It was during my last visit to Salt Spring Island in July of 2007 that I first met Tony DePasquale, the talent and force behind Bloom Breads. Since then his partner, Helen Mears, had decided to create an island business of her own. Before the couple moved from Vancouver to Salt Spring, Helen had enjoyed 17 years as owner and operator of Mecca, a successful consignment clothing store located on Commercial Drive. Her extensive experience in retail certainly came in handy when she began directing her creative energies and business savvy towards a different kind of venture…..Cafe Talia. Located in the heart of Ganges in the original Salt Spring Telephone Exchange, this sweet little spot combines a casual European flair with a kicked back West Coast vibe. But it certainly didn’t look that way when Mears took over the lease just 8 months ago. At the time the renovation began, the floors were mud, the building’s exterior was covered in bramble bushes and the functioning indoor plumbing was a thing of the past. Today its bright and airy interior is decorated with bistro-style furnishings, a vintage chandelier and original art by Ian Thomas. Umbrella covered tables provide extra outdoor seating for those wishing to sip and nibble alfresco. Cafe Talia serves its customers beautifully barista-ed Ethical Bean coffees, fresh sandwiches and, of course, lots of delicious fresh baked goodies from Bloom Breads. Also available is a selection of Vij’s take home Indian food, a perfect dinner alternative for locals, campers and boaters who are not in the mood to cook. Cafe Talia is located at 122 Hereford Ave., Salt Spring Island.

Good Lord. I haven’t written a damn thing in over a week. I did spend a good portion of my cyber-absence on Salt Spring Island, to attend the birthday party of my friend and former culinary school classmate, Myles. As he was very much in the mood to celebrate the arrival of his next year of life, he decided to prepare a spectacular and unique feast for his guests…..

Though I had never before experienced a seafood boil, I once saw an episode of Julia Child: Lessons With Master Chefs where she goes to Louisiana to visit a young Emeril Lagasse (during his pre-BAAM! days) to observe him making his version of a craw fish boil. This famous regional dish is made by first boiling up an enormous cauldron of specially seasoned water and then adding potatoes, onions, garlic, corn on the cob, lemon wedges and, finally, fresh craw fish. When all ingredients are fully cooked, the liquid is strained away and the piping hot contents are then scattered directly onto a newspaper or plastic covered table. This outdoor communal feast is eaten without cutlery, shell crackers or seafood forks….just bare hands, plenty of cold beer and lots of paper napkins. After Emeril has strewn his creation out onto a newsprint covered table, he sits down to lunch with Julia, teaching her how to suck the meat from the head of ‘these mud bugs‘. She ends the episode back in her studio kitchen, where she summarizes by referring to the dish as a ‘terrific table‘.

I think that the West Coast version Myles created was even more impressive than Emeril’s. Substituting the craw fish with a seafood medley of local mussels, skate, whole crabs and B.C. spotted prawns made for a truly spectacular spread. The length of the table was decorated with small white dishes of hot sauce and home made aioli intended for dipping. Ice cold cans of Lucky Beer were not only thirst quenching libations…..it was soon discovered that slamming the base of a beer can onto a crab claw served as the perfect shell cracker, at times spraying milky crab juice onto fellow diners. As we devoured the feast and discarded our emptied shells onto piles of seafood shrapnel, we kept remarking at what a fun way it was to dine. Eating outdoors with our hands…..in celebration of our birthday boy, friendship and a bounty of beautiful food. I’ll take tribal bonding over fancy restaurant dining any day. Especially that day.

No one would ever accuse Dan Jason, founder and operator of Salt Spring Seeds, of being a lazy man. When he’s not busy tending to the immediate demands of his farm, he can often be found writing another book or article, giving lectures at environmental and horticulture events around the province, or fulfilling his duties as a director of Canada’s Heritage Seed Program, “a national network of organic growers dedicated to preserving our heirloom seeds”. His mail order seed company, which he began in 1988, sells heirloom varieties of vegetables and high protein plants to countries all over the world; with the exception of the U.S., as they forbid his seeds from entering their country, claiming that they could ‘contaminate’ domestic crops.

