Strawberry Basil Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• ¼ cup simple syrup (recipe below)

Hull and quarter the strawberries. Slice the basil leaves into very thin strips. Combine the strawberries, basil and simple syrup. Add more syrup if necessary to get a nice balance of basil and strawberry.

Simple Syrup:
Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil, cool and strain. This will keep in the fridge for at least a week, and you can use it whenever simple syrup is called for in a cocktail.

By Simon Manvell, Dock 503 in Sidney, B.C.

Blanch the nugget potatoes in boiling water until a paring knife can pass through with just a bit of resistance. Strain and cool. Once potatoes are cool, quarter them. Melt the butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and sauté in butter to toast. Then stir in the potatoes, mustard, whipping cream and salt. Simmer over medium heat until cream starts to reduce. Adjust seasoning as necessary and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until entire dish starts to "bind" to itself. Serve warm.

By Simon Manvell, Dock 503 in Sidney, BC