FINE DINING AL FRESCO
Enjoy our brief summer with a meal you’re proud to serve
Summers are short, so it’s natural to want to be outside and enjoy the nice weather at every opportunity.
Dining outside doesn’t have to be smoky barbecues and hotdogs. This menu, which includes grilled lamb chops, garlicky roasted potatoes and refreshing cucumber salad, makes for some refined outdoor eating.
Our juicy Herb- Grilled Lamb Chops with Dijon pack a ton of flavour with minimal planning necessary. The marinade, which includes garlic, Dijon, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, takes only 30 minutes to infuse the lamb chops with flavour. And the lamb chops themselves only need a couple of minutes to cook on the grill.
Our buttery Cast-Iron Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Shallots are crisp and caramelized on the outside, while tender and fluffy on the inside.
Our secret? A hot cast-iron pan, plus no-salt-added chicken broth, which helps to add flavour to the potatoes while speeding cooking time.
Our refreshing Cucumber Salad is the perfect foil to this hearty meal. Cool, crunchy cucumber is complemented with peppery green onion and aromatic cilantro, and tossed in a sweet mint vinaigrette in this Asian-inspired salad. Make this salad immediately before serving — otherwise the cucumber will become limp and soggy.
Calgary-based ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen has been providing advice on food, cooking, recipes and other household topics for more than 80 years. Their cookbooks include Everyday Delicious and From the Grill.