This morning I presented the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten.  Canadian Lobster tails and Arctic Char are available at Gimli Fish.  Pesto is so versatile and delicious.

Arugula and Chive Pesto
2 cups young arugula
2 cup roughly chopped chives
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup grated Parmesan reggiano or padano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 + cup good olive oil
pinch salt, to taste

Grind up all ingredients to a paste.  Enjoy as a pesto, as an ingredient, as a sandwich spread, etc.  In pasta, try with chopped tomatoes to bring out the sweetness of the chives.  The Arugula is peppery but is softened by the sweetness of the chives.

Served today mixed in pasta with grilled Canadian Lobster tails and Dugald, Manitoba Arctic Char. 

Lobster grilled with garlic butter.  Arctic Char grilled with pesto.  Served on top of pasta with grated Parmesan and cracked pepper.


Enjoy!

Insulin Resistance Strongly Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Risk

I recently came across a very interesting paper by the research team of Gerald Reaven, an endocrinologist at Stanford. He has long been one of the leading researchers studying insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, and their association with obesity. Reaven's research, and that of many others, suggests that insulin resistance is a central part of the constellation of metabolic disturbances that are so common in affluent nations*. We also have good reason to believe that it contributes to cardiovascular risk.

All the way back in 1998, Reaven's group published a paper that should raise the eyebrows of anyone interested in cardiovascular health (1).

Read more �

What's Happening in June

Burnaby Environment Week 2015

Mark your calendars for week-long fun and festivities!



Burnaby Environment Week is an annual week-long program of environmentally-themed community activities held end of May/early June to coincide with Canadian Environment Week.

The main environment festival:

Date: Saturday, May 30

Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location: Burnaby City Hall, in the outer courtyard, 4949 Canada Way / Burnaby - map

�Burnaby Food First� will be there! You are invited to kick off the environment week by joining in for some interesting activities and information.

The celebration also offers an opportunity to visit the weekly Burnaby Farmers Market  as well as enjoy some live music, face painting and other kids activities and prize draws.

Detailed event and registration information is listed on the City of Burnaby's event website. All activities and events are offered free to the public. A variety of events are planned through the week such as a nature walk to explore the ecology of the Central Park, guided Canoe trips on the deer lake and many more.

Hats Off Day

Date: Saturday, June 6

Time: 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

The Hats Off Day celebration features a street parade beginning at Beta Avenue and proceeding down Hastings Street up to Boundary Road. This is a fest held on the first Saturday of every June when Heights merchants �take their hats off� to their community and customers.

Come and visit the �Burnaby Food First Stall� to learn about food security in Burnaby. Join us for some kids activities, free seedlings and learn more about our upcoming free workshops.

More information about the Hats Off Day can be found online: http://www.burnabyheights.com/events/hats-off-day/

17th annual BC Food Systems Gathering

Dates: June 25 to June 28

Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location: Camp Friendship, Prince George, BC, in the traditional territory of Lheidli T'enneh First Nation

The BC Food Systems Network is a project of the Tides Canada initiatives with over 300 members including farmers, health practitioners, educators, and consumers across BC. It links and facilitates food security activities between over 20 community-based food security organizations and Food Policy Councils. 

This annual gathering will be about sharing knowledge, experience, and the celebration of food systems as well as traditional and indigenous food skills. Registration and call for workshops is now open. More information is available on the website including rates, workshop plans and other details.

GardenSmart Workshops

GardenSmart Workshops is a program of the North Shorth Recycling Program, the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, the North Shore Neighbourhood House's Edible Garden Project, and Cultivate Projects. 

The Edible Garden Project works on creating edible gardens and landscapes across the North Shore to grow and share fresh local produce with the community. They support enthusiastic gardeners and teach farming/gardening/food preparation skills through their various workshops.

Workshop: Fantastic Ferments

Date: Wednesday, June 3

Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location: St. Andrews United Church, North Vancouver

Cost: $8.25

Learn about how fermentation works to preserve food and the nutritional benefits of fermentation. Registration is required. 

To register or for more information, please visit the workshop Eventbrite page here.

