If we’re not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn’t settle for junk food.
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Check out the pics my friend Peggy sent from the Gabriola Island weekend Farmers Market.
“Check out this lettuce I bought this AM at the farmer’s market: the blackest I’ve ever seen! It’s not really red on the outer edges – it truly is black, and neon green at the center.”
Thanks for the delicious pics!
Check out your local farmers market for funky food that tastes amazing.
Hmmm, sounds like a difficult challenge — eat delicious, fresh blueberries straight from a local farmer and benefit your favourite charity at the very same time.
Twin Berry Farms’ Goodberry Program donates up to $2.00 per 5 lb. flat purchased to Twin Berry’s charity of choice, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, or your favourite charity.
Here’s how it works: you sign up your company, promote the Goodberry Program, interested parties place their order, and the blueberries are delivered straight to your office farm-direct. It takes out the middleman and the turnaround time meaning you support a local farmer and a charity, while getting fresh, fresh berries at their prime.
That sounds like a recipe for success to me.
I stumbled across Golda’s Fine Foods all natural Cilantro Pesto a few months ago at Famous Foods, an independently owned grocery store in Vancouver where I buy rice milk and a wide variety of other healthy, unique, and delicious groceries.
I’m a fiend for cilantro, but it’s one of those herbs that evokes a strong reaction from everyone — they either love it or hate it. Not sure what to expect, I took it home and used it as the base for one of my über delicious, healthy pizzas (Lebanese flat bread, paste/pesto, browned ground Italian sausage, shredded zucchini, diced sweet peppers, other finely chopped veggies, a dusting of parmesan, a dusting of feta, warmed in the oven till the cheese melts).
Delicious! Not only did I use it as the pizza base, I drizzled it all over the topping once the pizza came out of the oven. It is now a regular grocery list item and I simply cannot get enough!
Don’t kid yourself, this is not low fat, but it IS made from all natural ingredients and Golda’s is a local success story, based in Mill Bay, British Columbia. Find a store that carries it near you.
Oh, and if the ones you love hate cilantro, tell them it’s coriander pesto. You won’t be lying and they just might thank you.
Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…
The guru of west coast organic gardening and seed selection is West Coast Seeds. I’ve heard the name uttered in hushed, reverent, gardener-in-the-know tones particularly in reference to the annual West Coast Seeds free Gardening Guide.
If you want access to non-Monsanto-interfered-with seeds, these folks are your local source.
Not only do they have over 600 vegetable, herb and flower seed varieties, they have the envied, must-have, Planting Chart for Coastal BC on page 6. The catalogue/guide is filled with gardening tips, organic pest solutions, and other misc. gardening information that make it worth its weight, even if you buy your genetically modified seeds from the local hardware store or nursery.
If you can’t get down to their Delta location (must have car and up-to-date map!), by all means check them out online, request the catalogue, and order your seeds by mail. If you can get to the store, you’ll be treated to a wide variety of books, tools, garden enhancements (i.e. bee houses), and friendly advice to assist in your organic gardening endeavours.
Oh, and sign up for their newsletter, which is also full of timely planting tips — seasoned and novice gardeners alike will want to know what West Coast Seeds has to say.
PS: The website is a goldmine of information, peruse only when you have plenty of time to “waste”.
Note: (Jan 2010) I get periodic comments from individuals asking or accusing West Coast Seeds of selling GMO and/or Monsanto seeds. Frankly, from the comments I see it feels a bit like an urban myth that won’t die. However, Local Delicious makes no claims and is not a representative of West Coast Seeds. If you have questions, please contact WCS directly. If, on the other hand, you have proof of misdoing, we’re happy to talk…
I’m working my way through a package of New World Natural Foods organic, barley malt granola. It’s slow going.
I liked all of the things that the packaging had to say:
What I can’t get past is the crunchy chew. I don’t mean the traditional crunchy granola texture that’s a result of a toasted, sugar coating. I mean a crunchy, the-oats-didn’t-quite-get-cooked-through texture. Like rice that’s taken off the stove too soon and is still crunchy inside.
Maybe that’s what they were going for, but I like even my healthy food not to wear out my jaw.
On the upside, New World is pretty conscientious about their product. They source locally as much as possible, pack in recyclable or biodegradable containers, add no processed sugar and very little salt.
And I recognize and can pronounce everything on the list of ingredients.
Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…
Interested in exploring local food producers at their own locations? Yes, but where to begin, you might be thinking.
Why not start with a Circle Farm Tour? What is that? A Circle Farm Tour is basically a road map that directs you to a variety of specialty farm-gate vendors, open air markets, charming eateries, heritage sites, fairs, and other special events. In the Greater Vancouver area, there’s a brochure and map for each participating community – six in total.
Simply go to the Circle Farm Tour website, download the tour, choose your destinations and go! Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison Mills, Chilliwack, Langley, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Mission all participate and all offer unique destinations for every member of the family.
Abbotsford offers such destinations as:
A little closer to Vancouver, Langley offers great locations such as:
So, what are you waiting for? Download your adventure today, pack up friends or the family, and enjoy!
