Local Eating - Fall Foods

It's nearly Fall, my favourite season. Fall marks the birthday celebrations of my mother, sister, uncle, two grandfathers, niece, cousins and brother-in-law... oh yea and my own! I love fall fashion (sweaters & boots!), fall weather and fall colours. Most of all, I love fall food!

According to Get Local BC, the following is available locally this Autumn:

Vegetables: Artichokes, beans (fresh & dried), beets, broccoli, cabbage (green, savoy & red), carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard (swiss), corn, cucumbers, fennel (bulb), garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onions (red & yellow), parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, potatoes (red, russet, yellow, white), radishes, rutabagas, salad greens, shallots, spinach, squash (winter), tomatoes, turnips (white), zucchini

Fruit: Apples, crab apples, cranberries, grapes, melons, pears, plums, prunes, strawberries

Meat & Dairy: Dairy Products, eggs, beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, goat, lamb, ostrich, pork, rabbit, turkey

Seafood: Clams, cod (Pacific), crab, Dungeness crab, flounder/sole (Pacific), halibut (Pacific), mussels, oysters (Pacific), prawns (jumbo), sablefish (black cod), salmon (Chinook/King/Spring/Pink/Chum/Coho), sardines (Pacific), scallops, shrimp (side stripe, west coast), Spring dogfish, Tuna (Albacore)

Herbs: Basil, bay leaves, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill leaf, dill seed, epazote, fennel leaf, fennel seed, garlic chives, lemon grass, lemon verbena, sweet marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory (summer & winter), shiso, sorrel, tarragon, thyme

Etc: Honey, mushrooms, nuts

And now... I'm off to the Farmer's Market! Happy Sunday!

Oysters on the Half Shell with Pickled Shallot Vinegar

It's week four of my online cooking class, Surf & Turf at Cheeseslave. This week, Ann Marie taught us how to pick fresh seafood and we learned several recipes for uncooked seafood dishes, like ceviche and sashimi. She also showed us a great way to shuck raw oysters.


Oysters are extremely good for our health and are listed in The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. According to author Johnny Bowden, a 1 cup serving of oysters supplies more than 100 percent of the recommended daily value of Zinc. Zinc is important to healthy immune function and fertility, among other things. Oysters are also a mood elevator as they are rich in the amino acid tyrosine, which the brain converts to dopamine. Before dealing with raw oysters at home, make sure you read up about how to buy and store fresh shellfish. Raw oysters are safe to eat, if handled properly.


A few weeks ago, I ordered an oyster knife online from Golda's Kitchen, in anticipation of this lesson. Yesterday I picked up 8 small fresh oysters from the market and today I got down to business! I was pretty apprehensive about the process. Not sure if any of you have seen Bob Blumer's Glutton For Punishment? He participated in an "Oyster Shuck Off" in one episode. Let's just say there was a lot of blood. As it turns out, oyster shucking is not that hard, or that dangerous! Actually, it's incredibly easy. I made it through my eight in under 10 minutes, and had only minor difficulties with two of them. But... this post isn't about how to shuck oysters. I am certainly no expert. There are loads of videos on YouTube that can help you out. All I can tell you is to make sure you have a proper oyster knife, a sturdy wooden cutting board, a clean dish towel and a steady hand! And DON'T STRESS! And if someone tells you a butter knife will work just fine to shuck an oyster, DO NOT BELIEVE IT. You need an oyster knife. You can pick one up at most any kitchen supply or speciality shop for about $10.

OXO Good Grips Oyster Knife
I love topping my raw oysters with a squeeze of fresh lemon, a dash of Tabasco, a little bit of grated fresh horseradish or pickled shallot vinegar - but not all together! I made the Pickled Shallots during week three of the Preserve the Bounty Challenge. French Food at Home does a pickled shallot on fresh oysters. My favourite seafood restaurant, Rodney's Oyster House also serves their fresh oysters on the half shell with a pickled shallot vinegar. It's delicious! Pickled shallots are also a great condiment for many other things, like salads, sandwiches, antipasti platters, meat and poultry!



Pickled Shallot Vinegar

2 large shallots
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 sprig fresh thyme

1. Peel shallots and slice thinly.

2. In a medium saucepan, mix together vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Add shallots and stir.

3. Bring to a simmer and cook for one minute. Add thyme sprig. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature.

