forage

So we’re still buzzing from LOCAL 101! The event was great and there were lightning bolts of connections being made all over the place. The LOCAL 101 page on our website has been open for comments so people can continue to make connections and look for information. We are planning LOCAL 201 for next March so keep checking back to see where it all goes from here.

There are still a couple spots left for Tuesday’s Buttermilk Biscuit Baking Class. The class costs $25 and starts at 7:00PM, Tuesday, March 31^st. Give Forage a call if you would like to join us.

We have that beautiful roast Berkshire pork on Tuesday as a special. Last Monday we visited Broek Pork Acres and saw them out in the pastures enjoying the bit of sunshine. Joanne and Alan Vandenbroek are the exception in the pork industry. While hog producers are closing barns and eliminating production, they are focusing on heritage breeds and better tasting pork and are growing their business.

Carrot cake is back! We’ve got some of the last of the season carrots from Lund’s Organics and are offering our delicious carrot cake for the next couple weeks.

I’m (Wade) off to Seattle for a bit of a break. It’s a tremendous food city and I’ll be reporting on my adventures on my blog www.attheroot.ca. Also, Forage will be closed for the Easter weekend next week.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Monday - Turkey Smokie

These lean and tasty smokies from Winter’s Turkeys were a huge hit last time we served them. Served with steamed potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut $12

Tuesday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Roasted herb rubbed Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork served with green lentils and pan gravy $14

Wednesday - Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Gull Valley Green Houses peppers and tomatoes along with zucchini, mushrooms and fresh basil tossed with penne and baked with mozzarella $11

Thursday - Chicken Tamale Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, beans, corns, tomatoes and chili spices baked with a corn biscuit top $13

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Mulligatawny $8

This Week’s Stew – Curried Vegetables $8

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – 3508 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551

Here’s the specials for the week:

monday - turkey smokie

These lean and tasty smokies from Winter’s Turkeys were a huge hit last time we served them. Served with steamed potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut $12

tuesday - roast berkshire pork

Roasted herb rubbed Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork served with green lentils and pan gravy $14

wednesday - roasted vegetable pasta

Gull Valley Green Houses tomatoes along with zucchini, mushrooms and fresh basil tossed with penne and baked with mozzarella $11

thursday - chicken tamale pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, beans, corns, tomatoes and chili spices baked with a corn biscuit top $13

friday - roast organic chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

this week’s soup – mulligatawny $8

this week’s stew – curried vegetables $8

something sweet – carrot cake $4

Welcome to spring!

Sue and I will be going on the Galimax Farm Tour on Monday. Rudy Knitel operates a delivery business that brings products from select Southern Alberta farms to restaurants in the Calgary area and every year he organizes a tour to the farms he works with. We will finally be visiting Vital Green Farm along with some of our other favourites Fairwinds Farm, Broxburn Vegetables, and Broek Pork Acres. This is the 5^th year he has done this and this time around there are 3 buses going on the trip!

Wednesday is our next Forage Farm Table Dinner and we are serving Broek Pork Acres Berkshire Pork. We are roasting bone in pork loin with garlic and rosemary and serving it with a bunch of tasty sides. Seats are available so if you want to join us, give us a call. Tickets are $49.

LOCAL 101 is this Saturday, March 28^th. The response has been great and ticket sales have been strong. We still have $15 tickets available here at Forage and they will be available at the door for $20 (cash only).

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf finished with a BBQ glaze served with roasted potatoes and root vegetables $14

Tuesday - Chicken Pomegranate Stew

Last Friday was Persian New Year so we are celebrating by offering another recipe that is being handed down from our Iranian friends. Sunworks Farm chicken simmered with pomegranate syrup and walnuts. Served with basmati rice $14

Wednesday - Vegetable Pot Pie

We’re down to the end of Lund’s Organic vegetables so we’re putting carrots, and parsnips from Gert along with potatoes and peas in a dill cream sauce with biscuit crust $10 Add a green salad $4

Thursday - Lamb Moussaka

Cakadu Heritage Lamb and Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant come together for the traditional Greek dish with potatoes and bechamel $14

Friday - Chicken Burrito

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, beans, tomatoes, peppers, rice, and cheddar cheese wrapped in a Tres Marias tortilla. Served with Mexican slaw. $13

This Week’s Soup – Beef and Wheatberry $8

This Week’s Stew – Curried Vegetables $8

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownies $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – 3508 19^th Street SW – PH(403)269-6551

First off it’s St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday so we’re celebrating with traditional Lamb Stew made with Cakadu Heritage Farm Barbados Blackbelly lamb. We love this lamb because it is a fur sheep as opposed to a wool sheep. This means that it does not have lanolin which can contribute to that lamby flavor that we all know. Finish off you salute to the Irish with a slice of our Guinness Stout Cake. It’s our usual Mom’s Chocolate Cake made with Guinness Stout which adds a nice deep flavor.

