Side Dish

Heather Nichol, creator of the popular “Gone Crackers” line shares a smooth pesto recipe that pairs well with her crunchy crackers.

Torin Egan of the Superior Cafe sends their recipe for chutney using the butternut squash of autumn.

Chef James Walt writes: “This soup is very simple to make. Use unblemished squash that are heavy for their size, and if butternut squash are not available, try pumpkin. I grow winter squash in my garden and use it year-round: we fry the blossoms in the summer, then make soups with the flesh in the winter. Pumpkin seed oil is available at fine grocery stores; use hazelnut oil instead if you need to."

Chef Brad Horen of AURA Restaurant shares this recipe, saying it makes a perfect accompaniment to roast goose. 

Not exactly the beauty queen of the vegetable kingdom, celery root -or celeriac- gets a kick of spice and a smooth finish with chile and cream in this gratin from The River Cottage Cookbook.

Chestnuts and chanterelles can be harvested through October in British Columbia. This recipe, from Angelo Prosperi-Porta of the Cooper's Cove Guesthouse in Sooke, makes delicious use of both wild ingredients.

If you are ready for a change from braised winter greens, then try this quick recipe. Enjoy all the benefits of kale in a delightfully different texture. 

Sort of like a fish falafel, these unique appetizers call for local salmon.

Chef Heidi Fink shares her recipe for a warming late fall soup with a twist - a swirl of sweet ginger crème. 

Chef Matt Thompson, from Bistro Caché, offers this recipe, guaranteed to warm you up on cool winter days. 

A crispy autumn salad from Naotatsu Ito, owner and chef at Daidoco.

The Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CR-FAIR) shares this recipe from a local farmer that showcases winter-keeper squash, still available at local farms

Eric Akis writes: “Start a festive dinner with this palate-awakening salad. It features a mix of light and refreshing tastes—tender greens, pears, orange juice, pomegranate seeds—that will stimulate your taste buds but won’t fill you up, a good thing when more delicious food is to come.”

Michael Ringland, Executive Chef at Haro's, kindly shares his recipe for risotto, explaining that "we like to use anything we can get locally, like the spinach from Saanich Organics and local pears."

If the rainy weather is making you crave a little heat in your cooking, then try this recipe from Dana Zaruba, owner of Hot Chick Spice Company in Cobble Hill, BC. 

This recipe from Pierre Lamielle's Kitchen Scraps humorously guides us through the paradox of making onion soup.