In spite of the restaurant’s Italian name…and it’s food voice, Chef Rob Gentile cooks more “Canadian” than most chefs in the nation.

We first met out in the country near Stratford, Ontario one very cold winter’s day when he was taking his staff on a ‘road tour’ to see where their products come from. He buys his pork from Church Hill Farms and, in his honour, the owners Max and Vicki Lass had a nose to tail feast. It was extraordinary.

Then we met again recently at an event in Toronto where he was connecting with his friends, Derek Dammann of DNA and Alex Cruz of Societé-Orignal, the foraging company in Montreal that sells products like myrica gale and honey from the hives they’ve hung along the St. Lawrence River into the highest end restaurants of Montreal, New York…and to Buca.  It’s hard to say where you’ll find the perfumed Arctic roses that Alex harvests in northern Quebec or tiny green alder cones or pungent wild mustard seeds.  Rob Gentile is an avid a supporter of sustainable foraging, particularly if it makes one of his creations pop with flavour.  

Chef Gentile’s menus change every day.  One morning he may be picking up his first harvest of a particularly elusive Italian herb he’s had grown locally. On another day he’ll have sourced wild hare from Quebec to combine with bone marrow and porcini to fill hand made tortelli pasta (you can bet that flour comes from the Prairies) that he’ll moisten with Ottawa Valley sweet butter, the crunch of a few toasted hazelnuts before balancing it with chianti vincotto.   Buca antipasti (shown at right) is house cured salumi, assorted local and imported cheese and seasonal preserves. Bigoli is made from hand-cranked duck egg pasta with duck ragu, venetian spices, the richness of mascarpone and the taste of summer basil. There are beef short ribs braised in tomato and pork sausage (below left) before being served over soft, glistening Red Fife wheat and corn polenta, finished with the salty bite of good grana cheese.

His personalized suppliers list is a who’s who of Canadian farmers/foragers/fishers. 

Buca is one of about 300 restaurants that celebrate Food Day across Canada. Contact them at the number below to reserve a table.

Buca est l’un des 300 restaurants à travers tout le Canada qui participent au Journée des terroirs . Contactez Buca directement, au numéro ci-dessous, afin de faire votre réservation.

604 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1M6
T: 416-865-1600
www.buca.ca

When  Chef Ryan Crawford cooks, it’s from farms and purveyors as close to the back door of his restaurant as possible.   Upper Canada cheese, made with Guernsey milk, makes my favourite surfaced-ripened Brie-style cheese in the country ~ Comfort Cream.   One of their newest products is ricotta…it hardly gets any better.   He’s lucky to live in wine country because he has access to not only Cabernet Franc wine but also a vinegar fermented from the same grape.  

Foie Gras

• 4 – 2 oz slices foie gras, scored
• 1 cup Monforte cheese curds
• 1 tsp piment d’Espellette
• 2 tsps minced sage
• ½ tsp salt
• Fried sage leaves, for garnish

Goat Cheese Cream

• 100 g goat cheese
• 100 mL 35% cream
• Salt & Chinese 5 spice powder, to taste

Mix cream and cheese together.  Season to taste with 5 spice and salt.

Lentils

• 1 cup dried beluga lentils
• ½ onion
• 1 small carrot
• 2 clove garlic
• ¼ bunch thyme

Combine lentils, onion, carrot, 2 cloves garlic and thyme in a non reactive pot.  Cover with water.  Bring to simmer. Cook lentils until just tender.  Don’t overcook as lentils will go too soft very quickly.  Strain and chill in refrigerator.

Cabernet Franc Jus

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced button mushrooms
• ½ cup diced red onion
• ½ cup diced carrots
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup cabernet franc vinegar or other high quality, red wine vinegar
• 1 cup cabernet franc wine
• 1 litre reduced veal jus

Caramelize mushrooms, onions, and carrots with butter. Don’t burn. Add honey.  Caramelize quickly.   Add thyme, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaf. Deglaze with vinegar and simmer until vinegar is almost entirely evaporated.  Repeat with wine.

