Farm News – Local Tea

We are very excited about offering these new teas! You’ll see them listed on the website in a few days. We are starting with a few varieties, in tins. Take a look at the Teafarm website for the full line and let us know what you’d like to try. We plan to offer the teas in a bag as refills – making the most of the beautiful and functional tins!

Locally grown and processed, organic and innovative! Margit and Victor are hopeful they can grow their own tea plants and produce a limited harvest of green and black teas from the Cowichan Valley. We want to support this!

Teafarm is a small organic farm in the fertile Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, BC
Margit and Victor grow a variety of plants and flowers that they blend with organic green, black, white, red, oolong and pu-erh teas from select tea estates around the world.

They have created over 20 original recipe hand-crafted teas and herbal infusions. A wide variety of non-blended estate grown teas are also available through Teafarm.

No flavourings or synthetic essences are used in Teafarm blends. When you drink something with vanilla, it’s vanilla bean and it’s organic. The teas that are used in the blends are all Certified Organic at their source.

In May of 2010 two terraces of tea – Camellia sinensis – were planted on the farm. So far, the young tea plants have made it through two winters and are doing very well. Victor and Margit are experimenting with growing tea… the farm is not yet producing tea. They are confident that within the next few years Teafarm will be offering a limited harvest of 100% local Cowichan tea.

Permaculture Design Certificate

Four Seasons, Part Time, Permaculture Design Course in Victoria, BC

When: Starts with a 2 day introductory weekend on April 21-22nd (Earth Day!), 2012 and continues one Sunday per month until March 2013.

Where: Various Locations in Greater Victoria

Tuition: $960 + HST ($250 deposit to secure a spot)

Instructors: Blake Hunter, founder of Good Seed Hemp and Good Land Permaculture (for more information, see About Us on the website), as well as several guest instructors.

For more information please contact us by email at goodlandpermaculture@gmail.com or by phone at 250-385-4367.

Nettles!

Nettles: Handle with care

Yes, these are stinging nettles – sting-y but terribly good for you! Use gloves or tongs to handle raw nettles. Once immersed in hot water, blanched or dried, the sting is gone. Nettle Tea is an excellent source of minerals and calcium. Dry for use next winter!

ORDER IN BULK – 1/2 LB BAGS by email only

ORDER BY SUNDAY FOR DELIVERY NEXT WEEK!

Nettle Soup

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat:

• 1 Tsp butter

Add and cook for 5 minutes, until soft:

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

Add in:

• 2 small potatoes for mashing, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour cold water or stock to cover by 1 inch. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes soft.

Add:

• 1/4 LB young nettles
• Freshly ground pepper

Cook for five more minutes, until nettle leaves are soft and wilted. Purée with an immersion blender. Season to taste.

Halibut over Sorrel Greens

Thanks to Dave of Madrona Farm for his beginning-of-Spring crops and this recipe!

Fresh Sorrel

1. Poach a halibut filet over a bed of sorrel and chopped leeks, onions, or garlic, splashed in white wine.
2. Once cooked, remove the fish and reduce the sorrel/leek remains on a stovetop. Once the booziness of the wine is gone add cream. Puree the whole she-bang and drizzle over the filet.
3. Dave also suggests serving this with something that will soak up the sauce pooling on the plate. He suggests giant croutons or baguette. Otherwise you’ll be tempted to lick your plate… which is fine by us!

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Local Seasonal Vegetables

Chef Rob Feenie in the Globe and Mail this weekend shared a pasta recipe. He added fresh arugula when he tossed the tomato based sauce and the pasta al dente. Try it with your own pasta this week! I have also added arugula just before serving to cheese based Pasta Carbonera!

Farmer Dave is harvesting beautiful Brussels’ Sprouts on the stem every week and we will continue to offer them in our different box types. You can customize or add them any week you choose. I am not a huge fan of this veg but as I attempt to eat in season have been trying out different recipes. Last night’s supper featuring the Brussels’ sprouts was a definite success. Check out the blog for some pictures. For a vegetarian version I would replace the lamb sausage with 2 cups cooked brown lentils. Pulses are an export crop for Canada. We grow a lot but send most to India because we do not use this great source of protein!

