Good Taste Summer 2020

Good

Delectable Desserts • Flynn Lobster Shack • Keep nourished

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Summer 2020

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Compliments of

Summertime Cocktails Blue Roof delights

Cottage Delights

Chef Alain shares favourites

Spice It Up!

Hill’s Jamaican Jerk lives dishes

Grill-ready Mix and match burger options for the whole family.

TRY ME

STEVE SMITH/VISIONFIRE

On our cover: Summertime cocktails are just the thing for enjoying on your deck.

Photo by Steve Smith/VisionFire.

Contents

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Salvaging success out of adversity

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Chef Joel Aubie—Fresco Kitchen

by Andrew Hergyers

Imagine summer’s here and the living is easy

by Alain Bossé

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Put a little spice in your life Get to know Hill's Jamaican Jerk

by Alain Bossé

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STEVE SMITH/VISIONFIRE

Cottage Living Favourites

Delectable Desserts, Dartmouth NS

by Alain Bossé

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Thinking ahead Blue Roof summer cocktails anyone?

STEVE SMITH/VISIONFIRE

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Local hot spot

by Alain Bossé

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Keep nourished regardless Navigating your food through the pandemic

by Maureen Tilley, PDt.

Out & About in Atlantic Canada Flynn Lobster Shack, Souris PEI

STEVE SMITH/VISIONFIRE

by Alain Bossé

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Good Taste is a special insert in Saltscapes magazine, published by Metro Guide Publishing, 2882 Gottingen Street, Halifax, NS B3K 3E2. Tel: 902- 464-7258, Sales Toll Free: 1-877-311-5877 Contents copyright 2019/2020.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent of the publisher. PRINTED IN CANADA.

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Andrew Hergyers

CHEF PROFILE

Chef Joel Aubie at Fresco Kitchen.

Salvaging success out of adversity Chef Joel Aubie—Fresco Kitchen

By Andrew Hergyers

C ANDREW HERGYERS

hef Joel Aubie was headed to the local hardware store to pickup some odds and ends for his new restaurant, Fresco Kitchen, when he received a frantic call from a friend. “Joel, there’s smoke coming out of the building... your restaurant is on fire!” Fresco Kitchen was destroyed just two weeks ahead of the grand opening in downtown Bathurst, New Brunswick. Some small business owners might have taken this as an ill omen and immediately called it quits but not Joel. He was determined to see his goal realized.

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full-fledged restaurant where he could spread his culinary wings and provide a broader offering to his customers.

He found a vacant space downtown at 224 King Avenue where he designed and built his custom kitchen, dining room, and bar from scratch.

Tragedy struck when a fire started in an upstairs apartment two weeks before the launch of Fresco Kitchen. Joel painfully describes how water from the fire hoses rained directly down into his kitchen, quickly freezing in the frigid winter weather and destroying the newly renovated kitchen. It was a total loss and a devastating blow. You can still feel the shock he experienced that day in his voice.

In the aftermath, he recalls, “The support from the local community was tremendous,” as he remembers the many people who reached out to offer him encouragement and help. His comeback was also helped by the decision to continue operating Jobie’s Food Truck for another summer in order to rebuild the restaurant. Always looking on the brighter side of things, it gave him an opportunity to reconsider the restaurant’s layout and expand to add more seats than

originally planned. Fresco Kitchen did open later that year.

In November 2017, the 34-seat restaurant specializing in modern Canadian cuisine made its debut and has been in successful operation ever since. The new restaurant gives Joel the opportunity to expand his repertoire as a chef while bringing a great dining experience to the local community and also visitors to northeastern New Brunswick. Fresco Kitchen is a casual-fine dining experience where you can enjoy honest, home cooked food prepared with fresh ingredients from local farmers and beverage suppliers in the region.

The Big Deal Produce Market and McLean’s Fish Shop have both served as long time staples in the Bathurst area offering fresh local produce from farmers in the surrounding region and seafood from the traps of local fishermen. Joel has forged working relationships with a number of next generation farmers and entrepreneurs in the region including Kyle Hodnett and Anna Slater of Steady Spade Farm in the neighbouring community of North Tetagouche.

Joel says, “I’ve been working with Steady Spade Farm over the past five

Andrew Hergyers

Joel Aubie has a personal connection and a long-standing appreciation for preparing home-made food with home-grown vegetables. His early interest began while helping his father cultivate vegetables at the family garden overlooking the Bathurst Basin on scenic Riverside Drive. As a high-school student, Joel sought an opportunity to advance his culinary skills by landing a parttime cooking gig at a local French bistro.

That initial real-world experience was enough to solidify his interest and upon graduation he left Northeastern New Brunswick to pursue his cooking passion at one of the country’s premiere learning grounds; the Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Joel then cooked his way across the country at a variety of top-tier restaurants in Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, and eventually landed in Tofino.

In 2008, the aspiring young chef and surfing aficionado scored a new lead role as the head chef of Shelter, a Tofino beachside restaurant. The spotlight quickly turned on to Joel when he became a contestant on the popular competition television show Top Chef Canada (season two). Although he did not prevail as the winner of Top Chef Canada, it certainly brought him to the attention of many across the country.

After 10 years travelling abroad and four years in British Columbia, Joel began to feel the pull of his East Coast roots. He bought a used Snap-On Tools truck, loaded up all of his belongings, and headed eastward across the country, arriving back home at the Bay of Chaleur.

