Food

Whether you call her Mom, Mother, Momma, or Mum, an afternoon tea is the perfect way to celebrate that special person in your life. It can not only be a fun and elegant occasion but also offer a wonderfully relaxed celebration.

These richly flavored tacos balance the earthiness of shiitake mushrooms and green lentils with the sweetness of cabbage, the sourness of green tomatoes, and the distinctive flavor of an aromatic treat from our herb garden. Green coriander seeds are the tender immature seeds of the cilantro plant. Before they dry, their flavors are intensely sweet and fresh. Their brief season is preserved in this distinctive jam. Green tomatoes are a regular part of our farm too—not every tomato ripens in our Canadian climate!

We grow many things well on our farm, but sweet potatoes are not one of them—our growing season is too short. So instead, we rely on farmers in much warmer climates to do it for us. Nonetheless they are a nutritional powerhouse, and one of my favorite vegetables. Baking is my preferred way to cook them. We do grow lots of fragrant cilantro, and through life-cycle harvesting we enjoy its aromatic leaves, green coriander seeds, and lacy white flowers. The pesto brings together lots of citrusy cilantro leaves and bright balancing flavors in a tasty condiment ready to complete a deliciously baked sweet potato.

Gnocchi are easily made deliciously chewy dumplings that are part mashed potato, part pasta.  They’re particularly tasty simply browned and crisped in butter. Tender spinach is puréed into a bright green sauce scented with fragrant nutmeg. Orach is an ancient vegetable with a savory mineral flavor like spinach and chard. Its microgreens and tender leaves pair beautifully with earthy potatoes.

Simple techniques elevate broccoli and cauliflower in this delicious side dish. Smooth white cauliflower purée and chickpea flour make gluten-and dairy-free yet memorably crisp fritters. Briefly cooked broccoli is smoothly puréed into a bright green sauce with lots of mellowed garlic.

Hummus and vegetables or crackers are an easy fibre- and iron-filled snack that always helps get a party going. With the addition of black beans and bright flavours of lime, chili, and cilantro, this Middle Eastern staple gets a decidedly Mexican treatment.

Our version of the Italian classic stays true to the simplicity of its colour palette, but instead of basil, we’ve given it an Argentine twist by drenching it in a luscious herb chimichurri. The sauce—containing parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil and red chili pepper—is typical of Argentina but is now loved the world over and is often used as a garnish for meats and fish. It works well with flavourful tomatoes and cheese and gives a well-known classic a new outlook.

For this cross-cultural take on tacos, sockeye salmon is marinated with yogurt and a fragrant but mild tandoori-style spice full of the warm flavours of cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and cardamom. After grilling, omega-3-rich salmon is enclosed in a warm corn tortilla and topped with spicy Mexican-style radishes and red onion pickled with lime juice and jalapenos for a kick of heat.

The Cobb salad is a much-adored American classic created in 1937 at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, owned by Robert Cobb. Using ingredients from the Spanish culinary canon gives this classic a Spanish twist while staying true to the spirit of the original. Manchego cheese and serrano ham stand in for blue cheese and bacon, eggs get a dusting of smoked paprika, and avocados are replaced with olives, while chicken is given the Spanish treatment with rubbed garlic and rosemary prior to roasting. Our salad is finished with a light and sunny orange-based vinaigrette.

Everyone loves a burger, and turkey is a great―and healthy―option that’s also a sponge for flavour. Here, we’ve been inspired by Vietnamese flavours of mint, cilantro, fish sauce, lime, and chilies. These burgers have a nice hit of heat and are topped by a luscious slaw of cabbage and carrot with a light dressing, reminiscent of a Vietnamese-style salad.

Sweet cherries are the traditional filling for clafoutis, a classic French dessert that lies somewhere between a custard and a Dutch baby pancake. For this version, we employ the flavours of Iranian sweets—rosewater, saffron, pistachios—whose flavours also work well with cherries. Call it a crossover clafoutis.

Indulge your senses in a refreshing burst of vitality with this exquisite Blackberry Bellini, a delightful beverage that combines the succulent richness of blackberries with invigorating hints of rosemary and zesty lime.