Lamb OR Lentil Greek Stew

In a large skillet sauté until soft:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 large garlic minced
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 to 2 cups Brussels Sprouts (halve the larger ones)
  • 3 whole frozen tomatoes OR 1 can tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 4 lamb sausages
  • 1/2 cup water

Add:

In a separate skillet steam:

Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve topped with diced feta cheese.

Let cook for 15 minutes and then brown.

Slice sausage into rounds and add to sauté.

Greek Potatoes

If doing the veggie option serve this dish with Quinoa or for the lamb dish try this potato recipe

Slice potatoes into rounds.

Oil baking sheet with olive oil.

Place potatoes on the sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and lemon juice!

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then turn potatoes over and sprinkle the other side as above.

Bake for another 15 and serve!



10 Ways to Eliminate Food Waste over the Holidays

Did you know the December holiday season results in spectacular amounts of food waste! Worldwatch Institute has some ideas on reducing this amount. Here are the key words. For detail check out their site http://www.worldwatch.org/node/9280

Before the meal:

Plan your menu and exactly how much food you’ll need.

1. Be realistic

2. Plan ahead

During the meal:

Control the amount on your plate to reduce the amount in the garbage.

3. Go small

4. Encourage self-serve

After the meal:

Make the most out of leftovers.

5. Store leftovers safely

6. Compost food scraps

7. Create new meals

8. Donate excess

9. Support food-recovery programs

Throughout the holiday season:

Consider what you’re giving.

10. Give gifts with thought

Organic Holiday Turkeys available for Pre-Order

Terra Nossa is now taking pre-orders for their organic turkeys. They will be freshly processed December 22nd and available fresh for pick up in Victoria on the 23rd.

Please click here for the order form (pdf format) and ordering details.

Ordering deadline is Dec 4th!!!

Please contact Evelyn at Terra Nossa if you have any questions at 250-743-7484.

A Day in the Life

…of Colby.

Our newest video highlights bike delivery driver extrordinaire, Colby!

Thanks again to Darin Steinkey for putting this together!

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

This week’s Local Offerings

This week’s box was inspired by the offer of cilantro from Saanich Organics. Cilantro is indispensible in many Thai, Indian and Mexican recipes! The Boxes also have a Mexican avocado and a jalapeno and lime from California. How about a Cucumber Raita?

Daikon!

Daikon is another local root veggie in this week’s Local Only Box. The mild radish flavor warms the body (and soul!) on a windy day. Thanks to Yoshiko and the crew at Umi Nami Farm in Metchosin. Bunch carrots are naturally grown by Isabelle on Wyndlow Farm in Ladysmith.

Watermelon Radish is another unique vegetable. It looks like watermelon – red centre and a green “rind!” Traditionally they are made into a Japanese style pickle.
Slice and cover with 1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, water, salt and 1 tsp cane sugar. Let sit for a few hours. Winter Radish can also be grated onto salad greens to add a little spice. Try it with a cilantro vinaigrette

Watermelon Radish

Carrot Daikon Salad

Mix together:

• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cup grated daikon
• 4 minced scallions

For dressing, mix together:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. Tamari
• 1 tsp. mirin or honey
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
• Dash of cayenne

Toss with vegetables and serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

From Box to Table – the final few veggies

I finished off my Local Box last week with a red cabbage salad garnished with grated watermelon radish and parsley. I also made a Basil Parsley pesto. Pesto is great on steamed mixed vegetables!

Below is a recipe to help use up that spunky jalapeno…

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Cook dried black beans for 1 1/2 hours in large pot with 8 cups water. (Freeze leftover beans in 2-cup batches for easy use later.)

Combine the following:

• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 hot pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cup kernel corn

Whisk the dressing together and pour over salad:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Stephane, baker and owner of the Moulin Vert Bakery on Saturna Island, hasn’t been able to find a steady source organic peanuts from North America.

We appreciate the choice to wait and seek for a new peanut source rather than look further away. The peanut butter (and perhaps the PB cookies!) will be that much more celebrated when it returns.

Stephane offers other cookie varieties that I wish would come hang out with me in the office instead of being sent away in the bins. My favourite, and the most filling cookie, are the loons. Perfect for the afternoon energy slump… or the morning slump… or all slumps in-between.