Workshop: Daily Eggs 101, Keeping chickens in the City

Date: Saturday, June 6

Time: 10:00am - 11:30 am

Location: Queensbury Gardens, North Vancouver

Cost: $8.25

This workshop covers the basics of chicken care, safe coop construction, chicken nutrition, review of the by-laws. Registration is required. 

To register or for more information, please visit the workshop Eventbrite page here.

Farmers Markets

The Burnaby Farmers Markets offer a wide range of fresh local produce. Visit weekly to enjoy locally grown and/or freshly prepared food such as jams, honey, salsa and a varied selection of BC crafts including jewellery, pottery and much more.

Also visit the Coquitlam Farmers Market weekly on Sundays.

Poirier Street Farmers Market (Website)

Date: May 10 to October 25

Time: Sunday 9:00 am

Location: Dogwood Pavilion Parking Lot

Each week a wide variety of vendors gather to showcase their products � made, baked, grown, or raised in BC.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs with Artichoke Jalape�o Dip

It's Memorial Day and that means it�s officially (unofficially?) grilling season! I�m extra stoked for summer this year, because our place has a tiny little yard, which we�ve spent the last month transforming into a patio oasis (with tons of help from Kyle, Benson, and Kel). 


Evan, Biscuit, and I have been spending every spare second outside. When you rent and live in the city, your own private outdoor space can be hard to come by, so we feel super lucky and happy with what we have, small as it may be. We have room to plant a few veggies, we have a crow that stalks Biscuit out there, and also, I watched a caterpillar build his cocoon! It�s basically a wildlife refuge/science class/jungle/nature hike/farm/wilderness retreat. 

We kicked off grilling season on our new little patio with bacon wrapped hot dogs! With artichoke jalape�o dip! Hot dogs aren�t really my favorite, but when you add cool, creamy, spicy, bacony elements, I�m all in. 

Oh, and Evan wants you to know that he's trying to get a #dadbod this summer (ie: that perfect mix of beer belly & sort of sometimes goes to the gym). Unfortunately for him, he has amazing metabolism and muscle definition that he has no right to have, no matter how many beer and bacon wrapped hot dog-filled weekends he has. Unfortunately for me, I have terrible metabolism. I basically have enough #dadbod for the both of us. 




Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs with Artichoke Jalape�o Dip
This makes a pretty big bowl of dip, which is great hot or cold, with chips or crackers.

For Dip
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened (room temp)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 cans artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained & chopped
1/4 cup diced/canned jalape�os
garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste

Stir together cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream until combined and smooth. Stir in cheese, artichokes, and jalape�os. Add garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. I usually use about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container.

For Dogs
Hot Dogs
Bacon (1 slice per dog)
Buns
Dip
Mustard
Sriracha
Diced white onion

First, soak some toothpicks in water (the longer they soak the less they�ll burn). Wrap each piece of bacon around a dog, and secure the ends with a soaked toothpick, otherwise when they cook, the bacon will shrink up and not stay wrapped. Fire the grill to medium-high heat, and cook bacon-wrapped dogs until bacon is slightly crispy and cooked through. You�ll need to keep an eye on them and use caution, as the bacon grease dripping will cause some flames. Turn and move often to avoid fire hazard. Heat buns on grill until just toasted. 

To assemble, put a big scoop of artichoke jalape�o dip in the bun, top with dog, yellow mustard, sriracha, and a sprinkle of onion. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Agricultural Land Commission

Dear Food First-ers:



You may have heard that Richard Bullock has been dismissed by the Province as Chair and CEO of the Agricultural Land Commission. This is a concerning development. To say 'thank you' to Richard you may wish to sign the virtual Thank You card, thanking him for his tireless work protecting agricultural land in B.C. Thanks to Jim Wright from Richmond's Garden City Conservation for creating the card.



To stay on top of this issue as it unfolds be sure to check out the ALR Watch Facebook page or visit the BC Food Systems Network website.

