Post-Labour Day Observations

A couple of weeks ago the early morning air began to whisper with a refreshing hint of coolness. It has since progressed to the "unmistakably chilly" stage - at least that's how it is when I leave for work, usually some time between 6:30 and 7:00am, before the sun has had a chance to establish its presence.


When we went to the lakehouse this past weekend, the breeze was perfect, perfect, perfect. But, as the brave souls who jumped into the lake described it, the water was "invigorating" and "brisk". We all know what they really meant, don't we?

I noticed that it was dark by 8:00pm the other day and wished just a little for a rewind button to relive June's long days, although September's cool evenings do allow us to enjoy dinners al fresco.


And if there were any lingering doubts about summer's imminent demise, my weekly appointments with Neal Caffrey ended last night, with a cliffhanger at that. Yup, it's definitely that time of year again, when those of us on the north side of the globe pack up the grill and pull out the Dutch oven.


Honestly, I don't know where summer went. I haven't even had a chance to talk with you yet about apricot jam, and peach bellini, and Filipino barbeque, and summer night markets. But no matter. That just means I'll have to stick around until next year rolls along. For now, how about some meatballs?

Turkey (and Bacon) Meatballs

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home

The original recipe calls for 1 ounce of pancetta, but since it isn't always convenient for me to get a hold of pancetta, I use bacon instead. This recipe doesn't go overboard with the bacon, using just enough to keep the meatballs from drying out while adding a slight smoky flavour.


Mix together in a large bowl:
  ¾ cup finely chopped onion (start off with half an onion)
  1 garlic clove, minced
  ¾ cup breadcrumbs
  2 large eggs
  1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
  1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

  1 tsp kosher salt

  pinch pepper

Gently combine into the mixture above:

  1 ¼ lb ground turkey (7% fat is preferable)

  2 slices bacon, finely diced

Form into 1" meatballs.  I used a #40 disher to portion them out.

Heat in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat:

  2 Tbsp olive oil 

Cook the meatballs in two batches, in a single layer. Turn them as needed, cooking until browned on all sides.  It will take 7-8 minutes for each batch. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and cover lightly until all the meatballs are ready.  

Serve hot. These are great on their own, or with a salad on the side, or on top of a plate of pasta with pesto.

Makes about 40 meatballs, which can serve 6 quite generously.

Meatballs are hard to photograph. I tried putting them in all sorts of "poses", including the one above which was modeled after the picture that appears in Martha Stewart's book.