forage

Lasagna on Tuesday

Normally lasagna may not be a reason for a paragraph but we’re excited about this one. We’re making the pasta from scratch and layering it with provolone and mozzarella cheese and Wade’s meat sauce. He uses Vital Green Farm organic veal. If you have issues with veal, think about this – what use is a male dairy cow? The farmer is able to get some value for the animal and they are treated very well on this organic farm. Come in for a slice and a spinach salad on Tuesday.

Next Farm Table Dinner

Next to the lobster/asparagus dinner in June our Broek Pork Acres Dinner is our most popular. This year we are thinking we might do a porchetta of Berkshire pork loin wrapped in pork belly. All garlicky and herby and crispy and dripping. Of course there will be other sides and dessert but do you need other food groups when pork is on the table? Dinner is Wednesday, March 24^th at 7:00PM. Call to book you seat.

LOCAL 101 and LOCAL 201

We now have over 18 speakers confirmed for LOCAL 201 and the topics cover urban chickens to green architecture. It’s going to be an exciting morning and a great way to connect. The agenda for LOCAL 101 is now on the website and the Mix and Mingle is going to include things like Cunningham’s Smoked Trout mousse, Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatballs in mushroom sauce, grilled mettwurst from Broek Pork Acres, and pickled Edgar Farm asparagus. You might even get a chance to sample En Sante’s amazing Alfalfa wine called Green Envy. Tickets are available at Forage, Sunnyside Natural Market, and Hoven Farms stall at the Calgary Farmers Market.

Here’s the menu for the week of March 8^th:

Monday - Beef Shepherd’s Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, carrots, peas, and corn topped with whipped potatoes $10

Tuesday - Lasagna

We’re making it from scratch with Wade’s meat sauce that has Vital Green organic veal and Eagle Creek Farm garlic in it and fresh pasta and cheese. Served with spinach salad. $14

Wednesday - Chevre and Caramelized Onion Tart

Knock out good Fairwinds Farm chevre tart with a layer of caramelized Broxburn onions in it. Served with green salad. $13

Thursday - Brown Ale Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken and root vegetables in a Wild Rose Brown Ale sauce topped with a biscuit crust $10

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 Chili $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle $7

This Week’s Side – Honey Roast Beets $4

Something Sweet – Tomato Soup Spice Cake $4

LOCAL 101 and LOCAL 201 Update

We are getting very excited about this year’s edition and tickets sales are really starting to go. You can check out a promo piece at www.LocalLunch.tv , a site produced by Tim Hoven of Hoven Farms. Tim is hoping to gather interviews and some of the talks at the event and post them to the website later. We have got great sponsorship from Alberta Agriculture and Slow Food Calgary and support from the Calgary Food Policy Council, SAIT – Hospitality and Tourism, Blush Lane Market, and Sunnyside Natural Market.

The speakers list for LOCAL 201 is growing and we have people like John Mills from Eagle Creek Farm, Maxwell Lawrence from SAIT, and Paul Hughes from the Calgary Food Policy Council lined up.

The anticipation is starting to rise so get your tickets soon. At this point there will be no ticket sales at the door and we were at capacity last year. Call Forage or swing by Forage or Sunnyside Natural Market to purchase them. We’ll be posting the full agenda to the Forage website soon.

Nearing the End of Last Season

This is probably the toughest time of year to eat locally in Alberta and the past growing season did not make things any easier. The squash, carrots, cabbages, and parsnips are all coming to an end and the green houses are a week or two away from cucumbers, lettuces, and beans and a month to peppers and tomatoes. This warm weather makes me think spring and the nettles and asparagus will be here soon, but the Calgarian in me knows winter isn’t finished with us yet. Oh well, there’s still the planning and seed catalogues to help get through!

Here’s the menu for the week of March 1^st:

Monday - Pork Normandy

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork simmered with leeks, mushrooms, and Blush Lane apple cider served with green lentils $13

Tuesday - Beef Short Ribs

Hoven Farms organic beef short ribs with braising liquid reduction, roasted garlic smashed potatoes and carrots $16

Wednesday - Squash Risotto Cake

Innisfail Growers winter squash risotto cake served with braised red cabbage $11

Thursday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf with gravy and Sylvan Star Gouda potato gratin $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 – Beef Wheat Berry Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle $7

This Week’s Side – Saskatoon Berry Slaw $3

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

LOCAL 101 and LOCAL 201 Tickets on Sale

Everything has come together for this year’s version of LOCAL 101! For those of you who did not get to LOCAL 101 last year, you aren’t going to want to miss this year. LOCAL 101 is an afternoon of presentations by farmers and cooks about local food and agriculture. This year we have Sheila Hamilton of Sunworks Farm, Tim Hoven of Hoven Farm, Elna Edgar of Edgar Farm, writer, cook and poet dee Hobsbawn-Smith, Kris Vester of Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm, and Wade Sirois of Forage and Infuse Catering. A sampling of local foods and cash bar with local beers, fruit wines, and mead will follow the talks. This event is for everyone and it is a great way to start connecting with people in our local food system.

