Summertime is the best time to enjoy blueberries. Richmond farmers have been rolling out these fresh, tasty and healthy berries to local markets throughout the city.
The News asked executive chef Bela Krajnyak for a recipe showcasing blueberries and he was more than happy to oblige. Krajnyak grew up with a huge garden in the backyard and his family lived off the garden's bounty.
"I was fortunate that my mom was more than just a good cook - she had some great old recipe books from Hungary and Germany, dating back to the late 1800s," said the seasoned chef. His culinary journey began at Vancouver's Le Napoleon before he apprenticed at two of Vancouver's first daily fresh sheet restaurants, Caffe Bibbers and Café Splash on False Creek.
He then took the Canadian Red Seal Apprentice program through BCIT.
"This was in the late 80s so getting the fresh produce took a little more work than it does now and it was usually delivered by the farmer to the back door," he said.
"But it was in line with what I had always liked about cooking - seasonal, fresh and local, if you could find it."
A yearning for travel took the young aspiring chef into kitchens all over the world, including the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia and Czech Republic, where he honed his skills on local cuisine.
When he returned to B.C., Krajnyak worked at a number of well-known restaurants here and in Whistler before accepting the post at the Steveston Hotel and Buck & Ear Pub five years ago.
BLUEBERRY MINT VINAIGRETTE
INGREDIENTS:
For this recipe, a hand blender or some type of blender is needed
. 1 cup fresh blueberries (I freeze a whole bunch on trays this time of year and empty them into bucket for the winter, so frozen works just as fine)
. 1 half cup of balsamic vinegar
. 10 turns of fresh pepper
. A pinch of kosher salt
. A pinch of thyme leaves
. One small garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
. One small shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
. About 15 leaves of fresh mint, off the stem and coarsely chopped
METHOD:
Place all the above in your food processor, blender or any container that you can blend with. Blend until all items are mixed well.
Then slowly add while still blending: One and a half cups of oil (half canola, half extra virgin olive oil. I use half and half as some people find the taste of olive oil a little too strong. Grape seed oil works great as well) Place in fridge until needed.
A quick and tasty salad is to take your favourite greens, toss them in this dressing and garnish with goat cheese and fresh berries. Top with barbecue chicken or some fresh seafood and you have a very tasty summer meal.
