Cook Up a Storm: Try These 3 Irresistible Recipes From The Essential Cottage Cookbook, Featuring a Dilly Pickle Dip
This week's cookbook featured is The Essential Cottage Cookbook by Andrea Buckett.
Jump to the recipes: dill-icious pickle dip , Grilled zucchini and mozzarella salad topped with pesto , and honey-lime glazed sweet potatoes paired with poblanos peppers and corn .
Over her more than 20-year career as a corporate chef, recipe creator, cooking teacher, and event planner, heading to the cabin was siempre Andrea Buckett Escaping occasionally, she spent her summers in Ingoldsby, Ontario, at her grandmother's and great-aunt's simple cottages—think outhouses and no running water—and later at her parents' somewhat more modern cottage nearby, where she continues to go even now.
It consists of two bedrooms, a compact kitchen, and a living room. In comparison to many other so-called 'cottages' up there, this place feels quite tiny.
It took Buckett some time to conceive the notion of blending her professional cooking career with her retreats at her family’s cottage featured in her first book, "The Essential Cottage Cookbook" (published by Appetite by Random House in 2025). Everything aligned perfectly during a weekend visit to her parents' property beside Kashagawigamog Lake when she found herself alone. Haliburton Highlands In the place where many of her most joyful moments were set, the chapters flowed effortlessly. She understood this was her story to tell.
I believed I could add a distinctive twist to it, considering the many summers my family and I have spent cottage-ing in Haliburton and Ingoldsby. This allowed me to share a more personal perspective," remarks Buckett with a chuckle. "I felt this story might connect with many individuals—specifically Canadians. Whether referred to as a cottage, cabin, or camp, this appears to be quite a quintessentially Canadian experience.
Buckett spent her childhood in Toronto’s East York neighborhood and feels fortunate for the experiences she enjoyed at her family's cabins. "The liberty of open spaces and ample time to delve into nature, running around with my cousin wearing flip-flops and swimsuits armed with frog nets, has truly molded all the activities I enjoy nowadays."
It wasn't until Buckett began penning the book that she truly grasped how significantly cottage food experiences had shaped her fundamental recollections. The most potent memory revolved around the final weekend, coinciding with Thanksgiving. All four cabins at the Ingoldsby estate buzzed with energy. Her aunts were busy preparing meals, and one of them consistently baked Buckett's favorite cheese tea biscuits for her.
We would gather at this single cottage filled with uneven chairs and wobbly tables, where everything was absolute pandemonium. However, reflecting now, it might well be considered one of our happiest feasts ever. After all, we were just children; cooking wasn’t required of us, which certainly made things easier. Yet when I consider that someone needed to heat water to clean dishes used by 25 individuals—turkey trays and sauce pots—I wonder if anyone would undertake such an effort nowadays. Personally, I wouldn’t.
The Essential Cottage Cookbook exudes a feeling of simplicity, seasonal freshness, and nostalgia. With over 100 recipes, it highlights top-quality ingredients sourced from local farms or farmer’s markets during their prime seasons, all crafted using straightforward techniques and essential tools.
Despite certain cottage owners having fully equipped kitchens, Buckett intended for the book to remain suitable for various ways of escaping urban life.
For individuals preparing meals in poorly outfitted kitchens, she dedicates a segment to cottage hacks and multi-purpose utensils aimed at aiding improvisation. Whether it involves sharpening a blunt knife with the bare base edge of a ceramic mug or utilizing a potato masher for tasks like mixing punches or crushing avocados into guacamole, "Occasionally, you must rely on yourself much like MacGyver does, figuring things out through resourcefulness. This aspect adds an element of enjoyment."
Regardless of your location within the nation or what you refer to as your escape-from-everything retreat, cottage season aligns with a period of abundance. Whether it’s asparagus or berries, fresh produce is plentiful during this time.
Buckett enjoys stopping at neighborhood boutique shops to grab items like smoked salmon or pickled eggs, which make for an ideal snack or a great enhancement to acharcuterieboard. Although cooking at her cottage might be straightforward, she turnsmealsinto memorable occasions with top-notch ingredients and elegant presentation.
She kicks off with a "Build-It-and-Bring-It" section featuring recipes like smoked cheddar and caraway shortbread along with a Chelsea bun loaf. For guests looking to contribute something thoughtful, bringing locally made butter tarts or handcrafted goodies is appreciated. Alternatively, they could bring her "speedy" ribs, which require minimal preparation once you're en route. Despite the name, these ribs have no connection to sports but rather focus on efficiency; they cook up twice as fast compared to traditional ones.
You can bring them along when you head north and toss them right into the barbecue; they’ll be all set," explains Buckett. "This takes away some of the pressure of having everything ready for that first evening upon arrival. Plus, whether you’ve got ravenous children or famished partners, food definitely puts smiles back on faces after a long day.
Buckett adopts an easygoing attitude towards cooking at the cabin. Be it a crate of peaches, a sack of just-picked corn on the cob, a reused butter tub brimming with wild raspberries, or canned fish, the focus is all about savoring every moment without much effort.
I tend to be quite relaxed. It seems like individuals allow themselves the freedom to embrace fewer dietary restrictions, which is wonderful since I spent numerous years working as a chef, surrounded by countless food regulations. Therefore, it's great that folks can now release those constraints and savor both their surroundings and their meals.
