Fresh & Local: Straight from Canadian farms to your table (Flavours Cookbook)

'Fresh and local' is the way that more and more Canadians are shopping and cooking. We are all discovering that food produced by local growers, often using organic methods, are a far tastier and healthier alternative to out-of-season produce brought long distances to supermarkets.

Craig Flinn, owner and chef of Chives Canadian Bistro in Halifax, was an early and enthusiastic advocate of the fresh and local approach to food and cuisine. He has sought out and championed local producers, and worked with them to obtain a wider range of ingredients. He is a familiar figure at the Halifax farmers market. He has been a supporter and advocate of the 'Slow Food' movement in Canada. His restaurant menu shifts with the seasons, and features the full range of quality locally obtained seafoods, meats, vegetables and fruits.

Now in this cookbook he shares 150 of his best recipes featuring fresh and local ingredients. Allhave been carefully tested and adapted for home use. They range from enjoyable, tasty dishes that are easy to prepare to special elegant dinner party fare.

Great spring recipes include Fiddlehead Soup and Smoked Gouda Cheese Souffle; Caramelized Sea Scallops with Westphalean Ham, Swiss Chard, Lovage and Lemon Risotto; and Wild Blueberry Biscuit Pudding with Lemon Curd.

For summer Craig's suggestions include Cedar Planked Sea Trout with Hodge Podge; Garden Vegetable Fusilli with Smoked Tomato Sauce and Olives; and Plum Tartlet with Brown Sugar Ice Cream.

Among the fall harvest recipes are Simple Roasted Squash Soup, Apple, Cranberry and Star Anise Chutney; and Muscat Poached Pear and Goat Cheese Tartlet.

Winter recipes include with Fried Feta and Grilled Winter Vegetable Salsa; Smoked Bacon, Oka Cheese and Sweet Potato Gratin; and Warm Chocolate Cake with Bumbleberry Sauce.