Family, foraging, and food

The things that keep me connected to my true self

BY CHEF STÉPHANE LEVAC PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Igrew up in Sturgeon Falls, a small francophone community in Northern Ontario. Food was never on my radar.

We were a busy sports family, whether that was hockey in the winter, baseball in the summer, and lots of basketball in high school. Meals were always on the go, something quick and convenient. I never had that luxury of having big family gatherings with proper home-cooked meals or something that inspired me to lead me to where I am today.

I was adopted at an early age. I’m of Indigenous descent. I’m a chef, forager, photographer, father, and ambassador of all things related to where I live today, which is the beautiful Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.

My passion for cooking happened when I was living in Ottawa. This is where I met my wife, my life partner, and mother of my child, Sarah Morrison.

Sarah had long been in the food industry when we met, and I was living across the street from where she worked in the Byward Market. I thought that I would, or at least attempt, to impress her by cooking a meal that I had back home and bringing it to her during one of her shifts. I think it worked, because from that day forward we have been partners and “foodies.”

We did everything together—cooked, indulged in wine, entertained friends, dined out. To this day, she claims that she is the reason behind my career as a chef and I will give her that.

Our son was born in Ottawa on July 1, 2011. Within six months, we decided that we needed more support from family, so we moved to Sarah’s hometown of Wolfville, N.S.

Having been in the gaming industry in Ottawa, I didn’t really know what I was going to do for work when we got here. I quickly had options and took a job as a butcher, something very different what anything I had done before, but it was the beginning of an entirely new career and my passion for cooking took off. I did some work with a local vineyard and started a small catering business with Sarah we called Frais Catering.

“Frais” is fresh in French. We always tried to source our ingredients locally. Over the years we developed many relationships with local producers and while we closed the catering business those relationships still exist today.

I always say that my favourite part about this industry is the conversations that are had behind closed doors and not what you see on social media. I’ve learned so much over the years through these conversations that no money could buy, and for that I am forever grateful for these people that I proudly call friends.

Today, I’m the restaurant chef at Oak Island Resort on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. I forage as much as I can and try to incorporate some of these elements in my dishes I can’t help myself from sharing the knowledge and experience and to teach what I have learned. I don’t claim to be an expert by any means, but I feel like I’ve done enough that I can send people in the right direction.

During the pandemic, we’ve spent a lot of time foraging together as a family. It’s satisfying, and the experience has great value; not in the sense of dollar signs but more about getting us outside and away from our tech devices.

We exercise physically and exercise our knowledge of how things work based on seasons and weather. I like to think of it as a healthy lifestyle and a sustainable one at that.

COVID-19 got me thinking more about this.

Why do we need to have ingredients shipped to us from different countries? Why can’t we lower emissions by focusing on what’s around us locally? Why are small businesses struggling so badly to the point of closure?

We need to get out of the mindset of things we want vs the things we need. For me, that’s locally grown food. High quality products from local producers that we can be proud of because they come from right here in our own backyard. The sights and destinations of this province that we take for granted.

Get out and discover what is yours and ours, have those conversations with your local farmers etc. Mark my words that you will be surprised not only by what Nova Scotia has to offer but Atlantic Canada as a whole.

I have created four simple recipes using some of the fi nest local ingredients available in my community from foraging, visiting local farms, and from my local farmers markets. With fresh ingredients you can make anything delicious and beautiful. Enjoy.

Since competing on season nine of Top Chef Canada, Stéphane Levac says that many new opportunities have opened up to him. Above: On location at Longspell Point Farm in Kingsport, N.S.

Wild Mushroom Toast

4 servings

INGREDIENTS 6 tbsp. olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling 4 ¾-inch-thick slices country- style bread 1 clove garlic minced kosher salt 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 12 ounces of chanterelles or some of your favourite mushrooms coarsely chopped 1 medium shallot, fi nely chopped 4 tbsp. dry white wine 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream 1 tbsp. locally made Dijon mustard (I like to use

Chef Jason Lynch’s from

Gasperaux) 1 tsp. chopped lemon thyme Freshly ground black pepper Asiago cheese such as Ciro’s

PREPARATION 1. Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add garlic, swirl around and cook for about 20 seconds (do not brown).

Working in batches, fry bread for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer bread to a plate; wipe out skillet. 2. Heat butter and 3 tbsp. oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the mushrooms are golden brown and slightly crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add crème fraîche and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened but still silky 3–5 minutes. Stir in lemon thyme and then remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. 3. Divide mushroom mixture among toasts and grate some asiago over top.

