Among the rustic relics and old English charm we met with Chef Lindsay Porter before opening day of her brand new restaurant London Local. The menu is sprinkled with inspiration from her father’s English birth and her boyfriend’s hometown overseas in Ireland. This is the chef’s first venture out on her own and she says her travels to Europe have defined the direction she wanted to take with her career and her new brand.
As Cela and I pulled up a chair to find out more about Chef Lindsay’s culinary journey we soon learn that London Local has been a true labour of love. With help from close family in the trades, her sister and friends, little pieces of Chef Porter’s family life can be found all over her new digs. I can’t help but notice the glimmer of excitement in her eye as she prepares to open the doors. It’s a look not unlike the one in the eyes of matriarch Tinie Eilers from Bles-Wold as she described her now thriving dairy and yogurt business, when it was just getting off the ground. GetJoyfull has brought us so many wonderful gifts and my little Cela meeting these two strong female entrepreneurs is one of them. We’ve been lucky enough to work with so many talented women along this journey and I’m so happy to share that message with my little one as she builds her own dreams about what she might want to achieve as she grows up.
We head to the kitchen and soon get to work putting together two comforting yet fresh renditions on traditional European fare. First it’s an herbed scone with dill, chives and of course Bles-Wold yogurt. Lindsay’s kind nature and skillful hand in the kitchen helped to guide Cela as we mixed, rolled, cut out and baked the scones to golden perfection. Next up we put together an absolutely incredible take on traditional Irish champ potato. Typically made using potato, scallions, butter, milk and cheese, Chef Lindsay’s version incorporates butternut squash and an irresistible topping made using sour cream, ginger, brown sugar, walnut and sage that inspired food cravings weeks and weeks after. Check out the recipes to make your own at home:
Herbed Scones
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup cold butter cubed
- 1/2 cup Bles-Wold yogurt
- 2 green onion stalks
- 1 bunch dill
Method:
Add flour and butter together and blitz in a food processor until just combined and butter is broken down into small cubes. Add mix to a bowl and add yogurt and mix to just incorporate. Place in fridge and let cool for 20 minutes. Once ready roll out dough and cut with ring molds. Place on a bake sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Champ Potato
Ingredients:
- 3 potatoes
- ½ Butternut Squash
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- Green onion and chives chopped
Method:
Peel and quarter potato and squash and cook until tender. Drain and in the same pot melt butter and add potato and squash back in, sautéing with sour cream. Mash and top with ginger sour cream. Top with green onion and chives.
Ginger Sour Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Bles-Wold yogurt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Method:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl together and season with salt and pepper
Optional Toppings:
- Crispy sage: In a small fry pan heat oil on medium heat to about 325 degrees and drop in a few leaves of sage until they stop bubbling and spitting.
- Candied Walnuts: Lay walnuts on a bake sheet and sprinkle a little brown sugar and salt and bake in the oven until just golden and brown and sugar is melted.
We’d like to extend a big thank you to Chef Porter for welcoming us in at London Local and to Bles-Wold for their incredible hospitality. GetJoyfull would not be possible without the support of our friends, so a big shout out to Dairy Farmers of Canada and Alberta Milk for making this dairy series possible. As always, don’t forget to Fill up on Family Time!