4. Transfer mixture to a glass canning jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least one week before using. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Alternatively - if you want to heat process your canned shallots for shelf stable storage, complete the directions up to step 3, but do not let the mixture cool. Pack shallots into cleaned and sanitized jars with a small sprig of thyme. Fill with hot vinegar mixture to 1/2 inch below the rim. Cap your jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Lemony Seafood Pasta

Summer is nearly done. Holidays are over, the days are getting shorter, the weather cooler and the rain is falling. Soon we will be cooking butternut squash soup and crock pot roasts. In the meantime, keep the spirit of summer around a little longer with a light, simple and fresh pasta dinner.

I threw this together quickly before heading out to work one night. I put it in a pyrex "to go" container and snapped a picture. It tastes better than it looks!

Serves 2

10 ounces of penne, linguine or fettuccine, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 large shrimp, peeled & de-veined
10 large sea scallops
3 tbsp butter
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
handful of fresh chopped parsley and basil
fresh grated Parmesan

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced.

3. Add shrimp and scallops to sauce pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning seafood half way through, until shrimp and scallops are cooked and opaque.

4. Remove pan from heat and add butter. Stir until melted and sauce is thickened. Toss in tomatoes and cooked pasta. Sprinkle fresh herbs over top and toss gently to incorporate.

5. Divide evenly between two plates and sprinkle with more fresh herbs and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade.

Why Choose Local?

(Please disregard that this video is sponsored by Hellman's)





Why do you choose local?

Community Gardens

The little island where my mother owns a vacation cabin, is home to the most amazing community garden. It's called D.I.G.S. (Douglas Island Garden Society) and is funded completely by donations (the initial funding came from a City grant) and worked on completely by local islanders volunteering their time and hard work.



My mom even donated an old potting shed that was on her property and it now stands, freshly painted at the front of the D.I.G.S. Community Garden. The Garden gate is never locked and everyone is welcome to come in, walk around and enjoy the garden. Sunflowers, tomatoes (including heirloom), squash, carrots, berries, rhubarb, chard, lettuce, herbs, onions, beans, hot peppers... they grow it all in abundance and with great success.



Every Sunday from 10am-12pm, fresh produce is available at the little stand (Anna's Store) for free or by donation. The other day I got a bunch of celery, fresh picked that morning, with all the leafy tops still attached. My cousin got fresh green beans and my other cousin got poppy seeds. We dropped a few loonies and toonies ($1 and $2 Canadian coins) in an old rubber boot and off we went with our goods.

D.I.G.S. is an amazingly successful and impressive community initiative. Across the country, more and more, city leaders and stakeholders are embracing the community garden concept and are donating city land for use as garden space. There are many reasons to support community gardens. Along with providing local residents access to fresh, local produce, community gardens also increase the sense of community and belonging for those working in the garden as well as those living in the area. This is no more apparent then on the island where D.I.G.S. operates. Each Sunday morning the local islanders meet up at the Garden to exchange produce, share stories, work in the dirt and interact. They also have a children's program where kids learn about gardening and participate in craft activities. In the Summer a "Garden Walk" is organized, where islanders tour each other's gardens, giving the "green thumbs" a chance to showcase their hard work and the others a chance to enjoy it. Afterwards, they all get together at someone's house for a barbecue. I have always been amazed and impressed with how a simple garden can do so much to bring people together.

Urban community gardens also provide much needed green space in an otherwise sparse urban landscape and help to beautify neighbourhoods. An old gas station lot at the corner of Burrard and Davie, in the heart of Downtown Vancouver was recently turned into a thriving community garden. Another one has been operating for years on a stretch of old decommissioned train track off Fir Street in Kitsilano.

Along with neighbourhood beautification, some also believe that areas with community gardens have lower instances of crime, particularly with regards to vandalism, because the area residents take more of an interest in their neighbourhoods (the same is true for areas with organized Neighbourhood Associations). (Source). Alternatively, other studies have indicated that while community gardens do not actually impact crime rates, area residents perceive their neighbourhood as safer because of the presence of the gardens. (Source). Regardless of studies and stats, the fact is, community gardens are good for neighbourhoods, cities and area residents.

Check here to find a Community Garden in your neighbourhood (Greater Vancouver only) and do what you can to take part! Get involved, volunteer, donate. Do what you can to support these great community programs. If your community does not have one and you want to take part, contact your City Hall parks department to get the ball rolling! Check this post on how to start a Community Garden, including tips on how to secure land and sponsorship and how to organize your garden society.

For more on Community Gardens, check here.

