forage

So we debated whether we should offer Stampede type fare this week or not. We decided not to and instead just offer good summertime meals. So if you are looking for the alternative to beef on a bun and mini doughnuts, Forage is the place.

This week we have the last of the Edgar Farms asparagus on our Thursday salad. The asparagus ferns need about 6 weeks frost free in order to grow back next year. We are also starting to see the great Alberta produce beginning to arrive. It’s been a cool wet spring so everything is about 1 to 2 weeks behind the norm. Our menus will soon overflow with the abundance of seasonal fruits and vegetables found locally and in our own gardens.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Grilled Chicken Chorizo

Sunworks Farm chicken chorizo sausage with potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers simmered with a touch of smoked paprika $13

Tuesday - Maple Mustard Pork Chop

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork loin chop with a maple syrup and grainy mustard glaze served with herb roasted new potatoes $14

Wednesday - Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms roasted with balsamic vinegar and herbs served with a rosemary and white bean salad $12

Thursday - Saskatoon Berry Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, grilled Edgar Farms Asparagus, wild rice, candied pecans, spinach, butterleaf lettuce, saskatoon berry vinaigrette $13

Friday - Fried Chicken

Sunworks Farm chicken fried in our special coating served cold with picnic potato salad $13

This Week’s Salad – East Indian Three Bean $4

This Week’s Stew – Beef Chili $9

Something Sweet – Butter Tart $2

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

Forage First Birthday - Friday July 18^th

3508 – 19^th Street SW - (403)269-6551

 

I hope you are all enjoying a long weekend and here’s to a short week this week! Forage is closed today and Tuesday, July 1^st. We’ll be back in the shop on Wednesday.

Keep Friday, July, 18^th marked on your calendar for Forage’s first birthday party. We cannot believe it’s been a year already!

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Closed

we are enjoying a long weekend

Tuesday – July 1^st - Happy Canada Day!

closed

Wednesday - Vegetarian Chili

black, kidney, navy, and garbonzo bean chili with cheddar cheese and fresh tomato served with a green salad $12

Thursday - BBQ Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and peppers on gull valley butterleaf lettuce with bbq ranch dressing $13

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with picnic potato salad and our special BBQ dipping sauce $38 whole $25 half $14 quarter

This Week’s Salad – Yukon Gold Potato Salad $3

This Week’s Stew – BBQ Bison and Pan Bread $9

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

3508 – 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551

The weather has finally improved and summer is here! This Tuesday evening take our fried chicken and potato salad to the park for an outdoor dinner. We are also adding a Weekly Salad in single serving portions to add to your meal. This week we are offering Gull Valley Green House Greek Salad.

Forage will be closed on Monday, June 30^th and Tuesday, July 1^st for Canada Day and we will open on Wednesday, July 2^nd so be sure to stock up towards the end of the week.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Italian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork and Hoven Farms beef meatloaf seasoned with italian herbs served with herb roasted potatoes $13

Tuesday - Fried Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken fried with our own special seasoning and served with picnic potato salad $14

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

Edgar Farms asparagus and Sylvan Star gouda on butter puff dough tart served with a green salad $13

Thursday - Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, cucumber, carrots, peppers and cilantro on rice noodles with lime vinaigrette $13

Friday - BBQ Beef Casserole

Hoven Farms organic beef slow roasted and sliced thin in a tangy BBQ sauce with peppers, corn, potatoes, and a biscuit crust served with creamy coleslaw $13

This Week’s Salad – Gull Valley Green House Greek $4

This Week’s Soup – Tuscan Chicken $8

This Week’s Stew – Beef and Bean Chili $9

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

Forage will be closed Monday June 30^th and Tuesday, July 1^st for Canada Day.

3508 – 19^th Street SW (403)269-6551

So the next early vegetable that follows asparagus is rhubarb. There has been fresh rhubarb coming in from the US and BC but I’ve been holding off for the stuff from my parent’s garden just South of Priddis. Their plant is one of those gargantuan ones that just keeps coming back each year and they are bringing in about 40 pounds on Father’s Day. We’ll use it this week in our Rhubarb Upside Down Cake.

Also, this coming Saturday June the 21^st is one of my favourite farm events. Buffalo Horn Ranch is hosting their annual Mother’s Day – a day to go out and see the new Moms and their calves and explore the farm. Peter and Judy’s ranch is 10 minute West of Olds in the rolling foothills near the Little Red Deer River. Reservations are required along with a minimum donation of $5 per person to the Medicine River Wildlife Centre. More information is available here.

