Local Delicious

I love nothing more than the taste of a warm, sun-ripened raspberry, personally hand picked at the peak of perfection. I am not, on the other hand, a lover of overly sweet liqueurs. So when I stumbled across the new raspberry liqueur from Okanagan Spirits, I was both intrigued and skeptical.

I admit, it was the classy bottle and metallic look label that first caught my eye (oh, I do love examples of quality marketing). Even in a crowded store, it stands out. And as it happened, I was in need of a gift for a friend who shares my passion for raspberries and who also has a no-such-thing-as-too-sweet sweet tooth. It seemed the perfect solution, and I could have a just enough of a wee sip to satisfy my curiosity.

Rather than being too sweet, Okanagan Spirits Raspberry Liqueur is pure, succulent, perfectly ripe raspberry. I have never tasted raspberries in liquid form before — wow! That went down smooth. Better try another one, just to be sure. Hmmm, best have one more go to confirm…

It takes a bit to impress someone who grew up gorging on raspberries right off the vine on a daily basis, and I am duly impressed. In fact, I’m a raving fan. And rumour has it, the bottle was finished in no time.

Who says “fast food” has to taste like cardboard and be full of nasty ingredients?

I was in the neighbourhood the other day with a few minutes to spare and stopped in at Quince restaurant. I’ve heard of it often, always with enthusiastic reviews, so I thought it was about time I looked in to see what all the fuss is about.

I enjoy good quality food, which I expected, but it was even more up my alley than anticipated. Many of the products available are made from local ingredients. Hurrah!

I noticed a list of cooking courses behind the counter and struck up a conversation with Andrea Jefferson, chef, sommelier, and instructor at Quince. In a heartbeat I was on a personal, guided tour of the space: fresh food cooler, take-home freezer section, and in-house quince preserves for which the restaurant-and-a-whole-lot-more is named.

My favourite were the take home selections, which offer a quick, quality alternative to eating out and/or cooking at home. I tried the Seared Thomas Reid Organic Chicken Breasts. I don’t know who Thomas Reid is, but I really like his chicken!

It took a few more than the prescribed 15 – 20 minutes to cook, but in the end my guest and I enjoyed juicy, tender, flavourful chicken breasts alongside a kale/cabbage/broccoli stir fry I made with ingredients from my garden. Now that’s eating pretty darn local.

Check out the Quince express menu for more delicious “fast food” ideas.

Verdict: Delicious and quick!

One of the biggest challenges to eating more locally is sourcing the food. I’m not a rabid locavore — I love a good latte and savour chocolate on a regular basis, and those habits are not likely to change anytime soon.

I do, however, want the option to eat food from sources closer than farther.

I want to be able to choose the nearer farmer, which might mean a neighbouring province over another continent, rather than limiting my food choices to a strictly limited radius. (Given the state of our food systems, a 100 mile diet a great goal to aim toward, but not attainable at the moment.)

I was very interested to learn of NOW BC from a fellow community gardener. NOW BC is an organic, member-owned food co-operative whose mission is “to build a sustainable local food system by connecting local farms and processors with consumers and building community around sustainable food choices.”

In search of other than the usual fruit and vegetables, browsing the NOW BC product catalogue I find unbleached flour from Chilliwack, lentils from Saskatchewan (and you thought they only produced wheat), hazelnuts from BC, and whole wheat macaroni from Alberta.

You can make a purchase without a membership, food is organic wherever possible, and your purchase is delivered to a depot in your neighbourhood for pick up, keeping costs more reasonable and sustainable. Think of it as an expanded farmers market — those SK lentils might not make it to the Kits Farmers Market on Sunday, but you’ll still be supporting farmers and strengthening our ability to trace where our food has come from.

Now wouldn’t it be even more cool if the bakery at the weekly market made their bread with flour from Chilliwack?

Okay, I’m not a wine drinker so it gives me nothing but happiness to actually be able to write a post about wine!

My future sister-in-law was chatting about a new white she and a friend had tried the other day when my brain picked up a catch phrase, “100% local wine”. Hmmm, was this my chance to sound all sophisticated with my wine information? You bet!

Domaine de Chaberton is a Langley winery (this I knew) that actually grows some of their grapes in South Langley (this I did not know). Some of those local beauties are used to make Madeleine Sylvaner, a white wine with three awards to its credit.

The Madeleine Sylvaner web page says that the wine pairs well with “oysters, fresh seafood, lemony chicken dishes and citrusy summer salads”. I’m pretty sure my future sister-in-law paired it with a nice evening on the deck and good conversation with a friend.

Her comments? “Refreshing, flavourful, and perfect for summer!”

Give it a try and please let me know how it goes by leaving a comment. I may not drink the stuff but, now as a full-fledged wine blogger, I’m curious about what you think.

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.

How’s this for clever, compact gardening? Mel Bartholomew, formerly a civil engineer, came with a concept of compact gardening that’s taken the US by storm.

In a nutshell, build a garden box (or a bunch of them), separate each section into 12″ squares, fill them with a mix of compost, soil and vermiculite, and plant a few seeds. It’s a pretty much fool-proof, miniature, crop rotation/deep bed garden idea that makes gardening zero hassle and high production.

Buy his “system” or build your own using his tips and tricks, and you’re off to the races. Wow, THIS is urban gardening for the faint of heart.

Now Mel is on a mission to change the world with the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. I like this practical, immediately impactful, humanitarian focus.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…