The Edible Valley Podcast –

What does a chef think about on a snow day? Spring ingredients, new menus, culinary students, and the future of food in the Edible Valley.

In this solo episode of The Edible Valley Podcast, Chef Jonathan Frazier takes advantage of a surprise snow day on Vancouver Island to reflect on the transition from winter to spring in the culinary world. With a quiet morning and a cup of coffee, Jonathan shares how this time of year is when chefs begin thinking about what’s coming next.

From early spring ingredients like fresh greens, pea shoots, and asparagus to the creative process of building new seasonal dishes, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how menus begin to take shape.

Jonathan also talks about preparing for the upcoming PC1 culinary class in Port Alberni, the hands-on learning experience at Roger Street Bistro, and the importance of mentorship in developing the next generation of cooks.

He also shares updates from the North Vancouver Island Culinary Association, including upcoming events and the value of building a strong culinary community across Vancouver Island.

🎧 Listen now

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#VancouverIslandFood,

#FarmToTable,

#ChefLife,

#SeasonalCooking,

#SupportLocalFood,

#CulinaryCommunity,

#FoodPodcast,

#CanadianChefs,

#SpringCooking,

#PortAlberni,

#Snowday

Seafood is central to life on Vancouver Island. It shapes our identity, supports livelihoods, drives tourism, and connects us to generations of culinary tradition. From wild Pacific salmon and halibut to spot prawns and shellfish, the ocean plays a defining role in our region’s cuisine.

In this episode of the Edible Valley Podcast, we explore the choices behind the seafood we serve and consume, and what it truly means to make sustainable decisions

https://youtu.be/D434Lmwy8I8

During a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to cover Super Bowl 60 for their other show, The F3 Podcast, which focuses on football, fantasy football, and food, hosts Erin and Jonathan had the opportunity to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The visit followed an introduction made at the BC Chefs Table Cook Camp featured in Episode 255, Cooks Camp 2025, the previous September. It provided the perfect opportunity to bring an important seafood sustainability conversation back to the Edible Valley audience.

The episode features an interview with Shawn Cronin from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Listeners learn how the Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program began, how it evaluates fisheries and aquaculture operations, what ratings such as Best Choice, Good Alternative, and Avoid mean, and why science based recommendations matter for chefs, retailers, and consumers alike.

For the Comox Valley community, these issues are real. The health of Pacific waters directly impacts the local economy, culinary scene, and coastal way of life. By making informed choices, every chef, diner, and home cook can contribute to the long term sustainability of our oceans.

Responsible seafood is not just a menu decision. It is an investment in the future of our oceans and our culinary heritage.

🌐 Ocean Wise

Canada’s science based sustainable seafood program from the Vancouver Aquarium

https://ocean.org

🌐 Seafood Watch

U.S. sustainable seafood program from the Monterey Bay Aquarium

https://www.seafoodwatch.org

Make informed choices for your plate, support healthy oceans, and discover what Best Choice, Good Alternative, and Avoid mean for the seafood you eat.

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On this episode of the Edible Valley Podcast, we dive into one of the sweetest collaborations of the season — the NVICA Chocolate Fest activation at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market, in support of L’Arche and the ongoing Comox Valley Chocolate Festival.

Members of the North Vancouver Island Culinary Association were proud to be part of this community-driven celebration of chocolate, creativity, and connection. Our chefs brought both sweet and savoury chocolate-inspired dishes to the market, showcasing technique, balance, and a bit of fun. From classic flavour pairings to unexpected applications of cocoa in savoury cooking, it was an opportunity to demonstrate that chocolate is far more versatile than most people think.

More importantly, this event was about supporting the incredible work of L’Arche Comox Valley and their ongoing Comox Valley Chocolate Festival. The festival is a celebration of inclusion, community, and local food culture, bringing people together while raising awareness and support for L’Arche’s programs.

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market provided the perfect setting — local producers, engaged shoppers, and a strong sense of community. Events like this remind us that food is more than what’s on the plate. It’s about relationships, mentorship, and giving back.

We talk about the inspiration behind the dishes, what it takes to execute live demos in a market setting, and why partnerships like this matter for our culinary community.

#EdibleValleyPodcast, #NVICA, #CVChocolateFestival, #LArcheComoxValley, #ComoxValleyFarmersMarket, #ChocolateFest, #SupportLocal, #IslandChefs, #CommunityThroughFood

@NVICA, @LArcheComoxValley, @CVFarmersMarket, @