The beauty of Canada's West Coast is unparalleled and Jennifer Schell captures it beautifully in her cookbook, The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine and Cheese Maker by the Sea, a collection of recipes and stories about the West Coast, from the natural wonders of Tofino to the hustle and bustle of Vancouver, and everything in between.
Here, festival squash from UBC Farm is used in a frittata recipe by chef Jonathan Chovancek, co-proprietor of Bittered Sling Bitters. Festival squash is similar to acorn squash, but with bright orange and green skin and covered in stripes and dots. To make full use of this beautiful squash, Schell recommends using it as a serving bowl.
For a complete meal, pair the frittata with a cocktail made with Bittered Sling Clingstone Peach Bitters.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Season with vegetable oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until the squash is tender.
Reserve the deepest half of the roasted squash as a bowl to hold the frittata. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F.
Add bacon to a pan over medium high heat and render until crispy and set aside to drain. Keep the fat in the pan. Dice the other half of the squash and sauté with the Swiss chard and potatoes until tender. Add toasted fennel and coriander seeds and stir to combine and then distribute evenly between the squash bowls.
Use a blender to combine the eggs and cream. Strain and then pour the egg mixture into the squash bowls.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake on a sheet pan in the oven until set
Serve with a side of lightly dressed arugula—on the beach with a cocktail if possible.
