Dawn McRae is passionate about food, and believes there is pleasure to be found in enjoying quality ingredients. We were lucky to have her sneak away from her busy life and sit down to talk with us about her company Custom Gourmet Catering. With over 17 years in the industry she has developed a personal cooking style that fuses international cuisines with her own West Coast flare. 
"Whether it be for a large event, a special occasion, an intimate in-home dinner party or a customized cooking class, let Custom Gourmet create a personalized menu for you that reflects your needs and wants. It is all about making the event a unique dining experience for you and your guests," quotes her website.
Guests will enjoy such globally inspired flavours as Moroccan, Asian, Indian, African and Mediterranean, incorporating such spices as ras el hanout, star anise, chimichurri, onion seeds as well as plenty of fresh herbs. Locally produced, fresh organic foods, seafood and artisan products from the Comox Valley are also intertwined into her dishes whenever possible.
For more info contact Dawn at Custom Gourmet Catering
Tel: 250.338.4350Info@CustomGourmetChef.com

The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home and that is what the Taku resort is trying to do by bring in top notch chef to teach the wonders of food  to their guests. We were luck enough to have Erin Rowsell come in and talk to us a little about the exciting things happening at the cookery. Taku cookery goal is to provide meaningful and inspiring hands-on culinary experiences with renowned Chefs that focus on local ingredients on beautiful Quadra Island, BC. Guest of up to 8 people are invited to participate in hands-on classes which have included French culinary weekends, Gourmet bread coarse Chocolate Indulgence and Flavours of India. Erin was excited to let us know about some of the upcoming course like February 22-23 Chef David Robertson from the Dirty Apron. For more info check out their website cookery@takuresort.com or call reservations: 250.204.2121 toll free: 1.877.285.8258

Guest speaker Gaetane Palardy of Island Gourmet Trails discusses the extensive opportunities we have here in the valley to showcase food through food tourism. She walks us through what a tour with Island Gourmet Trails looks like, with the emphasis on visiting the valley from a foodie angle. They also take a peek at the cooking classes Gaetane offers, and what it means to meet local producers and taste local food through product, restaurants, and other activities around food in the valley.
Jon reviews the local products he showcased over the past weekend during the event “Delicious Downtown.”

Chef Jonathan Frazier and co-host Darren Howlett explore options for the new year and express some of the possibilities that can unfold in their new studio space - “Studio Live” in Cumberland. Looking ahead they intend to focus on interviews, to resurrect the “foodie news” which showcases local food events happening in the community, and to launch into you tube clips which will include cooking demonstrations. An emphasis on going back to the basics, the fundamentals of cooking, and looking ahead to working with the Chef’s Association and What the beef is in BC! “You never know where its going to go” says Jonathan.

They also review the past podcasts, which include nearly 50 episodes focused on all aspects of food including Chefs, cuisine, farmers, diet, the local market and even composting. A request for help from listeners to bring forward what they would like to listen to, and to anyone with a fresh idea they are working on.

Brian McCormick joins us for another visit, along with his wife Lia, to explore their new enterprise, Clever Crow Herbs, Spices and Sea Salt.

We failed to get organized and secure a guest for this week, so it is a chance for a catch up show with Jon and Blayne.
Blayne has been busy, touring around the island visiting people and places. He also signed up for an online Permaculture Design Course. The course is offered by Geoff Lawton, arguably the foremost instructor of Permaculture in the world, and is based at the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia. Blayne is also trying to create a list of protein producers in the Comox Valley doing it right, pasture and grass based, with no G.M.O. feed for hogs or chickens. If you have any input please join the Comox Valley Paleo group on Facebook.
Jon has been working hard in the Cafe, getting set to launch a new menu, and ramping up for the ever busy summer season. He is also taking part in the B.C. Shellfish Festival Gala Dinner. This event is sold out, and promises to be a special meal for all in attendance. The N.V.I.C.A. installation dinner is coming up soon, with a pig roast at Dove Creek hall. Should be delicious!
Thanks for listening to the Edible Valley podcast. We gratefully accept donations to help with our hosting, as well as contributions of food ingredients to the Edible Valley test kitchen. Please feel free to contact us by email ediblevalley@gmail.com, follow our twitter feed (@ediblevalley) and like our facebook page

After much hard work completed by Jon, the Edible Valley studio is up and running and it was time to invite a guest to join us in studio. We were lucky to be joined by chef and author Joseph Forest, chef-in-resident at Innisfree Farm in Royston. After 25 plus years in the conventional restaurant and catering business, Joseph was chosen to join the team at Innisfree. He is now learning about food as medicine, ancestral ways of eating, and traditional ways of preserving the harvest. Joseph and Blayne could talk for hours about these subjects and will have many more meetings over the summer. Thanks Joseph!
Thanks for listening to the Edible Valley podcast. We gratefully accept donations to help with our hosting, as well as contributions of food ingredients to the Edible Valley test kitchen. Please feel free to contact us by email ediblevalley@gmail.com, follow our twitter feed (@ediblevalley) and like our facebook page

