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 Laurie Munn from Café Brio served this elegant tart as a side dish in his "Nightshade" field to plate cooking workshop held at Foxglove Farm last weekend. Laurie used the 'Sun Gold' variety of tomato grown on Foxglove to achieve the beautiful colour and exquisite flavour in this tart, but you can experiment with your own favourite tomato varieties.

from Get Fresh, September | October 2010

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.

For committed lovers of B.C.’s fine artisan cheeses, by the slice is not enough. Nathan Fong’s delicious recipes bake it into tarts and pizzas.

Three additional recipes from the September | October 2010 Issue

For Nathan Fong, peas went from mushy to magnificent, the minute he tasted his first fresh one, straight off the vine.

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.

Little Piggy was one of the star players in last weekend's Fernwood Bites event. Now, chef Christabel Padmore shares their popular yam empanada recipe. 

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."

Chef Mara Jernigan of Fairburn Farm shares her recipe for this spring pasta dish. Nettles can also be used as a substitute in recipes that call for spinach. 

George Szasz, owner and chef at Stage Wine Bar in Fernwood, reports that there have been many requests for the gnudi recipe, "and rightly so!" Having recently sampled it myself, I can say how lucky we are that he agreed to share his recipe with us. 

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. 

Chef Steve Walker Duncan from the Ambrosia Event and Conference Centre shares his recipe for a delicious chilled summer soup. 

Just in time for the Okanagan’s Spring Release, this week’s recipe comes from Heidi Noble (of Joie Farm)’s Menus from an Orchard Table. Make this soup, sit back and savour the flavours of the Okanagan. 

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