Add hot stock to vegetables. Simmer until sauce is thickened and jammy – 45 minutes.  Strain and reserve, adjust seasoning as necessary.    Add cooked lentils to half of finished jus. (2 separate sauces)

Gnocchi

• Salt
• 3 russet potatoes (1.5lb)
• 3 egg yolks, whisked
• ½  cup all-purpose flour
• 500 grams ricotta
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt
• White pepper
• ½ bunch sage chopped

Bake potatoes in their jackets until very tender. Peel and pass through a potato ricer.

Add ricotta, egg, nutmeg, sage, and salt.  Mix well to combine.

In a large bowl make a well in the flour; add potato mixture using a pastry scraper to cut flour into potatoes.  Continue turning and cutting dough until it comes together and is soft, supple, and slightly elastic.

Cut into four equal parts and roll each into a ¾“ log. Cut logs into ½” pieces.

Flour the tines of a dinner fork, tapping off excess.  Hold a dough piece between your thumb and forefinger, grasping at opposite corners and positioning it so a corner points towards you, diamond like.   Starting at the base of the fork tines, roll the dough over the top of the fork tines, changing from pinching with your thumb to pushing gently with your thumb.  Let the gnocchi fall from the fork.  The gnocchi should have a ridged side from the tines and a dimple from your thumb.  Flour the fork between each gnocchi.

Transfer gnocchi to a floured sheet pan and freeze.

To cook, simply boil frozen gnocchi for about 5 minutes in a large pot of salted water until they have puffed and float.  Toss with oil and allow to cool.

Deep fry at 375°F until crispy on outside.

To Complete:

Pan sear foie gras. Season.  Toss deep fried gnocchi with curds, salt, piment, chopped sage.

Ladle cabernet franc lentil jus on bottom of each plate.  Place gnocchi in centre of each place.

Drizzle warm goat cream and cabernet franc jus (no lentils) over gnocchi.

Top with seared foie gras and crispy sage.

Executive Chef/Sommelier Ryan Crawford
The Stone Road Grille, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON 

Chef Crawford has raised the bar for the Niagara Region by taking farm to table cuisine one step further. Chef Ryan Crawford won first place this year in Toronto’s Groundhog Invitational Charcuterie competition, for his innovative and creative approach to pork! He has been a guest chef on Toronto’s premier food network, Foodies, and is a current contender for Iron Chef Niagara. He has been acclaimed in Food and Drink, Vines Magazine, Bon Appetite, andWine Spectator.  He has apprenticed under Michael Stadtlander, Traci Des-Jardins, Hiro Sone, and Thomas Keller. Chef Ryan Crawford’s reputation has a global reach with repeat clientele from Europe, China, Japan, the United States, and Canada, putting The Stone Road Grille as one of Niagara’s most sought after food experiences.

The Waterfont Centre has a marvellous herb garden and was the second hotel in Canada to have it’s own bee hives. When Dana serves this at Heron’s , it’s a menu component in her Pan-seared Qualicum Bay Scallops, Smoked Bacon~ Lentil Ragout, Sherry Jus & Petite Pea Greens.

• 4 slices double smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrots small diced
• 1 rib celery small diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ lb green dry lentils, rinsed in cold water
• 1 litre chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, with a little extra for garnish
• 1 cup dry red wine or dry sherry

Heat a large, thick-bottomed pot (6 to 8 quart) on medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until much of the fat has rendered out and the bacon is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, onions, celery, stirring frequently, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan, cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant. Deglaze with red wine or dry sherry.

Add the rinsed lentils, stock, thyme, bay leaf. Add a teaspoon of salt and some pepper. You will season more to taste later. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook partially covered until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Correct seasoning if necessary.