LOCAL 201 is new for this year and we have created it to connect the broader local food movement. If you are looking to find out more about what is going on and the people who are making it happen you’ll want to come to 201. We are going to have about two dozen people give short overviews of what they are doing and then follow that with a panel discussion. After that there will be a chance to network over lunch by Forage.

LOCAL 101 and LOCAL 201 are being held at River Park Church (3818 – 14A Street SW) are being sponsored by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Slow Food Calgary, and Forage with support from SAIT Tourism and Hospitality Management and Calgary Food Policy Council.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and the space for LOCAL 201 is limited. The cost for LOCAL 101 is $20 and LOCAL 201 is $40 and both include GST. Call Forage if you want to buy tickets and pick them up at the event or drop by Forage to buy them.

Upcoming Cooking Classes

We’ve added a couple cooking classes to the schedule. On Saturday, February 20^th at 10:00 AM there will be a Cooking Class on Pies. Wade will be teaching pastry and fruit pie combinations. Each person will assemble a pie to take home and bake and the class will be about 90 minutes. Classes take place in the Infuse Catering kitchen next door to Forage and cost is $45. Call Forage to book your spot.

The next Biscuit Baking Class is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3^rd at 7:00 PM. If you want the recipe and secret techniques for making our fluffy buttermilk biscuits, here’s your opportunity. Participants will take home the freshly baked biscuits they make and it will be about 90 minutes. Cost for this class is $30.

Here’s the menu for the week of February 8^th:

Monday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with Hungarian paprika, peppers, tomatoes, and sour cream served over egg noodles $13

Tuesday - Italian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatloaf with tomato glaze and Italian herbs served with roast garlic mashed potatoes and rosemary gravy $13

Wednesday - Squash and Wild Rice in Phyllo

Innisfail Growers squash with wild and white rice and spinach wrapped in phyllo served with a roasted tomato sauce $11

Thursday - Bison Macaroni Casserole

Buffalo Horn ranch bison, macaroni, tomatoes, bell pepper, and cabbage topped with cheddar cheese $10

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 – Beef Chili $8

This Week’s Soup – Fish Chowder $8

This Week’s Vegetable Side – Pesto Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Coconut Cake $4

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

Wing, wings, wings! We missed out on Grey Cup for the chicken wings because we were too busy ion the catering side so we are making it up by having chicken wings this week for you Super Bowl enjoyment (or maybe you just like wings). We start with 2 pounds of Sunworks Farm organic wings (approx. 15) and then roast them with our maple BBQ sauce. They come ready to heat in foil containers for $10. We’ll have them ready for pick up on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and they are first come first serve.

Our second annual gathering of farmers, cooks, and consumers is happening on Saturday, March 13^th. LOCAL 101 – Eating Food You Know From People You Know is an afternoon of presentations by farmers and cooks followed by a mix and mingle sampling of local foods and drinks. This year we have added LOCAL 201 – Connecting People Making a Difference in the Local Food Movement a morning session of presentations from the people involved in the broader food movement in and around Calgary followed by panel discussions and lunch. Both parts are for anyone wanting to know more about where their food comes from and how to get involved in the local food movement. Mark the date on your calendar and keep checking the LOCAL 101 tab on our website for more information. Tickets will go on sale sometime in February.

Here’s the menu for the week of February 1^st:

Monday - Pork Normandy

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork simmered with apple cider, mushrooms, and leeks served with green lentils $13

Tuesday - Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a light herb sauce with biscuit top $10

Wednesday - Macaroni and Cheese

Our classic version of the ultimate comfort food. We use several kinds of cheese including Sylvan Star gouda $9 add a green salad $4

Thursday - Mushroom Beef Cutlet

Hoven Farms organic beef cutlet smothered in creamy mushroom sauce served with white rice and carrots $14

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 And Wheatberry $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Tortilla Soup $8

Something Sweet – Peanut Butter Cup Brownie $4

This Week’s Vegetable Side – Saskatoon Berry Cole Slaw $3

It’s back… Who cares if it is minus ten, good potato salad should not be just for the summer! This week we have our Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad because we’ve missed it. We make it with creamy Upper Green farm potatoes, Valbella bacon, blue cheese, green onions, and Hellman’s mayo. It practically is a meal in itself, not to mention that it covers a couple of our food groups – bacon and mayonnaise.

