After scaling the Grouse Grind - a 1.8 mile ascent 2800 ft up one Vancouver's surrounding mountains - we reached my aunt and uncle's lake house completely ravenous. True to form, my aunt Mary had prepared a lunch that we descended upon like vultures. After many restaurant Chinese meals, fresh simple produce provided a welcome fuel for the hungry hikers. We had vegetables - squash, asparagus, and peppers - grilled to perfection on the outdoor barbeque, warm, rich mashed potatoes, and a salad with greens from a farmer's market in Kitsilano, which was finished with halved grapes, crunchy cucumbers, and my mom's signature mustard vinaigrette, saved from a previous feast. Mary also prepared three different types of ribs - one rack was seasoned with salt and pepper, another with oregano and other herbs, and the last with a Hawaiian inspired barbeque sauce. Unfortunately, I did not capture the ribs - the bones at the plate's rear are the only testament to their deliciousness.
The next day, a lunch of surpassing grandiosity transpired at the lake house. To again take full advantage of both the outdoor grill and leftover fresh produce from the Kitsilano farmer's market, the theme of the meal was burgers and salads, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
A burger isn't a true burger without the toppings, which my cousin Jazzy painstakingly cut and hence created an aesthetically pleasing arrangement - we had the usual crisp lettuce and tomato accompanied by mini sweet pickles, caramelized onions, and cooked mushrooms, which, in typical fashion, absorbed the juice and seasonings with which they were cooked. Moreover, Jazzy prepared a beautiful Greek salad with cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, and red onion, all unrivaled in crunchy freshness. She also included whole green and black olives and crumbly feta, and seasoned the salad to taste with dried herbs, salt, pepper, and dressing. So colorful!
To complement the Greek salad, we had the same green salad as the previous day but with spicy, red radishes serving as a welcome addition to the leafy greens and grape halves. Sweet corn on the cob and juicy bright cherries offered the satisfying simplicity I always associate with outdoor summer meals. One of my favorite aspects of eating a burger is constructing it, and I had fun with this one - each bite was chalk full of tender meat and carefully cut and arranged toppings. My summer meal in Vancouver left nothing to be desired.
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