Episode 262 “Breaking Down Christmas Dinner: A Local Holiday Guide”

Edible Valley Podcast – Holiday Episode 

This week, Chef Jonathan and host William dive into the heart of the holiday season with an episode full of food, family traditions, and festive inspiration.

Recorded at the Jet FM studios, the two talk about December in the Comox Valley — the cold nights, the lights going up, and the comfort of coming together over great meals. William shares stories in anticipation of his upcoming trip to the U.K. (including buying a car from a guy named Ravi!), while both hosts reflect on why holiday cooking brings people closer this time of year.

The episode features a recap of Jonathan's recent Comox Valley Farmers’ Market holiday cooking demo, where the North Vancouver Island Culinary Association walked the community through preparing a full holiday meal using local ingredients. Highlights include:

🦃 Breaking down and deboning a turkey into a beautiful galantine

🥕 Roasted squash, beets & carrots with a hot honey glaze

🥬 Cranberry-apple shrub braised cabbage

🌿 Roasted kalettes with hazelnuts and lemon

🍞 Gluten-free and traditional stuffings made with local breads

👩‍🍳 NIC culinary students joining the live demo

Recipe: https://cvfm.ca/2025/11/21/foodfest-back-to-basics-holiday-feast-edition/

Jonathan shares tips on saving time during the holidays — including why deboning your turkey ahead of time can make Christmas dinner so much easier (and tastier!). The two also chat about market shopping, supporting local farmers, and why fresh local produce lasts longer and tastes better.

If you love local food, holiday cooking, and a little kitchen storytelling, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

 

🎧 Listen now and celebrate the season with Edible Valley!