He refurbished the truck into an eyecatching mobile kitchen and started his first business–Jobie’s Food Truck. In the summer of 2013 the bright red truck officially set up shop at a highly visible location on the Bathurst causeway, not far from where Joel grew up. During the summer months, people came in droves, lining-up for pulled pork sandwiches, fish tacos, arancini, and his award-winning signature Jobie Burger.

Jobie’s Food Truck was a huge hit and even earned a spot in the Reader’s Digest list of Top 10 Food Trucks in Canada.

Naturally, Joel’s next step was to open a

Andrew Hergyers

CHEF PROFILE

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years and I am lucky to have an influence on what they grow (yellow beans, tomatoes, zucchini, squash) including ample amounts of organic garlic to last me throughout the whole year!”

Since returning to his roots in the region, Joel has also become a resident of the North Tetagouche community and is becoming more familiar with forging for natural ingredients in the area. “I will sometimes incorporate wild and seasonal ingredients such as fiddleheads and chanterelles.” André Vienneau of Little River Farms, who supplies Fresco with fresh microgreens, adds: “We are very proud to work with Joel who has given us a chance from the very beginning of our business venture to supply him with our microgreens”.

Vienneau and his partner Yannick Doucet, who both have backgrounds in aquaculture, purchased land in the pastoral area of Little River to start a trout and salmon fish farm. André explains that they started to add other side projects, like

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Fresco Kitchen 224 King Avenue, Bathurst, NB Big Deal Produce Market 305 King Avenue, Bathurst, NB McLean’s Fish Shop 624 Garden Street, Bathurst, NB Little River Farms Little River Drive, Bathurst, NB City Farmer’s Market 17 Main Street, Bathurst, NB Steady Spade Farm www.steadyspadefarm.ca North Tetagouche Road, Bathurst, NB Four Rivers Craft Brewing Co. 335 Murray Avenue, Bathurst, NB 13 Barrels Craft Brewery www.13barrels.ca 215 Cunard Street, Bathurst, NB La Maison BeauSoleil www.maisonbeausoleil.ca 42 Rue Otho, Néguac, NB Distillerie Fils du Roy www.distilleriefilsduroy.com 599 Chemin Principale, Petit-Paquetville, NB

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Andrew Hergyers

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microgreens, to their fish farm operation.

“The microgreens started as a personal project which then turned into a valuable enterprise.” They connected with Joel almost a year ago and started supplying fresh microgreens to Fresco. Little River Farms offers a variety of sunflower, green pea, speckled pea, red cabbage, bok choy, radish, and broccoli microgreens.

On the way to supper at Fresco we stop in at the newly opened 13 Barrels Craft Brewery overlooking Bathurst Harbour.

The atmosphere is bright and open with a large fireplace to keep guests warm and dry on this rainy spring evening. We sample a flight of locally brewed beers including Pabineau Pale Ale and Wild Goose Stout (named after a historic Bathurst watering hole). Afterwards, we continue on up King Avenue to Fresco Kitchen.

For a starter I sample oysters gratinée (toasted bread crumbs, lemon, and roasted garlic béchamel sauce) from La Maison BeauSoleil (Est. 1999) in nearby Neguac and a serving of local gin from Distillerie Fils du Roy in Petit-Paquetville.

Second course is the ever-popular wildcaught shrimp and lobster galette. A staple on the menu since day one, the lobster cake, is densely packed with fresh bites of lobster and avocado and finished

with citrus, crispy quinoa, and basil aioli.

It is garnished with a fresh shoot salad (sunflower shoots topped with bok choy and red cabbage microgreens) from nearby Little River Farms.

For my main course I go with the Bucatini frutti di mare blanca (sea scallops, wild caught shrimp, mussels, white wine cream, garlic, and lemon herbs) complimented by a crisp Nor’Easter American Pale Ale from the newly established family-run business Four Rivers Brewing Company, located just a few streets over.

All of Fresco’s pasta is home-made on location by chef Joel using his circa 1987 pasta maker which he acquired locally.

Rotating his menu every three or four months chef Joel will sometimes bring back favourites such as his arancini and Riverside Salad. Fresco has a relaxed but casual atmosphere and the staff are very personable and informed about the available local choices. Joel informs, “I aim to keep things simple and honest with local products and preparation that keep it approachable for my guests, it’s really all about them.” Local businesses are bustling in Bathurst where Fresco Kitchen has been a welcome addition to the downtown.

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DOWNHOME RECIPES

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Cottage Living Favourites Imagine summer’s here and the living is easy…

Story by Alain Bossé photography by Steve Smith/VisionFire

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f you’re one of the fortunate folks who has a second home at the shore or on the lake then living should be about as easy as it gets.

Life at the cottage has always been a little more simplistic, and not just out of choice but often times out of necessity. We simply don’t stock our cottages the way we stock our homes. Growing up, our cottage had one plate per person and one cup per person, with just enough silverware to eat with and maybe one or two extra pieces to serve with. There certainly wasn’t an abundance of pots and pans—and the ones that were there weren’t used on a daily basis anyway. I believe there was a baking sheet but other than that baking pans were also non-existent; besides who wants to turn on the oven in the sweltering August heat?