Photo of Richard Bullock
Credit: John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

What is Food Security

Food security means making sure that sufficient variety of healthy food is available to everyone and that a sustainable food chain is maintained

The World Health Organization and UN Food Organization describe food security as

• Availability of enough food.


• Economic and Physical Accessibility of Food: People being able to afford and purchase food within a reasonable distance from where they live.


• Utilization of Food: Food has sufficient nutrition, food is prepared properly and a diverse diet is available also termed.


• These elements are stable over time which requires sustainable environmental and political/socio-economic conditions.

Food security solutions focus on specific factors:

• Increasing availability of

        - locally sustainably grown, organic, natural, fresh food.

        - diverse agricultural produce through multi-cropping.

        - expertise and food production know-how among the younger generation.

        - options for urban farming and community gardening.

        - support and services to increase the viability of farming.

• Improving accessibility

        - supporting all sections of the community with food programs, charities, food banks,             

          distribution centres.

        - improving access to food in rural and remote areas.

        - supporting food markets, stores, farmers markets, farm direct, CSAs, buying clubs and other    

          initiatives.

        - expanding local infrastructure for food processing, storage, and distribution.

• Providing community education on Food Utilization

        - replacing processed fatty foods with a nutritious diet to reduce obesity and related health

          issues.

        - ensuring cultural sensitivity as well as human dignity.

        - encouraging diverse food preparation techniques.

• Policy building to address

       - environmental protection while producing, consuming and disposing food.

       - providing sustainable livelihoods to providers and those working in the food chain.

       - increasing dialogue, communication and learning about food security.

       - prioritizing everyone�s right to food for a healthy life in a healthy ecosystem over food trade   

         and commercial interests by protecting land and other resources.

Source: Food Secure Canada, Food Secure Vancouver

Credit: Magnolia Lim

Planned Series

This post is part of a planned series of articles to explore in detail the above listed dimensions of food security and to unpick different aspects of this complex subject. The above overview helps to understand where each topic fits within the Food Security umbrella.

Burnaby Food First is looking for storage!

Dear Food First community,



Burnaby Food First is growing and we need your help! 



We are looking for a garage, shed, or other storage space in Burnaby (near public transit) to store our events display/kit, gardening supplies, and other workshop items. 



A small fee could be negotiated and/or we can provide you with a tax receipt for your donation. Have any space to share? Call us at 778-839-6693 or email us.



Thanks in advance!

Credit: Leanne Zmud

Turkish treats on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

This morning I presented Turkish treats for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  These recipes are all easy to prepare and can be prepared in advance.  

Pomegranate White Bean Dip

2 cups cooked white navy beans (aka, canelini)
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (unsweetened) or a bit less pomegranate molasses (paste)
Pinch salt, to taste
minced garlic, optional

Pur�e ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Serve with breads.  Top with pomegranate seeds or paprika and/or olive oil.  Enjoy!

Patli�an Yog�rtl�

1 lg eggplant sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Slice and salt eggplant and let sit in a bowl of cold water. If eggplant is very young, skip the step of salt and water. Rinse and squeeze out water from slices.

Mince garlic and stir into yoghurt with salt.

Saut� eggplant slices on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and let sit for a moment on a paper towel. Place on platter and top with yoghurt mixture. Sprinkle rubbed oregano and paprika over yoghurt. Top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with baguette slices or water crackers.

Enjoy!

Mushrooms with Turkish Baharat

2 cups roughly chopped mushrooms
1 tbs butter
drizzle olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 tbs good tomato paste
1 tbs Turkish Baharat
pinch salt
vermouth or white wine to deglaze

Heat saut� pan to medium high heat and add butter and oil.  Add mushrooms and garlic and a pinch of salt and let cook until soft.  Add tomato paste (a bit of water, if needed), Turkish Baharat and cook until all softened.  Deglaze the pan with vermouth or white wine.

Serve immediately with bread or can be heated later or served at room temperature.

Enjoy!  Afiyet olsun arkadas!

Tagine cooking demo

I've been a bit busy and forgot to post this from Saturday's cooking demonstration at D.A. Niels.  Both are so yummy.  The chicken recipe is adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco as I used apricots instead of prunes.  Such a great cookbook.  An invaluable resource, actually.

