Summer Flavour

Isn't summer so awesome? I just got home from a road trip and spent the most amazing 20 hours with Kelly there ever was! We both have such busy schedules, so we always pack in as much fun as we possibly can in the time we have together. And just once every summer, I motor down to Kingston for a Kelly jam packed overnight visit of pure fun! We had two goals in mind this weekend. Some beach time for sure, and to take in the military show at Old Fort Henry. We did both very successfully. And Kelly was writing a review for the local paper on the Fort Henry show, so we were V.I.P.'s at the Fort! Special bracelet armbands in blue to indicate we were somebodies, and as God is my witness, they put the most handsome young waiter there ever was to serve us! (These things matter to ladies of years such as myself).

BUT, we found a few extra minutes to take a side trip to a new and fantastic boutique in Kingston, the Kingston Olive Oil Company. What a unique and delicious shopping experience it was.The front half of the store is dedicated to various balsamic vinegars infused with different and creative flavour combinations. The back half of the store is dedicated to Extra Virgin Olive Oil! I think Rachel Ray will think she has died and gone to heaven if she were to enter over the doorstep. They have a tasting station out on the sidewalk with a selection of vinegars and olive oils and bread to draw you into the store or not. You can taste and move on if you choose. But I doubt you will.

I purchased two olive oils and two vinegars. Since I've been driving all day, and I've been away all weekend, my larder wasn't freshly stocked. I have a few recipes in mind, which I'll blog here after I experiment with them a bit, but I was too excited not to at least give my new oils a debut on my Sunday dinner table. So I grilled some top sirloins with my Tuscan herb infused olive oil. And I sautéed some onion, mushroom and snow peas in butter and Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil. The Hojiblanca is not an infused oil, but rather, one of the most virgin oils you can get. You can taste every single item in the store. I was drawn to this oil because it was so damn virgin that I imagined myself chewing on the bark of the olive tree! Really amazing! In addition to my oils, I purchased two infused balsamic vinegars. Espresso infused, and also cinnamon pear infused. The possibilities are endless! I'm thinking about salads and desserts and some gazpachos, and you name it! Truly, my new oils and vinegars excite me much, much more than new shoes even! All I did was drizzle some of my Tuscan herb infused olive oil over my steaks after I took them off the grill, and I felt I could hands down WIN the Master Chef challenge!  Hahaha Flavour Town is going on right in your own backyard friends! Cheers.