forage

Ahhh, cooler weather. It is going to make for a busy week for many of our farmers as they try to pull in any remaining crops before a killer frost hits, and it also signals the transition into shorter days. This week we have some of our favorite specials for cooler weather. Monday is braised beef shanks, followed by rigatoni, curried vegetables, and choucroute garnie on Thursday. This is a traditional dish of sausages, pork, potatoes, cabbage, and sauerkraut with spices and a touch of white wine. A nice way to welcome October! Or you can just go for our simple bison stew full of vegetables and tender Buffalo Horn Ranch bison.

Speaking of October… we have fresh Winter’s Turkey for Thanksgiving at Forage. No really, Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away! The turkeys will range between 15 and 17 pounds and are $3.75 a pound. We’ll have them ready for pick up on Thursday, October 8^th and Friday the 9^th. They must be preordered by the Monday before and a $20 deposit is required. And if you are not up to all the work of a turkey dinner, come to our next Farm Table Dinner on Tuesday, October 6^th. We’ll be serving a stuffed turkey breast from Winter’s along with a cornucopia of sides representing the harvest. We also have a Vegetarian Harvest Dinner planned for the Wednesday. Go to the Forage website or give us a call for more details or to book your spot.

Here is the menu for the week of September 28^th:

Monday - Braised Beef Shank

Hoven Farms organic beef shank braised in red wine and herbs served with mashed potatoes and vegetables $14

Tuesday - Chicken Rigatoni

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomato sauce, penne, basil, spinach, cheese $12

Wednesday - Vegetable Curry

Cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, chick peas, tomatoes, and curry spices served with basmati rice $13

Thursday - Choucroute Garnie

Broek Pork Acres mettwurst, pork belly, and chicken sausages with sauerkraut, cabbage, and potatoes $13

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with smashed potatoes and our famous gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Stew – Bison Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Tomato and Basil $7

This Week’s Salad – Lemon and Lovage Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Saskatoon Rhubarb Upside Down Cake $4

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

In spite of the late summer like weather, fall is upon us. Cooler nights and the yellowing of leaves means Mother Nature is packing it in for another growing season and, by no small miracle, our farmers are bringing in their harvest and preparing the land for winter. We love this time of year and love the warmer and richer flavors of autumn!

Kayben Farm is hosting the Okotoks Pumpkin and Scarecrow Festival the next 3 Saturdays and it is a great opportunity to enjoy all their farm has to offer. It is playground for both young and old and a perfect way to spend an autumn afternoon. Go to the Kayben website for more information.

We are offering Winter’s Turkeys for Thanksgiving. Their fresh free range turkeys weigh 16 to 18 pounds and we have them for $3.75 a pound. Turkeys will be available for pick up from Forage on Thursday, October 8^th, and Friday, October 9^th. Preorder your bird by calling Forage. A $20 deposit is required.

Quick note - our Pasta and Meat Sauce Cooking Class has been moved to Wednesday, September 30^th at 7PM. There are still spots left for this class where we will be making fresh pasta and a quick meat sauce all featuring local ingredients. Call Forage to book your spot.

Here’s the menu for the week of September 21^st:

Monday - Annatto Seed Beef

Grilled Hoven Farms organic beef in our annatto seed marinade served with potatoes, peppers, and onions tossed with green chimichurri $13

Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash

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

Wednesday - Eggplant Parmigiana

Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant with a bread crumb and parmesan crust topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella served with black currant balsamic green salad $13

Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, potatoes, carrots, corn, beans and herb gravy topped with a biscuit crust $10

Friday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and carrots $14

This Week’s Stew – Brown Ale Chicken $8

This Week’s Soup – Tomato and Basil $7

This Week’s Salad – Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

This week we are bringing back our weekly special stew. We’ll start with it in jars ready for heating and once the weather cools some more we’ll have it hot and ready to eat too. We’re kicking off this week with the Brown Ale Chicken Stew featuring Wild Rose Brown Ale.

Wade will be appearing on the Cooking Stage at the Calgary Home and Interior Design Show Friday, September 18^th at 4PM and Saturday at noon. He is going to be doing a cooking demonstration and talking about where to start when you want to go local. We have some free passes for the Home Show that runs Thursday through Sunday if you would like to attend. They will be available for pick up at Forage starting Monday on a first come first serve with a limit of 2 per customer.

On the subject of cooking, our next Forage Cooking Class is on Tuesday, September 29^th and in this class we’ll be cooking fresh pasta and meat sauce. We’ll be using local flour, eggs, veal, tomatoes, and garlic and each participant will take home a jar of sauce and some pasta. The cost for the class is $45 and space is limited. Call Forage to book your spot.

Here’s the menu for the week of September 14^th:

Monday - Beef Tamale Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, black and kidney beans, Taber corn, tomatoes, and peppers baked with a cornmeal crust $12

Tuesday - Curried Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, chick peas, and vegetables simmered with curry spices and served with basmati rice $13

Wednesday - Chevre Tart

Fairwinds Farm chevre in a butter pastry served with wild rice, roasted beets, beans, and chard $13

Thursday - Thai Beef Salad

Hoven Farms organic beef marinated with ginger, lemongrass and ginger served with tomatoes, green beans, carrots, peppers, field lettuces, and thai dressing $13

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with smashed potatoes and our famous gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Stew – Brown Ale Chicken $8

This Week’s Soup – Corn Chowder $7

This Week’s Salad – Asian Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

Forage is hiring a Full Time Customer Service Rep. Send resume to jobs@foragefoods.com.

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

This week we are featuring corn from Jensen’s. Like many of the farmers in Alberta this year, our corn farmers have had a very difficult growing season – cold weather, hail, and drought have all affected the yields. We have Corn Chowder in the cooler and Jensen corn in a couple of our specials.

The fall schedule for Farm Table Dinners has been posted to the website. We have 2 Harvest Dinners planned for October – one featuring Winter’s Turkey on October 5^th, and a Vegetarian Harvest Dinner on Wednesday, October 6^th. Call Forage for more information or to book your seat.

Forage is hiring! We are looking for the right person to take over the daily duties in Forage as Sue devotes more time to the kitchen and Janice prepares for the busy holiday catering season. If you or someone you know is passionate about local products, good food, and serving great customers send a resume to jobs@foragefoods.com.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Slow Food Calgary presents their annual Feast of Fields on Sunday, September 13^th. This year they have added other food tours and even a hotel package to round out the weekend celebration of local food and cooks. Go to the Slow Food Calgary website for more information.

Here are the specials for the week of September 8^th:

Tuesday - Italian Pork Meatballs

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatballs simmered in tomato sauce and served over penne $12

Wednesday - Brown Rice in Phyllo with Vegetables

Brown rice, mushrooms and spinach wrapped in phyllo served with a charred tomato sauce, summer squash, and Jensen Taber corn $13

Thursday - Chicken Caesar Salad

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, Lund’s Organic romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and Forage caesar dressing $12

Friday - BBQ Bison Casserole

Slow roasted Buffalo Horn Ranch bison in a tangy BBQ sauce with Jensen Taber corn and peppers topped with mashed potatoes $13

This Week’s Soup – Corn Chowder $7

This Week’s Salad – German Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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