Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson says that when it comes to a fat B.C. peach, there are 含羞草研究社渆ndless possibilities含羞草研究社� for a fruit that signifies summer.
Maybe a salad? 含羞草研究社淭hey play so nicely together with nice blackcurrant leaf oil and maybe some rose vinegar and crunchy salt and some fresh shiso (Japanese mint) and basil,含羞草研究社� said Stieffenhofer-Brandson, who has earned a Michelin star for Published on Main in Vancouver, regularly listed among Canada含羞草研究社檚 best restaurants.
Perhaps peaches on top of crispy focaccia paired with whipped ricotta, or roast peaches with seared foie gras? And peach desserts never disappoint, said Stieffenhofer-Brandson, as he described blending plump poached peaches with almond cream and rose granita, in a 含羞草研究社渞eally lovely combination.含羞草研究社�
But not this year.
Stieffenhofer-Brandson and other top chefs in B.C. who pride themselves on seasonal and local fare are working without some of their favourite summer ingredients after the province含羞草研究社檚 stone fruit harvest was almost wiped out by a January cold snap.
Others, such as Matt Gostelow, head chef at The Acorn, an acclaimed Vancouver vegetarian restaurant, preserved some of last year含羞草研究社檚 stone fruit crop.
He said stone fruit from the Okanagan had been a staple on The Acorn含羞草研究社檚 menu every year, and it was 含羞草研究社渄evastating含羞草研究社� to hear of the cold snap含羞草研究社檚 impact.
含羞草研究社淟uckily, we have some preserved apricots we canned ourselves at their peak last summer that are currently on our menu. However, with none coming in this year, we are treating them like gold.含羞草研究社�
In spring, the B.C. Fruit Growers含羞草研究社� Association predicted a 90 per cent loss for peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums, while the B.C. Cherry Association predicted harvests would be 含羞草研究社渄ramatically reduced.含羞草研究社�
Summerland, B.C., fruit farmer Sukhdeep Brar, who has 100 acres of cherry and peach trees in the Okanagan region of the B.C. Interior, said there would be 含羞草研究社渘o single peach含羞草研究社� coming out of B.C. farms this year.
含羞草研究社淭his year is going to be really, really tough to get B.C.-grown stone fruit, and there含羞草研究社檚 nothing else that we can do now,含羞草研究社� said Brar, who is vice-president of the fruit growers association.
Their absence is being felt on grocery shelves and menus across the province.
Chef Rob Feenie, who recently took over the kitchen at Le Crocodile in downtown Vancouver, said that whenever he bites into a peach or nectarine, his thoughts turn to childhood visits to the Okanagan, where his aunt owned a cherry orchard.
His mother would hoard peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums.
Feenie said the ruined harvest this year meant he would find ways to adapt.
One of Le Crocodile含羞草研究社檚 dishes is kobujime hamachi, a fish dish that usually features stone fruit, as well as white soy, yuzu, chili and celery ice.
含羞草研究社淚 can put strawberries with it. I could put grapefruit with it. I can put oranges with it,含羞草研究社� said Feenie.
含羞草研究社淔or me, I will just be a little bit more creative in the fruit that I put with it, right? So doesn含羞草研究社檛 have to be stone fruit.含羞草研究社�
Feenie said he doesn含羞草研究社檛 change his menu quickly, so he needs to work 含羞草研究社渁 little more carefully 含羞草研究社� with what含羞草研究社檚 happening.含羞草研究社�
Stieffenhofer-Brandson noted that weather is a 含羞草研究社渂ig driver含羞草研究社� of what the menu looks like at Published on Main.
含羞草研究社淲e miss having peaches and plums and nectarines and all those beautiful things that kind of mark the entrance of summer,含羞草研究社� he said.
He said he doesn含羞草研究社檛 like to force anything and will lean into whatever ingredients are available instead.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e sad we don含羞草研究社檛 have peaches right now, but it含羞草研究社檚 just the fact of the matter that climate change is affecting us and our growing season here, and it含羞草研究社檚 just something we need to be dynamic (about), to be able to work around,含羞草研究社� said Stieffenhofer-Brandson.
