Chris Remington’s resume ranges from cooking in Scotland, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Europe to product development at Earls. He moved to Penticton in 2005, to the Pentiction Resort and its brand new flagship restaurant the Hooded Merganser.
“We have a farm called Valleyview overlooking Skaha Lake on the west side. It’s on the owner’s property, and Michelle Younie is our chef horticulturalist. We have three beehives, primarily for pollination but we hope to have more and eventually supply honey to the restaurant.
“The goal was never for the farm to supply all of the hotel’s needs, but to feature different things. We just harvested bok choy mid-April. By end of April we’ll take mixed greens, spring onions too. We have had herb gardens on the hotel property for several years but last year was our first full year with the farm.
“Guests have to want it. Early this season we served salads with only lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, all from the farm. The response was huge, and the taste and textures were amazing. We expect to be able to supply about 30-35 per cent from the farm in the summer and we can go right until November with greenhouse and tented spinach and lettuce.
“We have a big chalk board in the kitchen as to what’s going to be ready from our suppliers: Festers Peppers from Doug Haggerty, Green Man Farm lavender, and tomatoes, plums, garlic. Other farmers turn up saying ‘this is ready.’
“It’s about understanding where the food comes from. I have a garden at home, my kids help. We wanted to have chickens, so we started with a couple of illegal ones in the back yard. This sparked a city wide pilot project. If it goes well, Penticton will be allowed to have backyard chickens.”
Valleyview Farm bok choy salad with Pacific halibut
- 4 pieces baby bok choy, rinsed and dried
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on a bias
- thumb-sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- toasted cashews (optional)
Sauce
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 2 T low sodium soy sauce
- 2 T sweet soy sauce
- 3 T rice wine vinegar
- 2 T sesame oil
- 2 pieces skin-on fresh halibut
Break off outer leaves of bok choy, then slice into bite-sized pieces keeping hearts separate.
Add all vegetables together and toss with enough dressing just to coat. Do not over-dress as salad will be salty.
Pan sear fish flesh side down until lightly browned, flip over and finish cooking on skin side.
When fish is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Place salad slightly off centre on a room temperature plate and place halibut skin side down half to the side of the salad. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Chef’s wine suggestion: Lake Breeze Pinot Gris.