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DOWNHOME RECIPES

Summer Cottage Potato Salad Serves 6-8 4 lbs. potatoes 1 lime, juice only 3 boiled eggs, chopped ½ cup celery stalk, finely diced ½ cup red onion, finely diced ½ cup mayonnaise 1 tbsp prepared mustard 2 tbsp dry parsley 1 tsp smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste First, peel and dice potatoes about 1-inch square. Place in a medium pot covered with water pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil, cook until fork tender, then drain and lay on a sheet pan until it dries and cools.

In a large bowl, add potatoes, and squeeze lime juice followed by the celery, onions, and eggs mix well, then add mayonnaise, mustard and mix well then finish with parsley, smoked paprika and salt & pepper. Place in refrigerator for a least an hour.

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If there wasn’t an excess of dishes, then there certainly wasn’t an abundance of extra condiments and spices either.

Home was where we kept the “fancy” spices like curry and nutmeg; at the cottage we had salt and pepper. But even though there wasn’t a lot of seasoning thrown into those meals they still tasted like some of the best my mom ever made.

Looking back I don’t think it was just the food—it was the relaxed easy feeling that the adults had; it was the hot sun beating down on your bare back; the feeling of sand between your toes and the smell of suntan lotion on your warm skin. There will never be a restaurant anywhere, any time that can recreate that ambiance.

Everything about the cottage was more relaxed. At home dinner was on the table at 5pm. At the cottage you were often on the beach until 6pm. And even then you were lucky to round up two of the four kids for a sit-down meal. The clock didn’t dictate when we ate, our bellies did.

The cottage wasn’t just a getaway for the kids, it provided a bit of downtime for Mom as well, and she wasn’t going to waste that cooking and baking. One-pot meals were the norm.

Today we focus on what’s fresh and in season, and that was how it was when we were at the cottage as well. But it wasn’t a conscious decision or choice, it was just the way of life. Boiled dinners using fresh potatoes and vegetables, were a staple, and if mom was feeling fancy, it might be turned into a hodgepodge with a little cream added.

We always had fresh rolls and bread and quite often a fruit pie would be served—provided it could be found on the drive between home and the lake.

More often than not, dessert consisted of an ice cream cone or a popsicle. Freezies were always in abundance, and you could always tell what your friend’s favourite flavour was just by looking at the colour of their tongue. Mine was usually blue, and all summer long the corners of your

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DOWNHOME RECIPES

Curried Chicken & Apple Salad Serves 4 to 6

2 cups 2 cups ¼ cup ½ cup ¼ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup 1 tbsp ¼ tsp

chicken (white and dark), diced Honey Crisp apples, diced fresh lemon juice diced celery green onions crushed pineapple walnuts chopped mayonnaise yellow curry powder salt

In a large bowl, add chicken, apples, lemon juice, celery and onions, and mix well, then add your walnuts, pineapple, mayonnaise and curry mix. Finish with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Awesome for quick sliders, on toast points for entertaining, sandwich or even just enjoyed as a salad with a great beverage.

Happy summer everyone.

mouth would burn when the salt water got into those little plastic cuts that the sharp wrapper would give you no matter how careful you were.

It’s been more than a few years since I was a kid growing up at the cottage but I don’t think much has changed since then. Somehow when you step through the cottage door you lose the constraints of day-to-day living and you simply exist, soaking up all of the best that the summer months have to offer. I remember being seven, eight, nine, 10 years old walking through that cottage door at the end of June, and the summer stretched out like one long endless adventure, and then a few moments later it was September.

Every single summer seemed better than the one before.

In light of that easy and relaxed way of living I’m sharing some of my summer cottage favourites, and I hope that perhaps they’ll become some of yours.

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PRODUCER TO PLATE

DOWNHOME RECIPES

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OUT & ABOUT

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CHEF PROFILE

Find out more, go to

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PRODUCER TO PLATE

Put a little spice in your life Get to know Hill's Jamaican Jerk

By Alain Bossé photography by Steve Smith/VisionFire

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aul Hill was 23 years old when he immigrated to Canada in 1994; a decision that he has never regretted and, although there are certainly aspects of living on one of the Caribbean’s friendliest islands – Jamaica – that he does miss; he enthusiastically declares that life in Nova Scotia is amazing!

The people here are friendly just like in Montego Bay says Hill, and he loves the four seasons although he wishes winter was shorter sometimes (as do we all Paul). One of the things he missed most however, besides family, was food.

He often found himself recreating and preparing traditional Jamaican food to fill the void. As Paul likes to say, it was his way to “bring home, home.”

One of the foods that he missed most was Jamaican Jerk, and while jerk sauce is found throughout the Caribbean: each island has its unique version. Jerk sauce is a versatile combination of herbs and spices, blended together to create a delicious marinade commonly used on meats, fish and vegetables, with pork and chicken being the most popular dishes.

Typically when you want jerk chicken

Fresh Pineapple Mango Salsa Makes 1 cup (250 mL)

½ cup fresh pineapple diced ½ cup fresh mango diced ¼ cup red onions diced fine ½ medium jalapeño pepper, fine dice 4 sprigs of fresh cilantro chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice ¼ tsp (.5 mL) sea salt Pinch milled pepper In a small bowl add first six ingredients toss lightly then add oil, lime juice salt and pepper.

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or pork you visit your favourite jerk hut or your favourite street food vendor. But since there isn’t an abundance of jerk vendors in Nova Scotia, Paul took on the task of creating his own jerk sauce, adapting it to the ingredients that he was able to access locally. This required a lot of adjustments at first because the fresh ingredients in Jamaica are a lot stronger than the local products he was getting here. For example, typically a recipe would use ½ to ¾ lbs. of Jamaicangrown green onions. In order to achieve the same level of flavour Paul would need to use 1lb of locally-grown green onions.

