Nova Scotia chef Craig Flinn has the solution for Canadians who yearn for fresh salads during our long winters.
“My philosophy is to try to avoid as much as possible imported greens and other salad makings,” says the owner of the award-winning Chives Canadian Bistro in Halifax.
But, he adds, “people have been telling me that buying local inflates their food budgets and I want to show that isn’t the case.”
The result is Fresh & Frugal: Easy and affordable recipes for market-fresh local food.
Flinn argues that historically people cooked only locally produced food, either what was in season or food that was put away for the winter. These items included frozen meat, salt-cured fish or preserved fruits and vegetables.
“In winter, I would much rather make a roasted beet, goat cheese and walnut salad with some greenhouse fresh herbs and basil leaves,” Flinn says.
At this time of year, for his restaurant customers, he relies on locally grown greenhouse produce like bok choy and other Asian greens.
Flinn, 39, studied contemporary and classical cuisine in Europe, Canada and the U.S. He remembers how frugal he had to be as a student.
In his introduction he explains the difference between cheap food and eating frugally.
“Cheap means bags of chips and no-name mac ’n’ cheese,” he writes.
“Frugal food to me is the balance between choosing very good food that is delicious and enjoyable yet doing it by living within your means.”
He presents recipes using less expensive cuts of meat and other budget-conscious ingredients. So there are mouth-watering examples such as Cider-Glazed Ham Hocks, Curried Coconut Mussels and Pie with Butterscotch Bananas.
And he gives the approximate price per serving on all the recipes. The book is studded with colour photographs of most of the recipes by Jen Partridge.
Here is Flinn’s recipe for a wonderful warm winter salad.
Roasted Parsnip and Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
500 g (1 lb) brussels sprouts
1 kg (2 lb) parsnips
30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
125 ml (1/2 cup) cranberry-orange vinaigrette (recipe follows)
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
50 ml (1/4 cup) dried cranberries
50 ml (1/4 cup) cranberry juice
Juice and finely chopped zest of 1 large orange
30 ml (2 tbsp) cider vinegar
125 ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook brussels sprouts for 6 minutes or until fork-tender. Shock them in cold water to stop the cooking and keep them green. When cooled, cut them in half from top to bottom and set aside.
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Peel parsnips and remove any dark woody ends. Cut them lengthwise into quarters or eighths, depending on their overall size. Toss them in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a pan and bake in a single layer for about 15 minutes, then add brussels sprouts to pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes just to warm them through. Place vegetables on a platter and dress with vinaigrette. Serve warm garnished with parsley.
Makes 4 servings.
Vinaigrette: Finely chop dried cranberries and allow them to hydrate in cranberry juice for 30 minutes. Add orange zest and juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Whisk together and store in a mason jar. Give vinaigrette a shake just before using as it may separate.