Greg Duncan

His previous columns are archived HERE.

GREG DUNCAN

The anticipation of our Gallivanting Gourmand

I got that first post-summer tingle at the tips of my fingers this week as I ventured outside early in the morning. It's the time of the year that reminds you that a pair of gloves just might come in handy soon.

A different smell is in the air too. I am not detecting the scent of flowers but an overwhelming aroma of natural fertilizers being spread out on nearby farms. Yes, we do have them up here in suburbia just off the island of Montreal and while our leaves have not turned colors quite yet, many have begun to flutter gracefully to the ground. A good wind and rain last week began the yearly stripping, too.

It is spider season up here as is usual and their intricate webs glisten in the heavy dew and light of the morning. Thousands of yellow jacket wasps are enjoying fall apples en masse in yards around the neighborhood and I've been watching seagulls from the lake nearby devouring crab apples with gusto.

Curiously, they roll them around in any puddle they can find as if they are washing them. I suspect though that this is how they keep hydrated or perhaps they simply cool their throats after much squawking. Either way, I watch them with great interest and am glad to see them eating something more than French fries from the local fast-food parking lot.

A trip down the Eastern Townships autoroute this past weekend proved that fall is progressing nicely and is a good couple of weeks ahead of ours. The leaves at Mount Orford are turning different hues at various heights and a lot of road kill was spotted along the way. Why is there more road kill in the autumn I wonder?

At a customary halfway stop along the highway to Stanstead from Montreal, Susan and I purchased local fresh produce in Ange-Gardien at Exit 55. This is an annual ritual for us as the area produces fantastic melons, corn, and squashes. We also discovered that the area is known for its bounty of fresh pork and this explains why there has always been a strong odor wafting within ten miles either side of the exit.

We know that a large local chicken farm also provides a unique scent in the region. When coupled with a takeout coffee from Tim Horton's your senses are confused somewhat too. I'm not sure what the many seagulls eat there but lets just say that the Golden Arches beckon.

We bought two large racks of baby back ribs for ten bucks, which is unheard of in the city, four ears of corn (yes that is allowed - one dollar), and a musky and perfectly ripe cantaloupe ($1.50).

We couldn't wait to prepare these items as soon as we returned home and did so -- despite the fact that we had stopped in at Kim Phat, a super large Asian grocery in Brossard where we always buy a good hunk of barbecued pork (Char Sui- no slice!), sometimes a glistening crispy duck, and supplies of chilies, ginger, fresh noodles, and fiery hot made-on- the-spot Vietnamese sub sandwiches (Banh Mi).

What I do with baby back ribs usually is bring them to boil in a large pot, turn down the heat and simmer them for 45 minutes. I then drain them and baste them with a mixture of regular commercial barbecue sauce, Jamaican Jerk paste or sauce, and some maple syrup.

I mix 1/3 of a cup of each and either bake them for thirty minutes in a 375 degree oven or grill them over a medium heat barbecue, turning and basting frequently, using both methods. This has become a much requested recipe and why I Ôm providing it here again for those that may have missed it in a previous column.

This sauce works well for baking or barbecuing chicken as well. Just omit the boiling and simmering part and increase the cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this seasonal transition in terms of cooking. I have the crock and fondue pots and roasting pans at the ready and have been eying beef blade and oven roasts with anticipation. I'm so there with turnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and apple juice and I'll deliver that recipe here again soon, I promise.