Winter Storm Watching Works Up An Appetite and this Month's Recipie

The vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean can be an oasis of calm during our languid summer months, but at this time of year the waves come crashing onto shore with what seems like a never-ending ferocity during the winter storm season. Human fascination with the power of the ocean has led to an active tourism component in the off-season on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, where resorts such as the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino promote ‘storm watching’ as ‘the thing to do’ when the weather is otherwise lousy for doing anything else...except maybe for surfing in full wetsuits! Shoreline hikes in brisk sea air always make me ravenous, and over the years Tofino has continued to enhance a reputation for both fine dining and casual fare. On my last visit I tried a few new places and was delighted with the results. At the Spotted Bear Bistro owner-chef Vincent Fraissange has brought a grade A French cuisine pedigree to Tofino after an apprenticeship at Le Crocodile in Vancouver and stints at Lumiere and Feenie’s.

It’s a small space, just 10 tables, but with a vaulted ceiling and warm wood finishing the Spotted Bear is cosy but not cramped. Fraissange is open to suggestions for special menus with advance notice, and for a special meal just before friends were to be married in Tofino he presented an excellent meal featuring crab as the main ingredient. Over the course of the evening we enjoyed crab rolls wrapped with smoked sockeye salmon, a tangy fennel, apple and crab slaw, an Asian influenced broth loaded with crab legs, seared fresh salmon and shrimp dumplings, and an impeccably-cooked piece of beef topped with a crab Béarnaise sauce. Repeat visits recommended.

Sobo had its beginnings in a catering truck plopped into a gravel parking lot just outside of Tofino and quickly won raves for its no-nonsense fish tacos. Now Sobo is right downtown, but still pulling in the crowds with a wider ranging menu...but the fish tacos are still good. Taking its place in the parking lot is the Tacofino Cantina, another catering truck, this one all gleaming stainless steel and bright orange paint...they make a mean pulled pork taco and savoury gringas, a variation on the quesadilla.

Tannadice Farms

Anyone one who knows me knows that the consumption of pork is almost like a religion to me. As Homer Simpson maintains, a pig is a magical animal because of all the different kinds of products it can be turned into. Bacon, chops, hams, pork belly, crackling, meatballs, smoked hocks, the list goes on and on. So you can imagine I was in a bit of pork heaven when I visited Tannadice Farms in the Comox Valley. Owned and operated by Heather and Allen McWilliam since 1974, pork is just one of their specialties. The pigs are raised in large, open to the air barns with no crowding and possibly one of the cleanest ‘pig pens’ I have ever seen. The pork has a lot of flavor, so you know you’re eating something special. Area chefs agree ... in visiting area restaurants featuring local products on the menu, Tannadice Farms popped up in several establishments.

Getting to know the farmers that produce my food remains one of my favourite pastimes. While it’s hard for us living on Vancouver Island to source all of our ingredients locally, there’s no reason why some of our most important and most expensive purchases shouldn’t be done locally. It takes just a little bit of effort to find farmers who are dedicated to providing a clean, tasty product.

If you get tired of the winter rains pouring down and storm watching isn’t your thing, how about just relaxing with a glass of wine while a pork roast braises in your oven? I came up with this recipe when I was trying to adhere to a ‘100-Mile Diet Goal’, and with that effort I mentioned, you can locally source everything in the ingredient list except for the salt and pepper.

Braised Pork Shoulder Butt with Blueberry Sauce - Serves 4

For the Pork:
1 2-3 pound pork shoulder butt, tied
2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ cup blueberry or cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 325F.  Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and place it in a Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot.  Add in the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and cider, cover, and roast in the oven for about 3 hours, turning the pork roast from time to time so all sides have a chance to get some colour. When the pork is tender, remove from the pot and set aside, tenting with foil to keep warm.  Strain the juices into a small pot or measuring cup, and then proceed with the blueberry sauce. Put the pot you braised the pork in on your stovetop and turn heat to high.  Add in the vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Then add the blueberries and the strained juice you reserved from the roast.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and add the honey.  Simmer until the berries are soft and broken and the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency. (blueberries are high in pectin which will aid in the thickening process) Season to taste.  Slice and plate the pork, pour on the sauce and serve with a salad and starch of your choice. The first time I made this recipe I made a roasted beet salad and diced potatoes fried in goose fat or olive oil.