www.greenchef.ca

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been remiss in my postings here, and although the last month and a half has been hectic, there has been some cooking going on in my life. I’ve collected some recipes together from some of the extracurricular activities that have been on my plate and shared them with all of you today.

January marked the start of a busy season, getting ready for upcoming trade shows, conventions, and such, as well as being invited to be one of 6 guest Chefs in the BC Hospitality Foundation fundraising dinner on the 28th. Never being one to decline an honour to cook alongside some friends (old and new) for a cause, I was paired up with Hills Foods to prepare a couple of appetizers and the main course. For starters, a wild boar pate was suggested, so we made a nice recipe that included dried cranberries and boar bacon, topped it with spiced beet relish and served it on pumpernickel toast. There were a variety of vegetables offered as well as some wild huckleberries, so the other hors d’oeuvre was a winter vegetable fritter with huckleberry compote. The main course was to be venison, so a simple, yet elegant preparation including roasted venison loin, caramelized vegetables, and herb gnocchi was decided upon.

The first order of business was a press dinner the week prior, a chance to meet the others involved and see the menu in its entirety. A resounding success, there was everything from local scallops, wild mushrooms, an exquisite study of local duck, the venison, and a selection of cheeses, followed by an exceptional dessert courtesy of Greg Hook at Chocolate Arts. My colleagues (Lisa Aheir, Ben Genaille, Rob Feenie, Daryle Nagata, Greg Hook, and myself) represented the province in great fashion, co-ordinated masterfully by Daryle Nagata at the Pan Pacific and his exceptional team.

The main event the week later, following on the heels of a busy weekend at the foodservice expo was also without incident, and a successful event for the foundation. February rolled into view and along came several events in close succession, all involving classes. I had been invited out to Wellbrook Winery, a fruit winery close to home to do a class in the evening, and did a nice light late winter menu of a prawn hot pot, goat cheese and beet salad, trout with mussel chowder, and pears poached in one of their wines with hazelnut shortbread. A lot of fun, good food, and a good time was had by all (including the teacher) To finish the week, I had back to back classes, first an all day seminar with 30 high school teachers for a professional day, also a blast. We packed the agenda with deboning chicken and trout, making about 10 recipes all together varying from mushroom risotto to creme brulee. Saturday’s class was a birthday dinner for a group of dedicated foodies, and we had a nice relaxed evening making goat cheese pate, grilled quail with mushrooms, a citrus and avocado salad, the roasted venison dish from the hospitality dinner, and chocolate souffle. All in all a busy week, but a great time and some great food was the theme of the week, and I had a chance to meet some great new people.

My family has not starved throughout this period, I’m glad to report, and I have catalogued a few dinner recipes to share soon, I promise. Until then, there are some new recipes to try, all of which have been a part of the last month’s events, some more than once!

Enjoy

A nice savoury spread for bread or crackers, this can be made in about 5 minutes.

8 oz fresh soft goat cheese
2 tbsp finely diced kalamata olives
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, finely diced
pepper
2 tbsp chopped herbs

Cream together goat cheese with olives and sundried tomatoes
Roll into a log and coat with pepper and chopped herbs
Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least an hour
Serve with fresh bread or crackers

We are fortunate to have great fallow deer from the Nicola Valley readily available. It is tender and sweet, and a great winter meal with gnocchi and roasted vegetables

Marinade

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp juniper berries
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 clove garlic, sliced

Combine all ingredients and set aside

2 lb venison loin, boneless
Coarse sea salt

Trim venison loin of all silverskin and sinew and place in a container (a large freezer bag works well). Cover with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 days

Remove venison from marinade and allow to come up to room temperature

Season well and sear on all sides in a sauté pan over high heat
Transfer to a wire rack and roast in a hot oven 450 F until medium rare (registers 125 F on a meat thermometer)
Remove from oven an rest for at least 10 minutes before serving
Slice into thin slices across the grain and serve with gnocchi and rosemary sherry reduction

All great dishes include some from a a great sauce, and here is a basic recipe for a nice demi glace based reduction. I usually make demi glace in a largish batch and then freeze it in 1/2 liter (2 cup) bags for future use.

2 shallots, sliced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp cup butter
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sherry
1 branch rosemary
2 branches thyme
2 cups demi glace, (beef or veal)

Sauté shallots and garlic in butter until tender
Add red wine vinegar and reduce until syrupy (au sec)
Add sherry and herbs and reduce by half
Add demi glace and simmer for 1 hour, strain, and adjust seasoning

Mire Poix is the basis of all French stock making and the foundation of most soups: a dice of carrot, celery, leek, and onion. This vegetable dish takes that combination and adds a couple of additional flavours to make a great winter vegetable dish

2 leeks
4 carrots
1 celery root
2 parsnips
1 rutabaga
2 tbsp butter
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

Wash and trim leeks, and peel carrots
Cut into 1/2 inch rounds
Peel other root vegetables and cut into a large dice (1/2 inch)
Sauté vegetables in butter until lightly coloured
Cover with stock, season, and bring up to a simmer
Cover lightly, and braise in a hot oven until tender, 1/2 hour or so
Remove from oven, and add chopped parsley before serving

Fresh trout is readily found, and most of the time filleted already. Otherwise, this is a great recipe if you’re camping by the sea at the mouth of a river

4 trout fillets
salt
vegetable oil

Season and panfry until golden brown and crisp on skin side, turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes and serve over top of chowder

Mussel chowder

1 lb fresh mussels, cleaned, beards removed
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups water
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Bring water, thyme, garlic, and wine up to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes
Add mussels and cook until they just open
Remove mussels from shell and set aside.
Discard shells
Strain liquid and reserve
Sauté onion, carrot, celery, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until translucent and slightly softened.
Add reserved liquid from cooking mussels and bring up to a simmer.
Add potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender.
Add cream and cook for 10 minutes more
Add cooked mussels, adjust seasoning and keep warm while trout cooks.
Add parsley just before serving

This recipe uses a local fruit wine, made from blueberry and cranberry. You may substitute another fruit wine if you like, or a light red.

2 cups blue cran wine
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 star anise
6 peppercorns
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

6 pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Bring all ingredients except pears up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to develop flavour
Add pears and simmer until tender, 20-40 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit
Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in a shallow dish
Pour poaching liquid over and allow to cool to room temperature(pears may be poached and refrigerated for a few days in advance)

Serve with blue cheese and hazelnut shortbread

This recipe is right between savoury and sweet, and a nice complement to blue cheese. Contrary to most baking recipes, the salted butter is key to the right flavour, as my dear friend Harry Greenwood (who is the font of much wisdom about shortbread, among many other things) will attest.

1 cup toasted hazelnuts, ground
3 cups flour
1 lb salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup superfine sugar (berry sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 F
Combine hazelnuts and flour in food processor and process until fine
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and sugar is dissolved.
Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Pat into a sheet pan lined with parchment and chill thoroughly (at least 2 hours, preferrably overnight)
Dock well and bake for 30 minutes, until golden
Score while still warm, and once cool, turn out onto another baking sheet