forage

Rain. Please rain. I know that may be against your plans for the week, but it is really getting desperate around the province. Looking back, the last substantial rain we received was in July of last year and things are getting pretty dry. Sure we got a lot of snow over the winter, but that all evaporates or goes into the rivers. Now that things have warmed up many of the farms we deal with need rain to get their crops growing. So do a little rain dance for our local farms - after all it’s spring and rain would be seasonal.

We have started to make Thursdays our entrée salad day. The salads are dinner sized and include a protein and lots of veggies to get you caught up on your weekly intake. This week we have fresh spinach from The Jungle and we’ll offer other greens as they become available. We will also be adding lemon rosemary chicken, cooked and ready for picnics, to our cooler and rotating salads as we get into the season. Remember the Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad from last year? It will be back soon…

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Pesto Pasta

Sunworks Farm organic chicken tossed with Forage pesto cream sauce, fresh tomatoes, and penne $13

Tuesday - Bison Stroganoff

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison simmered with mushrooms and sour cream served over rice $11

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Our best salute to the products from Gull Valley Green Houses. we use their tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers along with fresh thyme and white wine and serve it with cous cous $12

Thursday - Italian Chicken Salad

Grilled lemon rosemary Sunworks Farm organic chicken, butterleaf lettuce and spinach, tomatoes, peppers, white beans, and roasted red pepper dressing $13

Friday - BBQ Meatloaf

Hoven Farm organic beef meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and saskatoon berry BBQ sauce $13

This Week’s Soup – Cream of Asparagus $7

This Week’s Stew – Beef and Brown Ale $8

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

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

We’ve got some great specials this week including Steak and Ale Pie on Tuesday. We have started to add the fine beers from Wild Rose Brewery to our bar offerings with Infuse Catering and they have a great a tasting room over by the Calgary Farmers Market. We’re using their Brown Ale along with Hoven Farm organic beef in these pies.

It’s your last chance to get Farm Table Dinner tickets for this Wednesday’s dinner featuring Sunworks Farm organic chicken. The menu has a slight Italian feel this time around and a few tickets are left. Give us a call to book or go to the website for more information.

Edgar Farms asparagus is just coming into full production. There was a limited amount at the farmers market on the weekend so we’re going to head up on Tuesday evening to get some for the special and the dinner. We’ll also be selling bunches of asparagus in the cooler starting Wednesday. The farm is hosting an Asparagus Festival on Saturday and Sunday and Wade will be at the farm on Sunday offering samples of asparagus.

There is one spot left for the Bread Baking Class this Saturday morning. Call Forage if you want to learn how to made bread like your grandmother did.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Braised Chicken Thigh

Sunworks Farm organic chicken thigh simmered with white wine, tomatoes, and herbs served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes $14

Tuesday - Steak and Ale Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, and Wild Rose Brown Ale baked in a traditional crust $11

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

If everything goes well, we will have the first asparagus of the season from Edgar Farms. We make this tart with a potato and gouda mousse on puff dough topped with asparagus. Served with green salad. $13

Thursday – Chicken Indienne Salad

Grilled sambar masala Sunworks Farm organic chicken, Gull Valley tomatoes and cucumbers, spinach, and chick peas with cumin seed yogurt dressing $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 – Tomato and Basil $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chili $8

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

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

Asparagus season is just around the corner. If the weather is good this week we should get our first bundles this weekend at the market. Look for fresh asparagus in Forage and in our specials over the next 5-6 weeks. Edgar Farms is hosting an Asparagus Festival May 30^th and 31^st at the farm if you want to check out how the asparagus grow and are harvested.

Some of that asparagus is sure to be served at our next Farm Table Dinner on Wednesday, May 27^th. This dinner features Sunworks Farm organic chicken and you can reserve your spot by giving us a call.