Canning with Grandma

Last week I joined my cousin and my Grandmother for a lesson on beet canning. My Grandma is an expert in home canning. Every year she cans beets, tomatoes, peaches salmon, jams, pickles... you name it! The Pickles in a Bucket recipe came from her. She also makes THE best canned tomatoes. They are perfect for a quick, homemade tomato sauce and even better for tomato soup. Pictures from tomato canning will come at a later time, along with Gram's recipe. Right now, it's all about BEET PICKLES!



Grandma's recipe book


Beet Pickles (Click to enlarge to see her brine recipe).


Grandma doesn't believe in using rubber gloves. I think she even rolled her eyes at me when I asked where here gloves were.


Cousin Tobe learning from the best.


Grandma hasn't bought new canning jars in years!


Canned beet pickles!


Fresh out of the water bath canner.


Cousin Tobe with her finished product!

After letting the jars rest overnight, then removing the rings, the beets are shelved for at least a month before enjoying. Tobe says she eats the pickled beets as a snack, right out of the jar or chopped up on salads. You can add them to a veggie or antipasti platter for a delicious party treat! The finished Beet Pickles are so delicious - not too sour and not too sweet. They are the perfect mix.

This post is part of Twister Tuesdays at GNOWFGLINS.

Make the Switch - How to Shop Local

Kits Beach, Vancouver
A few months ago, I posted about what it means to be local and just last week I posted some resources for locally and humanely raised animal products. I think I skipped a step in there though, so now it is time to talk about how to make the switch to locally grown and produced products.

Get Local BC suggests you start small. Begin with one or two of the foods you buy the most, rather then an entire food group. Find local sources for the products and compare prices to find the best supplier for your needs and wallet. Once you have made the switch to one or two local items, do the same with a few more items until you have local sources for much of your fresh food supply.

Granville Island Market, Vancouver

Other tips to help you shop and eat local:

- First, define what "local" means to you. Revisit my post about what it means to be local. Do you want products produced and growth within Canada, within your Province, or within your regional area?

- Avoid large, chain grocery stores. These grocery stores carry very little local produce (if any at all), and often what they do carry is not as fresh as you would get elsewhere. There are some exceptions, of course so check the produce department of your local grocery store to see what locally grown products they offer. The best alternative is to shop your local, independent grocer or your local organic/natural foods grocer.

- Learn what products are "in season" each month, before you go shopping. Not everything is available year round. Eating local means eating in season. Check Get Local BC's Seasonal Chart or my posts on Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter foods. (Lists applicable to BC and Pacific North West region only. If you live in other area of the country, go to Google to find an "in season" chart for your area.)

- When starting the switch to local, don't worry about organic. If you can find local AND organic produce, GREAT! If not, think about what is more important to you, based on your food philosophies. Some people feel better about eating organic. Some feel better about eating local. Again, both would be ideal but sometimes it is not possible. I tend to buy local over organic, especially in the Summer during market season. Come fall & winter I tend to buy organic in the stores. Check my post about whether or not to buy organic before you make your choices.


- In the Spring and Summer, visit your community Farmer's Market. The produce is picked at the peak of freshness and brought to the market for you to buy, direct from the grower. Roadside farm stands are also a great choice!

- In the off season, visit independent produce markets, like Kins Farm Market or sign up for a home delivery service like Spud.ca or Organics@Home.

- If you live in British Columbia, buy Hot House. BC Hot House is 100% owned by local growers. BC Hot House tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are sold around the world. We are lucky enough to have them based and grown, right in our backyard, with farms in Surrey, Abbotsford and Ladner. Just watch out for their other label MX Hot House. Those products are grown in Mexico during the winter months when there isn't enough light to adequately grow greenhouse produce here.

- Read labels and signs to know where your food is coming from. Not all produce at your local, independent grocer or produce markets is local. Kins carries a huge selection of produce from California. Just the other day I bought Californian plums because I wasn't paying attention. If you aren't sure, ask questions. You have a right to know where your food is coming from.

- Plant your own garden and grow the items you tend to purchase the most. If you don't have space for an outdoor garden, consider a container garden. This year I planted a large container herb garden, container lettuce and container tomatoes. Several cities now have community gardens as well.


- Preserve the Bounty! This summer I participated in The Nourished Kitchen's Preserve the Bounty challenge and preserved over 12 litres of in season fruit and produce for use in the winter months. I bought a food dehydrator and dried fresh herbs and in season fruit. Along with canning, drying, fermenting and vinegar preserving, you can also freeze some foods for use during the off season.

