Get Local Dinner at Whole Foods

get local dinner 1

Last night I attended this wonderful long table dinner hosted by Whole Foods Cambie in their beautiful Allegro Café. It was a fundraiser raising funds for local organization, Growing Chefs and it was the first event of this kind to be held at this Whole Foods.

Chef Ned Bell and Chef Liam Lewis

Chef Ned Bell and Chef Liam Lewis

The farm to table local collaborative dinner was cooked and plated by Chef Ned Bell and Chef Liam Lewis (aka The Little Locavore). Wines from Nk’Mip Cellars (Osoyoos) were paired with each of the courses.

During the reception, mocktails were served along with a selection of cheeses and crackers.

Now on to dinner and the pairings!

1st course:

Heirloom tomato gazpacho

Heirloom tomato gazpacho

Heirloom tomato gazpacho with Dungeness crab, green garbanzo beans, avocado, olive oil and lime, paired with the Winemaker’s series DreamCatcher. The soup was both stunning in taste as it was in presentation, light and delicious.

2nd course:

Local roasted beet & goat cheese stacked salad

Local roasted beet & goat cheese stacked salad

Local roasted beet & goat cheese stacked salad, paired with the Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay. A well balance pairing and this Chardonnay was the perfect match.

3rd course:

Grilled wild salmon

Grilled wild salmon

Grilled wild salmon with Okanagan peach romesco, roasted Chilliwack corn, almond and smoked Vancouver Island Sea Salt crumble, paired with the Qwam Qwmt Merlot. The smoked sea salt crumble added a slight saltiness to the dish and a crunch element with the Okanagan peach romesco, a beautiful dish all around.

4th course:

Creme fraiche panna cotta

Creme fraiche panna cotta

Creme fraiche panna cotta with blackberries and pistachio crumble, paired with the Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine. Liam’s dessert was light and the perfect ending to this wonderful meal.

The Little Locavore, is 13-year-old chef-in-training Liam Lewis. For the past two + years, Liam has been living with his family in Vancouver, and has had the privilege to have cooked with some of Canada’s finest chefs including: Vikram Vij (Vij’s), Ned Bell (Four Seasons), and Trevor Bird (Fable Kitchen) to name just a few. He has received culinary training at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, UBC, and The Dirty Apron.

You can follow Liam on twitter @LittleLocavore

Executive Chef Ned Bell’s cooking philosophy is farm-to-table. He is passionate about creating globally inspired dishes crafted with locally grown ingredients with an emphasis on sustainable seafood. He is the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel and YEW Restaurant in Vancouver. He is also the founder of Chefs for Oceans a non-profit organization.

You can follow Ned on twitter @nedbell

Whole Foods Cambie is where I shop for most of my groceries, I truly hope they will do more dinners like this down the road, follow them on twitter @WFMVan

By: Richard Wolak

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