Once Paul had developed a recipe that he was proud of, the thought of parlaying that recipe into a business began to take hold—a plan that was put into play in May 2016 when Hill’s Jamaican Jerk was born.

Paul began his business with the intention of owning his own manufacturing facility in five years;

offering co-packing service to other entrepreneurs while focusing on product development of his own line. He achieved that goal in 2019, a lot sooner than he had anticipated, due to hard work and dedication. Hill currently has four local companies that he manufactures for at his facility in Harrietsfield near Halifax; with a number of others in the que to begin processing.

One of his main objectives is to have his products available across Canada and he is slowly working toward that goal.

Sobeys gave him the start that he needed by putting his products in 18 stores in the Halifax region when he partnered with them two years ago. In January 2020 they listed his products in all of their Atlantic Canada stores.

Presently, his product line consists of his jerk sauce in both medium and hot as well as a new line of jerk BBQ sauces available in original hickory, medium hickory and hot hickory jerk.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Maritime Style Serves 4-6

12 3 tbsp ½ 1 tbsp 1 3 2 tbsp

pieces chicken legs and thighs Hill’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce med onion chopped fresh thyme finely chopped spring green onion chopped cloves garlic finely chopped vegetable oil

In a bowl, rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Add Hill’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce, onion, chopped thyme, garlic, green onion and vegetable oil. Mix all ingredients into the chicken, cover and allow marinating for three hours (overnight is best).

When you are ready to barbecue, place the chicken on the grill on medium heat using the marinade baste every 10 minutes and turn, cook for about one hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165⁰ F. Different applications for the chicken can include simply enjoying as is, or deboning the chicken and use for topping on a salad, on a poutine, into an awesome chicken salad sandwich, nachos—use your imagination!

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PRODUCER TO PLATE

Jerk Scallops Burger with Pineapple Mango Salsa Serves 4

1 lb scallops 10/20 size ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbsp garlic minced 3 green onions chopped 2 tsp fresh basil 3 tbsp Hill’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce ½ fresh lime juice 1 tsp Fresh ginger minced Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste 4 hamburger buns 1 avocado sliced 8 tbsp pineapple mango salsa Salad greens to taste Cherry tomato to taste In a bowl add scallops, garlic, green onions, fresh basil, and the Hill’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce. Marinate for about an hour in the refrigerator.

Place a paper towel on a plate and place scallops one by one on the paper then use another piece of paper towel to dry the scallops. Heat your pan on high and, once very hot, add your olive oil to cover the bottom then sear the scallops approx. 2 min on each side until nice and brown and they start to split on the sides. Set aside on a plate to rest.

Add remainder of marinade to pan to reduce along with fresh ginger, lime, salt and pepper. Once reduced, turn the burner off and place scallops in the sauce.

Place greens on the bottom bun followed by scallops. Drizzle some of marinade reduction over scallops followed by sliced avocado and cherry tomato. Finish with pineapple mango salsa. Add top bun and serve.

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The evolution of his business wasn’t without its challenges. Jerk sauce was relatively new to Atlantic Canada however Paul found that, as a rule, Atlantic Canadians are very open to trying new foods. Part of his mission is to educate as many people as possible on how to use his products.

Paul shares lots of easy to follow recipes on Instagram/Facebook at hillsjamaicanjerksauce and you can frequently find him doing demos at Sobeys stores around Atlantic Canada.

The most rewarding part in all of this for Paul is interacting with customers, and reflecting on where he started and what he has accomplished. Hearing from customers just how much they love the products is also a huge compliment.

Paul feels really good knowing most of his fresh ingredients are sourced locally and that his products are made with

ingredients everyone can relate to. Using fresh ingredients is very important in keeping the sauce authentic.

Paul has a strong sense of pride in what he’s accomplished. “Growing up I never dreamed of being where I am today.

I have found my purpose in life and that’s to produce delicious foods for people.

I look forward to accomplishing my goals and creating new ones to continue growing my business.”

His family and friends are also very supportive, as are his two employees; a work force that he soon hopes to see expanded as business continues to grow.

Presently Hill Jamaican Jerk Sauce can be found in all Sobeys in Atlantic Canada, Atlantic Foodland, Pete’s Fine Foods, 2 Boys Smokehouse, Organic Earth Market, Masstown Butcher, as well as others. In addition, Paul sells his line of products online.

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OUT & ABOUT

Out & About in Atlantic Canada: Flynn Lobster Shack, Souris PEI

By Alain Bossé photography by Lobster Shack

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he Flynn family has been involved in the fishing industry on PEI for 30-plus years. Johnny Flynn has been fishing lobsters for 33 years and growing oysters for 27 years.

Lobster fishing is a big part of this small province and especially in Souris and its surrounding areas—a beautiful coastal town where everyone knows, or is related to, or is, in the industry.

The lobster season in Souris is a spring fishery, May and June. Before the Lobster Shack opened, it was extremely difficult to find fresh lobster in Souris after the fishery closed for the season.

This sparked the idea to build a lobster holding facility and create The Lobster Shack. This allows the Flynn’s to store their fresh, local, hard-shelled lobster for the period of time that business is open— June to September. The operators wanted to show visitors the remarkable product that local fishers work so hard for. They knew that the product would speak for itself–and so far, it has.