Our next Slow Food Calgary Kitchen Party is Monday, February 8^th at 6:30 PM. This time we are featuring Kris Vester of Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm. Kris is a passionate speaker and his talk from LOCAL 101 last year was published by Alberta Views. We’ll be sampling goat’s cheeses, pork, and two kinds of chicken – one heritage breed and one more common variety – all raised on his farm. For ticket information or to purchase tickets go to the Slow Food Calgary website.

New products on the shelves this week: Gull Valley Green Houses Baby Cucumbers, Blush Lane Apple Cider, Silk Road Spice Merchant spices.

Here’s the menu for the week of January 25^th:

Monday - Chicken Cacciatore

Rustic Italian classic made with Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with tomatoes, carrots, and celery served with rosemary white beans $13

Tuesday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf with saskatoon berry gravy and buttermilk mashed potatoes $13

Wednesday - Chevre and Roast Squash Tart

Butter puff dough topped with roasted squash from Sudo Farm, caramelized onions, and Fairwinds Farm chevre served with tomato cucumber salad $13

Thursday - Maple Mustard Pork

Braised Berkshire pork finished with a touch of maple syrup and grainy mustard with root vegetables, potatoes, and cabbage $12

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 – Turkey White Bean Chili $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Tortilla Soup $8

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

With Christmas just three and a half weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about the big dinner. Once again, Forage is offering Winter’s Turkeys. Starting today, we’ll be taking preorders for their free range, naturally raised fresh turkeys. Darrell is expecting them to big a little on the bigger size by Christmas so we’ll have turkeys that are around 8 kilos (17 lbs.) and around 9 kilos (20 lbs.) for $3.75/lb. If you would like a bird bigger than that, just let us know and we’ll get it for you. Preorders require a $20 deposit and will be available for pick up on Tuesday, December 22^nd and Wednesday, December 23^rd during regular Forage hours.

Slow Food Calgary, along with hundreds of other convivia around the world are celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Slow Food with Terra Madre Day on Thursday, December 10^th. In Calgary, people are being asked to host a dinner party that celebrates our local foods. Terra Madre attendees have offered to join the dinners as guests to talk about their Terra Madre experiences. If you are interested in hosting a dinner go to the Slow Food Calgary website for more information. Here at Forage we celebrate our local foods every day and we’re planning something special for next week.

Here’s the menu for the week of November 30^th:

Monday - Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, potatoes, peas, and carrots in a light herb sauce with a biscuit top $10

Tuesday - Iranian Beef Stew

A delicious traditional stew that a friend’s Iranian mother-in-law taught her and then she taught us. It’s made with Hoven Farms organic beef simmered with yellow peas, dried lime, turmeric, and cinnamon. Served with rice. $13

Wednesday - Vegetable Minestrone

This classic Italian dish is a meal in its own right. We’re making it more like a stew than soup by packing it full of beans, vegetables, and pasta and serving it with parmesan herb croutons $10

Thursday - Chicken Chorizo

Sunworks Farm organic chicken chorizo with tomatoes, peppers, and kale served over roasted 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 Chili $8

This Week’s Soup – Thai Chicken Soup $8

Something Sweet – Tomato Soup Spice Cake $4

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

Mark your calendars! LOCAL 101 is confirmed for Saturday, March 13^th, 2010. We’ll let you know when tickets will go on sale, but it will be some time in January. We are going to stick with a similar format as last year’s event and we are also planning an additional LOCAL 201 session for the morning that will dig a little deeper into the issues. We’ll update our website as details are confirmed.

Here’s the menu for the week of November 23^rd:

Monday - Annatto Seed Beef

Grilled Hoven Farms organic beef with an annatto seed marinade served with roast potatoes, peppers, and onions and green chimichurri $14

Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken with peppers, tomato, and sour cream sauce served with egg noodles $13

Wednesday - Squash Rigatoni

Vegetable rigatoni with penne, squash, spinach, caramelized onion bechamel, and mozzarella served with green salad $12

Thursday - Bison Burrito

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison burrito with tomatoes, rice, peppers, and cheddar served with salsa green salad $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 Chili $8

This Week’s Soup – Sausage And White Bean Soup $7

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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

What’s up this week… Well, let’s see. Around here it’s all about the party season going into Christmas and ramping up production. As we get closer to December, we’ll have a better idea of what kinds of special things we’ll have to offer at Forage. We will have Winter’s Turkeys for preorder, probably tourtieres again, and possibly some other items to celebrate the holidays with. Keep looking to the emails and website for updates.

