green, shady, and calming, even though you might be weaving your way around children or little old ladies. Quarry Rock itself has a gorgeous view back into Deep Cove, across Indian Arm to Belcarra Park, and even back towards the city, although the sight of so many people taking selfies is a bit off-putting. I mean, I love social media, but come on! My favourite sighting was of a French family I passed on the way to the rock. Papa was clutching a large box of Honey's Donuts, which was clearly an excellent incentive for the rest of the family to follow him all the way along the trail. When they got to Quarry Rock they sat on the smooth stone ground and eagerly opened the black cardboard box. A well-earned snack! Honey's is a Deep Cove institution, and it was packed when I finished my hike. I virtuously avoided the donuts, but ordered a ham sandwich. Several dollars cheaper than at most other cafes, it came absolutely packed with black forest ham, cheddar, and not too much mayo. Perfect. And even though Honey's was so busy, it took almost no time at all. I was seriously impressed! (True story: as I was reading some Yelp reviews just now to get a feel of what others thought about Honey's Donuts, I saw one that said "Was very knowledgeable and down to earth. As well they have a naturopath on hand for any questions." This seemed odd, until I realized I was reading an add for another place altogether! Anyway, you probably won't find a naturopath at Honey's (unless they're over there on a break), but it's a must-visit if you go to Deep Cove, even if you're avoiding donuts.)
• Yesterday was the opening day at the PNE, so I enticed my sweetie to leave his work for a while and come with. Added incentive: admission was only $1.50 with the wearing of a red item of clothing! Absurdly clad in a red dress with white polka dots (me) and a dark red dress shirt (him), we biked over to the fair with great expectations of greasy treats. I always love seeing what the ridiculous trends in fair-food are going to be. This year's seems to be chocolate cotton candy, which sounds... unappealing. We were there for Waffles With Benefits, the only time I will cop to liking chicken with waffles. However, I was underwhelmed this year. Perhaps it was because it was my third summer in a row trying them, or because the teenagers making them weren't putting a hell of a lot of loving care into them, or just... ennui? The waffles were dry, the cheese sauce on my Buffalo Chicken waffle was bland, and there was't a shred of the promised arugula. I think I have exorcised the waffle demon for good. If you're battling your sugar and deep-fry nemeses, there's not a heck of a lot you can eat at the PNE. Even the drinks are almost certain to be packed with sugar. I finally found a place selling only 2 things: blended watermelon, or blended pineapple; mixed with ice and served either in a cup (8 dollars- yikes), or in a hollowed-out melon (or pineapple) FOR A CRIMINAL TWELVE DOLLARS OH MY GOD PEOPLE HOW IS THIS LEGAL??? There's also a dim sum truck selling steamed shrimp dumplings which I love, so when I returned to the fair after a 40-minute swim at New Brighton Pool (the best-kept secret in Vancouver as far as I'm concerned), it was shrimp dumplings and melon juice for me. All in all, while I had a great time hanging with my guy and then later returning to snap pictures of cows, chicks, and other cuties in the agriculture buildings, it was a good reminder that you should eat before going to the PNE (the prices! the way all the batter tastes the same!) and maybe just indulge in one really awesome treat while you're there. 

Today I walked part of the beautiful Heights Trail with a friend, and then... actually stayed indoors once I got home mid-afternoon. My place is cool even on the hottest days, and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to make eggplant dip, eat it, and relax inside for a while. Even the most dedicated outdoorsians need a little home time I guess.

So, I always thought this dip was called baba ganoush until I read Smitten Kitchen this afternoon. And now I guess I should call it Moutabbal, except that no one will know what I'm talking about unless they're middle eastern. I'm more inclined to go with Catherine Newman's name: Smoky Minted Eggplant Dip.

Do I follow either of these recipes? Well, not exactly. I certainly started with Newman's recipe earlier this summer when I was house-sitting and suddenly found myself in charge of a number of eggplant plants (which is an awkward phrase. How should we say it? Egg-plants? Eggplantplants?). But unlike her, I'm not inclined to soak almonds and then blend them, all to avoid tahini, which I like anyway. Do I use as much tahini as Smitten Kitchen? Nope. I probably used 3 tablespoons, and in the past I've used less. Like Newman I use mint, but I also add a leaf or two of basil, because it's so plentiful and sun-warmed in my garden. In fact, the joy of a dip is that you can improvise! To an extent, anyway. Start with the basics, so you can add more if needed. Smokey is best, so if you can get those eggplants on the barbecue they'll be perfect. But an open flame (or the broiler at a pinch) is just fine.

It's rich, it's lemon-y, it's garlic-y... and for the first time I am eager for more eggplants, the smokey base for all this fresh summer deliciousness, and the perfect healthy dip when you need to duck back into your cool, slightly dark house to refresh yourself before the next end-of-summer adventure.

Ice, Ice Baby

I am NOT a Pinterest kind of girl.

But for some reason this summer, the idea of popsicles- in this kind of mould and no other- took hold, and I was powerless to resist.