Executive Chef Dana Hauser
Herons at the Fairmont Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Raised on the East Coast of Canada, Executive Chef Hauser developed a natural passion for local ingredients and being true to the product. Chef Hauser ignites her naturally embedded love for seafood and her true devotion to fresh, sustainable, seasonal ingredients. Intrigued by nurturing relationships with the neighbouring farmers who source the very elements that constitute her culinary creations, and a philosophy around fresh food innovation, Hauser constructs signature dishes that combine locally sourced ingredients into authentic West Coast flavour.

 
This is a wonderful home-style Persian dish, the kind that Hamid grew up enjoying.  The Cucumber Sauce is more of a method than an actual recipe.  Like all great chefs, he tastes as he goes. He’ll combine a cup or so of rich yogurt and grate in a clove of garlic (or more if you like garlic).  Chopped fresh mint is de rigeur as is grated lemon rind.  After he adds the rind, he’ll squeeze in the juice, again to taste.  It’s finished, at the last minute, with diced cucumber – as much as you’d like- and a sprinkling of coarse salt.  

Makes 7 – 8 servings.

For the Lentil Puree

• 1 ¼ cup lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ½ tsp salt

For the Meatballs

• Lentil puree (from above)
• 380 g  lean ground beef or lamb
• 2  large eggs
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pureed
• 150 g  shallots, pureed
• ½ – 2/3 cups  cilantro, chopped
• 1 lemon, peel only, rasped or grated finely
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• Canola oil, as needed for frying
• Sea salt and fresh lime juice, as needed

For the lentil puree, soak the lentils in water overnight.

The next day, drain the lentils and place them in a pot with the garlic and salt, then cover the lentils with tap water, until the water is about two inches above the lentils (about 750mL of water). Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until you are sure that the lentils are fully cooked.

Drain the lentils using a strainer, and then pulse the lentils in a food processor until they form a smooth puree.  Refrigerate the puree to chill it to and internal temperature of 4°C.

To make the meatballs

Working in a mixing bowl and using your hands, work together the meat and eggs, and then add in all the other ingredients until they come together.

Using your hands, make approximately 30 small meatballs (about 2 tbsp of mix per meatball.) Shallow fry the meatballs in a non-stick fry pan until the internal temperature reaches 60°C.

Drain the meatballs on a paper towel and season with salt and lime juice.

To serve: Place 4 meatballs on each plate or wrap in warm pita and serve with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

Cucumber yogurt sauce

• 200 grams of Greek style yogurt
• 5 grams of freshly picked mint leafs sliced
• Grated rind of 1 whole lemon
• Juice of 1 whole lemon (about 26g)
• 1 clove of garlic grated
• 2 g of kosher salt
• 60 g of diced cucumber

Place every thing in a mixing bowl and fold it together. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Executive Chef Hamid Salimian
Diva at the Met, Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

As Executive Chef of the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver and its restaurant, Diva at the Met, Chef Hamid Salimian brings a true respect for ingredients and a reputation for highlighting them through both traditional and modern cooking techniques. He takes Diva’s Cascadian cuisine to the next level with his creative, contemporary approach. Chef Salimian focuses on working with the region’s best farmers, fishers, and artisanal producers to develop relationships that, combined with Vancouver’s unique multicultural influences, result in Diva’s menus having a unique sense of place, traceability, and creativity.

 
Pickling fish is a very traditional way of preserving it but one not as widely used in Canada as it should be.   If you cannot find really fresh mackerel,  any firm white fish will work. This Lentil Salad could easily stand on its own as a filling for pita or as a topping for warm flatbread.

• 2 lbs  (1 kg)  whole mackerel, heads removed, fillet and deboned.
• 3 whole cloves garlic, peeled or if in season use 4 ramp bulbs
• 2 medium shallots, halved lengthwise
• 32 g ginger, thinly sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Additional olive oil, as needed
• Lentil Salad (Recipe Follows)

Add garlic, shallots, ginger, parsley, tarragon, and the rest of the spices in a pot.  Add salt, sugar and pepper then pour in water and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes.

Uncover and let cool, then transfer to nonmetallic container and add the two fillets of mackerel. Refrigerate for one day then remove from the pickling liquid and preserve in good quality olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

To serve, divide Lentil Salad between four chilled plates and top with the Pickled Mackerel.

