Serves 6 as a main dish or 8 as an appetizer
Our tasty tart is the quintessential harbinger of spring with its new asparagus and spring leeks. All tucked into a flaky crust with tiny tomatoes and sprinkled with pine nuts, it’s a delicious meatless alternative for the vegetarian palate.
Substitute vegan butter for unsalted butter, and brush crust with a little oil before baking.
Per serving:
In food processor fitted with metal blade, make crust by combining flour, herbs, and salt. Pulse 2 or 3 times to blend. Scatter diced cold butter overtop and pulse just until blended and crumbly and butter resembles large peas. Add 2 Tbsp (30 mL) ice water and pulse a couple of times. Add another 1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 mL) ice water and pulse just until dough pulls together with a few crumbs.
Lightly dust countertop with flour, then turn dough onto countertop and shape into disk. Tightly wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or tightly sealed and frozen until ready to use.
Cut trimmed leeks in half, lengthwise, and cut lengths into 1/4 in (0.6 cm) half moons. In large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and cook until very soft but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir often. Transfer to large bowl.
Cut asparagus stalks into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces. Add remaining oil to hot skillet along with asparagus and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender crisp. Stir often, adding a splash of water, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Add grape tomatoes and continue to stir over medium heat until tomatoes are almost blistering, about 3 minutes. Tumble onto leeks in bowl and add thyme and lemon zest. Fold together and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) and adjust oven rack to lower-middle level. Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll out chilled pastry into 14 in (35 cm) round. Carefully and loosely roll onto rolling pin and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush centre of pastry with Dijon mustard, leaving 2 in (5 cm) rim around edge. Arrange leek, asparagus, and tomato filling over mustard in even layer, scraping up bits from bottom of bowl. Lightly dust with fresh pepper and sprinkle with pine nuts, if using. Gently lift and fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving veggies in centre of galette exposed. Don’t worry if pastry tears. Just press it back together with your fingertips. This adds to the rustic look. Brush surface of pastry with milk.
Bake galette in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove and place baking sheet on rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then cut galette into wedges and serve warm.
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.