Our Cookie Baking Class has been moved to Tuesday, June 9^th and there are only a couple spots left for the Bread Baking Class on Saturday, May 30^th. Go to the Cooking Class page on our website for more info.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Closed For Victoria Day

Tuesday - Moussaka

Cakadu Heritage lamb with chili spices and cinnamon, Gull Valley Green House eggplant, and potatoes topped with bechamel served with a side of greek salad $14

Wednesday - Vegetable Lasagna

Fresh pasta, green beans, spinach, and potatoes layered with fontina and stinging nettle sauce and baked with mozzarella $12

Thursday - Vietnamese Chicken Salad

A dinner sized salad with Sunworks Farm organic chicken, rice noodles, butterleaf lettuce, peppers, carrot, and cilantro with a lime and lemongrass vinaigrette $12

Friday - Bbq Bison Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison and green peppers in a tangy BBQ sauce topped with corn biscuit crust and served with picnic potato salad $13

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Minestrone $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chili $8

Something Sweet – Apple Crumble Cake $3

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

There are still spaces left for our Slow Food Calgary Kitchen Workshop on Tuesday. This time around we are featuring Tim Hoven of Hoven Farms Organic Beef, and in particular A3, a calf we saw born 3 years ago. The informal discussion is going to focus on the life of a cow and some of the larger issues around cattle ranching in Alberta. The evening includes wine and samples of these dishes: beef tartare, oxtail ravioli in brodo, flank steak fajita, annatto seed new york steak, and rib eye with house made steak sauce and baby baked potato. Call the Cookbook Company for tickets.

It’s the long weekend, and many of you will be thinking about gardening, so we’ve brought in some herb plants from Terra Farms. We have basil, thyme, and rosemary all ready for your indoor or outdoor garden. You’ll never have to be out of fresh herbs again. Each plant is $4.50.

Here’s the menu for the week. We’ll be closed on Friday for the long weekend:

Monday - Beef Taco Salad

Hoven Farm organic beef, kidney beans, Gull Valley Green House tomatoes and bell peppers, cheddar cheese, and butterleaf lettuce with Tres Marias corn tortillas and cilantro chipotle dressing $12

Tuesday - Chicken, Leeks, Peas, and Potatoes

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with leeks, green peas, and potatoes $13

Wednesday - Vegetable Pot Pie

Carrots, green peas, potatoes, and green beans in a dill cream sauce with biscuit crust $10 Add a green salad $4

Thursday - Roast Organic Chicken

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

Friday - Closed For The Victoria Day Weekend

Forage Will Be Open Tuesday, May 19^th

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Minestrone $7

This Week’s Stew – Pork Normandy $8

Something Sweet – Apple Crisp $5

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

I didn’t have a picture of the Highland cows from Buffalo Horn Ranch when we served it last time so here’s what they look like. They are awfully good looking and years of inbreeding has made them somewhat dim (according to Peter Haase), but they sure are tasty. At one time this was the only beef the Queen would eat. Wonder if she would go for our chili?

Asparagus season is just around the corner and as soon as Edgar Farms starts their harvest we’ll feature it in our specials and have bunches for sale in Forage. I’m guessing right around the long weekend is when we’ll see the first of the season. They are having an Asparagus Festival on the last weekend of the month and Wade will be there on Sunday, May 31^st serving samples of asparagus.

Eating A3 – Slow Food Calgary’s next event is happening on Tuesday, May 12^th in the infuse catering kitchen. I’ll be telling the story my trip with A3 to the slaughterhouse and Tim Hoven from Hoven farm will be on hand to talk about organic beef ranching. We will be enjoying several cuts from A3 in this informal kitchen party. Tickets are available at the Cookbook Company. More info at the Slow Food Calgary website.

The final cooking classes for the season have been added to our calendar. On Wednesday, May 20^th it will be Two Oatmeal Cookies and on Saturday, May 30^th
Bread From Scratch. Go to the Forage website and click on Cooking Classes for more information. We’ll continue with more cooking classes in September.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Leg of Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork roasted with herbs and served with pan gravy and roasted vegetables and potatoes $14

Tuesday - Chicken Pesto Pasta

Sunworks Farm chicken, fresh tomatoes, bocconcini, and Forage basil pesto cream sauce tossed with penne $12

Wednesday - Curried Vegetables

Chick peas, cauliflower, green peas, tomatoes and carrots all simmered in curry spices and served with basmati rice $12

Thursday - Bison Macaroni Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, tomatoes, green peppers, cabbage and macaroni baked with cheddar cheese and served with a green salad $12

Friday - Italian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatloaf seasoned with Italian herbs served with rosemary gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed Beck’s carrots $14

This Week’s Soup – Fish Chowder $8

This Week’s Stew – Highland Beef Chili $8

Something Sweet – Chocolate Buttermilk Cake $3

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