Here are the specials for this week:

Monday - Braised Chicken Thigh

Sunworks Farm chicken thigh with tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and spinach $14

Tuesday - Moussaka

Cakadu Heritage lamb and Hoven Farms beef seasoned with cinnamon and chili with Gull Valley Green House eggplant, potatoes, and bechamel $13

Wednesday - Asparagus Risotto Cake

Edgar Farms asparagus risotto formed into a crispy cake served with green salad and hazelnut vinaigrette $13

Thursday - Beef Taco Salad

Hoven Farms organic ground beef, tomatoes, red beans, cheddar, peppers, Tres Marias blue corn tortillas and cumin lime dressing $14

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with picnic potato salad and our special BBQ dipping sauce $38 whole $25 half $14 quarter *Prices may change slightly due to size available this week

This Week’s Soup – Tuscan Chicken and White Bean $8

This Week’s Stew – Spring Beef Stew $9

Something Sweet – Rhubarb Upside Down Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

3508 – 19^th Street SW Calgary (403)269-6551)

www.foragefoods.com

This week we have Fairwinds Farm feta in our Greek Chicken Salad. Fairwinds is about an hour and a half South of Calgary, just off Highway 2 and their operation has seen incredible growth over the last few years. They produce chevre, feta, yogurt, and goat’s milk and there is talk of expanding into aged goat cheese too. I’ve been there the last couple springs when the goats are kidding (is that the term?) and there is nothing cuter than these rambunctious babies prancing around.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Apple Cider Berkshire Pork

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork simmered with mushrooms, leeks, and apple cider served on egg noodles with grilled asparagus $14

Tuesday - Chicken Rigatoni

Sunworks Farm chicken, tomato sauce, spinach, and pasta topped with bechamel and cheese $13

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Gull Valley Green House peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant simmered with wine and fresh thyme served on cous cous with a green salad $13

Thursday - Greek Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and Fairwinds Farm feta on butterleaf with a greek vinaigrette $14

Friday - BBQ Bison on a Bun

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, slow roasted and slathered in BBQ sauce served on a roll with picnic potato salad $14

This Week’s Soup – Asparagus Cream $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Lemon Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

3508 – 19^th Street SW Phone (403)269-6551

So we’re still going strong on the asparagus! This week we are going to do the Asparagus Tart again because it was so well received the first time, and we are also offering the Cream of Asparagus soup in the cooler. This Sunday, June 8^th Forage will be at Edgar Farms Asparagus Festival. That’s the asparagus picking cart to the left! The Festival goes Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 4PM and on Sunday Sue will be there grilling their asparagus.

We are adding another product from Mary Ellen and Andreas Grueneberg of Greens, Eggs, and Ham. This week we are getting our first order of their Vintage Lettuce Mix that is a combination of color, texture, and taste that evolves with the season. Right now the greens are greenhouse grown, but as the weather warms they will add greens from their garden too. This week they are in our Thursday special and in the coming weeks we hope to add bagged greens to the cooler.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf with a BBQ glaze served with roasted potatoes $12

Tuesday - Italian Chicken Sausage

Sunworks Farm italian chicken sausage served with white beans, peppers, onions, and tomatoes $13

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

So popular last time, we’re doing it again… Edgar Farms asparagus and Sylvan Star gouda on butter puff dough tart served with a green salad $13

Thursday - Mideast Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, chick peas, cucumber, and tomatoes on Greens, Eggs, and Ham Vintage lettuces with a lemon cumin dressing $14

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with picnic potato salad and our special BBQ dipping sauce $38 whole $25 half $14 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Asparagus Cream $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chili $9

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

Forage – Farm to Fork Foods to Go

3508 – 19^th Street SW Calgary - (403)269-6551

Here’s the recipes from this week’s spots on BTV.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

yield: 4 servings

½ lb.         fresh asparagus (dry ends removed, washed)

2 Tbsp.         champagne vinegar

4 Tbsp.        extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp.        honey

¼ tsp.         salt

¼ cup        toasted hazelnuts (chopped)

1. Use a vegetable peeler lengthwise to peel long thin strips of asparagus. Do this no sooner than a half hour before serving.
2. For the vinaigrette, whisk vinegar, oil, honey and salt. Stir in hazelnuts.
3. Toss the vinaigrette with the asparagus and serve.

 

Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

yield: 4 servings

½ lb.        bacon (thick cut, something like Sunworks Farm bacon)

1 ½ lb.        new potatoes (red, yellow, white, something creamy)

¾ cup        mayonnaise

½ cup        blue cheese (crumbled)

1 Tbsp.        salt (to taste)

½ tsp.        fresh ground black pepper

1 cup        fresh peas (shelled)

2 Tbsp.        chives (chopped)

1. Chop the bacon and fry it until crisp. Drain off the fat and drain the bacon bits on paper towel.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and cook until tender. Drain and cool completely.
3. Place the potatoes, bacon, mayonnaise, blue cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and work together with clean hands, breaking down some of the potatoes. Stir in the peas. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chives. Serve.

 

Fennel, Tomatoes and Peppers in Foil

yield: 4 servings

½ each        onion (sliced)

2 cloves    garlic (sliced)

2 each        tomatoes (ripe, cut in wedges)

1 bulb        fresh fennel or anise (sliced)

1 each        bell pepper (cored, sliced)

2 Tbsp.        olive oil

¼ cup        white wine

1 tsp.        salt

4 sprigs    fresh thyme or rosemary

1. Layer all the ingredients in the order shown in a foil pan or baking pan. Wrap tightly in foil and place on a medium high BBQ for 30-40 minutes until everything is tender. Serve as a side or spooned over grilled fish.

