Simple and fresh: Perfect summer meals

As the temperature rises, the thought of standing over a hot oven for several hours becomes less appealing. Focus on simple, super-fresh recipes that require little cooking. Here are some examples.

A charcuterie board

When it’s hot, it feels nice to eat lighter meals and pick at a wide variety of food displayed on a board or serving plate. It’s laid-back and each member of the family can make their own plate depending on their appetite and what they like. For example, you could prepare a board with local charcuterie and garnish it with pickles, olives, chutney and hot mustard. Or make more of a Quebec cheese board, along with some crackers, slices of baguette, nuts, and fresh or dry fruit. You could also make an oceanside-themed board featuring gravlax, trout rillette, a succulent salmon fillet, and smoked honey-glazed salmon, dotted with a few lemon wedges, capers and bagel chips. Or you could go with a classic plate of fresh veggies and homemade dip that everyone will love!

Savoury tartine

The idea of a savoury toast or tartine is simple: it’s a slice of toast garnished with whatever you want. It’s convenient, you can improvise, and it’s a dinner made from ingredients you already have in the kitchen. For more texture and flavour, make a vegetable spread for your toast (avocado with sour cream, beet and goat cheese, chickpeas and lemon). Then add seasonal ingredients, like slices of tomato or cucumber, asparagus, Matane shrimp, or grilled eggplant. Try a cold version with our tartine with chicken, asparagus and mashed avocado and sour cream recipe, or a warm version with our bacon, leek and cheese tartine recipe.