Deer as Food Competitors

Many urban growers now have to fence gardens to prevent deer from eating the crops. Deer are jumping the seven foot fences out at Kildara Farms and while the dogs are effective they do not work round the clock. This past Sunday deer ate many of the snap peas out in the fields. Not good for the farmers and the farm. I take it personally as well because it means I don’t get to send any peas this week and some of our boxes will have subs from further away!

Deer ate all my tulips this year – I thought I had planted enough to share with them. They have yet to jump the 5 foot fence around my berry patch. Some areas of Saanich have had some relief from deer trouble due to the appearance of a cougar. Not sure that is a good solution to urban deer. Humans are another predator. Check out CBC Radio for The Urban Hunter, a documentary about the rise of the locavore hunter in our urban centres.
www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/

More Local Farm Crop News!

Like many of our other crops apples will be two weeks late. Ian Franey reported from under his umbrella in Isabella Orchard on Salt Spring Island that pollination was generally good and he is expecting some Transparent apples soon. Transparents are the first summer apples and make an excellent soft sauce apple. Discovery and Tydemans are the first of the summer eating apples and will follow a few weeks later.

We have taken apples completely off our list as the BC storage crop is done. Apples you see in the stores today are most likely from New Zealand or China. Very far away… Our own apples will taste all the better for a few weeks wait.

We should be seeing the first of the apricots next week and TAH DAH! BC Cherries are here!!!

We are working hard to source some raspberries and though the bushes are full the weather makes it so they will not keep. It is pick-and-eat or pick-and-freeze-immediately in the home gardens. The weather is supposed to clear up a little so we never (completely) give up hope.

Strawberries also will not keep well when they have been exposed to the rain. Rinse and slice them up into a bowl with a tablespoon of sugar and they will be deliciously preserved for a few days.

We do have wacks of local greens. Try simply sautéing then with fresh uncured garlic bulbs! (which do not keep long so eat ‘em up!)

If you’ve been following the local garlic plan to avoid the overseas garlic we’ve gone from garlic greens to scapes and now on to a fresh whole clove!

Hello, Goodbye!

Welcome to new staff member, Lisa, and so sad to see Page leave us for new adventures. Ashley is also leaving us to return to her Montana roots and so we are looking for some more backup!

Send us a resume if you love veggies, need work and are available Tuesday through Thursday.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Sauté until translucent:

• 1 medium red onion
• 1 clove garlic

Add and sauté until soft:

• 1/3 Lb oyster mushrooms

Add:

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil or 1 Tbsp. fresh
• 1/2 cup shelled peas (fresh in season, snow peas work too)

Just before serving add:

• 1/2 cup yoghurt or sour cream
• 1 Tbsp. cooking sherry or red wine

Heat gently until warm and serve over pasta.

www.shareorganics.bc.ca

I caught just one image of our dear Chelsey proudly displaying the HUMONGOUS and beautiful lettuce from Saanich Organics last week. I couldn’t get it home on my bicycle without breaking out the 2nd pannier!

Then I played with “Paint” a bit to introduce the back story of the above image…

We hope your first few days of Summer have been as bountiful and luscious as ours has been!

With Love,
Denise

Ask him what it’s like to deliver 40% of our home and work deliveries all year long… in all kinds of weather… He is still smiling in a downpour! (I’ve seen it!) Then ask him for a limited edition bicycle “bumper sticker”

Hopefully see you there!

www.shareorganics.bc.ca

Shincliffe is primarily a dairy farm in Mill Bay and are partners with the Land Conservancy of BC.  The milk from their farm makes it’s way into Natural Pastures Cheese. They also function as a cow nursery – raising baby cows to become adult milking cows.

The best part of this story is how Susan and Joan connected.  Susan put a call out for island rhubarb through IOPA instead of automatically sourcing off-island.  Brilliant!  (IOPA is non-profit association of organic growers on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands)

Because of the existence of our Local Box we were able to find a home for the relatively small crop of rhubarb that Joan had to offer!  I hope more relationships like this begin to manifest.

The whole reason for this post is to blab and crow about our next exciting effort towards a Food-Secure Vancouver Island!  I’m so proud.

Love, Denise