Makes 4 servings.

Lentil Salad

• 1 ¼ cups green lentils
• 20 small cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup chopped shallots
• ½ cup trimmed and chopped radishes
• ½  cup minced fresh parsley
• ¼ cup of chopped mint
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 yellow bell pepper, brunoise
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup good olive oil

Cook lentils in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Place in large bowl, let cool.

Toss in the tomatoes, shallots, radishes, parsley, mint, pepper and cumin.  Add the lemon juice and olive oil.

Chef Jefferson Alvarez
Fraîche, West Vancouver, BC

Self taught chef, Jefferson Alvarez left Venezuela for Ottawa at age 16 where he briefly attended Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts School. It did not take long for the young chef to get itchy feet and within a year, Alvarez had packed up his knife and English dictionary and moved to Toronto to work at Centro under famed chefs David Lee and Mark Thuet. This ignited an intensity to absorb as much knowledge as he possibly could from Toronto’s culinary talents at restaurants around the city. 

 
This dish is a serious course in the elements of classic French cooking.   The Braised French Lentil Ragout is outstanding.   And yes, bison are being farmed (ranched?) on Vancouver Island, near Black Creek in the lush Comox River Valley. 

For six servings

• 6 X 4 oz  Island Bison Tenderloin
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups julienned white chipollini onions
• ¼ cup shallot, minced fine
• ½ tbsp crushed black peppercorn
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 12 strips Tannadice Farms double smoked bacon
• 1 quarts braised French lentil ragout (recipe below)
• 1 ½ cup Espagnol sauce (recipe below)
• 2 ½ oz Beaufort Winery cab sauv.
• 3 oz lavender jelly
• Coarse sea salt, to taste

Ask the Butcher to trim the meat and to cut it into six equal-size medallions.

In a small bowl, prepare the rub by mixing together all the following ingredients; 2 tbsp of olive oil, shallot, crushed peppercorn, basil, sea salt and fresh thyme. Rub each piece of bison on both sides.

Wrapped each tournedos with two strip of double smoked bacon and  secure with a wooden skewer or long tooth pick so the bacon strip remain nicely wrapped around during cooking process. Set aside on a platter and refrigerate.

Before cooking the meat, caramelized the onion with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, until golden brown.

Make sure that your braised French lentil ragout and espagnol sauce is hot and ready to serve. Sear the meat in a pre-heated barbeque grill then continue to cook in lightly oiled skillet over medium to low heat for four to six minutes on each side. Bison should be served medium rare as it is lean and may dry if overcooked.

Remove the tournedos from the grill and keep warm on a plate. Deglaze skillet with red wine, reduce by ¾ of volume and strain into the Espagnol. To serve, place lentil ragout in the center of the plate. Place tournedos garnish with warmed onion fondue. Finish with Espagnol and lavender jelly.

Braised  Lentil Ragout                 

Yield:   4 cups/1L

• 1 ½ cup green lentils
•  1 tbsp  butter
•  ½ cup diced smoked pork belly
•  ¾ cup diced  onion
•  ¼ cup  chopped  celery leaves
•  1 bay leaf
•  3 cups chicken stock
•  1 tsp  fresh thyme, chopped
•  1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
•  1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
•  ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
•  Salt and pepper to taste

In a braising pot, melt the butter at low heat, add the diced bacon, onion and celery. Sweat until the onions are translucent and add the lentils. Stir and cook dry for another five minutes. Pour chicken stock over the lentil and increase to high heat to bring to a gentle simmer, add the remaining of the ingredients and cook covered in a 300°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

The lentils should be tender without falling apart when done. Rectify seasoning if necessary. Keep warm for service. Add some water if consistency is too thick. Lentils should be tender but not falling apart.