I blame Smitten Kitchen, which has some fine popsicle recipes, and I blame the summer heat, of course, but most of all I blame my pretty-much-yearly obsession with getting control of my sugar cravings and losing some weight, dammit. It started a little late this year, but once I got going in early July, I was on fire. I sailed through my last week in Saskatoon, and came home full of resolve.

Shortly after I got back, my landlords left town for two weeks and I was suddenly in charge of their large and bountiful veggie garden. (And their blind old cat, but I couldn't eat him.) I harvested: basil and garlic became luscious pesto. Small tomatoes found their way into my pasta. Cucumbers were hastily stuck into jars with water and cider vinegar. I walked into the alley behind our house with a bowl and fought the bees for the best blackberries. Little eggplants were roasted on the barbecue and whizzed into the food processor to become the best baba ghanouch I've ever tasted. Ah, the food processor! I've never been one for kitchen gadgets, but having access to two all of a sudden made me realize what I'd been missing. Once I'd made the pesto and the baba ghanouche (and once I'd cleaned very thoroughly, to remove the garlic-y taste), I realized that I could use them to make... popsicles.

The popsicles of my youth were unadventurous things (sorry, Mom). You got 2 choices: apple juice or orange juice. The tips of the popsicles would be super-sweet, because that's where the heaviest, thickest part of the concentrated juice would settle. And the last part of the popsicle would be more watery, and would inevitably melt into its plastic holder, causing you to slurp noisily in order to get at the last bits.

Now, I've yet to buy this book, but just glancing through it- hell, just looking at the cover- makes me realize that there are whole new worlds to conquer when it comes to popsicles. And I will. Conquer them. Just as soon as I get over these darn watermelon ones I keep making. Which I may never do.

I discovered watermelon-mint-grapefruit-lime juice earlier this summer in Saskatoon. It was cold there, very cold, for most of my stay. As in, spend money you don't have on a sweatshirt, because you didn't bring any warm clothes kind of cold. As in, Vancouver-style rain as you tried to bike home kind of cold. But then for the last week or so it finally got HOT, and on a couple days I mortgaged my house sold my firstborn child spent a lot of money to buy a bottle of this mesmerizing juice from Thrive. This would make amazing popsicles, I found myself thinking as I gulped the red juice. And indeed it does. In fact, the watermelon-lime combination is so magical, I haven't even added the grapefruit or mint yet.

If possible, get a watermelon with seeds. Trust me, the big black seeds are a heck of a lot easier to remove than those annoying little white ones that are in the so-called "seedless" melons. I like the mini watermelons, as those are the perfect size for popsicle-making.

The great thing about melons is their high water content. You don't have to juice these puppies. In fact if you do, your popsicles will end up too watery.

The uneven colouring in this popsicle is because I tried
to strain out the seeds and pulp, leaving the juice too
watery. Yes, that's a kiwi in there! 

You do have to remove the seeds, though. Sorry. (Unless you're really not fussy? But I feel like this would make for an annoying popsicle.) This is one reason why I buy the little melons, because de-seeding a full-sized one would drive me nuts. I favour slicing the melon and then scraping the seeds out with a spoon. Don't sweat it if you miss a few. The food processor usually misses them too, and you can fish them out once the juice is pureed.

Basic. See how much redder this one is? Not overly watery like the last guy. 

Isn't she a beaut? 

If you're very lucky, your boyfriend will buy you a golden watermelon by mistake. You will discover that the flesh is even nicer than a regular watermelon, and makes the prettiest popsicles. Especially when you add chunks of kiwi and strawberry.

See?

In keeping with my health kick, I don't add sugar to these. They don't need it. In fact, I find that a generous portion of lime juice adds a much-needed kick. I use over half a mini melon to make 10 popsicles, and the juice of one whole lime would not go amiss. The added fruit chunks make your popsicles look simply gorgeous, and add a sweet/tart chewiness that's delightful. 

I have grand plans to make Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Black Pepper popsicles (minus the sugar), and I'll bet you that a mango-pineapple popsicle would be divine, especially with some added heat. (Maybe cayenne? Maybe chipotle? I can't wait to try.) I've seen some recipes for cucumber-lime or cucumber-strawberry pops that sound refreshing and delicious. Next time I come back from the grocery store I promise I'll have something in my bag other than a watermelon. Thanks to my sweetie, who loaned me his fabulous food processor, my popsicle-making days don't have to be over even though my landlords are back. And if I do get stuck in a melon-y rut until the seasons change and I no longer crave ice-cold refreshment? well, there's always next year. 

How good are these popsicles? Let's just say that since my 30-day no-dessert challenge came to an end, I have have had ice cream exactly twice, and both times it seemed overly sweet and far too sticky and milky, not to mention leaving me with pangs of regret and guilt. The simple, juice-packed beauty of these popsicles, on the other hand, is guilt-free. Eat as many as you want. Hell, eat all ten in one sitting if you like! Even if you do, you will simply have eaten the equivalent of part of a mini watermelon, plus some other fruits. And what could be better for you than that?