Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 17, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● C3 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2025 Choosing wisely, cooking well can help you fall in love with produce SQUASH your aversion to veggies A LL Camille Metcalfe asks is that you give vegetables a chance. Even the ones you don’t like. Growing up, the British Colum- bia-born chef was convinced she hated eggplants. The texture of the deep purple fruit was offputting, the flavour even more so. Mushrooms were also a struggle. “It turns out (my mom) just didn’t cook them in a way that I liked,” she says. “I love eggplants now. Don’t write off a vegetable because you didn’t like it that one time.” Encouraging culinary curiosity has been a big part of Metcalfe’s career, which started as a part-time kitchen job in college and later evolved into teaching youth how to grow and prepare food with NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre. A Red River College Polytech alum, Metcalfe recently returned to her alma mater, where she helps culinary arts students find apprenticeships as a work-integrated learning co-ordi- nator. Her days off are usually spent tending to her garden and experi- menting with various forms of food preservation, from dehydrating to pickling to canning. In today’s Homemade Cooking School class, Metcalfe shares how to make the most of produce. Shopping Beyond the chosen cooking method, seasonality can also impact vegetable enjoyment. Thanks to global supply chains, supermarkets can stock produce year- round regardless of what’s in season locally, leading to pale winter tomatoes and limp fall asparagus. Instead, Metcalfe recommends buying fruits and veg at the height of their respective harvest seasons. This can include shopping at local farmers markets or stocking up on imported goods when they’re peaking elsewhere in the world, such as citrus during the wintertime. “Fresh vegetables can really make a difference,” she says. “When vegeta- bles are in season then I know they’re going to be at their best flavour and I’m excited to eat them.” She’s also a proponent of buying edi- ble but blemished produce, since most imperfections can be trimmed away. Storing Produce is among the most wasted food in Canadian households. Proper storage can extend freshness and shelf life, so that bag of lettuce in the back of the fridge doesn’t turn into a bag of wet brown mush bound for the garbage. Leafy greens and most herbs should be stored in the refrigerator in a resealable bag with a sheet of paper towel to wick excess moisture, says Metcalfe. Tender basil, however, should be stored on the counter and eaten soon after purchase. Canada’s Food Guide advises keep- ing fruits and vegetables separated in the fridge with fruits in the low-humid- ity and vegetables in the high-humidity crisper drawers. For hardy root vegetables, try to replicate the cool, dark environment of a cellar. “But onions and potatoes don’t like each other, so don’t store them next to each other,” Metcalfe adds. Produce on the verge can be frozen or turned into stock. To reduce food waste, spoiled fruits and vegetables can be composted in a backyard bin or dropped off at a City of Winnipeg compost location. Prepping, seasoning and cooking Fresh produce should be washed prior to eating and vegetables should be peeled, seeded and cut according to preference and use. Salads and raw veggies are typically served with dressings and dips to add seasoning and enhance palatability. Fibrous greens, such as kale, can be massaged with oil to reduce bitterness and soften the leaves. Cooking changes the flavour and composition of food. Cooked vegetables can be served with a sauce or seasoned simply with oil, salt and herbs. Here are some common ways to cook vegetables: ● Steaming: Fill a pot with a few inches of water and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Place vegetables in a steamer basket and lower into the pot, ensuring the bottom of the steamer is above the water level. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft. Season as desired. ● Blanching: Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stovetop and add 15-30 ml (1-2 tbsp) of salt. Add vegetables to the water using tongs to avoid splash- back, and boil for several minutes until tender but firm. Remove vegetables from the pot and place directly into an ice-water bath. “This is called shocking,” Metcal- fe says while demonstrating how to blanch broccolini. “It is taking them from a very hot environment to a very cold environment; this is going to stop them from cooking.” Once the broccolini is drained and dried, Metcalfe seasons the greens with olive oil, lemon juice, chili flakes and more salt. Find a video of the pro- cess at wfp.to/blanching. ● Stir-frying: Heat oil over high heat in a wok or wide pan. Add vegetables and stir constantly while sautéing until tender-crisp. Add sauce, continue stir- ring and cook until just incorporated. ● Roasting: Preheat the oven, usu- ally to 400 F, and cut vegetables into uniform pieces. Toss with oil, salt and desired spices and spread evenly in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast un- til crisp, tender and browned slightly. Root vegetables, such as squash and potatoes, will take longer to cook than other ingredients. eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com EVA WASNEY c o o ki n g s c h o o l Once the broccolini is blanched, Metcalfe tosses the stalks with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and chili flakes. In the completed dish, the broccolini is cooked but still crisp to the bite. ARTS ● LIFE I FOOD MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Camille Metcalfe, plating her broccolini, recalls how learning to cook eggplant properly transformed her opinion of the purple vegetable. Two city eateries in running for best new restaurant list TWO neighbouring Winnipeg restau- rants have landed in the national spot- light just six months after opening. On Tuesday, Baby Baby (137 Os- borne St.) and Shirley’s (135 Osborne St.) were named among 31 finalists in the running for a spot on Air Canada’s 2025 Best New Restaurants list. For Chris Gama, co-chef and partner at Baby Baby, it’s a meaningful acco- lade after years of behind-the-scenes labour. “It’s been a lot of work,” says Gama, who co-owns the restaurant with Raya Konrad, Daly Gyles and Nick Gladu. “We’re really proud of ourselves and we’re really proud of our team… be- cause it takes all of us to build some- thing nice,” Baby Baby and Shirley’s both opened in March and worked closely during renovations to restore and divide the Osborne Village storefront previously home to Basil’s, Black Rabbit Bistro and several other short-lived concepts. On the south side of the building, Baby Baby serves boutique cocktails and shared plates in a whimsical din- ing room created by Winnipeg studio Fireside Design Build. To the north, Shirley’s chef and owner Renée Girard specializes in fine-casual fare, including handmade pasta and homemade pickles. Gama is glad Girard is getting her due. “It’s really, really nice to see her get this kind of recognition, especially since it’s her first restaurant. She put a lot of herself into this,” he says. The kudos run both ways. “I’m honoured to be on that same platform as them; they’re people I’ve looked up to my whole culinary career,” Girard says of the Baby Baby ownership group. Opening Shirley’s — named after Girard’s grandmother — has been a lifelong dream made possible by en- couragement from friends and family. Making it on Canada’s best new restau- rants list is the cherry on top. “You’re damn right I’m proud of it and every single one of my team members should be proud of it, too,” Girard says. Osborne Village’s new generation of dining options have been well repre- sented on the Air Canada list in recent years, with Crumb Queen and Andy’s Lunch (166 Osborne St.) landing on the Top 10 in 2024. “It’s nice to see the village getting acknowledged because we couldn’t have been successful if it wasn’t for the support we’ve had from the neigh- bourhood,” Gama says. Girard agrees. “This is a great thing for our city and it’s a great thing for the commu- nity and Osborne Village,” she says. “We’re finally being recognized in the Prairies and I think that’s very special and well deserved.” The annual Air Canada Best New Restaurants list includes dine-in eateries opened between May 2024 and April 2025, nominated by a panel of national culinary professionals. The Top 10 list will be revealed on Nov. 17 in Toronto eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com EVA WASNEY MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Using one hand as a filter can keep lemon seeds from falling into your dish. When sprinkling salt, pepper or — in this case — chili flakes, do so from further away from the food to ensure even distribution. ;