TASTE IN THE VALLEY

Fish & Forage

Prep: 30 minutes, Serves: 2 people

This is a very Canadian dish that is extremely seasonal. It is local to our province as well if Pike is used.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 Cod or Pike Fillets - 2 tbsp butter - 1/2 yellow onion - diced - 2 cloves of garlic - minced - 1/2 cup heavy cream - 1/2 tsp garlic powder - Juice from 1 lemon - 1 tbsp olive oil (if using fresh morels) - 1 tbsp canola oil (if using stove-top) - 1 cup water (if using dried morels) salt & pepper (for fish & sauce)

GARNISH

4 morel mushrooms (dried or fresh) Summer savory (fresh) Microgreens (for garnish) Spruce tips (optional) Peas (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Spruce tips & morels can both be sourced by foraging. It is important to do a bit of research before gathering your own food. Not all species are edible and can be harmful. Fiddleheads would be another great addition to this dish. They can also be found locally, however their season is very short. Fish done on Pellet Grill .

It can be done in a pan over high heat and transferred to the oven. Step 1 – Pre- heat oven to 325º if using oven. If using grill, pre-heat grill as per instructions. Step 2 – Season fish with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Step 3 – Meanwhile, add butter to a sauce pan and place over medium- high heat. Step 4 – Once the butter is melted, add the onions and cook until translucent.

Step 5 – Season with salt & pepper and toss in minced garlic cloves. Step 6 – Add the cream and reduce heat to medium-low.

Step 7 – Add the juice from 1 lemon and continue to cook. The sauce will thicken as it cooks down. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. You also want to make sure it doesn’t cook down too far. It should be thick, but still capable of running. Step 8– Meanwhile (if using dried morels) bring a small pot of water to a slow boil and then remove from heat. Add the dried mushrooms and soak for roughly 20 minutes, strain. They are then good to go. Step 9 – If using freshly foraged morels (make sure you do your homework and know what you are looking for when foraging as some can be dangerous) saute in olive oil as you would any other mushroom and cook until lightly browned. Step 10 – Set the morels aside. Turn the heat on your sauce down to low, as it should be thickened by this point. Step 11 – If using stove top, heat canola oil over high heat. Step 12 – Add the fish and sear both sides to get that lovely brown “crust.”

Step 13 – Remove from heat and toss it into your pre-heated oven for roughly 15-20 minutes (or until fish is cooked through). This works great if you use an oven safe pan. Step 14 – If you are using a pellet grill, turn it up to sear and do the same thing on both sides of the fish. Use a fish grilling basket if you have access to one. It isn’t essential, however it makes life way easier. Sear both sides, turn the oven down to roughly 325º and cook fish for roughly 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Step 15 – Once fish is done, remove from heat and plate. Step 16 – Pour cream based sauce over the fish and garnish with morels, peas, microgreens, summer savory and spruce tips (optional: I torch them first)

You can find micro greens at our local vegetable stand (Covenant Growers). Opens in the summer. If not comfortable searching for spruce tips, omit it from the recipe.

Derksen Finishing Co.

Adventure awaits inMorden

Written by Peter Cantelon

Did you know that you can discover world famous 80-million-year-old fossils in Manitoba? It’s true.

Morden, Manitoba in the heart of the Pembina Valley is home to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) which houses a Guinness World Record holding Mosasaur – Bruce! The most fearsome toothed predator to ever swim our planet’s oceans, Mosasaurs are unlike anything that has ever existed.

Bruce is more than 13 metres or 43 feet long and is one of the incredible exhibits you can experience when you visit the CFDC. Alongside Bruce is Suzy, a 9 metre, or 30-foot Mosasaur.

Along with Bruce and Suzy visitors encounter sharks, giant sea turtle fossils, crocodile, squid, bird and dinosaurs like the 7 metre/22-foot-long Jurassic terror the Allosaurus (think half sized T-Rex). There’s also T-Rex and Hadrosaur displays and so much more. Situated in the picturesque Pembina Valley the CFDC offers visitors loads of different and engaging activities and experiences as part of regular admission including: - The Aquasaur Theatre where you can watch dino-related movies in style on the big screen with surround sound. - Experience amazing, augmented reality with the museum’s new Fossil Discovery Adventure AR mobile application. You get to discover and explore fossil dig sites in the museum and unearth prehistoric treasures. - Take advantage of cutting-edge technology and enhance your visit with the new mobile audio guide which you can download right to your phone offering enhanced tours in English, French and Cree.

- The Aquasaur Photobooth features Motoko, a four metre (13 foot) long metal mosasaur that you can ride! Almost everything the centre displays and has in its collection has been gathered in southern Manitoba and each year visitors have an opportunity to join the museum’s palaeontologist and staff on a genuine fossil dig. Besides the digs the CFDC offers guided VIP Museum tours that get you behind the scenes in the collection room and fossil lab where you can dig into the more than 1,000 drawers of fossils and get up close and personal.

Of course, a visit to the CFDC is not complete without an exploration of the beauty and history of Morden. With its more than century old stone homes, bed & breakfasts, and boutique shopping districts the city is a visitor’s paradise. Enjoy the quaint cafes, check out the antique stores, art gallery, and more.

Head to the edge of Morden and visit the Colert Beach and campground. Bring your RV or just tent if that’s your style. Walk or bike around Lake Minnewasta and take some amazing wildlife photos while you’re at it. The lake is home to beavers, muskrat, bald eagles, red tail hawks, fox and more.

Bring your golf clubs and head to one of Manitoba’s finest golf courses –the Minnewasta Golf & Country Club. Morden’s course is situated in a verdant green valley on the west side of the city; the links here offer challenge and fun and the spectacular clubhouse and restaurant is not to be missed. In the evening head over to the Stardust Drive In, one of Manitoba’s last surviving outdoor movie experiences at the west end of Morden. While you might feel as if you stepped back in time you will be treated to a visual feast by the drive in’s newest digital projector and all the latest releases.

This is just a small taste of the adventure and beauty that awaits you in historic Morden. So what are you waiting for?

For more information about the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre or Morden tourism visit www.discoverfossils.com or www.mordentourism.com and start your adventure now!