The Off-Season, Nat’s First Time and Stew – SEALING PASTE

The off-season in a summer town

A few weeks ago we were in Parksville-Qualicum Beach, a popular summer destination.  Of course it’s slower in the off-season but nature is one attraction that is always open and there are never any crowds.

We spent three nights at Ocean Trails Resort, a short walk from Rathtrevor Beach; the accommodations couldn’t have been more suited to us.  The bed was so clean and comfortable it’s amazing we didn’t just sleep the whole time we were there.  As a matter of fact, the whole condo was so clean it was as though no one had ever stayed in it before.
The kitchen was well equipped and easy to work in but it did lack one thing and it’s something we see over and over.  Everything has been thought of from the emergency sewing kit to the laundry soap but there is not a sharp knife anywhere to be seen.  It’s happened so often that Tim actually bought a traveling chef’s knife, it usually means having to check in a bag but at least we’re guaranteed a sharp knife at destination.

When we arrived we dropped off our bags and headed out to the forest at Englishman River.  Within minutes we found chanterelle mushrooms and immediately thought of stew.  It’s the perfect time of year and there’s nothing more satisfying than a good mushroom and beef stew to chase the chills away.

We hid our stash under some leaves and went down to the river so Tim could teach me how to cast a fly rod.  I had been nervous about this trip, not because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it but because I was afraid I’d get bored quickly.  When Tim goes fishing he goes for the day, sometimes he leaves at sunrise and comes back past sunset.  That’s a long time to be doing anything.  What if I didn’t like fly fishing?

After a quick lesson Tim was happy with my casting abilities, not to brag but he was actually impressed.
The next day we headed out, this was the moment of truth.   I nervously waded into the river, standing there with fish zipping by.  I got comfortable and as the fly hit the water on that initial cast, I hooked my first fish, I was infatuated.  We spent hours on that river and it felt like hardly any time had passed.

Getting back to the condo, cold and starving, we were happy to dive into a delicious Flemish Stew (use the sealing paste recipe below to lock in the goodness) full of chanterelle flavour and tender bits of beef and get warm by the fire.  Satiated, we got into the first class bed and fell fast asleep.
 

Disclosure: Our time at Ocean Trails Resort was sponsored by Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism but the opinions in this post are, as always, our own.