St-Jean Strawberry/BBQ Social Wrap-up

 fig. a:  street-level view

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Yes, thank you so much for making our St-Jean event such a success!

It was a beautiful summer day (a real one!) and everything proceeded swimmingly.  We sold out of smoky NC-style chopped pork barbecue (two big shoulders' worth!) by about 3:00 PM.  We sold out of Savouré's delicious strawberry soda by about 4:00 PM.  And we sold our very last portion of strawberry shortcake at about 4:45 PM, just minutes before closing time.

Even better:  the wonderful folks at Mile End Community Mission were thrilled to get a sizeable (and completely unexpected) donation on Tuesday morning.  Happy St-Jean, indeed!

We saw a lot of old friends, and met a lot of new ones.  People ate inside, out on the steps, or took their portions to go.  One patron set a new Strawberry Social record:  one BBQ sandwich and four portions of strawberry shortcake!  We painted the fire hydrant strawberry red for the occasion.  We hired a little girl to ride back and forth on her scooter in a strawberry-red top.*  Even the CBC showed up to interview Michelle for the afternoon show.  It was perfect.  We couldn't have been happier with the results.

God bless Strawberry Shortcake and ole-time BBQ!

aj

* Michelle had demoed an awesome strawberry-themed outfit for herself a few days earlier,

 fig. b:  red on red on red...

but it ended up being a little too steamy for this particular get-up.  Too bad.

On the Horizon 3: The Return of the Strawberry Social! (now with more BBQ!)

 fig. a:  Strawberry Shortcake was here

St. Jean Strawberry Social, featuring Mile End/St. Louis BBQ #1

"...an endless banquet" is kicking off the Fruit Social Season for 2013 with a special St. Jean Strawberry Social.  This time we'll setting up a pop-up at Espace Pop, at 5587 avenue du Parc, just north of St-Viateur, and we'll be doing so on "la Fête de la St. Jean," Monday, June 24, between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.

 fig. b:  strawberry socialism

We'll have unbelievably delicious strawberry shortcake (with fresh Quebec strawberries, fresh whipped cream, and Michelle's nonpareil shortcake) on offer, as well as Savouré strawberry soda, and our own homemade iced tea.  And we'll also be teaming up with Mile End/St. Louis BBQ #1 to bring you some honest-to-goodness, Carolina-style, hickory-smoked, chopped pork sandwiches, with all the fixin's you might need to reach Hog Heaven.

 fig. c:  ole time BBQ

We'll be raising money to support one of our favourite local charities, Mile End Community Mission, a.k.a. Mile End Mission, who've been a fixture of the neighbourhood for years, helping out the most at-risk members of the local community with "practical, emotional, and spiritual" assistance, including a Food Bank that serves the needs of over 100 people each and every week.  All proceeds from our Strawberry Social / BBQ will go directly to the Mile End Community Mission.

 fig. d:  ole time strawberry short cake

So drop on by to grab a sandwich, a drink, and/or a strawberry shortcake, to make a donation to the Mile End Mission, or to just say "hey, y'all."

who:  AEB + Mile End/St-Louis BBQ #1

what:  an afternoon of tasty treats and positive action

where:  Espace Pop, 5587 avenue du Parc (just above St-Viateur), in Mile End.

when:  Monday, June 24th, 1:00 to 5:00 pm.

why:  because you love barbecue and strawberry shortcake and you want to make a difference.

how:  just drop on by.

See you soon, God Bless Strawberry Shortcake, God Bless Ole Time BBQ, and vive le do-good-isme!

aj

Go Green, rev. ed.

fig. a: lettuce soup, Lawrence 

Mile End's Lawrence has a well-deserved reputation for its handling of meat--for a small restaurant with a concise menu, it's one of Montreal's most daring when it comes to both the variety of meats it serves, and the cuts it puts to use (offal "salad," anyone?).

What's less readily acknowledged is the finesse with which its kitchen handles vegetables, and, while I may be imagining this, it seems to me their lunch menu is when they really place an emphasis on the pleasures of the garden.

A few weeks ago Michelle started raving about a magical Lettuce Soup she'd had at Lawrence one day for lunch--first on Twitter (where else?) and then to anyone who'd listen. I wasn't with her at the time, but it sure sounded good, although the question that Michelle's encomium inevitably raised with everyone she mentioned it to was how, exactly, a lettuce-based soup could possibly be so transcendent.

The very next week, she went back--this time with me in tow. It didn't take much convincing--I couldn't wait to give that soup a spin.  And, you know, she's right.  That Lettuce Soup is a thing of beauty, simultaneously earthy and ethereal, with a deep green colour that rejuvenates by sight alone, and a surprisingly rich flavour that borders on the sublime.  It comes accompanied with a healthy hunk of toast slathered with brandade, and the pairing is simply brilliant.

You see?  Now I'm raving, too.

This is easily the best soup I've had in Montreal in quite some time, and, right now, it's the taste of the Summer of 2012 for us.  Do I have the recipe?  Unfortunately, no.  But I immediately bumped up the lettuces in our back garden so that I could start to do some experimenting.  Details to follow...

Lawrence, 5201 St-Laurent Blvd., Montreal (Mile End), (514) 503-1070

p.s.  Wouldn't you know it?  Their Lettuce Soup disappeared from Lawrence's menu this week (!).  I'm happy to say that they replaced it with a lovely sweetcorn + bacon soup, but I'm still hoping they bring that Lettuce Soup number back sometime soon.  Please?

Kamouraska Konnection I

By the time we got to 5550 Casgrain, a covered carport right in the thick of Mile End's manufacturing district, last Saturday,



there was already a crowd, and they'd pretty much cleaned out a lot of Patrice's more popular items, like the fingerling potatoes. There was still plenty left, though, and Michelle was particular excited to see that there were 4-ft. cardoons for sale. No joke. She picked one up and put it aside



and then we picked out other selections: baby leeks and baby fennel bulbs, golden beets, fresh horseradish, tomatillos. Patrice's sales are always something to behold--you almost feel as though you've suddenly chanced upon some exotic botanical display that's mysteriously and inexplicably found its way into a hidden corner of the city. With those humongous cardoons dominating the scene, this one was particularly surreal. It was also particularly convivial. In addition to getting to see Patrice again after many months, we ran into all kinds of friends, old and new.



We were turning heads left and right as we rode down St-Viateur and then St-Urbain with those massive cardoon fronds swaying in the wind behind Michelle's bike like some strange vegetal plumage. "What the...?" "Did you just see what I saw?" "What is that thing?" In spite of its ridiculous size, Michelle found that cardoon to be remarkably aerodynamic, and we made it home in no time.

When we got back to SoJo [the little-known South of St-Joseph part of Mile End], we spread our haul out on the kitchen table and the Inspector came by to do his job.



When we'd passed inspection, it was time to stop simply admiring our purchases and actually do something with them. Having never tried them before, that cardoon was what we found ourselves most enticed by. So that's what we got started on first.

aj