The eggs in the second dish are placed whole, on top of the vegetables in the tagine.  They cook whole and are remarkably creamy in texture and not rubbery. 

Chicken Tajine with Apricots and almonds

1 chicken � (3 1/2 lbs) (or, your favourite pieces)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup cut dried apricots
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup whole blanched almonds
vegetable oil for frying

Rub all the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and cumin. Let stand for one hour.
Place onions in a wide shallow casserole with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup water, cover and steam for 15 minutes.

Brown the almonds in 4-5 tbs oil in a large skillet and drain on paper towels. Brown the chicken evenly on all sides in the oil and transfer to the steamed onions. Cover with parchment paper and cook in tajine on the lowest heat for about 1 1/4 hours.

Discard the parchment paper. Add the apricots and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat. Serve with almonds sprinkled on top.

Zucchini Tajine with whole eggs

2 onions, thinly sliced

4 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias

1 medium sweet potato, cubed

1 tbs good tomato paste

2 tbs Ras el Hanout

salt, to taste

splash rose water or orange blossom water

4-8 whole eggs

olive oil

Place all ingredients except for eggs mixed together in a tagine with � cup water.  Place whole eggs on top of vegetables.  Slowly simmer until zucchini is soft, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove egg and shell and place on plate of zucchini for service.

Enjoy!

Optional, green olives, black olives,

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... Hardee's Most American Thickburger!!

Read more �

A Dinner with DRY + Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary

I did something fun and rad and I've been keeping it a secret! Picture this: a bunch of your favorite people, a sunny warm spring evening, twinkly candles, and vases full of colorful flowers. A record playing lightly in the background, a well-rounded cocktail in one hand, a crostini in the other, and an enormous cheese plate in front of you. This is basically the PERFECT evening for me. You guys, I am SO almost 30. And I love it.


As you may remember, one of my goals for this year was to do more entertaining (and keep my house clean�because I�m almost 30. It�s about time). I had the perfect opportunity (for both) recently when I collaborated with DRY Soda on a spring dinner party! DRY is a local Seattle-based company that makes sparkling beverages worthy of gourmet food pairing and premium mixology. They have ten crisp, fun, unique flavors, �inspired by art, fashion & foodies.� I like art, I wish I had fashion sense, and I love food! Perfect match! So, I invited a bunch of my friends over to help ring in spring! Some folks from DRY joined (including their CEO and founder! AH!), to teach us how to make amazing DRY cocktails (like this one and this one), the talented Brittany Wright captured the event on camera, and I made a menu paired with DRY's fizzy flavors. 

First: For starters, we had a cheese plate and a crostini. For cheese plates, a good rule of thumb is to have at least one aged, one soft, and one firm cheese. And then I like to throw in one blue (Humboldt Fog is my favorite). I really, really like cheese. You can go two routes with a cheese plate: charcuterie, or not charcuterie. I decided to pair this cheese plate with DRY's light floral lavender flavor, so I went the not charcuterie route, which includes fruits (in this case, blackberries and figs), honey, nuts (candied walnuts and marcona almonds), and something herbaceous or floral (Lavender DRY and, fresh rosemary, and rosemary crackers). I could live off that cheese plate. I�m still dreaming about it.

For the crostini, I wanted something bright and springy, so I made a minty pea pesto, similar to this one, and served it with ricotta on little toasty bread rounds. We paired these little bites with Cucumber DRY. Cucumber and mint are such a classic, refreshing combo! This is also a good make ahead option: the pesto keeps in the fridge overnight and you can top the crostini just before serving. Just note that it is the brightest green when it�s fresh.  

Second: Next up, I made a salad with butter lettuce, avocado, red onion, pistachios, chevre, and a citrusy-mustard vinaigrette, which I paired with Blood Orange DRY. I love this type of salad with orange segments mixed in, so this time I just put the oranges in your glass instead of your plate! 

