3 Recipes from The New Granville Island Market Cookbook

Two of Granville Island Market’s original vendors muse on the market’s past and cook up recipes for today’s palates

Judie Glick and Carol Jensson first bonded over a cup of coffee at the Granville Island Public Market in 1979. Both women were among the first owner-operators at the fledgling market located under the Granville Street Bridge. Glick founded what is now Fraser Valley Juice and Salad Bar while Jensson opened the Blue Parrot Organic Coffee House.

Glick used to sidle up to Jensson’s espresso bar to sample 60-cent espressos, and the two would go out on the town after the market closed for the week on Sunday nights. They were united in their interest to bring a new way of shopping and eating into the mainstream, combining the European tradition of daily market shopping with food not available in your average supermarket.

Taking Ethnic Food Mainstream

According to the duo, this was the first time chunks of parmesan, fresh pasta, lychee, bagels and even espresso were available in Vancouver outside neighbourhood ethnic markets.

“You could find carrot juice at health food stores,” says Glick. “But now grandmothers would come and buy carrot juice for their family. The market brought fresh food and cultural food together in one area.”

The New Granville Island Market Cookbook

In 1985, Glick published a popular, ring-bound cookbook titled The Granville Island Market Cookbook, featuring recipes inspired by the market-fresh ingredients themselves. Glick and Jensson recently teamed up to reinvent the classic cookbook with The New Granville Island Market Cookbook.

The new cookbook features a combination of old favourites as well as modern twists on traditional recipes reflective of the even greater variety of produce now available.

A few of the original recipes, such as a homemade pie crust with margarine and oven-fried parmesan chicken, remain untouched. An antipasto recipe, which was very popular in the 1980s, has also been included, but reduced in size.

Glick and Jensson are still active in the local food industry. Jensson is the former creative coordinator for James Barber’s The Urban Peasant. She continues to own the Blue Parrot Organic Coffee House and is now a food stylist in the Vancouver film industry. Glick has since sold her food business and remains a food writer.

The recipes in The New Granville Island Market Cookbook are organized by season. Here is a sampling of three comforting recipes, just in time for fall.

Cauliflower, Chickpea and Kale Curry

This vegetarian recipe comes from our multi-talented photographer and friend Tracey Kusiewicz. Serve on brown rice and top with finely diced green apple, fresh cilantro, and chopped almonds

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cups (750 ml) cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) diced leeks
• 1 14-oz (398-ml) can coconut milk
• 1 bunch curly kale (about 2 cups/500 ml), stalks removed and finely chopped
• 1 19-oz (540-ml) can chickpeas
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Suggested Garnishes

• 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp finely diced green apple

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan on medium, heat the sesame oil.
2. Add the cauliflower, lemongrass, ginger, curry powder and salt.
3. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic, leeks and ¾ of the can of coconut milk, and simmer for another 10 minutes, until cauliflower is al dente.
5. Add the kale, chickpeas and remaining coconut milk and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, until the coconut milk is reduced.
6. Add lime juice, garnish as desired, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Mushroom-stuffed Puff Pastry

This savoury appetizer can be made either as a single large rectangle and then cut into individual portions or used to fill vol-au-vent shells. Either way, it’s delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb (500 g) fresh wild or cultivated mushrooms, washed and trimmed
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine or sherry
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 large sheet puff pastry, 12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm), thawed
• (or eight premade frozen vol-au-vent shells)
• 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
• In a large, heavy frying pan on medium heat, melt butter with the oil.
• Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, wine and thyme and sauté until the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Place the puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lay the mushroom mixture on top, leaving a 2-in (5-cm) border around the edges.
• Fold over the pastry 1 in (2.5 cm) from the edges, then fold up to create a ridge around the filling.
• Brush the border with the beaten egg. (If using vol-au-vent shells, put 3 tbsp filling in each.)
• Place the sheet on middle rack in oven and bake until the pastry is golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 slices or 8 vol-au-vents.

Apple Crisp

This is a perfect and easy-to-make fall dessert, delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 5 large, local, seasonal apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 tbsp flour
• ½ cup (125 ml) brown sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Topping

• 1 cup (250 ml) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
• 1 cup (250 ml) oats
• ½ cup (125 ml) butter, melted
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the apples, flour, brown sugar, syrup, lemon juice and zest until well blended.
3. Place the apple mixture into a greased 9-x-13-in (23-x-33-cm) baking dish. (Or, for individual portions, use four 1-cup (250-ml) ramekins.)
4. In a large bowl, mix the ingredients for the topping, then spread over the apple mixture.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes, about 25 minutes if using ramekins, until apples are tender and top is golden.

Makes 4 servings.