Harvest is here

October is harvest season in B.C. which means fresh fruit and vegetables, hearty soups, comfort foods and home-cooked meals.

SPIN caught up with Sun Peaks Resort’s junior sous chef John Swenarchuk, to chat about all things harvest this month.

Originally from North Vancouver, Swenarchuk has worked throughout B.C. including as a chef for a heli-skiing company and at a salmon fishing resort, before settling down in Sun Peaks two years ago.

Swenarchuk shares his secret recipe for Yam Soup, a great belly-warmer on those cold October nights.

“This is the month where the weather really changes. We go from 30 degrees down to one degree, so it means more comfort foods,” Swenarchuk said.

With Thanksgiving coming up, Swenarchuck also shares some delicious alternatives to the traditional Turkey dinner, giving a focus to B.C. produce.

Swenarchuk says the Okanagan is abundant with squash, corn, peaches, apricots, cherries and apples over harvest season, and they go great with a lot of dishes.

Yam soup with maple whip

“This is a very hearty and healthy soup that’s absolutely simple and not expensive. Fresh, B.C. apple juice gives the soup a sweeter flavour, and the yam gives it an autumn colouring,” Swenarchuk says.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds yams, peeled and chopped

1 white onion, roughly chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

500 ml apple juice

1 teaspoon garlic mince

Whipping cream

Maple syrup

Croutons to garnish

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sweat the onions and garlic together until softened. Add in the yams and a pinch of salt.
2. Cover vegetables with vegetable stock and apple juice and simmer until yam is very soft.
3. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
4. For the maple whip, add maple syrup to whipped cream until sweetened. Whip until firm.
5. Garnish soup with croutons and maple whip and serve.

A fresh take on Thanksgiving

Here are some great alternatives to turkey that you can try out for Thanksgiving:

Pork Chops

Pork is a great turkey substitute, according to Swenarchuk, and when it comes to pork chops, you can’t go past Berkshire Kurobuta.

Berkshire Kurobuta comes from an ancient line of black hogs, found only in Berkshire, England. Swenarchuk says it can be hard to find and pricier than a standard pork chop, but specialist butchers may be able to order it in.

“It’s not just pork, it’s something that’ll make you say “wow”. For a special occasion, Berkshire Kurobuta pork chops offer a richer flavour and a higher quality than your standard pork,” Swenarchuk said.

Regular pork chops will still make for a great turkey alternative.

Salmon

“I’m such a huge fan of salmon. It’s very versatile in my books. It’s a B.C. staple. The First Nations people have been eating salmon for thousands of years.”

Swenarchuk says salmon can be enhanced with a simple butter sauce or an apple butter sauce.

Halibut could also be substituted. “It’s another versatile fish, but it’s a little trickier to cook. Salmon would be my first choice.”

Vegetarian

A grilled vegetable and quinoa salad or pilaf can make for a great meat-free Thanksgiving meal, using the many colourful vegetables to make the salad pop.

Fresh herbs, like sage, thyme and bay leaves can be used to give a pilaf a “turkey stuffing” feel.

White beans and vegetable stock can be pureed as an alternative to mashed potato that provides a lot of protein, or try adding some beets to your mashed potato to create a beautiful pink mash.

Any of these dishes can be paired with the Yam Soup as an appetizer, while some fresh vegetables and an apricot and berry infused wild-rice can be used to complete the dish. For dessert, try adding cinnamon and clove to a crème brûlée “to give it that pumpkin pie feeling.”