Main: For the entr�e, I made lemony roasted chicken thighs with garlic and rosemary, served with roasted thyme fingerling potatoes and fennel, and paired with my favorite DRY flavor: Juniper Berry! You guys. This chicken! If you can find the full thigh-leg pieces, get those, because they�re super impressive looking. If not, go with thighs and legs/drumsticks. This chicken is so tender and flavorful. My secret is to over-cook it. I�m not even lying. Everyone talks about overcooked, dried out chicken all the time, but I think the biggest mistakes people make with chicken is undercooking (I think it gets weirdly rubbery at that stage) and under-seasoning. This sauce is so juicy that it keeps the chicken moist even at a higher temp for a longer time. Just check often, as my oven might not run as hot as yours! It�s so good!


Dessert: To round out the night, we had the easiest (and most appropriately soda-themed) dinner party dessert ever: an ice cream float bar! I put out vanilla, ginger, coffee and coconut ice cream, to be mixed and matched with Rhubarb and Vanilla DRY. My favorite combo was ginger ice cream + Rhubarb DRY! Tart, sweet, and a little spicy!

Read more about our dinner party over at DRY, and get some of their fun sparkles for your next shin dig� you can do such cool cocktails and food pairings with them, or just sip �em straight up! 

Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary
Inspired by this recipe and this recipe

4 full bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) OR 8 bone-in chicken thighs (or a combo of both)
Salt & Fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons (one juiced, one not)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 large shallot, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If the chicken has skin on, I like to remove it, but it�s up to you. Pat the chicken DRY, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a baking dish so that the pieces are touching.

Stir together olive oil, juice from one of the lemons, rosemary, garlic, shallot, and about 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Pour over chicken.

Slice 1/2 of the remaining lemon in thin slices (keep the peel on), then cut those into small wedges, and arrange over the top of the chicken. Set the remaining 1/2 aside.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, baste with the juices, then roast another 25-30 minutes, checking every once in a while. Once your chicken is fully cooked through, but not quite falling-off-the-bone tender, baste it one more time (you can even just flip the pieces), and then crank the heat to 425. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes (checking to make sure you�re not burning it). You want the chicken to be crispy on the outside, but tender enough that it practically falls of the bone when you try to lift it out of the dish.

Just before serving, while chicken is hot, douse with juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Serve with a rosemary spring for cuteness.

Note: Beverages and ingredients for this dinner party were provided by DRY, but all opinions are my own. Photos in this post by Brittany Wright, provided by DRY. 

Eat Your Greens with Kids & Open Workshops

Burnaby Food First is pleased to announce a new workshop: Eat Your Greens With Kids!



Also, there is still space in our Sharing Backyards (May 26) information event and a Bee Workshop on June 1!



Growing Food in Containers

Wednesday, May 20

6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Edmonds Community School (7651 18th Avenue / Burnaby - map)



Join gardener and permaculturalist Kayla Gagne for a workshop in container food gardening!



Learn how to grow food in small spaces and choose the right container and soil for your plants.



Participants will leave with supplies to start their own container garden.



**REGISTRATION CLOSED**



Sharing Backyards Information Evening



Tuesday, May 26

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

North Burnaby Neighbourhood House (4464 Hastings Street / Burnaby - map)



Join program coordinator Leanne Zmud to find out about Sharing Backyards!



Learn how you can find gardening spots or share your own backyard with landless gardeners. Come meet other program participants and connect with people who have or are looking for garden space!



There will be light refreshments and prizes.



**REGISTRATION CLOSED**



Eat Your Greens With Kids



Wednesday, June 3

6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre (2055 Rosser Avenue / Burnaby - map)



Join Maya Thau-Eleff for this family cooking workshop on seasonal greens and healthy dishes!



Kids, join your mom or dad in this fun, hands-on cooking lesson.





**REGISTRATION CLOSED**

Recent Interviews

Here are two recent interviews I'd like to share with readers:

Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition

Danny Lennon is an evidence-based nutrition coach who publishes a podcast called Sigma Nutriton Radio.  We had a nice conversation about why we overeat, including energy homeostasis and the personal economics of food choice.  The podcast has a high production value.  You can listen to the interview here.