On the note of turkeys, I’m thinking of offering a Turkey Workshop the week of December 14^th. If you think you might be interested in attending a class that will take you through the preparation, cooking, and finishing of a turkey, let me know at info@foragefoods.com and I’ll put together the class if there is enough interest.

Slow Food Calgary is hosting a free movie night
Monday November 16^th, 2009. They will be showing the documentary Food Inc. and doors open at 6:30 PM movie starts at 7:00 PM. This event is happening at Calgary Public Library Central Location’s John Dutton Theatre downtown.

Here’s the menu for the week of November 9th:

Monday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken with apple cider, leeks, and mushrooms served with green lentils $13

Tuesday - Sausage and Beans

Broek Pork Acres smoked sausage and white beans simmered with herbs served with a wedge of roast squash $13

Wednesday - Stuffed Bell Pepper

Broxburn Garden bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice topped with mozzarella served with black currant balsamic salad $12

Thursday - Beef Rigatoni

Hoven Farms organic beef with tomato sauce, spinach, penne pasta, bechamel and cheese $11

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 – Hunter’s Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Split Pea Soup $7

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

Our last Forage Farm Table Dinner for the year is Wednesday, November 4^th and this time we are featuring Hoven Farms organic beef. The menu is going to consist of NY striploin, Canada Goose wild rice with squash and kale, roast beets with house made chevre, Lund’s Organic parsnip purée, cabbage and kohlrabi slaw with toasted pumpkin seed dressing, buttermilk biscuits, and warm sugar pumpkin spice cake with pear caramel sauce and heavy cream for dessert. The ticket price is $55 and that includes food, gratuity, and coffee or tea. Give us a call to purchase tickets by Friday October 30^th.

We’ve got a lot of exciting things going on all while we are gearing up for the busy catering season on the Infuse side. Tonight we’re hosting the Terra Madre group and reconnecting with everyone after a fairly difficult growing season. On Tuesday, November 3^rd we have a Slow Food Calgary Kitchen Workshop featuring Kris Vester of Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm. This week Wade is attending the first steering committee meeting for an exciting new culinary tourism initiative for the province of Alberta. And last but not least, we should have a good supply of Holmquist Orchard hazelnuts next week!

Here’s the menu for the week of October 26^th:

Monday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf with a BBQ sauce glaze served with smashed potatoes and autumn vegetables $13

Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomatoes, peppers, Hungarian paprika, sour cream served with egg noodles $13

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant, Broxburn tomatoes and peppers, zucchini, white wine and herbs served with cous cous $12

Thursday - Teriyaki Beef

Hoven Farms organic beef with soy sauce and ginger served with vegetable stir fry and rice $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 – Beef and Barley Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Mulligatawny $8

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

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

Some of our favorite items and a couple new ones are on our specials this week. We’ve got our Butter Chicken on Tuesday and then Bison Brisket on Thursday. I picked up the brisket last weekend when we were tagging calves at Buffalo Horn Ranch. We’re going to rub the brisket, smoke it lightly and then slow braise it with tomatoes, onions and garlic. Our soup this week is Chicken Mulligatawny made with basmati rice, apples, curry powder, and Sunworks Farm organic chicken. We have also started keeping chicken stock for sale in the freezer. Then we have our Brown Ale Chicken stew all week and this one has become one of our more popular stews. We make it using Wild Rose Brewery Brown Ale which is great on its own and makes the stew rich and deep in color. And then don’t forget our Pumpkin Spice Cake made with Sudo Farm pumpkins and molasses icing.

A lot of people have been asking us about the next LOCAL 101. We are just nailing down a venue and are trying for March 13^th, 2010. We are planning the same type of event as last year with LOCAL 201, a more in depth look at local food issues, planned for the morning. As soon as we have more details, we’ll pass them on.

Here’s the menu for the week of October 19^th:

Monday- Beef Shepherd’s Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, carrots, peas, corn and root vegetables in a herb gravy topped with mashed potatoes $11

Tuesday - Butter Chicken

Our classic recipe uses Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomatoes, onions, curry spices, and a touch of cream served with basmati rice $14

Wednesday - Vegetarian Burrito

Tomato rice, black beans, cheddar, and autumn greens wrapped in a Tres Marias tortilla served with salsa salad $12

Thursday - Bison Brisket

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison brisket smoked and then slow roasted served with tangy slaw and herb pan bread $14

Friday - Braised Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken braised with red wine and herbs served with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots $14

This Week’s Stew – Brown Ale Chicken Stew $9

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Mulligatawny $8

Something Sweet – Pumpkin Spice Cake $4

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