 

recipes by Wade Sirois of Forage – Farm to Fork Foods to Go

Chinook Arch Meadery has launched! On Friday, Art and Cherie Andrews of Chinook Honey became the first meadery in Alberta and one the fourth in Western Canada. The product tastes great! You can pick some of their King Arthur’s Mead, Bodacious Black Currant Mead, or Buckaroo Buckwheat at their newly expanded shop and tasting room just Southwest of Okotoks.

A reminder that Barbara Kingsolver is reading from her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this Wednesday evening. Tickets are $15 and are available from Ticketmaster, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, or The Cookbook Company. The book is an inspiring account of a year of eating as locally as possible.

Look for Wade on Breakfast Television at 8:50AM this Monday through Thursday preparing side dishes for the BBQ. On Thursday, he’ll be at Westhills Safeway over the noon hour helping with the launch of the summer edition of Food For Thought Magazine. The magazine is available at supermarkets throughout Alberta and is published by Growing Alberta. He is featured in the summer salad article.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Beef Macaroni Casserole

Hoven Farms Organic beef, tomatoes, green peppers, macaroni and cheddar $11

Tuesday - Chicken Burrito

Sunworks Farm chicken, beans, peppers, and rice with tomato salsa salad $14

Wednesday - Vegetable Pot Pie

carrots, potatoes, and peas in dill cream sauce with a biscuit top served with asparagus green salad $13

Thursday - Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm chicken, cucumber, carrots, peppers and cilantro on rice noodles with lime vinaigrette $13

Friday - Mixed Grill

Broek Pork Acres farmer’s sausage, smoked sausage, and pork belly with grilled potatoes, asparagus, and peppers $14

This Week’s Soup – Seafood Chowder $8

This Week’s Stew – Bison Red Pepper Stew $9

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – (403)269-6551

It’s asparagus season! Edgar Farms started picking last Thursday and they’ll be picking twice a day for the next 6 weeks. When the weather is as warm as it was on the weekend the shoots can grow upwards of 6 inches in a day. They stop picking at the end of June because the asparagus needs to grow for 6 weeks frost free in order to come back the next year. If you visit their farm in July or August you’ll see a field of six foot tall ferns. We are going to feature as much asparagus as you can handle for the next 6 weeks so enjoy this wonderful Alberta treat. Fresh asparagus $3.50 a half pound available in Forage.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Tuesday - Beef Tamale Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, beans, corn, peppers, and tomatoes with a cornmeal biscuit top $12

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

Edgar Farms asparagus and Sylvan Star gouda on butter puff dough tart served with a green salad $13

Thursday - Roast Berkshire Pork

herb and garlic roasted Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork with creamy polenta and pan gravy $14

Friday - Roast Chicken

we’re changing things up a bit - still the same great roast chicken served with picnic potato salad and our special BBQ dipping sauce $38 whole $25 half $14 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Seafood Chowder $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Puffed Wheat Squares $3

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2 PM to 7 PM – (403)269-6551

First off, we are closed this Friday, May 16^th through Monday, May 19^th. We thought we would get an early start on the long weekend.

Rickety Uncles. If you’ve heard of them then you know what I’m talking about. Growing up that is what we always called them and I’ve heard them referred to that by other people too. Rickety Uncles are the special sweet for the week. The recipe is mostly rolled oats, brown sugar, and a generous amount of butter. They are my favourite square and if this is your first time, you won’t be disappointed.

As the weather improves we will evolve them menu into more summery kinds of food. In a few weeks we hope to add a weekly main course salad and a Forage potato salad to the cooler. For the long weekend we have baked beans in the freezer, BBQ bison on Thursday, coleslaw, beef chili, and some of the usual things to take to the cottage, lake, or enjoy around home. We have also quietly started canning Gull Valley Green House Tomato Sauce and Gull Valley Salsa and it is now available at Forage. Have a great long weekend!

Monday - Chicken Sausage Rigatoni

Sunworks Farm italian chicken sausage, rigatoni pasta, tomato sauce, spinach, and mushroom cream sauce with mozzarella $13

Tuesday - Butter Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken and chick peas in a curry tomato sauce served with basmati rice $14

Wednesday - Baked Potato with Vegetarian Chili

Upper Green Farm baked russet potato with vegetarian chili and Sylvan Star cheddar $11

Thursday - BBQ Bison

Slow roasted Buffalo Horn Ranch bison in tangy BBQ sauce served with fresh pan bread and potato salad $13

Friday - Closed For the Long Weekend

We’re getting an early start to the long weekend – we are also closed Monday

This Week’s Soup – Mexican Chicken $8

This Week’s Stew – Beef Chili $9

Something Sweet – Rickety Uncles (aka Butterscotch Squares) $4

forage hours this week monday to thursday 2PM to 7PM – (403)269-6551