Angelo Coppola of Latest in Paleo

Angelo Coppola and I hit it off recently due to our mutual interests in gardening and self-reliance.  We recently had a nice conversation about hunter-gatherer dietary patterns, the personal economics of food choice, US diet history, legumes and the Paleo diet, and how much meat we should eat.  You also get to hear a personal story about the only existing video of me as a child (that I'm aware of).  This one also has a high production value.  You can listen to it here.

Burnaby Village Market Mondays and Bee Workshop

Burnaby Food First has two FREE events coming up!



Market Mondays at Burnaby Village Museum



Monday, May 18

11:00 am - 4:30 pm

Burnaby Village Museum (6501 Deer Lake Avenue / Burnaby - map)



Join Burnaby Food First at the Burnaby Village Museum on Victoria Day! Drop by for some of our activities, find out more about our free events and workshops, and learn about food security in Burnaby.



Market Mondays at Burnaby Village Museum feature unique vendors featuring locally made products. It is a gathering place for the communities where people can learn about Burnaby's history and explore a variety of artisan and handmade items.



For more information on Market Mondays, visit the Burnaby Village Museum page here.



Bee Workshop

Monday, June 1

6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Tommy Douglas Library (7311 Kingsway / Burnaby - map)



Join been enthusiasts Jaycee Clarkson and Marika van Reeuwyk and learn how to welcome bees into gardening spaces of all types!



**REGISTRATION CLOSED**

----

Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a
volunteer?

Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on
board! For more information, send us an email.

Thanks Mom!

Pancakes and coffee in bed, flowers and wine. Tiki parties. These things are good, but nothing like that can begin to express the admiration, gratitude, and love I have for my mom.


When my dad passed away, Amanda and I spent about three weeks at our childhood home with my mom. That time is a blur of visitors, pain, tears, donuts, confusion, and a few exceptionally beautiful moments that shine through brighter than anything else. 

My dad passed away at the end of August. It was hot at the house, nearly 100 degrees. A day or two after he was gone, in a mixture of grief and exhaustion, compounded by the heat, I completely shut down. I was literally too tired, weak, and sad to move. Grief and stress had a lot of physical effects on me, actually�from weird rashes and breakouts to weight loss to my back going out so bad that I literally couldn't stand up straight or walk normally for a couple of days. But on this particular evening, I hit a breaking point. I couldn't stop crying, I just wanted to sleep, and my body felt physically weighed down by sadness. I could barely lift my arms.

�Come on.� My mom said, grabbing my arm, trying to pull me out of bed. �I can�t.� I cried. �I can�t move, just leave me alone.� I turned away from her, and buried my face in the pillow. �Come on,� she said again, pulling me out of bed. She grabbed Amanda, and, against my protests, led us out to the pool�one of those 3 footer above ground types.

�Let�s go� she said, pulling me in. Tears were streaming down my face, my legs felt like cement. I just wanted to crawl back in bed. 

The water was cool and refreshing, and as soon as I stepped in, the heat of the day instantly started to melt away. I started to feel a little bit better. I don�t know who started it, but the next thing I remember is the three of us running in a circle making a whirlpool, laughing hysterically, cheering and holding hands. After a little while, Evan joined us. We ran as fast as we could, around and around, in that little pool that barely held the four of us. My grandma and aunt came out to watch, smiling and laughing. My arms and legs felt weightless for the first time in days.

We still had a lot of healing to do, we still have a lot of healing to do. But at that moment, in that very moment of total selflessness, when we were all grieving and in pain, when my mom could have crawled into bed forever like I wanted to do, she didn't. She pulled me out of bed and out my head, and showed me how deep and selfless and exactly-what-you-need a mother�s love can be. At that moment, I knew we would get through it together. I knew that there would be more tears, but that there would also be laughter and even joy. 

Love you ma, and thank you, times a million. Happy Mother�s Day!

PS. We got you a juicer.

Call for Volunteers: Fraser Health and Sprouting Chefs!

