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