Conscious Kitchen: Vancouver's 100-Mile Diet

Enlarge Image Image Gallery With macerated blueberries and honey, this simple sorbet makes going local totally delicious. Hamid Attie

At Raincity Grill in Vancouver, British Columbia, eating locally is not just a trend—it’s a way of life. Owner Harry Kambolis started the eatery in 1992 as a celebration of all things Vancouver and helped define Pacific Northwest cuisine in the process.              

The restaurant’s approach—the more local, the better—is realized through several area artisan farms that provide the ingredients for the high-end but down-to-earth cuisine. Raincity’s 100-Mile Tasting Menu offers local delicacies, among them Pacific prawns, Muscovy duck and an assortment of cheeses.

“It has been very exciting and rewarding to see the change in the way we eat over the past 15 years,” Kambolis says. “Now Raincity is able to work with small-lot farmers to procure food products that are grown as food, not as a commodity. This ensures we all get a quality product and a better quality of life. Our chefs are able to keep things simple and let the natural flavors shine, which also makes for a healthful way of eating. Overall, the way our 100-Mile Menu has been embraced is win-win for all involved: the farmers, the restaurant, the chef and the diners.”

The following recipes are adapted from Raincity Grill’s 100-Mile Tasting Menu developed by Chef Peter Robertson. Look for local ingredients to make your own version. Though not for the beginner cook, these gourmet recipes will prove to dinner guests that local doesn’t mean simple or boring.

Yogurt-Honey Sorbet with Macerated Blueberries and Jelly of Mead
Serves 8

This tasty treat features two of nature’s wonder foods: antioxidant-rich blueberries and nutrient-packed honey. Finding local honey and berries in most areas of the United States is a snap (try your local farmer’s market or check www.LocalHarvest.org.). Use antibiotic- and hormone-free milk and yogurt from local dairies, if possible.

•4½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt, plus a little more for plating
•1 cup plus 3½ teaspoons honey
•1½ cups whole milk
•1 cup blueberries
•1 1⁄4 cups mead
•2 sheets gelatin

To make sorbet:

1. Bring yogurt, 1 cup honey and milk to a simmer over low heat. Strain and chill mixture for a minimum of 2 hours (overnight is better).
2. Churn in ice-cream maker, freeze.

To make macerated blueberries:

1. Combine berries and 3½ teaspoons honey; reserve in fridge for about30 minutes.

To make jelly of mead:

1. Place mead in a small pan and bring to a simmer; carefully light mead to burn off alcohol.
2. Rehydrate gelatin sheets by soaking briefly in water.
3. Add rehydrated gelatin to warm mead, strain and chill for 3 to 5 hours.