Check out these volunteer opportunities coming up with Fraser Health Authority and Sprouting Chefs!



Fraser Health Authority



Don't know what it costs to eat healthy in your community? The Fraser Health Authority and the Dieticians in the Fraser Valley needs your help in finding out that information. You can help contribute to the 2015 Cost of Eating project.



To volunteer, you will need to:



1) Watch a webinar on how to collect this data, and

2) Choose which Health Regions to volunteer within. You can work in pairs or by yourself.



The information needs to be collected between Monday, May 25, 2015 to Friday June 5, 2015.



The total number of hours can vary depending on the number of stores you choose to visit. Recording of prices takes an average of 1.5 to 2.0 hours. Your efforts will help Fraser Health better understand how much it costs to eat across the various regions in BC.



For more information, visit the Cost of Eating project:

http://www.dietitians.ca/Secondary-Pages/Public/The-Cost-of-Eating-in-British-Columbia.aspx



Download the volunteer description (PDF).



Contact:

Elizabeth Thomas, Registered Dietician

Abbotsford Public Health Unit

Phone: (604) 864-3447

Email: elizabeth.thomas@fraserhealth.ca



Sprouting Chefs



Looking to help transform how kids look at food and the world they live in?



Sprouting Chefs is looking for volunteers (19 and older) with an interest in food security, gardening, and kids for the Forest Grove After School Garden Club!



Sprouting Chefs offers schools, community centres, daycares, preschools, and other groups in the Lower Mainland the opportunity to create sustainable school garden projects.



For more information, visit the Sprouting Chef website.



Contact:

Barb Koyanagi McMahon

Email: barb@sproutingchefs.com

Fiddlehead and morel mushroom omelettes for Mother's Day

This morning I presented a lovely seasonal omelette for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  In season now are fiddleheads and morel mushrooms, perfect in a fluffy omelette made with Nature's Farm eggs.  If you don't want to hunt in the woods for them, you can buy them at DeLuca's on Portage Ave. in Winnipeg.

This was served with Brandied Farmer's Sausage.

Fiddleheads and Morels Omelette
1/2 cup fresh fiddleheads (available at DeLuca�s)
1 cup whole or sliced fresh morels (available at DeLuca�s)
1 tbsp. butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 eggs
quick drizzle cold water or cream
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan (padano or reggiano - optional)
pinch grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Blanch trimmed fiddleheads for 1 minute in boiling water and cool immediately in ice water.  (http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/safety-salubrite/fruits-vegetables-legumes-fruits/fiddlehead-fougere-eng.php)
2. Saut� fiddleheads in browned butter and set aside.  Saut� morel mushrooms in brown butter.  Season and add nutmeg.  Can deglaze with wine or vermouth.  Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, salt, cream and pepper in a bowl. Heat butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until milky foam settles at the bottom of the skillet and turns nut brown. Add eggs; cook, without stirring, until large curds form, 3-4 minutes, then gently stir until eggs are almost set. Using a rubber spatula, pat eggs into an even layer. Place fiddleheads and mushrooms and cheese over eggs. Remove from heat and using spatula, roll omelette up and over filling; slide omelette onto a plate and garnish with remaining extra fiddleheads and cheese or chives.

Serve immediately. 
Enjoy!

Tiki Week: Frozen Key Lime Pie Cups

Tomorrow is Mother�s Day, and that means we�ve hit the end of tiki week. Hopefully this little series has inspired you to do something fun and different for your ma this year. Put away the bubbles and scones and shove a rum drink and rumaki in your mom�s hand, for once! 


Although I�m a big proponent of #dessertfirst, I�ve saved the dessert for last this time. This is actually as much for your tiki mom�s day party as it is for your anytime summer party, especially if you live with someone who�s as obsessed with key lime as Evan is. 

All of my tiki week recipes have been pretty simple (minus that several ingredient cocktail), and this dessert is no exception: a three ingredient, no-bake key lime filling, quick graham cracker crumb layer, and simple vanilla ice cream topping. Frozen key lime pie cups! 

