Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s an amazing weekend to mix food and funk as you get your local eating groove on at MusicFest. While you are down at the Exhibition Grounds, make sure to hit the Comox Valley Farmers Market today as the 30-Day Food Challenge will be out there – aprons on and recipes in hand – as five great local chefs treat market goers to cooking demos and some great recipes to try at home.
Then, when you need to break from MusicFest, head on over to the Courtenay Museum at 2 p.m. for a showing of David Springbett’s Hijacked Future. This food security film out of Vancouver is very thought provoking. Tomorrow, we’ll be showing Deborah Koons Garcia’s The Future of Food.
Today we’re taking a peek back at the last week of local food:
The last seven days of local food has been all about the realities of Mother Nature.
The first part of the week, which launched Natural Pastures Cheese Company’s month-long of Monday cheese events and our Know Where Your Food Comes From Tour, left us more than a wee bit soggy.
But, hey, cheese is a great motivator as about 50 folks made it out to Natural Pastures (they are doing cheese every Monday with demos at 11 a.m., Noon and 1 p.m., plan ahead!) and some very brave souls whipped out the rain gear and headed out to the lovely Anderton Therapeutic Gardens for a great tour from enthusiastic volunteers and the sweet Patty Rose, whom I think is a true gem.
I was amazed to discover this gorgeous spot is full of community allotment plots, gorgeous butterfly gardens, a very cool labyrinth and so much more.
We will be out to do lots of exploring very soon.
By mid-week, the weather was starting to think it was too lousey and needed to improve before the MusicFest gods started getting grumpy and we hit the Wednesday Farmers Market at Simms Park for the first of four NeighbourWood Eats events.
Nearly 50 kids and their parents came out for a fun picnic, some great play time and some foodie creative genius was born as they made Local Food “People” (more like cool aliens, cards, spaceships and more) in the spirit of Molly Katzen’s Salad People.
There was so much tiny person veggie snacking, we all were in awe. It helped a lot that the peas, beans and berries from Good Earth Farms, lettuce from Seeds Natural Food Market, strawberries from ASH Berry Farm and more were all local and incredibly full of flavor. Many a parent took one bite (or watched their kiddos do the same) and headed straight for Farmers Market stalls.
This week coming up the folks from the Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers will be at our NeighbourWood Eats event helping kids and parents learn about Winter gardening and do some planting too. Should be seriously fun.
It is a big week ahead with cheese from France at Natural Pastures on Monday (yum), fun open houses at Zen Zero and Seeds Natural Food Market (Tina has some great demos, kids fun and more planned), Brambles demos, a fantastic farm tour on Thursday at Tannadice Farms (baby chicks) and a fabulous Farm Event on Saturday out at DeeKayTee Ranch.
So, be sure to come by and see us at the Farmers Market today and at events throughout the week.
Eating local is some serious fun!
We had an interesting discussion about pesticides yesterday. Michelle Honeysett won the giveaway.
Today’s question of the day is what is your favourite hot Summer evening meal?
I’ve got a very cool set of biodegradable wooden cutlery (12 forks, knives and spoons) from AspenWare out of Lumby, B.C. for a random commenter.
This giveaway is closed. Another Robin is the winner!
Enjoy the gorgeous weekend!
The Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Challenge is Brought to You By:
Oh, homemade potato salad (local fresh potatoes and eggs of course), whole chicken from Brambles roasted in rosemary and white wine, and fresh greens from the garden. MMMMMMmmm
Toscano’s take out eaten at Kye Bay park picnic tables is my favorite for really hot summer evenings. It’s cooler. We eat the mussels with our fingers in true picnic style. The kids play on the playground when they’re done much earlier than us. We debate about one day sneaking a little cold white wine into the public park while watching the Powell River Ferry. But we’re so square that the Beaufort Winery Grigio will forever stay at home…….
Crisp some prosciutto then break into small uneven pieces after draining off excess fat, slice watermelon into thin triangles, finely chop some scallions, throw in peanuts (or in our house, some lightly browned pine nuts), some fresh mint and then mix up a light vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil and some lime juice (with our without chili flakes depending on the kids tastebuds) and toss all together in a large bowl.
Watch disappear alarmingly fast.
Super yum. Everything explodes in your mouth so nicely.
OK – I’m hungry now……..
I grew up in Lumby, so I am very excited to see some home-grown businesses making it there!
Anyway, my favourite hot summer dish is my grandmother’s cucumber salad. Fantastic! In fact, I think I will hit the kitchen and whip some up for dinner tonight! It is a fantastic side to chicken or burgers and it tastes like summer at Gran’s house.
My favorite summer dish is this fantastic orzo salad made with fresh salmon and a pesto of pumpkin seeds, spinach, sundried tomatoes and oil/vinegar and garlic. Grill some veggies like potatoes and zucchinis as well as fresh corn and voila – the perfect summer night meal and can be taken for a picnic in Filberg (our favorite picnic place, especially by the secret garden!) and enjoy the sea breeze.
Ok, this may not be the healthiest choice, but I really enjoy a traditional meal of grilled burgers and hot dogs on the barbeque. There’s something comforting and homey about it. Served with watermelon and a salad, the kid’s always love it too! Oh, and to make really delicious burgers, try using ground bison instead of beef; it’s heaven.
Mmmmmmm, you guys make me hungry.
My aunt used to make this cold pasta with fresh tomatoes, olives, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella that used to cool us all down on hot Summer evenings in Niagara Falls.
To this day, whenever it starts baking outside, I want to make that salad and spend time camped out in the backyard with the crew.