Smoked Salmon and Fennel Salad

6 servings

Chorizo Corn Chowder

6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS 7 ears of corn, husked, silks removed 2 tbsp. olive oil 4 local chorizo sausages 1 medium onion, diced 1 ½ pounds baby red potatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces 3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves 4 cups good quality chicken stock 2 ½-3 cups 10% cream 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper Salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into ½ inch strips 1 bulb fennel halved and cored Pinch of salt 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 3 cup diced shallot 1 tsp. garlic, minced 1 tsp. white pepper 1 3 cup white wine 1 egg yolk 3 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup canola oil 8 cups of salad greens 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 apple, cored, thinly sliced and cut into triangles ½ cucumber, cut into ¼ inch slices and halved into half moons 6 ounces hot smoked salmon, torn into pieces Nasturtium for garnish

PREPARATION 1. Cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and set the bacon aside on a paper towel to cool. 2. Thinly slice one half of the fennel bulb on a mandolin and set in a small bowl. Sprinkle ½ a tsp. of salt and set aside for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the fennel under cold water, pat it dry, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 3. Cut the remaining fennel into a small dice. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, shallot, garlic, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. white pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring once in a while, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the white wine to the skillet and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about two minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 4. Combine the egg yolk, water, lemon juice, ½ tsp. salt, the remaining white pepper and sauteed fennel to a blender. Process until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup of canola oil until emulsifi ed and set aside. 5. Combine remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon in a mixing bowl and toss. Divide amongst six plates or serve family style and dress with the fennel dressing. Add nasturtium for garnish and serve with lemon wedges. PREPARATION 1. With a sharp knife, cut corn kernels off of the ears of corn. Use the back of your knife to scrape along the ears, pressing out as much corn milk as possible. Depending on the size of the cobs, you should have about 7 cups of corn with corn milk. Puree 3 cups of corn and set the rest aside. 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Remove sausage from casing, add loose sausage meat to the hot skillet and cook through, about 7 minutes.

Remove sausage from the skillet and set aside, reserving oil. 3. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp. of chorizo-infused olive oil.

Add diced onion and cook until translucent. Add potatoes and thyme.

Cook for one minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 15-20 minutes. 4. Add 3 cups of corn puree and cream to the pot. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, then add cayenne pepper and cooked chorizo sausage. Season with salt and pepper. *Serve with spicy croutons.

*Note: There will be a thick layer of fat and oil on the chowder after it cools. Skim the oil into a bowl, rip crusty bread into pieces and toss with the oil. Lay the bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°F and serve as a garish for the chowder.

Blackberry and Bay Leaf Tart with Blue Cheese

6-8 servings

Custard & Cornmeal Crust

INGREDIENTS For the dough 2 cups all-purpose fl our cup fi nely stone-ground 2 3 white cornmeal 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. sugar 1 cup butter, cut into small dice and chilled ¼ cup ice-cold vodka (lots of local distillery’s making great vodka) ¼ cup ice water For the fi lling 1 cup sugar Two ¼-ounce envelopes unfl avored gelatin 3 ounces blue cheese 2 ¼ cups sour cream 6 tbsp. plus 1 ½ tsp. pure maple syrup 1 ½ cups heavy cream

For the sauce 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries ¼ cup of sugar Zest and juice of half a lemon 1 or 2 fresh bay leaves (go forage for your own) 1 tbsp. water

PREPARATION 1. For the dough, place fl our, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add chilled butter, and pulse to cut butter into fl our. With the processor running, pour in vodka, then drizzle in ice water just until the dough starts to clump. Transfer the dough into a mixing bowl.

Gently press into a ball. Cut the dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Refrigerate at least half an hour or overnight. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, blue cheese and gelatin. Stir in ¾ cup of cold water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream with 1 ½ teaspoons of maple syrup. Bring the sugar, cheese and gelatin mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted, sugar and gelatin dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream until frothy on top. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the heavy cream mixture through a fi ne mesh sieve into the sour cream, whisk until fully incorporated. 3. Make the sauce by incorporating all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, discard bay leaf and set aside. 4. To roll out the dough: take dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. On a lightly fl oured surface, roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, then place gently into a 9-inch tart pan. You can do this by fl ouring a rolling pan and rolling the dough loosely around it, then unrolling it into the pan.

Brush away any excess fl our on the surface. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to fi t the tart pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until fi rm, about 30 minutes. To bake the crust: preheat oven to 375°F and place rack in the centre. Press parchment paper or aluminum foil tightly against the crust, covering the edges to prevent them from burning. Fill with pie weights. Bake crust for 20 minutes, until foil no longer sticks to the dough. Transfer crust to a wire rack and remove weights and foil. 5. Once the tart shell has cooled down, pour blue cheese custard in, making sure to not go over the edges. Refrigerate tart for 3-4 hours. For serving, take the tart out of the pan and cut desired slices with a sharp knife. Pour some of the blackberry sauce on the tart and serve. o