I actually didn�t intend for these to be frozen. They were supposed to have whipped cream on top, not ice cream. But then the day of my photo shoot, just as I was finishing up my garnishes and stuff, my mixer bowl was in the running dishwasher. I�ve made whipped cream by hand with a whisk, and it�s a muther-effer to do, so I decided to try the shake-a-jar whipped cream method. You guys, I shook that stupid jar for like 10 minutes, and Evan took a few turns, and my weak baby arms were jello, and I still just had runny liquid cream. HOW DO YOU DO IT!? 

So anyway, I was ready to do my photo shoot and didn�t want to run back to the store for pre-whipped cream, so decided to fake it for the photos, with vanilla ice cream. Sorry, it�s true. Sometimes we fake it. But then afterward, I stuck the assembled cups in the freezer (since you know, they were topped with ice cream), and later, once everything was frozen, I took a bite, and holy-sweet-tropical-limes, it was better than the original! A tropical, frozen dessert to tie up tiki week!

And there you have it. A happy accident, which is really the reason so many people celebrate Mother�s Day to begin with�amiright!? 

Frozen Key Lime Pie Cups
Makes 4-6 cups, depending on size

Filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (key limes if you can find them)
Zest of 1 lime

Graham Crumble:
1 sleeve graham crackers
3 tablespoons melted butter
Zest of 1 lime

Vanilla ice cream

Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest together until smooth and combined. Divide evenly among serving glasses.

In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until they're a fine crumb, then add melted butter and lime zest, and pulse until combined. Layer on top of lime mixture, and gently press down (not too firmly).

Top with ice cream, and freeze for a couple of hours until ready to serve. Top with lime zest or slices for decoration.

Tiki Week: Coconut Shrimp Rangoon

Tiki week appetizer #2! If crab Rangoon and coconut shrimp had a baby, that baby would be coconut shrimp Rangoon! And then we would eat the baby. Er. Is that a weird thing to say on a food blog?!


Yesterday I mentioned that rumaki is faux-Polynesian�the brainchild of Donn Beach. When he started the tiki restaurant craze, his food menus were mostly Cantonese, with a little south Pacific flair and a mid-century American twist. Trader Vic followed suit, and the tiki pu-pu platter was born. Mid-century tiki bar pu-pu platters typically consisted of Americanized-Cantonese dishes like egg rolls, chicken skewers, and spare ribs. Then there were things with Hawaiian/Tahitian influence, and things with ambiguous �Polynesian� origins�. ie: California, USA. Rumaki is definitely one of those things, and from what I can tell, so is the beloved crab Rangoon: cream cheese and crab inside a wonton wrapper, fried up until crispy, with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

I decided to combine those tasty little nuggets with another tiki favorite: coconut shrimp! Sweet shrimpies, toasted coconut, and cream cheese� wrapped up like a hug and dipped in sweet/tart dipping sauce made with peach jam and sambal! Also, I baked mine, because #bikiniseason, but feel free to rev up the deep fryer. It's for sure the preferred method, if you�re so inclined. Donn Beach and Trader Vic would be proud of you!

Coconut Shrimp Rangoon
Makes about 30 pieces 

1 lb boiled/cooked shrimp (deveined with tails/shells off)
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 squirt sriracha
2-3 green onions, diced 
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (under broiler for a about 30 seconds to a minute) and 1 tablespoon untoasted 
Wonton wrappers 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Roughly chop shrimp into smallish bits. Stir (using stand mixer or by hand) cream cheese, soy sauce, onions, and coconut until well combined. Stir in shrimp. 

Scoop about a tablespoon of mixture into center of each wonton wrapper, and fold up like an envelope, using a little bit of water or whisked egg to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush top with olive oil (or spray) and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and crispy on each side. 

If frying, make sure you seal them extra well (maybe even try a different rolling/bundling technique) to get them to stay sealed. Deep fry in vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with dipping sauce. 

Sweet and Sour Peach Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup peach (or apricot) jam
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

In a small saucepan, whisk together ingredients, and heat over medium-low heat until combined. Serve warm or room temp with Rangoons.