Elevate your summer dining experience with a healthy twist on a classic appetizer. This grilled cacio e pepe (“cheese and pepper” in Italian) Caesar salad lends its savoury and peppery flavours to this refreshing dish. Featuring white beans and toasted whole wheat bread crumbs, this salad is an innovative and nutritious dish that not only satisfies your taste buds but also provides a wealth of wholesome benefits.

Transport your taste buds to a sun-soaked picnic with this irresistible gluten-free focaccia sandwich. As we embrace the warmth of summer, there’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked focaccia paired with savoury meats and vibrant fillings. This recipe combines the rustic charm of homemade gluten-free bread with a medley of summer flavours, promising a mouth-watering experience that’s both comforting and invigorating.

Elevate your summer gatherings with this Italian pasta salad. Bursting with Mediterranean flavours and vibrant colours, this refreshing dish is a celebration of seasonal produce. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or a light lunch on a sunny day, each forkful delivers a symphony of fresh ingredients and zesty dressing, promising to delight your taste buds!

Heaps of saucy veggie noodles make for a satisfying summer dish. This no-boil “pasta” meal is light and refreshing, and offers a slew of nutritional benefits. It’s not great served as leftovers, so only toss the amount of veggies with hemp sauce that you are going to serve at once. The sauce and spiralized zucchini, however, can be prepared ahead of time.

Indulge in the epitome of summer sweetness with this lemon tiramisu, reimagined with wholesome ingredients for a delicious treat. Crafted with creamy cashews, organic eggs, luscious coconut cream, and the aromatic essence of real vanilla bean paste, this dessert is a harmony of flavours and textures that will tantalize your taste buds with each heavenly bite.

This showstopper entree is the refreshing dish you want on your summer playlist. A combo of citrus-marinated salmon, creamy avocado, and brothy tomato hits all the right notes: sweet, creamy, fatty. Gorgeous.

This raw, vegan tower of power helps you go the distance on healthy meals that are undeniably photo-worthy. The texture of the cashew “cheese” is soft, pillowy, and moist, just like the real deal. You’ll want to use big, juicy garden-fresh tomatoes here.

It’s here: the no-bake cake of your dreams. It’s tender, it’s cakey, it’s naturally sweetened and warmly spiced, and it’s rich in beneficial fats and dietary fibre. The creamy cashew frosting is the icing on the cake, so to speak. For a grain-free option, you can replace wheat germ with coconut flour. Other garnish options include blueberries, cacao nibs, or even edible flowers.

This satisfying Thai-inspired salad provides a riot of texture, flavour, and visuals. And its ingredients house troves of nutrients and antioxidants. If you wish this salad to be more in the spirit of truly raw, use peanut butter made with raw peanuts or make your own using unroasted peanuts.

Sun-kissed blueberries, silky tofu, and fragrant edible lavender team up to make a bowl of flavourful nutrition to breathe new life into your breakfast routine. You can even add a few spoonfuls of muesli to the topping for a more substantial meal. The pudding also works as a healthy dessert or even a post-workout recovery snack. Culinary lavender is typically cultivated from Lavandula angustifolia plants and has a lot less oil than the aromatic lavender used in perfumes or soaps, which you should not use in recipes.

Chickpeas are high in protein and B vitamins, which help support healthy neurotransmitters and a good mood. We love the yogurt here because it’s an easy way to incorporate probiotics into a savory meal, so they can strengthen your gut to keep you feeling healthy and uplifted.

Salad may seem like an odd thing to eat for breakfast but, truthfully, many people around the world do eat it for their morning meal. We often think of sweet things when we think of breakfast, but why not get in your rainbow of veggies and fiber early in the day? Plus, salad for breakfast can be refreshing and invigorating. Eating colorful, fresh vegetables, especially in the morning, energizes your brain and body. We have a deep love for Middle Eastern flavors, which is why this salad slightly resembles tabbouleh. The star spice here is sumac, which you can find at most grocery stores—it’s a gorgeous reddish purple and tastes lemony. This salad’s high fiber content promotes blood sugar balance, which helps keep energy levels and mood stable. and steady.