Johnny and his wife Mary Jane came up with the “takeout shack” concept while they were on a road trip to Maine.

They fell in love with the idea of lobster rolls on the beach, but they wanted to test the idea to see how consumers might respond. No-one in their family had ever run a restaurant, so starting the business small and building up seemed like the best idea. “Anything worth doing, is worth doing slow.” As for the location, they could not have a better spot; situated right on Souris beach the decks overlook the Northumberland Strait and Coville Bay which is home to some of the best oysters on the island.

Unsurprizingly, the most popular menu item is the lobster roll. The staff

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opens and prepares the lobster fresh every morning. The lobster roll itself is a hotdog bun toasted with butter and has four ounces of fresh lobster meat mixed with a small amount of mayonnaise and a light sprinkle of paprika on top. It‘s nothing fancy, but it is an old-fashioned favourite that garners rave reviews. If you’re looking for the full on lobster experience, then order the in-shell lobster dinner served in the traditional way; cold with drawn butter.

Fresh oysters are also available— shucked to order and the combination of the salinity in the oysters combined with the salt in the air is an irresistible blend.

Many people have enjoyed their first ever raw oyster here. The staff always enjoys helping someone knock something off their bucket list or even better, to become a fan of oysters. The Lobster Shack also sells oysters out the door for people to take with them.

In addition, items such as mussels, soft shell clams, and quahogs are available. There is only one option if seafood isn’t your thing; a perfectly

satisfying grilled cheese served with a side of crisp potato chips.

Providing their customers with the best possible experience is a high priority for the Flynns. Whenever possible they will to go the extra mile for their customers whether that is telling them some local knowledge, educating them on lobster and oyster fisheries or just giving them directions to the beaches in the area.

Supporting other local businesses and promoting Eastern PEI is something extremely important to them. They try to buy directly from local fishermen and suppliers ensuring that you’re getting the freshest seafood available.

The Lobster Shack is a small familyrun business that takes great pride in the local community and consider themselves incredibly fortunate to be able to make a living and watch their family grow in such a beautiful area.

The Lobster Shack is located at 8 Main Street in Souris Prince Edward Island, offering takeout with outdoor seating.

LOCAL HOT SPOT

Local hot spot:

Delectable Desserts, Dartmouth NS

By Alain Bossé photography by Delectable Desert

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elissa and Dennis Mbeba met in Waterloo, ON where Dennis, originally from Tanzania, was studying and Melissa, from New Brunswick, was working. They fell in love at first sight (for real!), moved around the country together, and eventually started a family. In 2016, with two young children and another on the way, they decided to put down roots on the east coast & made the move from Calgary to Dartmouth.

They were both drawn to the ocean and the warmth of the people here. It felt and still feels like home.

The goal upon moving to NS was to open a business that would combine both of their passions. Melissa had been baking for fun from a very young age, and professionally for 15 years in some of Canada’s best restaurants and hotels.

She puts a lot of love into her desserts and you can truly taste that. Dennis’s passion is entrepreneurship. However they never imagined starting a dessert business together, but they quickly realized that there was a need for good quality desserts in food service establishments that are unable to have a pastry chef on site. It all fell into place. And in 2017 Delectable Desserts was born.

Wholesale is the bread and butter of Delectable Desserts, so to speak, but they also have a loyal (and constantly growing) following of retail customers. It’s not hard

to understand why; their desserts are unique, they use high quality ingredients (locally produced whenever possible), they look beautiful, and they taste even better than they look! They really add something delightful to a celebration.

Melissa and Dennis do everything from small birthday cakes to huge dessert tables for weddings, and basically everything in between.

They get a lot of orders from out of province as well, parents wanting to send a cake to their children studying at Halifax universities, family members who want to send something special to a loved one to brighten their day. They didn’t plan for that, but they love getting those orders and seeing the excitement on the recipients’ faces. Dessert makes everyone happy!

In the beginning, the pair struggled to find wholesale customers who were willing to switch from frozen desserts being imported by large distributors to a locally produced alternative. They were worried about pricing, consistency of products, reliability, and convenience.

It took a while to earn their trust. Once the business started to grow, it did so very quickly! They went from selling maybe 100 individual desserts per week to selling thousands per week in just a few months. They have seen consistent steady growth since they opened and are so grateful for our customers and their continued support.

The biggest challenge they faced was reaching their target market.

Chefs and restaurant owners are a tough group of people to reach; they are very busy, and getting them to sit down to discuss their products was tough. Dennis was persistent, to say the least, and really put in the necessary work to establish connections within that community. It’s all about word of mouth in their industry. Once they had a

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handful of happy customers who started telling their friends about them, more restaurants started making the switch to their desserts.

Their greatest reward has been the positive customer feedback. They felt that they had great product to offer, but hearing it from others confirms that they are in the right place doing the right thing. They moved to Nova Scotia because they felt that it was a great place to raise their family, they started a business here because they felt supported by the community, seeing it all come together and knowing that their hard work is paying off is such a great feeling for the couple Their most popular desserts are The Darkside (a dark chocolate mousse cake), The Haligonian (white chocolate truffle cake with raspberries), Salted Caramel Cheesecake, and The Rainbow Haven (a Milk Bar-inspired confetti cake with strawberry buttercream). Their personal favorite is Triple Chocolate Cheesecake (this cake is the reason Dennis asked Melissa to be his wife…not a joke!).

