One of the best dining destinations in British Columbia, Araxi serves refined and local cuisine in one of the most scenic places in the country: Whistler. With executive chef James Walt's new cookbook, Araxi: Roots to Shoots, you can make some of his dishes right at home with the help of step-by-step tips.
This salsa is a great way to use up any tomatoes in your garden that no longer seem to ripen once the weather cools. Chef Walt suggests serving this recipe with the ricotta gnudi or your favourite potato or pasta dish.
Green tomato salsa
Preheat the barbecue or an indoor grill to medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes (or tomatillos), shallots, garlic and jalapeño with 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Place these vegetables on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and allow them to cool.
Once cooled, place the grilled vegetables in a blender or food processor along with the remaining olive oil and the cilantro, parsley and vinegar. Blend at high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper and mix to incorporate. Pour the salsa into a serving bowl and refrigerate until needed.
This will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for about 2 days, after which it will start to lose its green freshness.
Grilled beef tenderloin
Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high heat. Have ready some butcher’s twine and an instant-read meat thermometer.
Set the tenderloin on a clean work surface. Cut about 7 pieces of butcher’s twine, each about 8 inches long. Starting at one end, tie a piece of butcher’s twine around the beef 2 inches from the end. Measure another 2 inches in from the first piece of twine and tie a second piece around the beef. Repeat every 2 inches until the beef is tightly rolled and tied. This step promotes even cooking by maintaining a similar thickness of meat throughout. (If the end is quite thin, fold it underneath to create a double layer of meat and tie it in place.) Drizzle the tied meat with the olive oil and season it with the pepper and a generous amount of sea salt.
Sear the tenderloin on the grill for about 4 minutes, then turn the meat over and cook for a further 4 minutes. Repeat to sear the 2 remaining sides. (You will sear the beef for a total of about 16 minutes at this stage.) Turn down the heat to low and cook the meat for a further 10 to 15 minutes, turning it every 2 to 3 minutes. To test for doneness, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin. Once it registers 125 to 130°F for medium rare, transfer the meat to a cooling rack and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
To serve
Using a sharp knife, slice the beef into 1/8 inch slices. Arrange the meat slices on a warm platter and serve with the green tomato salsa.
