Long Weekend Party Fare

To celebrate the last weekend of summer, we like to cook up some special treats on the grill and pop open a bottle of our Sparkling Riesling! These dishes are some of our favourites.

These dishes are best enjoyed with our Long Weekend Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio.

Honey-Glazed Chicken, Sweet Potato and Peach Skewers

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoons canola oil
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 small yellow onion, thickly sliced with layers separated
• 4 small, ripe peaches, cut into quarters

Preparation:

Place 8 wooden skewers in a shallow pan of water and allow them to soak while you prepare the ingredients.

Precook the sweet potatoes until tender.

In a small saucepan, combine the sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup honey, 1 tablespoon canola oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Allow the mixture to continue bubbling gently until the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup. Watch the heat carefully and stir a few times. This process took about 15 to 20 minutes on my stove. Once the honey glaze mixture has thickened and reduced, remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Heat the grill to medium high direct heat.

Thread the skewers with chunks of chicken, onion, sweet potato and peach. Place about 1/2 of the honey glaze in a small bowl and brush it all over the skewers. Place the skewers on the oiled grate of the grill. Allow skewers to cook for about 4 minutes, then turn them.

Remove the skewers from the grill as soon as the chicken is cooked through. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the skewers

Thread the skewers with chunks of chicken, onion, sweet potato and peach. Place about 1/2 of the honey glaze in a small bowl and brush it all over the skewers. Place the skewers on the oiled grate of the grill. Allow skewers to cook for about 4 minutes, then turn them.

Remove the skewers from the grill as soon as the chicken is cooked through. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the skewers

Smoked Salmon Appetizer with Ontario Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

• 8 ounce package smoked salmon
• 1 package crackers, your choice
• 1 package cream cheese
• 3 ripe Ontario peaches
• 1/2 Ontario sweet red pepper, diced
• 4 Ontario green onions, sliced
• 1 to 2 small hot Ontario peppers, diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 clove Ontario garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

To make peeling easier, blanch peaches in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer to cold water for 1 minute. Peel, pit and dice peaches.

In bowl, combine peaches, red pepper, green onions, hot peppers, parsley, lime juice, oil, garlic and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Top crackers with cream cheese, salmon and peach salsa. Serve immediately.

Homemade Kettle Corn

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Preparation:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the sugar and popcorn. Cover, and shake the pot constantly to keep the sugar from burning. Once the popping has slowed to once every 2 to 3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat and continue to shake for a few minutes until the popping has stopped. Pour into a large bowl, and allow to cool, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps.