Norquay Learning Orchard Celebration

Our friends over at the Renfrew Collingwood Food Security Institute have a bunch of great events coming up! For example:



Friday, August 25 // Norquay Learning Orchard Celebration

2732 Horley Street, Vancouver

4:00-7:00 PM


Nestled in the heart of Renfrew-Collingwood, the orchard is a beautiful site for learning and summer parties! Join us for an evening of fun family activities, light snacks, and learn more about what we do.

Photo Credit: Renfrew Collingwood Food Security Institute

Food Safety is local. Get to know your producer on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Laurie Hoogstraten, I featured local beef sausages, in response to a recent report on sausages in Canada not being what is labelled.  This is generally never the case when buying from your local producer, butcher, farmer, etc. 

Get to know your local producer!  I featured the beef breakfast and beef smokies of Manitoba Beef, locally produced grass-fed beef.  When you speak to to butcher, or the farmer at the market, you can be guaranteed that you are getting the product that you expect, in fact, they were great!

Local Halal butchers offer the products that you expect as well.

Featured below are beef breakfast sauasages and smokies by Manitoba Beef.  Also featured are Cook's Creek Kimchi, and Nature's Farm eggs.  These products are all available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Enjoy!

Spicy Edamame Dip

I recently tried out Our Harvest back east, which is basically an online farmer's market experience.  You pick out fresh, organic, local foods and then either have them delivered or you pick them up at a convenient location.  Everything we picked was so good, but I was especially impressed with an Edamame Dip that was made in Brooklyn by a company called MOMO Dressing.  It was SO tasty, and after reading the simple ingredients on the packaging, I knew I could recreate it at home.  And so I did.  And now I am sharing my version of the recipe with you.  Amen.  

Spicy Edamame Dip

Serves 8

(Printable Recipe)

1 12oz. bag shelled edamame, cooked per instructions on bag

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 jalape�o, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped

1 large clove garlic, stems removed

1 handful cilantro, stems removed

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup (more or less depending on desired consistency)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine.  Stream in the olive oil until desired consistency is reached.  Season to taste with sea salt and serve along side crackers or veggies!

Gardener in Residence

Did you know that Burnaby Village Museum has a Gardener-In-Residence?!

Sundays, 12noon-4:00pm 

Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 12noon-4:00pm
Until September 5th

Farmhouse Garden at Burnaby Village Museum
Photo Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

Drop-in on our Gardener-in-Residence and learn how to see, plant, grow, tackle pests, and ensure bountiful harvests. This position is partially supported by Burnaby Food First. 

Farmhouse Garden at Burnaby Village Museum
Photo Credit: Rebekah Mahaffey

Burnaby Self-Guided Farm Tours

With Tourism Burnaby and support from the City of Burnaby, we have developed and released a self-guided map listing participating farms and nurseries that are opened to the public within Burnaby�s Big Bend area.




Did you know that Burnaby has some of the most productive farm land in the region?

Did you know that there are a number of active farms, and related businesses, in South Burnaby that you can visit?

At last count, 43 farms were in operation in Burnaby, growing everything from cranberries to zucchini!

Take the whole family along on this self-guided tour of some of the agriculture sights of Burnaby�s Big Bend. 

Visit Burnaby�s �country in the city� to shop for fresh local produce, tour impressive greenhouses, meet some farm animals, and try some tasty treats - all close to home!

Download your copy of the brochure in PDF format, or visit the interactive Story Map. 

Participating Burnaby farms/nursery

• GardenWorks at Mandeville


• Sun Tsai Sang Farm


• Wing Wong�s Nursery


• Hop on Farms


• Burnaby and Region Allotment Gardens


• Leong�s Nursery


• It�s About Thyme Nursery


• Common Ground Community Farms

About Big Bend Community

It is a mixed-use community with various land uses such as parks, open spaces, agricultural, residential and industrial. Big Bend is bounded by Marine Drive (to the North) and located within Boundary Road to Fenwick Street. The Fraser River runs south of the area.

Agriculture is a very important activity in the Big Bend area. It is a significant producer of field vegetable production, in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, following Surrey and Delta.  

Turkey Schnitzel and Roasted Tomato Coulis for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I am featuring a simple dish to prepare that is full of great summer flavour CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.

The basil and tomatoes are from Almost Urban Farm, and available today at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market. The roasted tomato coulis is very easy to prepare and can be used in many ways.

Enjoy!

For the Schnitzel:
1 Turkey Breast (I used a local free range turkey that I cut into parts and the breast was large enough for more than 5 portions)
1 egg
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Panko bread crumbs *
1/2 tbs butter (I used Notre Dame butter, local)

* Panko bread crumbs available at many Asian groceries


For the Charred Tomato Coulis:

2-3 medium tomatoes (available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh basil, chopped (available at Almost Urban Farms at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs olive oil

Charred Tomato Coulis: In a baking dish, bake whole tomatoes (without stems) at 350�F until tomatoes begin to darken (up to one hour). Let cool. In a food processor or blender mix all ingredients until well blended into a loose paste. Set aside and chill.

Turkey Schnitzel: Cut Turkey breast into small fist size pieces (maybe a child�s fist size). On a cutting board, place turkey breast piece and cover with plastic wrap. With a food hammer or pounder, flatten Turkey breast piece until quite thin. Set each piece aside and then soak in the beaten eggs. On a plate mix Panko bread crumbs, nutmeg, paprika and salt and pepper. Bread each Turkey piece well and place in a medium high heat pan with butter. Saut� Turkey schnitzel pieces until brown on both sides. Place on plate to rest and DRIZZLE the charred tomato coulis on plate to bring out the natural sweetness of the flavours. A variety of mustards also accent the turkey schnitzel nicely.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Blueberry Truffles

I'm going to take a wild guess that wherever you live, it's hot.  Humid too, maybe?  Sort of like you're living in an armpit?  Or maybe it's a nice dry heat.  Like you're stranded, naked, in the middle of the dessert.  With a pet camel.  OR it's totally beautiful and you have no idea what I'm talking about...

Anyway.  As much as I love to bake, I usually don't want to turn the oven on in the middle of summer.  That's why I was so excited to come across this truffle recipe.  I've made truffles before (here and here), but a rich, dark chocolate is usually the star of the treat.  These stood out because they are made with only 5 simple ingredients, two of which are sweet blueberries and creamy white chocolate.  They were extremely easy to throw together, and my kids had fun helping me roll them into truffle balls!  I highly recommend for a no-bake summer treat.     

Recipe here.

Consultation Open on the Canadian Food Guide

For the first time since 2007, and nearly seventy-five years after the first edition was published, Health Canada is updating Canada�s Food Guide. This work is being done so that the Guide meets the needs of different Canadian audiences. And they are asking for input! Have your say by completing the Online Survey. The deadline for participation is August 14, 2017. 

Photo Credit: www.canada.ca/en/services/health/healthy-eating.html

Plots Available at Thurston Community Garden

Are you looking for
a place to garden? 

There are currently 8 garden plots available at the
community garden located next to the townhouse development at 3728 ThurstonStreet at Boundary Road. 

Plots are available free of charge to those
interested. Preference given to people living in the Metrotown area. Contact Matthew Lesniak at m.lesniak@awmalliance.com
for more information.

Thurston Community Garden
Photo Credit: Carla

Rao's Lemon Chicken

The other day, Carson and I were watching the Food Network and we caught Frank Pellegrino show Ina Garten how to make his famous Lemon Chicken and then the following happened...

Carson only had to look over at me, and his eyes asked, "you are going to the market, aren't you, to go get all of the ingredients to make this, aren't you?"  I looked back at him, and my eyes replied, "yes, yes I am going to do that, just as soon as you get the kids away from me so I can go shop in peace."  And then my son said, out loud, "why are you guys staring at each other like that."  He doesn't understand Eye Talking, I guess.  Alas, I did go later that day and picked up a chicken (and had the butcher butterfly it and remove the spine), some fresh lemons and parsley.  I had the rest of the ingredients at home, that's how simple this dish is.

As Ina says in the episode, if you're going to call something 'Lemon Chicken' than it better taste like lemon, and THIS tastes like lemon.  The chicken is juicy, the skin is crisp, and the lemon flavor is off the charts.  For the recipe, click here.

Fennel from Fertile Farm is Fabulous on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of presenting two ways to prepare fennel on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Nadia Kidwai.  Fennel is surprisingly versatile and we can get it grown locally at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market at Fertile Farm.  They have such a wonderful variety of locally grow produce and are a wonderful newcomer family from China.

The first recipe is en pappiote, or cooked in paper.  This is so easy and you can make this in a toaster oven.  The Steelhead Trout comes from Watersong Farm, in Warren, Manitoba. This gorgeous fish is available each week at Gimli Fish.  They will also be coming to the 201 Portage Ave. Farmer's Market on Friday's!

1.Simply take a fillet and cut into portions, place on the parchment paper and top with your favourites.  Here, I topped the fillets with shaved fennel bulb, chopped fennel fronds, butter, and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350�F for 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.  It will be a present at each setting!

 The second recipe is also very easy.  I saut�ed shaved fennel bulb with thinly sliced red onion and dried red chilies in olive oil until almost caramelized, with salt and pepper.  I finished with cream and white wine and tossed with cooked spaghetti.  Grate Parmesan over the pasta and it has a remarkable smokiness, almost bacon-like, as a vegetarian pasta.

Enjoy!

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I have never met a pasta that I didn't like.  Honestly, I can't think of a single one.  But this pasta, this one is up there with a really good Carbonara, or a Cacio E Peppe, or a Spaghetti al Pomodoro (like this OMG).  It's made with Fusilli (but you could sub in any pasta you have on hand), a ton of fresh lemon juice and zest, cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula and a delicious cream sauce (that has 2 cups of heavy cream... just pretend you didn't read that part... FORGET IT NOW).  The recipe calls for broccoli, but I omitted that because, I don't know, I wasn't feeling it that particular night.  That's the beauty of cooking, my friends.  Do what you want!  You the boss.  

(Sorry, I've been watching too much Boss Baby.)

Recipe HERE. 

Some HUGE news...

I'm beyond thrilled to tell you that I am writing my first cookbook, titled Siriously Delicious.

I'M WRITING A COOKBOOK!

Sorry for shouting at you, but this is the type of news that requires the caps lock button, and happy dances, and celebratory handfuls of chocolate chips (which I guess are different than my regular handfuls of chocolate chips?).  Even to say it out loud, or to see the words on paper, makes me feel giddy.  I am writing my first cookbook, and I am so excited to finally share this news with you.

I am working with TimeInc Books, and the process has been incredible so far!  From recipe development, to taste testing (hard job), to our first photo shoot last week... it has been one pinch-me moment after another.  One of the most incredible was having the gloriously talented Ellen Silverman shoot our lifestyle and cover shots (the magical force behind some of my favorite cookbooks).  

Here she is at work...

Mr. Photobomb...

I can't wait to share more of the process with you as we move forward, so continue to check in here or on Instagram or Twitter.  And come back tomorrow for a perfect summer pasta dish!  Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat more chocolate chips, and I think you should too.  

Canada Day BBQ for Beef eaters, Vegans, and Vegetarians on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

Happy Canada Day on July 1st!  While you are planning on your BBQ, remember the wonderful beef that we have here locally, as well as the vegans and vegetarians who will inevitably also wish to partake of the celebrations.  :)  

I am presenting the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Host Nadia Kidwai.  The lovely Sirloin Steak Beef from Manitoba Beef was perfect for kebabs. This is available on Saturday at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market as well as the quinoa from Tamarack Farms for the Quinoa Sweet Potato vegan burgers.  If you are looking to keep completely Gluten-Free, use their quinoa flour in place of panko.  The grilled eggplant is wonderful for so many events.  You can find locally grown eggplant now at Vic's Fruit Market on Pembina and at Schreimer's Greenhouses.

Happy Canada Day!  Enjoy!

(Quinoa Sweet Potato burgers)

  
(Marinating beef kebabs)

Turkish Beef Kebab

1 lb thinly sliced beef or lamb (Today was Manitoba Beef�s Sirloin Steak, available at the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market on Saturday)

1 onion, grated

1 medium tomato, grated

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dry mint

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

� cup olive oil *

1 cup red wine

If meat is a tough cut, you may pound the thinly sliced beef.  Mix all ingredients together and let marinate overnight of for several hours.

Skewer the meat and grill over high heat, turning.  Let meat rest and serve with yoghurt tahini sauce, grilled vegetables and Afghani Naan. (available fresh at Millad�s on Notre Dame).

Quinoa Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers (adapted from Bonappetit, January 2016)

1 small sweet potato
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 portobello mushroom (or 5-8 crimini mushrooms)
� small zucchini
1 small shallot, finely chopped
� teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked quinoa (from about � uncooked) (Tamarack Farms available at St. Norbert�s Farmer's Market and Downtown Hydro Market)
� cup dried breadcrumbs (panko)
1� teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 Pretzel or Sourdough Brioche (Available at Old Church Bakery at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market

Guacamole, tomato chutney, sprouts, etc.

Wash and prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a paper towel in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, until soft, depending on the microwave.  Fastest and easiest method and won�t heat up your kitchen with the oven.

Remove the skin from the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a fork.  Set aside.

Grate zucchini and mushrooms.  Heat a small skillet with olive oil and cook shallot with pepper flakes until translucent.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until moisture has been released.  Transfer to a bowl with cooked quinoa (1 1/2 cups water : 1 cup quinoa, boil, stir and simmer for 15 minutes).  Season and mix with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

Add breadcrumbs (panko), lemon juice and about 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potato, adding more as a binder as needed.

Divide mixture into 4 portions and form into patties.  Heat 2 tbs oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and cook 2 patties at a time, until golden brown.

Serve burgers with Old Church Bakery pretzel buns or Sourdough Brioche with your favourite toppings, guacamole, tomato chutney, etc.

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!

Thursday, July 13th - Join us for a fun and informative evening about Burnaby Food First's Sharing Backyards Program

Passionate Palmer Pops | Popsicle Week 2017

It�s Wit and Vinegar�s WORLD FAMOUS POPSICLE WEEK! The hottest (yet, chilliest/chillest) week of the year! Check out the 2017 popsicle week page for a plethora of pops. Some are covered in toasted marshmallow (!), some are made with pudding, others are boozy and fruity, a few have chunks of cake in them. And this, my friends, is mine: The Passionate Palmer Pop�. 

It�s a sordid love affair, a steamy (yet frosty) summer romance between everyone�s favorite non-alcoholic drink named after a golfer, the Arnold Palmer, and the tangy sweet tropical seductress, Passionfruit. We�re talkin� sweet and sour, sticky and melty, and as refreshing as a glass of iced tea on a hot summer day. We have intrigue. We have temptation. We have PASSION. And tea and lemon. We have passionfruit Arnold Palmers (tea + lemonade combo) in one cool, frozen package. 

My sister and I were throwing out popsicle flavor ideas, and when we landed on passionfruit Arnold Palmers, and the name Passionate Palmers, we laughed hysterically. Partially because we think we�re hilarious no matter what we say, but mostly because we had an 8th grade teacher named Mrs. Palmer, who also happened to be the mom of one of my best friends growing up. Like the true middle schoolers we are at heart, it�s just funny saying passionate + a teacher�s name. RIGHT!? (Is this the part where we make the calculator say boobs*?) #growupalready. 

I had to search pretty far and wide to find any sort of passionfruit anything. Seattle has no passion. When I was about to give up, I got over my hating-tourist-season-at-the-market infliction, and tried Pike Place Market, and of course, found everything I needed: frozen passion fruit pulp and whole passionfruit fruits. The whole passionfruit is fun because it adds some fresh flavor and the cute crunchy seeds, but if you can�t find them, the frozen pulp will do. I found mine at the Mercado Latino, the Latin grocery at Pike Place. When it doubt, try a Hispanic/ Latin grocery. I used the Goya brand frozen pulp, which is 100% passion fruit pulp (no sweetener, etc). If you can�t find that, my next suggestion would be passionfruit nectar or juice (Goya also has one, or try a Hawaiian brand�look for lilikoi instead of passionfruit), but don�t add extra sweetener to the pops, as those drinks are usually pretty sweet. And if all of the above fails, and you live in a passionless pit, I think pureed mango would be pretty good here too!  

Don�t forget to visit Billy�s #popsicleweek page to enjoy fun pops all summer long!

Passionate Palmer pops (passionfruit arnold palmer popsicles) 

Makes ~10 standard sized popsicles

2 cups water 4 tea bags (basic black tea, like Lipton) 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from approx.  2 whole lemons) 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2/3 cup frozen passionfruit puree/ pulp 2 whole passionfruit

Boil water, then steep tea bags for about 10 minutes, until you have a dark, strong tea (but not like, impossible to consume dark). You can either simmer the bags in a pot with the water, or just boil, remove from heat, and steep, covered. Chill tea until cool (in refrigerator, or over an ice bath). While tea is chilling, cut open both whole passionfruit, and scoop the insides (seeds and all, they�re edible!) into the bottom of each of your popsicle molds. Freeze until solid, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice, maple syrup, and passionfruit puree to chilled tea (Note: the frozen passionfruit comes pretty solid. To use it, I first broke it up and added it, with a splash of water, to the blender, just to get it to loosen up to a thick soft-serve, sorbet like consistency. You could also just try thawing it like a normal patient person). Whisk or stir until combined. Taste, and add more maple syrup as needed (depending on how sour/tangy versus sweet you like it). Pour mixture into popsicle molds, over frozen passionfruit. Insert sticks and freeze until solid.

*Speaking of 8th grade and boobs... my mom, sister, and I recently reminisced about the time I tried to stuff my bra (with wadded up tissues) for a middle school dance, and as my friend and I were leaving the house, my mom SO EMBARRASSINGLY, IN FRONT OF MY FRIEND, told me to take it out! I died a thousand angsty deaths. But in hindsight, I think she did me a huge favor: 
    Amanda: How'd you know she stuffed? Were they too big?
    Mom: No, they were just super lumpy and weird shaped!

Homemade Acai Bowl

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been on an Acai Bowl kick as of late.  If you are what you eat, then I am a bowl of slushy, fruity goodness.  Funny thing is, I didn't even know how to pronounce the word 'acai'  a few months ago.  It was probably my hesitation in ordering one.  "Um, can I have an a-key... a-kay... a-kie... never mind."  WELL GUESS WHAT FOLKS.  It doesn't matter how you say it because it's delicious (but in case you're wondering, it's 'ah-SIGH-eee').  

Only problem with binging on these bowls?  They're expensive!  So I decided to make one at home.  

First, I found these packets at Whole Foods...  

Then, I gathered up a few more ingredients... almond milk for blending, granola, organic honey, blueberries, unsweetened coconut, sliced banana and raspberries.  

I took one and a half packets of the acai and blended it with 1/4 cup of almond milk.  I layered the bowl with granola and coconut, added the acai, then topped it all with more granola, coconut, berries, banana and drizzled everything with honey.  

Yummy.  The consistency was a bit runny (so maybe next time I'd add less almond milk or possibly some almond butter for thickness).  But I'm glad I've found a cheaper version I can make at home!

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake

My dear, sweet, loving husband was born on June 22nd.  That is today, in fact!  Happy Birthday Carson!!!  (He won't read this.)  Anyway.  If you are unfamiliar with June 22nd (weird thing to say), it is the day after the first day of summer.  It is often the last day of school for many.  And, AND, it happens to be VERY close to Father's Day.  One year, the two dates were actually one day apart.  Why am I writing things that are obvious?  Because I'm trying to justify my lack of enthusiasm for baking two cakes for two great occasions in such a short (busy) period of time.  

  That's why this year, I tried to combine things that I know Carson loves (mainly ice cream and the chocolate/peanut butter combo) in a dessert that was very easy to pull off.  Enter this ice cream cake: a mouth-watering crowd pleaser that anyone can throw together, and I mean ANYONE (especially if you have kids willing to unwrap all the peanut butter cups in exchange for one or two or five).   

It begins with an Oreo crust... yes, I said that.  One whole package of Oreos, crushed together, combined with melted butter and pressed into a cake pan.  Then, the ice cream.  Best part?  You can choose your favorite flavor, brand, make your own, etc.  I decided to layer my cake with a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and a Vanilla Bean (this brand).  There is hot fudge and crushed peanut butter cups in between the two layers, more hot fudge on the top, and MORE crushed cups on top of that.  All that's really time consuming is letting your layers melt in between, but I think at the end of the day... we all have patience for that.  After all, ice cream cake is worth the wait.  As would my husband's birthday be if he could move it just... you know... a weeeee bit further away from Father's Day.   

Full cake recipe here.  (But again, modify it to your liking!)