As we mentioned it’s not just the service industry that has access to Delectable Desserts amazing products.

The general public as well can partake of their products, you can check out their drool worthy pics on their Instagram and facebook accounts @delectabledessertsns. You can also order from them online or visit them at their storefront at 50 Eileen Stubbs Ave Unit 112, Dartmouth, NS. They are open Tuesday-Friday 9am-4:30pm. Saturday 9:30am-3:30pm.

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DRINKS

Thinking ahead

Blue Roof summer cocktails anyone?

By Alain Bossé photography by Steve Smith/VisionFire

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evon Strang was a business student at Mount Alison University in New Brunswick when he began to look at his family’s 6th generational potato farm in a whole new light. Devon quickly recognized that there was a flaw in the system; mainly that

a percentage of their crop was deemed unsalable in the marketplace because the potatoes were too small. This added up to not only waste but also amounted to a significant potential revenue loss.

Devon began to focus his energies into finding an alternate use for those

small spuds. One of the possibilities was to use them to distill vodka and while this isn’t a new concept, distilling with the whole potato certainly was. Up until that point the majority of distillers relied on dehydrated potato flakes in their production.

On this principle, Blue Roof Distillery was born in June of 2017. It is Canada’s first farm to bottle distillery and despite its rural location in Malden, NB. Blue Roof met its one-year projection in the first four months of business with more than 10 000 participating in the farm tours in that period. What was drawing everyone in? It was passion fueled by a unique production model that resulted in an unparalleled product line.

With the success of potato vodka the next logical step, it seemed to Strang, was

Blueberry Gin Fizz Serves 1

1 oz (28 mL) frozen wild blueberries 4 leaves fresh basil 2 tsp (9-10 mL) lemon juice 2oz (57 mL) Blue Roof gin Ice Soda water Place the frozen Wild blueberries and basil leaves into the metal part of a cocktail shaker and muddle together. Add the lemon juice along with the blue roof gin and the ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon wedge and wild blueberries.

to expand to include gin as well. The gin starts with the neutral alcohol the Blue Roof produces but then it is redistilled with a blend of herbs and seeds. To date, Blue Roof produces several spirits including the original handcrafted vodka and gin—as well as Blue Roof 100 Vodka; vodka that is distilled 20 times, and Strang’s Original Potato Spirit. In addition a line of vodka/Gin Soda has been introduced.

By using potatoes in their vodka production they have created a product that is decidedly more flavourful than grain vodka. Potatoes make it both smell

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and taste sweeter. In fact, their vodka is so smooth it can be enjoyed straight over ice.

The other benefit of using potatoes versus grain in distilling is that you end up with a gluten-free product.

Devon says setting up and running the business in rural New Brunswick has been a challenge for sure. The Strangs chose to do this because of the location of the farm and the fact that they were already there each day working. Just little things that most take for granted— like being able to make a quick run to the hardware store or any of the other suppliers a business uses to get supplies essential to operate are not something they can do without wasting half of a day. They also struggled to find staff for growth and have had to be very efficient with the select few they do have available.

Devon said those realities forced them to become very productive with everything designed to maximize what each person can accomplish each day.

One advantage is that many of the staff come to work with a rural mindset of not leaving until the job is done. They all are up to the task when asked and go above and beyond when needed.

Cucumber Lime Simple Syrup Serves 3

1 English cucumber ¼ cup (50 mL) lime juice 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 1 cup (250 mL) water Peel and deseed and English cucumber, place into a blender and liquefy. Place the liquid and any pulp that remains into a saucepan, add the lime juice, the sugar, and water. Heat over medium low until all of the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat, allow to cool and refrigerate.

Devon says that people should know that when it comes to supporting local craft, you can’t get any more than Blue Roof. They not only grow their own raw material, but also manufacture their own alcohol. Blue Roof does things the hard way, which they strongly feel is the right way and are deriving the most economic benefit locally that they possibly can.

Blue Roof takes immense pride in

Blue Roof Sweet and Sour Serves 1

Fine salt and lime wedge for rimming 2 oz (57 mL) Blue Roof vodka 2 oz (57 mL) cucumber lime simple syrup,

recipe this page Rim a cocktail glass with lime and salt Fill the glass with ice and add 2 oz (57 mL) of blue roof vodka and 2 oz of cucumber lime simple syrup, garnish with a lime wedge.

their production and believe it shows when it comes to their products—that quality really does make a difference.

Within the first three years in business they have won several international awards for their spirits including a 2020 Platinum designation for their Gin and 2020/2019 Double Gold/Consumer Choice designation for their potato vodka at the International SIP Awards.

The vodka/gin soda line came to life only a year ago. Devon is happy to say that they now have three flavours at market. Vodka Soda Cran-Lime was the first product and was a huge success in its first year. This was a top seller at ANBL this past summer and it’s expected that sales will continue to grow for the foreseeable future on this flavour.

Next launched was Gin Soda Citrus Blast and last fall they released a zero sugar, zero carb and zero preservative Vodka Soda Lemon-Lime for ultra-health conscious consumers—something many customers had enquired about.

All of the sodas are made with real fruit juice and all natural flavours. The flavoured sodas, which contain real juice, are only lightly sweetened, which is something Devon felt was fairly untapped in the market. Blue Roof is able to produce big flavour without the big sugar shock. Ingredients are blended together with the alcohol at the distillery and then transported to a craft brewery in Moncton to have the canning done.