Brown Stock

Yield: 2 quarts

• 4 lbs bison or veal bones; cut in 6 to 8 cm pieces.
• 10 cups cold water

Mirepoix:

• 1 cup large diced yellow onion
• 1 cup large carrot
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup leek
• ½ cup tomato paste

Sachet or Bouquet Garni:

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried whole thyme
• ½ tsp black peppercorn, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Place the bones in a roasting pan, one layer deep, and brown in a 375′F oven. Turn the bones occasionally to brown them evenly.  Remove the bones and place them in a stockpot. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and reserve the fat. Deglaze the roasting pan with part of the cold water.  Add the rest of the cold water to the bones, covering them completely. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Add a portion of the reserved fat to the roasting pan and sauté the mirepoix until evenly browned. Then add it to the simmering stock.  Add the tomato paste and sachet to the stock and continue to simmer for six to eight hours, skimming as necessary.

Strain, cool and refrigerate.

Espagnol ( Brown Sauce)

Yield:1 quart

• 1 ½ cup Mirepoix, equal amounts of diced onion, celery, carrot, leek
•  3 tbsp clarified butter
•  3 tbsp all-purpose flour
•  2 quarts brown stock
•  2 tbsp tomato puree

Sachet

• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bunch parsley stems
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the mirepoix in the fat until well caramelized.

Add the flour and cook to make a brown roux.

Add the brown stock and tomato puree. Stir to break up any lumps of roux. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add the sachet.

Simmer for approximately one and a half hours, allowing the sauce to reduce. Skim the surface as needed to remove impurities.

Strain the sauce through a china cap lined with several layers of cheese cloth. Adjust seasonings, cool and refrigerate.

Stock and brown sauce should be done in advance. They will keep refrigerated for three to four days.

Chef Ronald St. Pierre
Locals Restaurant in Courtenay, BC

Chef Ronald St. Pierre grew up in a small town East of Montreal in the middle of farm land. His first position was with Relais & Château Resort Les Trois Tillieuls.  He moved to Vancouver in 1982 and, like so many, fell in love with the west coast. In 1990 he and his wife Tricia moved to the Comox Valley where by 2008 they opened Locals-Food from the Heart of the Island, a restaurant showcasing regional food production. A totally passionate locavore, he is Chair of the Board of the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association and deeply involved in Comox Valley Tourism.

It’s interesting to watch chefs all tackle a challenge to develop a recipe.   Chef Dang has created a very ‘clean’ dish where all the flavours and textures are in concert one with another. 

Red Lentil Crusted Tuna

• 1 small albacore tuna loin, trimmed
• 2 cups red lentils, ground in a spice grinder then sifted
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper, finely ground
• 1 tbsp canola oil

In a bowl, combine lentils, salt and pepper.

Using a baking sheet, evenly spread out the lentil crust.  Roll the tuna loin in the crust, ensuring there is no exposed meat.

Pre-heat a heavy bottom frying pan or a very hot grill/griddle to high heat.  Sear the tuna loin on all sides for 20 seconds.  Once all sides have been seared, place on a wire rack and cool in the fridge.

To serve, slice loin into 1 cm thick slices.

Beluga Lentil and Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

• 1 cup beluga lentils, boiled in seasoned water until tender the drained
• 1 pint   cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp  sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp black pepper, ground
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely minced
• 1 tsp grainy mustard
• Salt, to taste

In a small pot, combine half the cherry tomatoes, honey, sherry vinegar, and black pepper.  Simmer until tomatoes are fully cooked.

Pass through a coarse sieve.  In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato mixture with all the remaining ingredients.  Season to taste.

To serve, slice tuna loin 1 cm thick and arrange on top of the lentil mixture.

Serves 6

Chef Quang Dang
West Restaurant & Bar, Vancouver, BC

Chef Quang Dang began his culinary career at West, where he worked as Junior Sous Chef. For the next five years, while working his way ever-upward in some of Vancouver’s finest kitchens, Quang quickly established himself as an advocate of sustainability and a champion of West Coast cuisine, a role that he continues to undertake in defining his approach to modern cookery. 

