"Episode 229, Exploring the Essence of Oysters"

In Episode 229 of The Edible Valley Podcast, hosts Chef Jonathan Frazier and William Stringer delve into the fascinating world of oysters, focusing on their significance in Pacific Northwest cuisine and the unique farming methods used in Vancouver Island. From discussing the rich history of oysters in the region to exploring the pristine waters surrounding Vancouver Island and their impact on flavor, Chef Jonathan and William provide valuable insights into the cultivation, cooking techniques, and wine pairings for these delectable shellfish. Join them on a culinary journey as they uncover the secrets of these ocean delicacies.
 
Classic Mignonette sauce is a simple and flavorful accompaniment for fresh oysters, known for its tangy and slightly sweet taste. Here's a traditional recipe for making Mignonette sauce:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: a pinch of salt to taste
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, finely minced shallots, cracked and black pepper,. Stir well to mix all the ingredients together.
Taste the Mignonette sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If desired, add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the Mignonette sauce for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Before serving, give the Mignonette sauce a final stir to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
To serve, spoon a small amount of the Mignonette sauce over freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell just before eating. Alternatively, serve the Mignonette sauce alongside the oysters in a small dish for dipping.
Mignonette sauce is best when made fresh and served immediately, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. Give the sauce a quick stir before using it to refresh the flavors.
Feel free to customize the Mignonette sauce to your taste preferences by adjusting the quantities of shallots, black pepper, . Some variations include adding minced fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, or tarragon for added flavor complexity.

Episode 100 "The first 100"

#100 – We did it! We hit our first major milestone with episode 100. Passing this threshold would have felt off if we had anyone other than Mr. Blayne Prowse as our guest. There would not have been an episode100 without him. There would not have been an episode 1 without him!
 
Jon, Darren and Blayne take this opportunity to reflect on the podcasts beginnings and through it’s hurdles, adjustments,refinements and victories. They also speak to where EdibleValley is heading for the next 100 episodes – format, guests, and changes. Listen in and find out some of their favorite episodes, some that may have been a little more challenging and some that changed their lives entirely.
 
Thanks for tuning in. We share this milestone with you, our cherished audience. Thank you!

Episode 40- Author Miles Olson: Unlearn,rewild

Miles Olson came to Blayne's attention a few month back with the release of his book "Unlearn, Rewild" in 2012.

Episode 38: Matt Wright from the B.C. Shellfish Festival

On the eve of the B.C. Shellfish festival, Matt Wright was happy to take a break from his hectic schedule to join us in studio to talk about the coming event.

Episode 37- Paleo with Dr. Don Wilson

Our great pleasure to bring to you our friend Dr. Don Wilson to the Edible Valley studio. Don has been following the show since last fall, and was happy to come in to talk about the Paleo lifestyle, indigenous foods, and oolican oil! From the early days in Bella Bella eating wild seafood, to today searching out the cleanest foods possible in "Paleo Paradise", Don has much to share about the journey to heath and wellness. Thanks Don for teaching us all a number of things for vitality, avoiding illness, fermenting (find Sandor Katz book here) and the microbiome!
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

Episode 26: Prontissima Pasta and Call of the Wild Seafood

A chance encounter this week by Jon and Sarah Walsh of Prontissimo Pasta at Atlas Cafe this past weekend resulted in the news that Prontissimo Pasta was re-opening after a four month hiatus. Sarah is welcoming Julie Edwards who is bringing wonderful central coast seafood to our market, via N'usi Seafood of Bella Bella. The bringing together of pasta and seafood is an easy, one stop shop for a quick dinner or a gourmet party meal for however many you can feed. Prontissimo will be scaling back some flavours and pasta shapes, and will still offer some of their proven favorites, as well as gourmet olive oils and Parmesan cheese. Call of the Wild will be offering frozen dungenese crab, shrimp, salmon and Julie hopes to bring in other gifts of the sea, such as sea cucumber and possibly dried seaweed. This is an exciting collaboration for our food community, bringing an familiar product back to the market and a new face to the scene. Stop by the location in Tin Town this Saturday from 10 until 5 at 2384 Unit C Rosewall Crescent in Courtenay. Sarah and Julie will be offering samples as well as specials on frozen crab. I might just have to show up and pick up a box!
This week in the Edible Valley Test Kitchen was a collaboration between chef and hunter. Blayne supplied some venison meat for Jon to create a delicious goulash. He added some dumplings and steamed broccoli. Goulash is a perfect meal for this time of year. Comforting and hearty.
Thanks to Hans Peter Meyer and Bon Vivant Vancouver Island for participating in Edible Valley with his collection of exciting food events for December.

Flavour

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!

Episode Six: Commercial fishing family

This episode we had the opportunity to pay a visit to Theresa Noot and her daughter Kyla Savage in "Gum Boot Country" at their home in Merville BC. Theresa and her husband Tim have been commercial fishing for salmon, halibut and tuna for over 30 years. Kyla was raised in the industry, and worked seven consecutive seasons on the "Titanium" with her dad. We were able to be educated on the ins and outs of how commercial fishing licensing works, where to find tuna in BC waters and how many gumboots they own. It was a great informative visit, and we were graciously gifted with romaine lettuce, kale, basil, garlic scapes and some tasty, perfectly ripe raspberries.
To contact Theresa or Kyla to purchase frozen at sea salmon call their house at (250)338-0587, or email Theresa at tnoot@shaw.ca
The strawberries are ready at Ashberry farm in Royston. I was busy this weekend getting a good pile in my freezer. I feel so good to put local organic ingredients in my storage.
The Comox Valley 100 dollar challenge is an initiative started by Russ Mahy, friend of the Edible Valley. It is a Facebook based challenge where his dream is to get 1000 Comox Valley familys to shift $100 dollars of their grocery budget monthly to local producers, thus injecting 1.2 million dollars into our hardworking farmers pocketbooks, and away from the multi-national faceless corporate run food system. Please have a look and consider joining up. If you are already supporting local agri, we want you too. Help spread the word.