By Executive Chef – Wayne Sych Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House Wayne Sych has two rules when it comes to cooking: keep it simple and use quality ingredients. With the experience he gained from working at some of Vancouver’s iconic restaurants such as The Cannery and the Fish House in Stanley Park, Wayne has continued the tradition of serving up a variety of regional seafood – blending his vibrant West Coast style with the freshest local ingredients. Makes 4 large appetizer portions INGREDIENTS Oysters 16                    large size fresh oysters 30 ml              butter 1 stalk             celery, chopped 300 ml            fennel bulb, cleaned and chopped 2.5 ml             fresh thyme leaves 15 ml              fresh parsley, chopped 180 ml            leeks, white part only chopped 2 cloves         garlic, minced 1000 ml          fresh spinach leaves, lightly packed 30 ml              pernod 2-3 drops      tabasco sauce 2.5 ml             salt 1.25 ml           fresh ground pepper 160 ml           …

By: The British Columbia Blueberry Council This recipe was created using delicious locally grown blueberries and hazelnuts from the Fraser Valley. A layered blueberry hazelnut cheese wheel is ideal for holiday entertaining. It is a beautiful addition to a cheese board, combining warm, melting cheese with the sweetness of blueberries and the crunch of hazelnuts but without the fuss and mess of baking. Yields 1 wheel with 3 cups of compote Ingredients 5” round (350 g) Brie, Camembert or any soft rind cheese 1½ cups (225 g) B.C blueberries – fresh or frozen ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp (30 g) brown sugar 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice ¼ tsp (pinch) black pepper ⅛ tsp (pinch) salt Sprig fresh rosemary ½ cup (75 g) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped Directions Cut the cheese round in…

By Chef Tobias Grignon Mamie Taylor’s Restaurant I dreaded stinging nettles every time they came across my childhood dinner table on Vancouver Island. Kids hate green stuff, especially when it stings their legs during their forest adventures. Nettles have since come represent for me the best my childhood home has to offer. They also bring me a palpable feeling of spring and late summer. At Mamie Taylor’s I use stinging nettles to make our extremely popular Stinging Nettle Perogies, which we serve on a bed of sautéed mushrooms with onion purée. Here’s my recipe. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS Dough 5 cups flour ¼ cup butter, melted 2 eggs ¼ cup water 1 cup sour cream Tsp salt Filling 1 cup blanched and cleaned stinging nettles, (approximately 1 lb raw) 1 cup ricotta 4 oz Swiss cheese, grated 1.5 oz parmesan, grated 1 large potato baked ¼ cup butter ¼ onion minced Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper Mushroom mix 4 oz oyster mushrooms 8 oz cremini mushrooms (or wild, foraged mushrooms) 4 ox cherry tomatoes 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp…

From Grandma Alice, Taves Family Farms Crust Ingredients Enough for two complete pies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ lb tenderflake lard 1 egg, stirred slightly ½ tablespoon vinegar 1/2 cup cold water Directions Shift the flour and salt together. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or two knives until the shortening is in pea size pieces. In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar. Add cold water. Stir the liquid into the flour mixture, adding just enough to make the dough cling together. Stir the water in with a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly. Then gather the dough into a ball, and separate into four portions. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. You can chill it overnite, covered, providing you leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Lightly flour surface and roll into circles. Then pat the dough into pie pans,…