Located on Blackburn Road, right next door to the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, his farm truly is a place of beauty. On the hot July day we stopped by for a visit, Dan was too busy to play tour guide, but kindly allowed us to walk the land ourselves. How fortunate we were to spend a blissful hour mingling amongst the countless plant species and varieties which have put down their roots there.

I am grateful to people like Dan Jason, whose dedication and commitment today will surely make the world of tomorrow a much better place to live (and eat).

Do you ever have one of those holidays where everything just flows effortlessly, as though the vacation gods have decided to pull out all the stops, in order to make each experience more delightful and flawless than the last? Our visit to Sacred Island Lavender was the only visit that didn’t quite work out (timing-wise), during an otherwise idyllic road trip. Located just outside of Fulford Harbour, they were closed on the days we could come, and we missed their annual Lavender Festival by only one week. Imagine…..eating lavender ice cream…. getting a shiatsu massage out in the lavender fields…..though I’m pretty o.k. with having missed the visit by ‘Tammy the Lavender Donkey’. Oh well. We did manage to stop by long enough for a pic, a whiff and enough inspiration for me to experiment with this recipe for lavender lemonade. It’s mighty fine lemonade, if I do say so myself.

(Mighty Fine) Lavender Lemonade

2/3 cup sugar
5 cups water
1/4 cup fresh or 1 tbsp dried lavender
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
bottled mineral water
ice cubes
lavender sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish

In medium sized pot combine sugar and 2 ½ cups water. Bring to boil over a medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add lavender, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Strain mixture and discard lavender. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher. Add lemon juice and the other 2 ½ cups water. Cover and chill. Serve in glasses with ice, saving a little space and top with mineral water. Stir gently. Garnish with lavender sprigs and lemon wedges.

I am always amazed to see how every baker brings his or her own personal style to the art; from the recipes and techniques they develop, to the diversity and uniqueness of their finished products.

Tony DePasquale of Bloom Breads produces baking that is as hearty and satisfying as his is repertoire is diverse. Keep in mind that he is making all of these products from his home:

Cracked rye-wheat, onion rye-wheat, Italian style white, walnut white, raisin white, olive white, spelt, roasted olive & garlic fougasse, bread sticks, focaccias, biscotti (dark belgian chocolate with walnuts, black pepper with ground espresso, apricot with hazlenut, cornmeal and orange blossom water, classic almond)………does this man ever sleep?

All of his breads are made from organic flour and naturally levined from his sourdough starter, which he nurtures with as much loving care and attention as though it were a first born child. Its rustic, dense and sour qualities inspired me to create this white bean dip, perfect served with his Italian style white bread, lightly grilled.

Italian Style White Bean Dip

1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
1 can rinsed and drained white kidney beans
3 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ load good artisan-style fresh bread, sliced

In mortar and pestle mash garlic and oregano, then mash in beans, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then mash in vinegar (you could substitute with 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice). Lightly grill the bread slices and cut in halves. Put bean dip on a serving dish. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the sprig of oregano. Serve with hot grilled bread.

….but be warned…. he sells out early!

Who doesn’t enjoy the odd little-summer-island-hopping-road-trip, with a spontaneous wine tasting thrown in for good measure? Salt Spring Vineyards, located 9 km south of Ganges, is the perfect visit. Wine tastings here are friendly and informative, as well as complimentary.

The outdoor bistro tables and chairs provide a spectacular setting, complete with a view overlooking the vineyard itself; a great place to sip their wines, which are available for purchase by both the glass and the bottle.

I decided on a bottle of the unoaked chardonnay, which didn’t last long; served that same night back at Neil and Gintari’s house, with grilled lemon rosemary chicken, fresh green salad from their garden and fresh, local corn on the cob.

Cheers to summer.