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Suites starting from the low $200s QUEEN ST PRESENTATION CENTRE WILLIAMS PRKWY. M cL A U G H LI N R D . M A IN S T. JA ME S KE N N ED Y RD . H W Y 41 0 BOVAIRD DR. to the high $600s 18 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, May 30, 2008 Once that summer sun finally begins to shine, my thoughts turn to time spent on the deck. I love our deck. Its not huge, but com- fortably seats company, if we are so inspired. But my favourite times on the deck are Friday nights. Friday nights, once the long work day is complete, my husband and I can often be found on the deck, sharing some time together, catching up on the news of the week, having a beer with tortilla chips and salsa. Salsa is a great summer food. Homemade salsa preferably. You can make savoury salsas, hot salsas or fruity salsas. You can also combine salsa with other foods. My sister really likes salsa mixed with cream cheese on a cracker. My good friend, John, likes salsa with everything he calls it the condiment of choice with his eggs, potatoes, hamburg- ers, you name it! I like salsa mixed in with my ground beef for a delicious meatloaf! The basic recipe for salsa is a couple of finely chopped tomatoes (flesh only no seeds), a bit of garlic (minced fine), a bit of onion (red, white or Vidalia minced fine), some fresh squeezed lime juice, some chopped cilantro and of course, some finely chopped hot pepper! Now, heres where you can really customize your salsa. Some like it hot, some not. So, choose your hot pepper wisely! The heat in all pep- pers is from capsaicin, a naturally occurring com- pound which causes a burning sensation. The seeds and the ribs have the most heat, so if you want to cut down on the heat, just remove them. Be careful when handling peppers because once the juice has made contact with your skin, it will burn. And, then you have to be extra careful about touching your eyes or other sensitive areas. So, perhaps a pair of plastic gloves would be a wise idea. Green, yellow, orange and red bell peppers are not hot at all. They are sweet and get more sweet as they are cooked. Interestingly, all bell peppers start out green, they just change colour as they are allowed to ripen further on the vine. Jalepenos are hot for some and hardly at all for others (its all in the tastebuds of the behold- er). Just be careful with their use if you are unfamiliar. Finger chilis (red and green) are hotter than jalepenos, but have an excellent flavour. Perhaps start off with a half a pepper in the salsa until you are certain you can tolerate it. Scotch bonnets are firey! Only for the true hot lovers. For something a little different try a fruity salsa. Finely chop one medium-ripe mango, add some crushed pineapple (drained), a bit of fine- ly chopped onion, some finely chopped hot Lori Gysel & Gerry Kentner Bring on the summer heat with easy homemade salsa Quick Quiche Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 unbaked 9 pastry shell 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 cup 10% cream 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, or your choice) 1/2 tsp dry mustard salt and pepper 1 (10 oz) can green asparagus tips, drained 1 fresh tomato, sliced and halved (optional) Method 1. Sprinkle a half cup of cheese over bottom of pie shell. 2. Lay asparagus over cheese. 3. Sprinkle asparagus with remaining cheese. 4. Beat eggs with milk, cream, mus- tard, salt and pepper. Pour over cheese and asparagus. 5. Place cut tomatoes on top of liquid. They will sink and thats fine. 6. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow quiche to rest for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven before cutting. pepper and chopped cilantro. Excellent on fish or chicken burgers! Have fun and keep cooking! Lori and Gerry can be reached at whatscookin@independentfreepress.com Georgetown Bread Basket (food bank) is running low on the fol- lowing items: canned tomatoes, canned vegetables, cook- ies and crackers, dry soup, cold cereals, baking ingredients, large cans of juice, jams and salt. If you can help with these items, please put them into the drop box at any of the grocery stores and food bank vol- unteers will pick them up, or drop off at the Georgetown Bread Basket at 55 Sinclair Ave., Unit 12, Wednesdays or Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Shopping list for food bank