含羞草研究社淲e never plan a menu without knowing what ingredients we含羞草研究社檙e gonna have and we含羞草研究社檙e very inspired by the ingredients. So, we cook within the seasons, and if something含羞草研究社檚 not available, we just use something else.含羞草研究社�
For example, Stieffenhofer-Brandson said there have been 含羞草研究社渂eautiful squash含羞草研究社� with a variety of zucchini coming from local farms, as well as strawberries and tomatoes.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e using quite a bit of fava beans and English peas, and we were using a lot of local green asparagus. We kind of play within the seasons for sure and we just celebrate the things that we have that are available,含羞草研究社� he said.
He also pointed out the 含羞草研究社渋ncredible morel season含羞草研究社� this year, with the harvest of the wild mushrooms going strong and likely to last until August.
含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 just a matter of being flexible, dynamic, and being able to accommodate what Mother Nature gives us,含羞草研究社� Stieffenhofer-Brandson said.
Just a few blocks away on Main Street, Gostelow said his team was constantly bouncing ideas off each other and will likely pivot their menu due to the lack of stone fruit, canned apricots notwithstanding.
含羞草研究社淥ne way we will adapt is to focus on vegetables with natural sweetness and look at how we can exploit those flavours in a unique way,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲e have used onions in caramel sauce, carrots in ice cream, parsnips in pannacotta and corn in creme br没l茅es.
含羞草研究社淭here might not be anything better than a perfectly ripe peach from Klippers Organics (an Okanagan farm), but one thing we have discovered by committing ourselves to a locavore food system is we are constantly finding creative ways to use what is grown around us.含羞草研究社�
On a sunny Canada Day afternoon, chef Roger Ma from the Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in downtown Vancouver was preparing a new signature summer dish 含羞草研究社� Loong Kong chicken, cooked over charcoal after soaking in a sauce for 24 hours, deboned and served with local morels and English peas.
A chef for more than 20 years at different high-end restaurants in North America, Ma said he was feeling the absence of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 iconic summertime stone fruit this year.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 definitely going to affect what we cook with seasonally,含羞草研究社� said Ma.
Ma recalled previous summers when cherries, peaches and nectarines would be 含羞草研究社渢hroughout the menu.含羞草研究社� They would buy 含羞草研究社渃ases and cases and cases含羞草研究社� of cherries, pitting and pickling them so they would last until September and be used in dishes such as cherries with foie gras.
This year, the stone fruit shortage meant Ma and his team would have to be 含羞草研究社渃autious含羞草研究社� about whether they would be on the menu.
含羞草研究社淚 feel like whether we get them from California or somewhere else, the difference is, I think, fresh is always best and local is always best, so that含羞草研究社檚 gonna be difficult,含羞草研究社� said Ma.
Ma said pastry chef Kenta Takahashi loved using as many local products as possible for the restaurant含羞草研究社檚 desserts, but he had to rethink the menu and make adjustments this year.
含羞草研究社淚 think for the most part, he is pretty good at adapting, but it含羞草研究社檚 definitely gonna affect what he含羞草研究社檚 gonna do,含羞草研究社� said Ma.
Ma said Takahashi told him this week he would use local berries, including blueberries, raspberries and strawberries as much as possible, but would also try to buy from the U.S.
Brar said many farmers like him had pivoted to growing ground crops, including pumpkins, watermelons and cantaloupes, and hoped that these options could inspire local chefs.
He noted reports that some farmers had resorted to buying U.S. stone fruit and mislabelling it as B.C.-grown.
含羞草研究社淚 wouldn含羞草研究社檛 be able to sleep that night if I ever did that. I want to grow my own fruit. I want to be able to sell my own fruit, and I want my fruit displayed by the chefs who do an absolutely amazing job with the Okanagan stone fruits that we have,含羞草研究社� said Brar.
Chef Feenie said he was less worried about his menu than he was about the growers in the Okanagan.
含羞草研究社淭he priority is what happened. How can we help the growers so that this kind of thing doesn含羞草研究社檛 happen in the future?含羞草研究社� said Feenie.
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