Peter Haase from Buffalo Horn Ranch sent out a link to this article in his December newsletter. It touches on the importance of eating local. Also, I encourage you to sign up for the Buffalo Horn newsletter. Peter always has great insight and information to share.
November 26th, 2007
Hello All!
So many good things for specials this week! Monday is bison meatloaf – sold out very quick last time so we are going to make extra. Tuesday is duck leg in ratatouille, Wednesday is the last of stuffed bell peppers for the season, and then tamale pie and roast pork!
But, the best thing this week is the return of the tomato soup spice cake! I remember this cake from my Grandmother Marie, who lived her life in the Olds area. Her door was always open and an afternoon never went by without someone dropping in for coffee, lunch, or a hair cut. On the counter, there was always a container or two of sweets and cookies and the tomato soup spice cake was often one of them.
This is a classic prairie recipe and it has a can of tomato soup in the mix since it was a staple in the prairie larder. It makes the cake rich and moist.
Here are the specials for this week:
Monday - Bison Meatloaf
this one sold out quick last time so we are making lots – with a saskatoon berry bbq sauce glaze and mashed potatoes $12
Tuesday - Duck Confit In Ratatouille
confit of sunworks farm duck leg simmered in our ratatouille $15
Wednesday - Stuffed Vegetarian Bell Peppers
the season is coming to an end at gull valley green houses so we are offering our bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice, black beans and vegetables served with green salad one last time this year $13
Thursday - Tamale Chicken Pie
chunks of chicken, corn, beans, and tomatoes topped with a cornmeal crust $11
Friday - Herb Roast Berkshire Pork
broek pork acres berkshire pork rubbed with herbs served with root vegetable potato mash and pan gravy $14
This Week’s Soup – Butternut Squash $7
This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chili $9
Something Sweet – Tomato Soup Spice Cake $4
Hockey Night in Canada, Maple Syrup, hating Toronto, and the Grey Cup… All things uniquely Canadian! To celebrate what should be an exciting game on Sunday, we are offering Maple Garlic Wings and Spicy Red Chili Wings this Friday, November 23rd. We use Sunworks Farm organic chicken wings and there is nothing like them. They are large, meaty, tender and ready to heat! We are offering them in packages of 6 for $5. Preorder them by replying to this email, or by calling us at 269-6551.
Maple Garlic or Spicy Red Chili Chicken Wings - 6 for $5
Available for purchase this Friday, November 23rd - 3PM to 8PM
Enjoy the game and go Riders! I have to say that because half of Calgary is from Saskatchewan!
Hello All,
This week we are adding an additional stew/chili type entrée that will be available hot every day. We are starting with an Elk and Wheat Berry Stew that goes perfectly with one of our buttermilk biscuits. The ranched elk is from Craig and Zona Armstrong of Wapiti Ways. If you haven’t tried elk before you really have to because the meat is lean and flavorful. Many of Alberta’s elk ranches came about when elk antler velvet was going for about $450 a pound. That market then dropped significantly and elk ranchers were forced to figure out how to market the meat. These are animals that require very little attention and inputs because they have grow naturally here for thousands of years.
Here are the specials for this week:
Monday - Braised Beef Shanks
hoven farms organic beef shanks braised with root vegetables $12
Tuesday - Chicken and Dumplings
sunworks farm chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas with dumplings dropped on top and simmered $13
Wednesday - Roasted Pumpkin Risotto Cakes
this will be the end of the pumpkin risotto cakes as we use our last rouge vif d’etampes heirloom pumpkin topped with sylvan star gouda and served with braised autumn greens $12
Thursday - Italian Meatballs
berkshire pork meatballs simmered in forage tomato sauce with penne $11
Friday - Roast Sunworks Farm Organic Chicken
the classic – whole, half, or quarter roasted organic sunworks farm chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy $14 quarter $24 half $36 whole
This Week’s Soup – Split Yellow Pea $7
This Week’s Stew – Elk and Wheat Berry $8
Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4
I’ve had a lot of people wondering what to do next about the Town of Innisfail annexing the land that includes Lunds Organic farm so I am posting the town contact information. Many passionate people who enjoy Lund’s produce are feeling frustrated and that nothing can be done to stop the progress that is putting pressure on all our farmland. Well, first of all the towns and municipalities have to know that there are individuals who care about the decisions they make.
Town of Innisfail
4943 - 53 Street
Innisfail, AB
(403)227-3376
Recently it was brought to our attention that Lunds Organic farm was going to be annexed by the Town of Innisfail. dee Hobsbawn-Smith visited the farm last week and interviewed members of the town council on the issue. Her article can be found in today’s Calgary Herald or at the following link:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/story.html?id=382eadaf-58eb-4a32-aca3-a664b883f50f
I think the most important point was the land use committee member wondered why a reporter from Calgary was interested in the story. I think that means there is an opportunity for us in the city to make our rural towns and municipalities aware of our concerns for the future of our farmland.
First of all, a heads up… Forage is closed today Monday, November 12th in lieu of Remembrance Day.
We’ve got some great specials this week. The Chicken Paprikash on Tuesday has some smoked cherry peppers from Hungary in it. Janice went to Seattle on the weekend and picked them up at our favorite spice shop World Spice www.worldspice.com. Then on Wednesday, I encourage everyone to come in and pick up our Ratatouille and then head over to the nearest video rental and grab a copy of the movie Ratatouille. It is a lot of fun for both kids and adults and it has one of the best scenes about food in any movie. Then there’s Sweet and Sour Short Ribs, Italian Meatloaf, not to mention Genevieve’s unbelievable Split Pea Soup with smoked ham hock from Sunworks!
