My name is Chef Randle, and I am the Chef Instructor at Maple Ridge Secondary School. I also have the great privilege of being the chef of the BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC). As both a chef and teacher, BCAITC is a perfect space for me to combine my passions of local foods and education.

The BCAITC has endless resources for teachers, chefs and the home cook. All aimed at utilizing all of the amazing agriculture that BC has to offer. The Foundation also has many incredible provincial programs available to teachers but the one that I am particularly attached to is the Take a Bite of BC program. This is a program that has connected BC’s chef instructors with BC’s farmers. Through very generous donations, farmers donate a variety of food each month to secondary school Culinary Arts programs. In turn, Culinary Arts students learn what is produced in their province and get to use their creativity and skills to showcase the food in the best possible way. Hundreds of staff and students in each school depend on these culinary programs for their daily lunch. Take a Bite of BC features are delivered to the school in a variety of ways including free samples and reduced prices.

In an effort to further share the Take a Bite of BC message with everyone, I want to use this blog as a space to share some of the amazing dishes that we are cooking in my teaching kitchen featuring the Take a Bite of BC foods so that everyone may enjoy the products of BC that are truly second to none.  

See more about Chef Randle

Try one of Chef Randle's favourite squash soup recipes to warm yourself up on a cold November day.

BC Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 4L 

Ingredients:

BC Butternut Squash             900 g                 
Olive Oil                                   30 ml 
Kosher Salt                              Pinch 
Ground Black Pepper             Pinch 
Olive Oil                                   30 ml
Onion, diced                            350 g 
Celery, diced                            250 g
White Wine                              200 ml 
Chicken or Vegetable Stock   4 L 
BC Cream                                300 ml 
Kosher Salt                              to taste
Ground Black Pepper             to taste
Wocestershire Sauce              to taste
Tobasco Sauce                        to taste

METHOD:

1. Peel and dice squash into 2 cm cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a preheated 400 oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until squash is golden brown and soft.
3. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and sautée onions and celery until soft. 
4. Add the roasted squash and mix.
5. Add white wine and simmer until 50% has evaporated.
6. Add desired stock and simmer for 20 minutes. 
7. Puree the soup until very smooth.
8. Add cream and bring the soup back to a simmer. 
9. Adjust seasonings

  If you would like to spice things up, try adding 25 g of dried coriander and 15 g of ground cumin at the end of step #3.