Food Ink

Food. It's not just on your plate.

As a tribute to their cooking craft, many chefs are having their favourite ingredients and tools of the trade tattooed on their flesh.

Recently I returned to photographing food-related tattoos, something I started 8 years ago. (I'd forgotten how easy it is to get chefs to pull up their jackets, pant leg or otherwise remove an article of clothing!).

Here is a sneak peak of some recent snaps - scars, moles and all - with a link to my flickr page. I hope to add tatts from chefs not just from Victoria but from wherever I travel. I'll update it regularly as I add to the collection. Hope you enjoy it.

Saison Market

Will drive for food.

Set on nine glorious sloping acres in North Cowichan, Saison Market Vineyard is the newest farm market to open in the verdant Cowichan Valley. The farm is home to four grape varietals that are being grown to sell to wineries, and the plantings are situated on either side of the owner's home and market.

The farm is open only on Saturdays and Sundays, and is a popular stop for freshly picked farm produce, multi-coloured farm eggs, preserves and an array of freshly baked breads and pastries.

Saison is owned and operated by Ingrid Lehwald and Frederic Desbiens, no strangers to the food and beverage industry.

She trained as a baker in Napa with a Poilane protegee before opening Vancouver's Fieldstones Bakery, and he took his cooking apprenticeship in Burgundy before heading up the kitchen at Domaine de Chaberton.

Together they purchased the property three years ago, set about planting grapes and opened to the public earlier this year.

The bread selection runs deep: spinach and feta or a rosemary French bread, the best selling Farmer's Grain made from an organic grape fermentation to a cracked rye and a fougasse of garlic scapes and parmesan fougasse. All breads are made from organic wheat flour and other quality or organic ingredients.

The best thing is to take your purchase, served to you on a long blue tray, to the patio deck overlooking the vineyard.

The giant cinnamon-pecan escargot and chocolate brioche seemed like a good place to start.

Maybe a little apple kuchen.
A bit of pear and brie focaccio, followed by Tarte Flambe of bacon, onion and gruyere, and the ever popular bienenstich.
A lightly yeasted dough filled with creme leger and a sticky almond topping. There are many German specialties on offer at Saison and is a reflection of Ingrid's ancestry. Those recipes were taught to her by her mother who is regular visitor and taste tester.

In addition to all the breads, pastries and preserves, Saison also offers soups to take home, whole quiche, chocolate mousse cakes and a selection of flavoured dips to make any picnic complete.
Saison is located at 7575 Mays Rd., in North Cowichan. and is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.

Taste, Highlights from the Festival of Food and Wine

Sure there's nothing wrong with spending weekends exploring the various farms, vineries and restaurants Vancouver Island has to offer, but to capture a true local and regional taste without going far from home, Kathy McAree offers one stop shopping at her annual Taste festival.

Held over four days, the event kicks off with a showcase of the best in the Crystal Gardens. It's not only a chance to taste the region but to meet the folks behind the flavours.

Cocktails are always a welcome start and as a way to launch the dates for the 2nd annual Art of the Cocktail, mixologist Shawn Soole of Clive's Classic Lounge, created a different take on the Last Word.

A dehydrated lime slice held a gin and lime gelee topped with a marashino foam. Wow! No cumbersome glass, just one mouthful, beautifully balanced and so easy to imbibe.

Winemaker Giordano Venturi of Venturi Schulze was pouring tastes of their new Brut Natural, a blend of Auxerrois, Pinto Gris and Kerner grapes.

Masa Shiroki, B.C.'s only artisan sake maker - and rice grower - made a show with his sparkling sake, that we have unofficially dubbed, pro-sak-e. Think of it like prosecco on rice.

Cheese is essential to a well rounded menu and Salt Spring Island Cheese showed with a rind wash goat cheese, baked until melty and we tasters could dig in with chunks of bread.

The man behind the cheese is David Wood.

The chefs at the Grand Pacific always like to challenge themselves and do something unique. This year the boys made bison brisket, their own sauerkraut and a yellow mustard for brisket on bun. Too bad this isn't on their menu, or sold from a cart in front of the hotel, because it's a hit.

And Victoria would be a very dull place indeed without bon vivant Rob Anderson.

A sweet finish to the evening was offered by a collaboration between Victoria Gin's new Oaken Gin and chef Anna Hunt of Paprika Bistro. Oaken Gin truffles with a juicy raspberry on a stick.

Day Two of the festival was Sips and Seafood held on the back patio of the Arthur Erickson designed Inn at the Laurel Point.

The sustainable seafood was provided by FAS and prepared by the hotel's kitchen staff.

Victoria Gin represented with their humourous riff on the daquiri. The McAree finds muddled cucumber with equal parts Victoria gin and pear juice, with 1/4 part elderflower cordial, Victoria Gin's bitters, shaken over ice and garnished with a shiso leaf.

Tuna and salmon, candied and smoked.

Freshly steamed crab with corn bread and coleslaw.

A delightful jalapeno mignonette was being served with half shell oysters and it's a recipe I managed to scoop from executive sous chef Patrick Gayler. I will be posting that soon.

There was even a moule/frites station, with plump mussels steamed in Phillips beer.

From surf, Day Three celebrated the turf with the Swine and Wine afternoon at the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Crispy pork crackling, luscious pork belly and loin plus a selection of meaty treats created by hotel's team including Rick Choy.

I can't eat anymore.

Salade Nicoise

Nicoise olives, seared tuna, fresh green beans, tomatoes, boiled eggs, beets and iceberg lettuce, that was my version of the classic salad.

Drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette and sprinkled with parsley and tarragon, damn it was good.

Minestrone

Winter, spring, summer or fall, minestrone - that hearty soup with Italian roots - can be crafted with any season in mind, utilizing many kinds of ingredients on hand, from leftovers to delicate spring garden greens.

It's the perfect kind of dish for improvisation and that's exactly what I did. My version here was a summer minestrone with winter designs, perfect for the strange hot-cold summer weather we've been experiencing.

Garlic, celery, red onion and chopped-up stalks of kale and Swiss chard I'd been saving were sauteed in olive oil. I added cooked Costa Rican red beans, leftover chicken meat and finally chicken stock. The contents were brought to the boil and simmered for 30 minutes.

Chopped kale, Swiss chard and green beans were then added and simmered for five minutes.

Then came the flavour punch. Big bunches of basil, stems removed, were chopped and added. (Remember to save those basil stems, they are brilliant infused in olive oil and used as a finishing touch to braised vegetables, pizza or focaccia.) Two heaping spoonfuls of pesto were then added and about 5 ounces of freshly grated parmesan was heaved in.

Then came a big spoonful of pressed yogurt, stirred to combine. Served in heated bowls.

Verdant, earthy, luscious and so nourishing.

Quick and Easy

There were two standouts this week. First a recreation of the vongole we enjoyed in Olympia, Washington. Nothing more than fresh clams cooked in white wine, parsley and garlic, tossed in spaghetti noodles and finished with freshly grated parmesan and olive oil.

Secondly, I cut up a whole chicken - leaving the back parts for a future chicken stock - and marinated the pieces in the juice and zest of one lemon, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, olive oil, 2 chilies, salt and pepper. The pieces were then slow roasted on the barbecue, and served with salad of garden peas, basil, red pepper and lettuce from Saanich farm Sun Wing, and steamed artichokes, a gift from a neighbour's garden.

More sun please.