Here are the specials for this week:
Monday - Closed in lieu of Remembrance Day
Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash
sunworks farm chicken and bell peppers in sour cream paprika sauce with egg noodles $13
Wednesday - Ratatouille
sue’s very own delicious ratatouille with gull valley green house peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant, with zucchini and herbs served with cous cous $13
Thursday - Sweet and Sour Short Ribs
hoven farms organic beef ribs in a sweet and sour sauce with steamed rice $12
Friday - Italian Meatloaf
broek pork acres berkshire pork and hoven farms beef with italian seasonings and a tomato glaze with roasted potatoes $12
This Week’s Soup – Split Yellow Pea
Something Sweet – Pecan Streusel Bundt Cake
Over 40 Alberta cooks, farmers, and producers were nominated to attend Terra Madre 2006 last year and many of them are represented on Forage menus. Terra Madre is a Slow Food initiative supported by the Italian government that is dubbed the United Nations of food. The goal of Terra Madre is:
To restore dignity to the work of farmers, fisher folk, breeders and artisan food producers all around the world and to safeguard the right of peoples to food sovereignty and encourage a sustainable model of agrifood production — for all these reasons Slow Food has promoted the Terra Madre project, a world network of people who exchange knowledge and experience and meet every two years in Turin (Italy). Terra Madre fights the standardization of taste, large-scale industrial agriculture and genetic manipulation, and promotes collaboration between producers, cooks and academics to change the way food is produced today.
Last year over 150 countries were represented and it was an experience like no other. One of the biggest benefits was the bringing together of our local Alberta food community, and since then we have decided to get together on a regular basis.
Our second meeting was held yesterday at Forage and here are some notes on what was discussed:
First and foremost, we decided to meet regularly. There is incredible value in everyone coming together and being among those who understand each other. It’s like a boost in the arm to continue on and we enjoy each others company and opinions immensely. I liken it to an AA meeting, but Agriculture Anonymous. Hello, my name is Wade and I’m involved in local agriculture!
There was a lot of discussion about what more we could do as a group and what is it we want to do as a group. Of course there were several areas identified that we could work in, but the reality is most of us are already too busy with the lives we have and the one on one work we already do to further the movement. Working at the grass roots level that we do requires most of our energy and time. There are so many issues that consumers need to be aware of and need to take action on. They are going to have to start defending their food system and the people who grow, raise, and create within it.
Here are some of the issues we discussed that are affecting our local food and agriculture:
Land Use (Lunds Organic is an example of poor town planning policies that do not consider agriculture)
Health Care and the Relationship to Diet
Upcoming Laws (Bill 46? I think that allows oil companies to use your land if they so please)
The Higher Costs of Land and Farming
Entry into Agriculture and Future Farmers
Farmers Markets and their future
Food Education for Children
Industrial Organics
BSE and Borders
Production Lags and Price Fluctuations
Growing for Fuel and not Food
Interprovincial Trade Barriers
True Carbon Footprints
The Apathy of the Consumer at Large – probably the most worrying
And on and on…
Appreciation was expressed for the work that Slow Food Calgary has done and the impact it has had on the producers. The hard volunteer work that is fueled by passion has had a profound effect and the TM group thanked them.
At the end of the day, one thing we all agreed on was taste is the most important thing. We talk so much about all the other benefits of eating the kinds of food produced by this group that taste sometimes becomes the afterthought. Food that is raised or grown or produced with good, clean, and fair practices just tastes better. And nothing sells it better than that.
So there is a lot going on this week at Forage. Today is the gathering of Terra Madre participants – a group of farmers and cooks that are part of a growing global movement to support good, clean, and fair food. This is an exciting group of the most passionate people you have ever met. Tomorrow is the Slow Food Calgary Workshop with Buffalo Horn Ranch. I believe it might be sold out, but if you are still interested, contact Janice Beaton Fine Cheese or the Cookbook Company for tickets.
We are also following a developing situation as the Town of Innisfail may annex the land that Lund’s Organic farm is on. We get organic carrots, spinach, broccoli, kale, beets, rutabaga, parsnips, cabbage, and potatoes from them. The land is over 15 years organic and is irreplaceable. This move by the town will mean the eventual end of the operation as the town tax structure will make Gert and Betty’s business unfeasible. Keep looking to our website for more information as we organize a consumer response.
Here is the menu for this week:
Monday - Chicken Rigatoni
sunworks farm chicken, squash, tomatoes, penne and bechamel with green salad and black currant balsamic vinaigrette $12
Tuesday - Braised Bison Short Ribs
buffalo horn ranch bison served with mashed potatoes and braising reduction $16
Wednesday - Paneer and Cauliflower Curry
house made paneer using vital greens milk, cauliflower and chick peas in creamy curry with basmati rice $13
Thursday - Macaroni Casserole
hoven farms organic beef, macaroni, tomatoes, and cabbage with sylvan star cheddar $10
Friday - Roast Organic Chicken
the classic – whole, half, or quarter roasted organic sunworks farm chicken with chive mashed potatoes and gravy $14 quarter $24 half $36 whole
This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle
Something Sweet – Carrot Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Forage Fall Hours Monday to Friday 3PM to 8PM