Partnering with another local business to help with production made perfect sense and also helps the brewer out greatly with being able to afford the canning equipment for their own use.

While Devon can now admit that he wasn’t always confident the business would succeed and says that that he

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Blue Roof cranberry lime Soda float Serves 1

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream 1 tbsp (15 mL) raspberry jam 1 scoop raspberry sorbet 1 can of Blue Roof cranberry lime soda Place one scoop of vanilla ice cream into a float glass, add the raspberry jam, and the raspberry sorbet and top with blue roof cranberry lime soda. Serve with a long spoon and a straw.

still gets those feelings from time to time when they are launching out new products to market, he recognizes that this is completely normal and finds the he needs to remind himself of this from time to time. “We really couldn’t have achieved any success without customers who were willing to give our products a try.”

If you would like to visit Blue Roof you can take one of their farm tours that operate every Monday through Friday.

Private events can also be accommodated with notice. The distillery is located at 4144 Route 16, Maldon NB. The distillery is easily recognizable by the bright blue roof and by the giant potato sits in front of the distillery looking particularly happy with his very large bottle of vodka.

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Made Right Here Escape to Nova Scotia or Staycation!

May 15-Oct 15, 2020

At Hearthstone Hospitality we understand the importance and peace of mind each of our guests need to feel comfortable. We can promise you as a valued guest, your safety and security is our highest priority. Cleanliness is always top of mind!

Stay safe with us and sleep well!

Road Trip in Nova Scotia! Stay with Hearthstone Hospitality this summer - Dartmouth, Port Hawkesbury, Sydney - Rates from only $99 plus taxes.  Book direct to hotel. For hotel information visit www.hshotels.ca. Toll Free 1-800-422-8025 any location.

To book Hearthstone Inn Boutique Hotel Dartmouth 1- 902-469-5850 or reservations@micmachotel.com

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To book Hearthstone Inn Sydney 902-539-8101 or reservations@hearthstonesydney.com

To book Hearthstone Inn Port Hawkesbury 1- 902-625-2480 or reservations@macpuffin.ca

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NUTRITION

Keep nourished regardless Navigating your food through the pandemic

By Maureen Tilley, PDt.

Registered Dietitian & Author

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hese days we’re faced with many challenges due to COVID-19 and this includes the impact it’s had on our food system from a global and individual standpoint. To date, supplies to bake a cake may be unavailable, but thankfully there are still many options and alternatives to keep us well nourished.

In these dire times, it’s important to take care of ourselves and loved ones (emotionally, mentally, physically) and food plays an important role in this. The challenge is how to do this in a healthy, enjoyable and food secure manner as we are forced to change the way we think, plan and shop for our food.

The impact of the pandemic on one’s lifestyle can vary significantly. For some, food choices may have improved with more time to meal plan, cook and enjoy family meals together. Eating out and quick access to unhealthy foods is more challenging. Physical activity may have increased as we seek ways to decompress and break up the mundane days.

For others, the pandemic has brought about new challenges from constant snacking due to stress, boredom and being out of routine; the difficulty of planning groceries and meals with limited trips the store; time limitations with juggling work, caring and home schooling children. Limited income may be huge challenge given the inability to shop around for deals.

Healthy eating can help to increase energy, improve mental health and manage pre-existing health issues (i.e. diabetes) to minimize medical visits.

Although, there’s no supplement or particular food that prevents or cures Covid-19, healthy balanced eating (especially fruits and vegetables) can help boost the immune system. In particular, vitamin C, zinc and selenium may play a role, but large doses through supplements can cause toxicity and/ or adverse side effects. For most, balanced eating provides all the needed nutrients. To highlight food sources

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of zinc, selenium, and vitamin C visit unlockfood.ca.

In these times, you do the best you can do. The last thing we need is additional stress or shame related to food. The objective here is to ease the food burden with tips and alternatives for better planning and add more variety and pleasure to meals.

Simple approach—your plate

There’s no need to measure, count servings or record your intake. The simplest way to ensure balance is following the plate model—aim for half your meal as vegetables/fruit, while a quarter is (whole) grains and the other quarter is protein. Apply this to mixed dishes as well i.e. increasing vegetables in pasta sauces or having a salad with pizza.

Avoid “winging it”

Make a meal plan. The more specific you can make it, the better. You can do this with paper and pen or try out this mealC O A S T

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planning tool—www.cookspiration.com/ menuplanner.aspx.

Set a schedule for meal times and eat at the table. Plan for simple ways to include vegetables/fruits, grain, and protein at all meals. Check out what you already have on hand. Start with breakfast and supper and develop lunch based on leftovers, and snacks as desired.

From there, develop your grocery list.

Write your list according to your grocery store layout. This is efficiency at its finest, you’ll be in and out quickly, minimize holding up other shoppers behind you and you can and limit backtracking while following the traffic navigating arrows.

It’s important to purchase enough food to last at least a week. Have a nonperishable food stock (without panic shopping), consisting of nutrient dense foods from all food groups.

Minimize food wastage

It’s challenging to figure out how much food to buy and then consuming it before it goes bad. If time and space allows, do bulk cooking and freezing.

For fruits and vegetables, consider where and how you store them. Ethylene gas accelerates the ripening process.

Some produce is ethylene producing, others are ethylene sensitive and some are both. Keep these produce separate in the fruit bowl, on the counter and in the fridge. Produce stored in plastic or brown paper bag can trap the gas and further accelerate the process. Produce can turn on their own. For example, one ripe banana with further ripen the rest, a slimy piece of lettuce will slim up the entire container.

