Photography by John James Sherlock

First up is “Fresh” by John Bishop, Dennis Green and Dawne Gourley.  John Bishop is the owner of Bishop’s restaurant in Vancouver that is known for using organic, locally grown produce.  Fresh is divided into recipes for the various seasons: spring and early summer; late summer and early fall; and late fall and winter. Each section highlights the ingredients available in those seasons.  The layout is appealing, the images enticing and the recipes delicious. 

I had some beets ready in my garden and was enticed into creating Beet Ketchup to serve on Chicken Burgers with Sunflower Seeds, Cilantro and Ginger.  While the beet ketchup was unlike any other ketchup I’ve had before, I enjoyed it and it really complimented the chicken burgers nicely.  The burgers were also interesting in that the chicken was ground allowing the other items to be mixed into the chicken before grilling.  The beet ketchup and a wasabi mayonnaise topped the burgers.  My only complaint with this dish was the amount of beet ketchup it created.  As written, the recipe yielded 4 cups of beet ketchup which was clearly too much for the four chicken burgers.  That may have been alright if a list of other uses for the ketchup were provided, but they weren’t.  I made a third of the beet ketchup recipe and had plenty for the burgers. 

Not all of the recipes in Fresh are produce focused.  In fact, many of the recipes focus on seafood or meat while remaining appropriate for the season.  For example, the Sesame Sushi Rice Cakes with Smoked Salmon, see recipe below, is a great early summer appetizer.  Similarly, the Roasted Prime Rib with Mushroom Jus is a perfect entrée for the peak of mushroom season in the early fall.  While I’d like to have seen a bit more of an emphasis on using vegetables, I really like that the recipes are seasonally appropriate even if many are meat centric.

Fresh has about 30 recipes in each of the three seasonal sections.  The recipes range from appetizers, to main entrées, to sides and desserts.  Clearly, with that number of recipes I won’t find something for every ingredient every season but the recipes are interesting and appealing so I suspect I will trying out many more of the recipes.

Sesame Sushi Rice Cakes with Smoked Salmon

From Fresh: Seasonal Recipes Made with Local Foods by John Bishop, Dennis Green & Dawne Gourley. C 2007. Published by Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 4 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon

Place rice in a strainer and rinse well under running water. Drain, transfer to a medium pot with a lid, add the 1 cup of water and soak for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before lifting the lid. 

While the rice is cooking, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.

Turn rice into a large bowl, add half the dressing and stir with a cutting and turning motion. Add the remaining dressing and continue to stir until rice has cooled to room temperature. Store at room temperature, covered with a damp towel, until you are ready to make the rice cakes.

Add sesame seeds to sushi rice and combine. Using a spoon, form rice into small cakes, each about 2 inches in diameter and inch thick.

Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat. Fry cakes until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

To serve: Top each cake with a small slice of smoked salmon and arrange on a serving platter.

About Fresh

Bishop’s Restaurant is famous for its use of organic, locally grown produce and sustainable seafoods, from peaches to chanterelles, from Fanny Bay oysters to Fraser Valley lamb. Owner John Bishop regularly meets with the region's farmers and fishers, learning about their cultivation and conservation practices and building a community of growers as committed to good food and a healthy environment as he is. Fresh combines more than 100 of Bishop’s award-winning recipes with the stories behind the ingredients: where they come from, how they’re harvested, who nurtures them as they grow. Choose from luscious creations such as mascarpone cheese and tomato coulis, dry-rub pork ribs with corn muffins, or pan-roasted sablefish with mussel chowder, finished with a hazelnut tart or a steamed pudding with homemade jam. Packed with tips on preserving fruits and vegetables, Fresh is an exquisite homage to local, sustainable food and the committed growers who raise it.

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