The Murray family has been farming the land in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, Newfoundland and Labrador, for 200 years. That original subsistence family farm has evolved into Murray’s Garden Centre, Murray Meadows Farm, and The Grounds Café—a farm-to-table restaurant just metres away from the greenhouses and farm. It’s a favourite brunch and lunch destination serving up bright, creative meals and decadent baked goods.

This book shares dozens of the recipes that have made The Grounds Café so beloved, presented as a journey through the seasons and highlighting the freshest locally grown crops. As you can see travel through the farm year, you’ll meet many of the farmers, foragers, foodies, and friends that have become the Murray’s community. The recipes are Grounds Café favourites: farm-to-table brunches and lunches using bright, seasonal farmed and foraged vegetables, herbs, berries, and mushrooms. Creative soups and salads, handhelds (lettuce wraps, veggie burgers, hand pies and calzone), risottos, pasta, baked goods. Recipes are arranged seasonally.

Here’s the spring line-up:

• Lettuce wraps with tofu, spicy peanut sauce, sticky rice, radish, pea shoots, and cashews
• Spring harvest salad with lettuce, carrot, radish, shallots, honey vinaigrette, ricotta, poppy seeds, and rosemary oil
• Kale salad with apple walnut vinaigrette, kohlrabi, and seedy granola
• Oyster mushroom and chive tartlet with garlic cream
• Beet tacos with salsa verde, pine nuts, bean spread, arugula, and hot sauce
• Snow crab salad with romaine hearts, brown butter vinaigrette, torn croutons, pickled radish, and chives
• Buckwheat noodle bowl, miso ginger sauce, cilantro, lime, and peanuts
• Handmade pasta with nettle pesto and cured radish
• Chive and cheese curd scone
• Lobster eggs benny
• Gluten free rhubarb bar

Chef Nick Van Mele cooks farm to table food with a unique perspective at The Grounds Café in Portugal Cove. Originally from Ontario, Nick is now proud to call Newfoundland his home.

Nick van Mele's profile page