On the other hand, if you want to speed up ripening, place the unripe produce in a bag with a ripened ethylene producer.

Ethylene producers include: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas (ripe), cantaloupe, honeydew, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes.

Ethylene sensitive include: bananas (unripe), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, leafy greens/lettuce, peas, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, watermelon.

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Breads are best stored in a plastic bag at room temperature and out of direct sunlight (yes, the old fashion bread box has earned the counter space). Contrary to popular belief, the refrigerator actually causes bread to go stale quicker as it draws water out. The type of bread makes a difference too. Commercial breads contain certain preservatives extending freshness over homemade or bakery breads with sourdough lasting a little longer. In general, peak freshness last 2 to 3 days then it’s best to store in the freezer.

Check out FoodKeeper for tips on food storage to maximize quality and shelf life - www.foodsafety.gov/keepfood-safe/foodkeeper-app

Stock up & switch it up

Try carrot, beet and turnip fries: cut into thin slices and bake on an oiled baking sheet.

Add grated carrot or sweet potato into your pasta sauces, burgers, stews, muffins.

Cabbage steaks or wedges: cut into circle slices or wedges, brush sides with oil and grill/bake until browned for a sweet taste and crispy texture. Sliced cabbage is also good in stir-fries, Buddha bowls, salads, soups, and curries.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are convenient, relatively affordable, and are equally, if not higher, in vitamins and minerals compared to fresh. They can also be stored in the freezer for 8 to 12 months in a well-sealed bag. They may be subpar in flavour and texture compared to fresh, but there are ways to promote best flavour and texture.

First, give the frozen bag a good feel, if they’re clumped together it means they’ve been defrosted and re-frozen or they’re freezer burned. Although they are safe to eat, the taste and mushy texture may be less desirable. Depending on preference, some of the cheaper bags of vegetables may contain cheaper cuts of the vegetables i.e. sliced broccoli stocks, abundance of cheaper vegetables in medleys.

For most frozen vegetables, do not defrost prior to cooking; this will impact the texture quality. Roast, steam, sauté or microwave from frozen for best results and check often to avoid overcooking.

Frozen are always blanched prior to freezing so cooking time for those is less than for fresh.

Frozen spinach is an easy addition to many dishes—soups, curries, stews, pasta sauce, pizza, egg dishes, dips, and casseroles. Defrost and squeeze

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out excess water prior to added to recipes. This is a good way to use up fresh as well.

Frozen pre-roasted vegetables add a good flavour to pizza, soups, sauces and casseroles. Cook prior to adding to a meal.

Frozen spaghetti and soup mixes are diced vegetables at your convenience to add directly to your sauce and soups.

Edemame is a green soybean with a mild buttery taste and a good source of protein and fibre. You can purchase them in the pod (discard pod) or out of the pod. They make a great snack, side, in a salad or stir-fry.

Frozen squash saves time on chopping and cooking. Enjoy it as a side or make it into a soup.

Add frozen fruit to oatmeal, yogurt, fruit crisps, and muffins. Cook over stove to make a sauce/jam to top pancakes, toast and yogurt.

Canned fruit and vegetables make a healthy option but the texture doesn’t appeal to all. Canned pumpkin is often overlooked. It works great for a pureed soup (alternative to squash), in a smoothie, with yogurt or hot cereal. A dash of cinnamon pairs nicely as well.

Protein—if you have the space, freeze fresh meats and fish into meal size portions. Canned chicken, tuna and salmon are good to have on hand—make fish cakes, burgers or old fashion tuna burgers.

Spread out your meat use (and save money) by mixing in prepared legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) with meat dishes. For example: black beans in meat burgers, lentils in spaghetti, double the beans in chili. Nut butters, mixed nuts and seeds, Greek yogurt, protein powder/bars are convenient protein options as well.

If you’re running low on eggs, substitute your baking recipes with flax eggs. Simply mix 1tbsp ground flax with 2½ tbsp water, let it sit for five minutes and substitute for 1 egg.

Skimmed milk powder is a good nonperishable back up. Use it in baking and cooking and save the carton milk to drink straight up.

Good nourishment is key to staying safe and well.

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Veg-out with these grilling hacks Whether you’re serving up a veggie dish as your main event, the starting act, or a delish side dish, these BBQ tips will make sure your vegetables are more than garden variety.

Warm BBQ Potato Salad: Place chunks of potatoes (or minis) in a foil pan. Add water to cover the pan bottom and add a splash of olive oil. Cover with foil. Grill until tender and the water is almost gone. Stir in grainy mustard, butter, diced red onion, dill, salt and pepper.

Smoky Eggplant: Grill chunks of eggplant until lightly charred. Toss with thinly sliced red onions, walnuts, torn mint leaves, squeeze of lemon, honey, salt and pepper.

Sweet & Sticky Asparagus: Grill asparagus and brush lightly with Hoisin (or your favourite sauce) near end of grilling.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds or peanuts to garnish.

Spicy Street Corn: Grill corn-on-the-cob, brush with butter or mayonnaise. Generously add your favourite spicy seasoning or hot sauce.

Umami Zucchini & Peppers: Cut long, 1cm thick diagonals of zucchini, peppers into thick wedges. Brush with a mixture of soy sauce, Worcestershire, minced garlic and olive oil.

Grill all sides.