Forage now has the Going Organic – A Culinary Community book for sale. This is a great book full of stories and recipes from Alberta organic farms and chefs. Wade wrote a forward for the book and has a couple pages of recipes in it. This is a must have for all of us who love local products.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Braised Chicken Thigh

Sunworks Farm organic chicken thigh braised in wine and mushrooms served with garlic mashed potatoes $14

Tuesday –St. Patrick’s Day - Irish Lamb Stew

Other than having a pint, a must for St. Paddy’s Day. We make ours with Cakadu Heritage Lamb $11

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, white wine, and thyme served over cous cous $12

Thursday - Bison Short Ribs

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison short ribs cooked until the meat falls off the bone served with Sylvan Star gouda potatoes $16

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Beef and Wheatberry $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Puttanesca $9

Something Sweet – Chocolate Guinness Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – 3508 19^th Street SW - (403)269-6551

LOCAL 101 Saturday, March 28^th 1:30PM – Forage farm Table Dinner Wednesday, March 25^th, 7PM – Biscuit Baking Class Tuesday, March 31^st 7:00 PM

We have some exciting things this week. First is Iranian Beef Stew. One of my friends and a Forage customer married an Iranian and her Mother-in-law has been teaching her how to prepare traditional dishes. I’ve had the pleasure of eating several Persian dishes she has made and I asked her if she would teach me. On Tuesday I will be making a beef stew that is seasoned with dried limes, turmeric, tomato, and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. It has yellow peas simmered in it and we’re serving it over barberry rice. Barberries are tart dried berries similar to cranberries. It is delicious!

Second is the arrival of Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant. We’re kicking off the greenhouse season by making a vegetarian version of moussaka on Wednesday.

The agenda and speakers list for LOCAL 101 has been on the Forage website. Tickets can be purchased from Forage over the phone and we’ll have a Ticket Pick Up table at the event.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Monday - Chicken Rigatoni

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, Forage tomato sauce, penne, spinach, mushrooms topped with béchamel and mozzarella $13

Tuesday - Iranian Beef Stew

Hoven Farms organic beef simmered with tomatoes, turmeric, dried lime, and split yellow peas served with barberry basmati rice $13

Wednesday - Vegetarian Moussaka

Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant, potatoes, chick peas, tomatoes, sweet spices, and oregano finished with béchamel sauce $12

Thursday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered in a paprika sour cream sauce with peppers and onions served on egg noodles $13

Friday - Bison Macaroni Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, macaroni, tomatoes, cabbage, and green peppers topped with cheddar cheese served with a green salad $13

This Week’s Soup – Roast Butternut Squash $8

This Week’s Stew – Bison Chili $8

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – 3508 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551

We tend to get wrapped up in the prospect of spring too early around here. The rest of the world seems to be admiring their tulips and crocuses while we get to look out at a foot of snow and -30 wind chill. Well, one sign that the days are getting longer is the return of Gull Valley Green Houses to the Calgary Farmers Market. There was a limited supply of cucumbers last week and this week Scott says he’ll have eggplant, lettuce and beans. We have a few bags of baby cucumbers this week at Forage and we’ll add more as the crops come in.

Our first Forage Farm Table Dinner was a success and everyone enjoyed sharing some great food together. The next dinner is on Wednesday, March 25^th and we are featuring Broek Pork Acres Berkshire Pork. Call us to buy your ticket.

By popular demand, we are doing another Biscuit Baking Class on Tuesday, March 31^st. The class is $25 and it is a hands on class where you will learn to make your own biscuits.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in an apple cider, leek, and mushroom sauce served with egg noodles $13

Tuesday - Bison Shepherd’s Pie

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, potatoes, carrots, corn, and peas in gravy topped with whipped potatoes $12

Wednesday – Spinach Risotto Cake

Spinach risotto cake served with roasted vegetables $12

Thursday - Turkey White Bean Chili

Winter’s Turkey, white beans, peppers, thickened with flour tortillas and served with Mexican slaw $12

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Roast Butternut Squash $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Peanut Butter Brownies $4

LOCAL 101 – Saturday, March 28^th, 2009 1:30 PM – Call Forage to get your $15 Advance Tickets Now.

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – 3508 – 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551