Recipe · Jun 11, 2020

Connect Over Food This Father's Day

I heard a saying once: “Food is love, and cooking is one way to show others, how much you love them.” I think this is a great reminder as we think about Father’s Day this year. Coming out of our isolation, maybe we haven’t had or been able to have the connection to our fathers that we would like to have had.

As a father myself, the best gift I could get is some quality time with my son Brody. While Brody is only 2.5 years old, and I can’t get him to sit still long enough to cook much more than a bowl of ice cream together, I couldn’t be more excited about it every time. As I write this, I also think about how awesome it will be to cook with my son when he’s older. I can picture us standing over the island in my kitchen, cooking, talking, having a beer, just having a chance to put life aside, and... connect.

Maybe the saying should be “cooking is an excuse to connect.” Either way, I always enjoy an opportunity to connect with loved ones in the kitchen over some good food. To help inspire your Father's Day meal, our in-house team of chefs have come up with some menus inspired by their dads to cook with your dad. Our chefs were also influenced by all the incredible produce we’ve got in abundance here in Alberta now, so these recipes include some excellent, unique salads as well!

Cucumber, Beet and Grape Tomato Salad

1 lb Cucumber
½ lb Grape Tomato
¼ lb Organic Red Beets
Radish Trio Microgreens
2 tsp Smoked Honey
1 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Dry Ground Mustard
1 tsp Ground 4 Pepper Blend
1 tsp Onion Salt
1 tsp Garlic Salt
2 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Ancho Chile Powder
Salt

Cut the grape tomatoes in half, then cut the cucumbers into similar sized pieces. Dice the beets a little smaller than the other veggies.

For the dressing: In a blender, combine the Apple Cider Vinegar, Smoked Honey, Yellow Mustard, 4 Pepper Blend, Onion Salt, Garlic Salt, Parsley, and Ancho chile. Turn on the blender and slowly pour olive oil in to emulsify. Salt to taste.

Heat a pot of water to a boil, place beets in water for 2-3 minutes then remove and cool.

Once cooled, mix vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with Radish Trio Microgreens and serve.

Beer-Simmered Slow Cooked Short Ribs with Medley Tomato Salad

2 packs 14oz Short Ribs
1 ½ Tbsp Steak Rub
2 Yellow Onions
4 Sweet Banana Peppers
1 Tbsp Chili Oil
2 tsp Black Garlic Honey
2 Cups Medley Tomatoes
½ block of Pavane Goat Cheese
10 leaves Basil
1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Dry Ground Mustard
2 tsp Salt
3 cloves Green Garlic
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Ground 4 Pepper Blend

Apply spice rub to short ribs, place in a slow cooker, and pour your favourite dark or amber beer into the cooker. Set to low for 8 hours. Cut bulbs of green garlic and add to the slow cooker 2 hours in. Cut the stems of the garlic and set aside for garnish.

Cut Medley tomatoes in half, Chiffonade basil, and set aside. In a blender, combine Chili oil, Black Garlic Honey, Mustard, Apple Cider Vinegar, Oregano, Onion Powder, and 1 tsp 4 pepper blend. Turn on the blender and slowly pour oil in until thoroughly emulsified. Toss tomatoes in dressing and garnish with green garlic stem and crumbled Pavane goat cheese.

Large cut Onions and Sweet Banana Peppers. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil. Add 1 tsp Salt & 1 tsp Pepper to taste. Bake in the oven at 415°F for 10 minutes or so, or until vegetables start turning brown at the tips. Remove from oven and rest.

Stuffed Burger with Beer Batter Onion Rings

Burger Patty:

In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, salt & pepper, and the Guajillo powder until well incorporated. Cut the cheese in small cubes.

Form the beef mixture into the desired size of the patty, and make sure to leave some room for the cheese! Then close the edges of the patty towards the middle and flatten the burger patties.

Transfer to the fridge and let rest for 20 minutes.

Cook the patties on a grill or griddle until done.

Burger Assembly

Toast the burger bun and spread BBQ sauce on both sides. Add any other condiments you like (mustard, relish, etc), and then top the patty with arugula microgreens.

Beer Battered Onion Rings:

Stout (preferably) or Brown Ale
1 whole Yellow Onion
45g of Corn starch
750g Flour
20g Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil

Start by slicing the onion in the desired size circle, then mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a whisk, slowly incorporate the stout until the batter is smooth.

Preheat the oil in a frying pan. Make sure there is enough oil to cover the onion rings! Cover the onions with flour before you coat them in the batter. This is to ensure the batter will stick on the onions.

Start frying the onion rings, about 45 seconds per side, until they’re a nice golden-brown colour. Serve on the side of your delicious burger for the ultimate burger feast!

Asparagus, Green Garlic and Pea Shoot Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Goat Cheese

1lb Asparagus, Shaved
3-4 heads Green Garlic
Large Handful Pea Shoots
8 Tbsp High-Quality Olive Oil
Waltz Goat Cheese
¼ Cup Walnuts
2 Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (Use real juice, the bottled stuff just isn’t the same)
Salt

Whisk olive oil with lemon juice and a pinch of salt for the dressing and set aside.

To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the walnuts until aromatic and lightly toasted.

Shave the asparagus lengthwise with a peeler so you have a pile of thin strips. With the green garlic, treat it like a leek – remove most of the top green bits, retaining about an inch or so, as well as the root/bulb. Peel the first layer of the garlic stem and then slice finely.

To plate, toss the asparagus, sliced garlic and pea shoots with lemon and olive oil dressing. Pile in a small bowl, be careful not to squash the salad, but rather build it high. Then finish it by topping with the toasted walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.