 
The dish says “Spring in British Columbia!”   Not only does Chef Filatow use the season’s first asparagus and the marvellous scallops harvested from the cold, fast flowing waters near Quadra Island, he’s used Arlo’s honey which several years ago won the top prize as Best in B.C. 
Spiced Arlo’s Honey Lime Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp cumin seed 
• 1 tbsp coriander seed
• 1 large shallot, minced 
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup Arlo’s Honey or your own favorite local honey
• 2/3 cup grapeseed oil
• Salt, to taste

Toast the seeds until fragrant. Grind fine in a coffee grinder.

Brown the shallots and garlic in 1/3 cup of the oil. Whisk in the honey and lime juice and remaining oil.

Season to taste with salt and reserve. It can be made a day ahead.

 Black Lentil Panelle

• 3 cups pork hock, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup Beluga black lentils, ground into flour in a coffee grinder
• 1 small spring fresh rosemary
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2.5 g piment D’Espelette or medium hot paprika
• Salt, to taste

In an oven proof saucepan, combine lentil flour with room temperature stock. Whisk over medium heat until it comes to a boil.

Cover and place in a 350F oven for 30minutes

Remove from the oven; add the remaining ingredients and salt to taste.

Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet to ½ inch thickness, let cool in the refrigerator until firm/set.

Cut into desired shapes and reserve.

Smoked Red Lentil Ragout

• ½ cup red lentils
• 1 small Spanish onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 2 cups water
• 1 ¾ cups diced tomatoes
• ½ cup mL olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• ½ cup minced parsley

Half the onion and smoke for two hours or if you don’t have a smoker triple the smoked paprika.

Dice the onion and sweat the onion and garlic together in the olive oil until translucent.

Add lentils, toast in olive oil for one minute.

Add spices, continue to toast for one minute. Stir in tomato and water and bring to a low simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender.

Season to taste with salt and parsley and keep warm.

Lentil-crusted Quadra Island Scallops

• ¼ cup red lentils
• 1 tsp coriander seed
• 1 scallop per person as appetizer
• Salt, as needed
• 1 spear of asparagus per person cut in three
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves, minced

Grind lentils in a coffee grinder until a coarse powder.

Pat scallops dry and season on both sides with salt and press each flat side of the scallop into the lentil dust.

Add ½” oil in a non-stick pan. Add the panelle and fry till golden brown on both sides. Remove and reserve.

Add a little more oil and toss in the green asparagus; briefly pan roast until bright green. Transfer to a bowl and season with the vinaigrette and cilantro.

Meanwhile heat a cast iron skillet, add a little oil and add scallops one at a time. Fry 45 seconds per side.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.

To serve, spoon lentil ragout onto individual plates, top with panelle and asparagus and top with a scallop.

Chef/Sommelier Mark Filatow
Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kelowna, BC

With over twenty years of experience, Mark Filatow represents the pinnacle of culinary excellence and is the driving force behind Waterfront Wines. After graduating with honours from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute, Mark honed his culinary skills at some of the most prestigious restaurants in British Columbia, including Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn, Vancouver’s Bishops and Diva at the Met. In 2001, Mark was accepted into the coveted Sommelier Guild, making him one of the only chefs in Canada with this level of skill in food and wine pairing.

 
Andy understands flavour! This dish, minus the yogurt topping, is totally vegan.   Using Red Fife flour, the heritage grain popularized by the Fife family in the mid-1800s  and one of foundations of Prairie agriculture, he creates crackers that would go well with cheeses or a hummus made, we hope, with lentils. 

• 2 yellow onions, julienned
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp cumin seed, toasted & ground
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted & ground
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo minced
• 3 cups red lentils
• 7 cups vegetable stock
• 4 lemons, juiced
• 2 cups shredded spinach
• Yogurt, as needed

In a large, heavy saucepan, cook and sweat the onions over medium low heat till they begin to caramelize.  Add the garlic and ginger. Cook ten minutes. Add the spices and cook for five minutes on medium heat.

Rinse the lentils until the water runs clean.  Add the lentils to the pot as well as the vegetable stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are creamy and tender, season with salt and pepper.  Add the lemon juice and cilantro.  Fold in spinach.