- If you can afford it and have the freezer space, buy your meat products in bulk. Buy a half or a quarter of a cow direct from the farmer. You will save money and time as you won't need to return to the farm or other vendors every few weeks or months to re-stock. With local beef and poultry readily stocked in your freezer, you won't be tempted to buy lesser quality meat of unknown origin from the grocery store. (Ann Marie at Cheeseslave says it takes 7 cubic feet of freezer space to store half a cow.)

- Adjust your cooking focus to be in line with seasonal food. In the summer, cook with beets, corn, green beans, zucchini and berries. In the Fall, try Brussels sprouts, parsnip, cauliflower and pears. In Winter, stick with apples, carrots, onions, butternut and other winter squashes. In the Spring enjoy asparagus, rhubarb and BC Spot Prawns.

- Realize that buying local doesn't mean giving up foods you love. Certain foods like citrus fruit, are not available at any time in British Columbia. Buy local when you have the choice but don't feel like you have to give up locally unavailable foods. Instead, buy from your local produce market to ensure you are getting the freshest produce possible and buy organic when possible. For pantry staples like soy sauce, sugar, coffee, rice, olive oil etc, buy high quality, un-refined and organic when possible.

For more information:

Get Local BC has produced a directory, mainly aimed at residents in the City of Vancouver. It has lots of good resources about where to shop for local products.

Eat Wild Canada has an extensive list of sources for grass-fed beef and other humanely raised animal products.

Check my post about local vendors and resources for locally and humanely raised animal products, such as dairy, meat, seafood and poultry.

This post is part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist

Cleaned Up Cream Cheese Brownie Cake

This recipe comes from an old cook book called So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat by Betty Rohde. I used to make this all the time when I was in college. It's already a pretty good recipe but I wanted to clean it up to eliminate the refined ingredients and make a few substitutions for things like fat-free mayonnaise and light corn syrup (yuck)!

Cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unrefined golden cane sugar (I use Cuisine Camino brand)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup warm water

Cream Cheese Swirl:

1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp unrefined golden cane sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch square baking dish.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Stir until blended. Add yogurt, honey, vanilla and water. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into greased baking pan and set aside while you prepare the cream cheese topping.

3. In a small bowl. combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix together until smooth and creamy. Drop about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into 4 or 5 places on top of the cake batter. Place the tip of a butter knife into the centre of each cream cheese dollop and drag the cream cheese around to make swirls on top of the cake.


This is my swirl after baking. It sucks. Sometimes it takes some practice, and it helps if your cream cheese is really soft and creamy!

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes in pre-heated oven until cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool, then cut into squares. Serve with melted Toblerone Fudge Sauce.

This post is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Lemon Blueberry Spelt Crumb Cake

This post was done in advance because I am out of town and today is my birthday!!

I'm trying to finish off the last of a 5 pint container of blueberries. I've frozen plenty, dehydrated some and preserved some more in alcohol. Tomorrow I have a date with my Grandma and Cousin to can some beets! I can't show up empty handed so this cake is perfect. For someone who hates baking, I have been doing an awful lot of it lately!

Adapted from Canadian Living

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 whole eggs
2/3 cup unrefined cane sugar (I use Cuisine Camino Golden Cane Sugar)
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl toss together blueberries and 2 tbsp of whole wheat flour. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, add spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to mix well.

4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until well blended and creamy. Stir in melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.

5. Gradually add flour mixture into liquid mixture and stir together until blended and smooth. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave cake to cool slightly in the pan, then remove and finish cooling on a rack.

Homemade Granola Bar Makeover

I found this recipe for healthy homemade granola bars. How health is it when it uses refined brown sugar, all-purpose flour and vegetable oil? Gross, gross and gross. I was going on a little weekend vacation with my cousin and her baby and I wanted to bring homemade granola bars along for a snack. My goal was to re-vamp the recipe using non-refined ingredients and eliminate the eggs since my cousin's son is allergic to them. Flax seed meal is a great egg substitute for baking; One tablespoon of ground flax meal mixed with two tablespoons of water is the equivalent of one egg.

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup sucanat
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, raw cocoa nibs (any combination of things to equal 1 cup - I used a bit of everything!)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp ground flax seed meal mixed with 2 tbsp water
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square or rectangle baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sucanat, wheat germ, cinnamon, wheat flour, raisins, cranberries, cocoa nibs, shredded coconut and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the honey, flax, coconut oil and vanilla. If it is very dry, add a bit of water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix well using your hands if needed. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. After cutting, let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.