Buckett considers herself an "accidental chef." During her formative years, she immersed herself in learning through the Food Network, Martha Stewart Living magazine, and television programs like The Urban Peasant and Yan Can Cook. Although she always enjoyed cooking, it wasn't considered a potential career path until she worked part-time at her aunt’s catering business alongside pursuing a degree in health sciences at Brock University. From day one, it became clear that she possessed a innate aptitude for managing tasks efficiently and operating effectively under pressure.
I adore the inventive side of being a chef, and I excelled at it. My spouse refers to me as the coordinator due to my knack for managing tasks efficiently and keeping everything on schedule, which is crucial.
By the age of 24, Buckett began leading culinary courses initially at the LCBO before moving on to Loblaws. At Loblaws, she took charge of managing the cooking school and also served as the executive sous-chef. She reflected, "It feels like quite an achievement. Being entirely self-taught, I've continuously learned throughout my journey and crafted myself an unconventional yet successful career."
Over two decades, Buckett has become a television authority on food, and now she frequently appears as a guest host on The Good Stuff. Mary Berg As an established writer, she looks forward to what the upcoming ten years will bring. "It feels as though this moment has been a long time in the making. For many years, I've seen myself as the underdog, but now, at 50, things are finally taking shape."
DILL-ICIOUS PICKLE DIP
Makes: about 2 cups
4 1/2 oz (125 g) of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles + additional for decoration
1/4 cup pickle brine
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 sprig of fresh dill, for decoration
Step 1
In a mixing bowl, take a fork and crush the cream cheese until you achieve a silky texture. Gradually whisk in half of the sour cream until the blend becomes uniform. Then fold in the rest of the sour cream along with the chopped pickles, pickle juice, finely minced dill, powdered onion, powdered garlic, and some salt.
Step 2
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight to allow the flavors to meld together.
Step 3
Top with extra pickles and a sprig of dill. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Tip: In case you're using a compact food processor, combine all the ingredients excluding the dill pickles and dill, then blend until completely smooth. Afterward, pour the mixture into a separate bowl and mix in the pickles along with the dill.
GRILLED ZUCCHINI AND MOzzarella CHEESE SALAD DRIZZLED WITH Pesto
Serves: 4
3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 tsp oil
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pesto
Salt and pepper
One 7 oz (200 g) ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, drained (see Tip)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Freshly torn basil leaves, for garnishing
Step 1
Heat up a clean grill to high temperature (425-450F/220-230C).
Step 2
To grill: Coat the zucchini slices with oil. Place them on the grill and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side, or until they have distinct grill marks and remain slightly firm but cooked through. Be careful not to overdo it, otherwise, it may become mushy when cooled down. Move the grilled zucchini onto a dish to let it chill off.
Step 3
Slice the chilled zucchini diagonally into slices that are about 1 inch thick. Should you not assemble the salad right away, place the zucchini in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Step 4
To serve: In a big bowl, mix together the zucchini, tomatoes, and pesto. Add some salt and pepper for seasoning, then gently toss everything until well combined. Transfer the salad onto a serving platter.
Step 5
Tear the cheese into small chunks and sprinkle over the vegetables. Top with sliced radishes and fresh basil. Enjoy right away.
Tip: Avoid using a block of mozzarella for this recipe. Instead, choose fresh mozzarella that is kept in water. This variety is considerably softer and boasts a gentler, creamier taste.
GRILLED HONEY-LIME SWEET POTATO WITH POBLANO PEPPERS AND CORNBREAD
Serves: 4-6
For the dressing:
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp liquid honey
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Pinch of salt
For the vegetables:
3 sweet potatoes, sliced into half-inch rounds
2 large poblano peppers
2 ears of corn, with husks and silk taken off
2 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper
Freshly chopped cilantro or basil, as a garnish
Step 1
Warm up a tidy grill to moderate heat (350-375F/177-190C).
Step 2
For the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the onions, lime juice, honey, chili flakes (if using), and salt, then whisk everything together until the honey has fully dissolved. Let it sit aside.
Step 3
For the vegetables: In a big mixing bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, entire poblano peppers, and corn. Drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
To grill: Roast the sweet potatoes, poblanos, and corn simultaneously. For the poblanos and corn, frequently rotate them until both achieve slight grill markings from multiple angles and start softening, which should take around 12 minutes. Once done, place the poblano and corn into a serving dish. As for the sweet potatoes, occasionally flip them until their exteriors acquire an appealingly grilled appearance without burning, ensuring they become tender enough to pierce easily with a fork, approximately taking 20 minutes. Move the potatoes onto another plate when ready.
Step 5
To serve: Slice the poblanos in half along their lengths. Take out and dispose of the stems and seeds. Should the skin be sufficiently blackened, you may peel it off, though this step isn’t crucial. Layer the halved peppers atop each other and chop them into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Distribute these strips across the sweet potatoes.
Step 6
Place each ear of corn upright on a baking tray and slice off the kernels using a knife. Sprinkle the corn over the potatoes and bell peppers.
Step 7
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and top with cilantro. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Cottage swap: If poblano peppers are not available, green bell peppers will suffice. Additionally, you can use 1 1/2 cups of defrosted frozen corn instead of fresh corn. There’s no need to precook it; just toss it directly with the grilled sweet potatoes.
Excerpts of recipes and images taken from The Essential Cottage Cookbook By Andrea Buckett. Copyright © 2025 Andrea Buckett. Photography by Betty Shin Binon. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. This material has been reproduced with permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
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