Serve with lentil crackers and top with yogurt.

Spicy Lentil Crackers 

• 3 cups Red fife flour or other organic whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cups of cooked lentils
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup canola seeds (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the ingredients together with paddle attachment in mixer until a dough forms. Add more water or flour to make a slightly sticky dough. Let rest, covered, for 30 minutes.

On a floured board roll out in small batches. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 325° on parchment lined baking sheets until golden brown.  Store in airtight container to preserve freshness.

Chef Andy Bujak 
Boxwood Café in Calgary, Alberta

 
Camelina is a new organically grown and processed oil from Saskatchewan.   It has a grassy flavour without the bitterness of some oils and excellent shelf stability.

Chef Winfield writes: “In the early spring at River Café I enjoy starting to  sprout legumes and pulses in our kitchen to get the feeling that the gardening season is  near.”

To Sprout Lentis:

Cover 1 C green lentils with water & soak 2 days at room temperature,

Place soaked lentils in a mason jar , wrap the lid in cheesecloth to allow air & leave on counter. Every 2 days pour water into jar, swirl around to rinse and pour out.  After 7-8 days you should see a healthy bunch of sprouts. The sprouts can last for up to 1 week in your fridge once sprouted, and be used for salads, broths or homemade breads.

Fritter Batter

• 1 c Highwood crossing organic flour
• 1c dashi ( Japanese traditional stock of Kombu, soy & Bonito flakes – recipe follows)
• ½ t salt
• 1t sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 fresh farm eggs

Combine all ingredients whisking vigorously, set aside

Dashi

• 1 L water
• 40g dulse ( Newfoundland dried seaweed. Or use konbu)
• 2 T soy
• 10g bonito flakes

Simmer for 1 hour all together at 140’f, set aside and cool.

To make fritter 

• 1c of sprouted lentils
• ¼ c of batter
• 4 wild ramps sliced thin
• small handful of bonito flakes
• 1 t ginger rasped on a microplane

Combine and reserve till ready to finish the dish.

Smoked Broxburn Onion Puree

• 1 large onion peeled and smoked lightly ( 10-15min)
• 1 L fish stock
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 star anise

Take smoked onion chop coarsely into large wedges.  Combine onion and stock, simmer for 1 hr on very low heat until au sec.

Remove star anise and bay.  Puree together in blender, keep warm.

Fresh Garden Dill- Camelina oil

•          ¼ c fresh chopped dill
•          ¼ c Camelina oil

To Finish

Season Ocean wise Albacore tuna with Course sea salt, cracked black pepper & olive oil

Let sit 20 min at room temp to take chill off  & allow seasoning to enhance tuna.  On a very hot grill; sear tuna on all sides for a total of 30-40 seconds

Set aside to rest and warm through.

Spoon fritter mixture into hot pan on medium heat with 1 T sunflower oil, spreading batter out so it is only 1cm thick  ( should make 3-4 fritters)

Cooking until golden on one side , then flip to cook 2^nd side.

Warm onion puree in small pot, whisk in 1 T cold butter and take sauce off heat.

Place a few spoonfuls of  warm onion puree onto plate , Add a golden Sprouted lentil fritter,  Slice warm tuna 1 cm thick , place on top of warm fritter.  Drizzle a generous amount of Dill-Camelina oil over tuna and around fritter.

“Feel free to add some seasonal Fiddleheads, Maybe local Green Beans, or a quick sauté of fresh Fava sprouts as well?”    Finish Tuna with a few flakes of sea salt.

Chef Andrew Winfield
River Café in Calgary, AB
Andrew brings together great skill and enthusiasm and takes genuine pleasure in the quality of each ingredient. He honours the hard work and dedication of every grower and farmer he sources from. He has long focused his efforts to bring to the table the best tasting food in the most responsible way.  He is dedicated to sourcing naturally grown and raised ingredients from farms, ranches, and growers, and wild seafood from sustainable fisheries.