Hi all. After many weeks of research and learning, we are back in business. We now have the ability to do a much broader media show with the addition of an iMac and the GarageBand program! It is exciting to get back into the swing of things, and move forward with bringing attention to the food culture of the Comox Valley, to the area and beyond.
This week found Jon and Blayne in studio together with some events to chat about, including Dine Around Comox Valley and Jon's cooking demo at Beyond the Kitchen Door. News of the North Vancouver Island Chefs Associations Pasta Day is coming out, and we also touch on cooking oysters.
Thanks for listening to the Edible Valley podcast. We gratefully accept donations to help with our hosting, as well as contributions of food ingredients to the Edible Valley test kitchen. Please feel free to contact us by email ediblevalley@gmail.com, follow our twitter feed (@ediblevalley) and like our facebook page.

This episode we had a scheduling mix up with our expected guest, so we had to make alternate plans at the last minute. We decided to ask our beloved producer, Drex, to join us in studio and talk about the Edible Valley Test Kitchen event that we did at Beyond the Kitchen Door on November 13th. We mentioned this cooking demo on the show several times, which was by invite only to give thanks to several people at Jet FM and we also included Sue and Teresa from Beyond the Kitchen Door to enjoy a meal with us. Jon runs down the whole menu during this episode. Drex was happy to give us some feedback from someone who doesn't get to see a professional chef in action. Thanks for helping us out Drex!
For our Edible Valley Test Kitchen meal before the show, we were fortunate to receive a donated whole pastured chicken from Tannadice Farm in Dove Creek. Jon brined the bird and cooked it "beer can" style. The meat turned our moist and tender, and the skin was crunchy and salty, just the way it should. A side of coleslaw made with Eatmore Sprouts purple cabbage, smashed potatoes fried in butter and garnished with Blayne's homemade bacon, and savoury muffins. A ladle of flavourful gravy topped the whole plate. As always another amazing meal showcasing Comox Valley grown food.

Chef Andrew was raised in the Comox Valley and left to pursue his apprenticeship as a chef. He worked in many fantastic kitchens in many renown food locations such as Lake Louise, Tofino and Victoria, returning home to give his children a life that he remembers from his childhood. Andrew took the reigns of Crown Isle about three years ago and has done wonderful things with the restaurant. Look for the new menu as well as many upcoming events, including Wine Fest on November 3rd. Thanks so much for coming in and having a visit Andrew.
Upcoming Events courtesy of Hans Peter Meyer. Thank you for your contribution to Edible Valley. Visit Hans' site Eat Drink Comox Valley for the full list of events.

Blayne was fortunate to be allowed to wander the grounds of "Flavour-The North Islands Gourmet Picnic" at Coastal Black Winery this past Sunday. Armed with an iPhone, he wrangled a few interviews from willing participants. Some past guests and some new voices that we hope to have in studio at some point. Thanks to all involved in making this event such a huge success. Look for Flavour 2013, and get tickets early, as it is sure to sell out fast!

It was our pleasure to interview Chef Lesley Stav of the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort, and President of the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association. Lesley took to the kitchen as a second career after an injury prevented her from continuing on with her previous profession. Along the way she has worked at a variety of restaurants and chefs, volunteering and working hard to promote her industry. She is now fully immersed in the NVICA and all the great initiatives that the association has including bursaries for apprentices, a cookbook, chef exchange and Growing Chefs, which is a new thing that connects chefs with elementary school children and teaches them where there food comes from and what to do with it. Thanks Lesley for visiting with us and for all your hard work with the NVICA.
September 23rd- Flavour the North Vancouver Island Gourmet Picnic.  SOLD OUT. If you did not get a ticket for this years event, keep your eyes peeled for it again in 2013. I do believe the organizers are still looking for volunteers so this may be a way in. Contact them through the site. Visit the beautiful grounds of Coastal Black Winery and sample products from dozens of chefs and farmers from around the Comox Valley. Once again, Jon will be wearing many hats at this event. Blayne will be walking around and eating, what he does best! Island Soda Works will also be dishing out samples at this wonderful event.
The Comox Valley $100 dollar challenge. Join our initiative and help to keep dollars in the local economy.
Of course the Comox Valley Farmers Market twice weekly Saturday 9-12 at the Fair Grounds on Headquarters and Wednesday from 9-12 at the Comox Bay Farm.
If you are enjoying the podcast we would appreciate it if you would help us by hitting our donate button. Every little bit helps us to keep our hosting site paid up and maybe sponsor one of our pre-game meals.
Thanks for listening to our podcast. For suggestions or feedback please contact us ediblevalley@gmail.com, "like" our facebook page and follow our twitter feed @ediblevalley