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Asparagus and Lobster Farm Table Dinner

Our next Farm Table Dinner is set for Wednesday, June 23^rd and it will feature Edgar Farms asparagus… oh and lobster of course. Since June is the season for both items we decided to celebrate them in all their buttery dipping goodness. This dinner includes a one and a half pound lobster and the usual sides and dessert. The price is $59 plus GST. These tickets sell out very fast so we have to do something a little different for sales. Tickets for this Farm Table Dinner go on sale Monday, May 31^st at noon. We will NOT be taking email reservations or requests left on voicemail and we won’t be answering the Forage phone until noon. Please have a credit card ready when you call. If it looks like we will be able to sell out a second dinner, we will add a Tuesday date. Sorry for all the rules, but we are trying to be as democratic as possible.

On the Menu

This week we’ve got a Roasted Tomato Risotto Cake made with Gull Valley Green House tomatoes topped with water buffalo mozzarella from Old West Ranch. We did a lamb patty a few weeks ago that was well received so we are doing it with pork this week. It is served in a Village Pita pita bread with tzatziki, and Greek salad. And for something sweet… we are making the Flourless Chocolate Cake again this week.

Here’s the menu for the week of May 31^st:

Monday – Beef Macaroni Casserole

The dinnertime classic made with Hoven Farms organic beef, macaroni, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and cheddar $10 Side salad $4

Tuesday – Chicken Burrito

Sunworks farm organic chicken, tomato rice, beans, peppers, and cheddar in a Tres Marias flour tortilla served with a salsa salad $13

Wednesday – Roasted Tomato Risotto Cake

Roasted Gull Valley Green Houses tomatoes in a risotto cake topped with Old West Ranch Mozzarella and served with balsamic roasted vegetables $13

Thursday – Pork Pita

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork patty seasoned with Middle Eastern spices served with a Village Pita pita bread, tzatziki, and Greek 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 Soup – Tomato Basil $7

This Week’s Side – Sesame Asparagus Salad $4

Something Sweet – Flourless Chocolate Cake $5

Bread (Available Wednesday Until it’s Gone) – Honey Oatmeal $5

Here’s the menu for the Farm table Dinner next Wednesday:

35 day aged Hoven Farms organic beef rib steaks

Baked Upper Green Farm russet potato with sour cream, Valbella bacon bits, chives

Grilled Edgar Farm asparagus

Green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and blue cheese dressing

Roasted beets tossed with oranges, radishes, and onions

Apple cider rye and farmhouse butter

Saskatoon berry pie with amaretto ice cream

Holiday Weekend Hours

Forage will be closed Friday, May 21^st through Monday, May 24^th for the Victoria Day long weekend. We’ll be back on Tuesday, May 25^th. Have a great long weekend!

Farm Table Dinner

Get you seats booked for the Farm Table Dinner with Tim Hoven of Hoven Farms. The dinner happens next week on Wednesday, May 26^th and we’ll be serving organic beef rib eyes. Tickets are $49. Call Forage to book your spot.

Asparagus Fest

It’s that time of year again and any day now the asparagus from Edgar Farms will be back for the short Alberta asparagus season. If you want to see how their asparagus is grown, picked, and packaged you might want to head up to Asparagus Fest at Edgar farms on Saturday, May 29^th or Sunday May 30^th. There’ll be tours, fun for the kids, cooking demos, and local artisans. Wade will be at the farm on the Sunday serving up grilled asparagus. There is a small admission fee this year and the event happens rain or shine. Go to the Edgar Farms website for more information.

On the Menu

This week we’ve put some items o the menu to help with your long weekend eating plans. We’re making a batch of Baked Beans with molasses and cured pork belly, we’ve got our Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad, insane Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, and the last of our specially priced Maple BBQ Chicken Wings. Also, this week’s bread is Cinnamon Raisin. We were thinking it would be perfect as French toast for slow holiday weekend breakfast or brunch. On Thursday we should be getting another batch of Old West Ranch Water Buffalo Mozzarella. It’s perfect with fresh tomatoes and a drizzle of Highwood Crossing Cold Pressed Canola Oil.

Here’s the menu for the week of May 17^th:

Monday – BBQ Beef Meatloaf

Hoven Farms organic beef meatloaf with a BBQ glaze served with picnic potato salad and saskatoon berry slaw $12

Tuesday – Chicken Cacciatore

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs, and wine served with potatoes $13

Wednesday – Vegetable Burrito

Tomato rice, beans, Gull Valley Green House peppers, and cheddar wrapped in a Tres Marias flour tortilla served with salsa salad $12

Thursday - Roast Organic Chicken

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

Friday – Closed For the Long Weekend

We’ll be back on Tuesday, May 25^th

This Week’s Stew – Italian Pork Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Baked Beans $4

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

Something Sweet – Peanut Butter Cup Brownie $4

Bread (Available Wednesday until It’s Gone) – Cinnamon Raisin $5

Bread is Back!

It’s been too long since we’ve made bread for Forage so we are starting to bake it again. Each week we will make a different batch from our list of favourites like sourdough, apple cider rye, canola seed and onion. The bread will be baked fresh on Wednesdays and available for the rest of the week until it is gone. We purchased pans that are about two thirds the regular size so the loaves should be a little more manageable. This week we are making Forage Sourdough loaves.

Next Farm Table Dinner

Our next Farm Table Dinner features Hoven Farms Organic Beef and Tim Hoven will be joining us. Tim is one of the key organizers of the new Kingsland Farmers Market so you’ll get a chance to hear about their plans to have a Farmers Market run by farmers. The dinners are served family style at one long table and the price includes dinner, dessert, coffee or tea, and gratuity. This one is going to sell out so call Forage to book your spot.

On the Menu

We still have Maple BBQ Chicken wings and we’ll keep cooking them as we need more. They are $5 for approx. 20 wings (2 lbs.) and if you are looking for a large amount just give us a call so we can have them ready for you. Our Asian Meatloaf on Tuesday is a pork meatloaf with a hoisin glaze and we’re serving it with a sesame ginger slaw. Wednesday is our Macaroni and Cheese and we’ve got Mom’s Chocolate Cake and Pesto Potato Salad all week.

Monday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered in apple cider with leeks and mushrooms served with mashed potatoes $13

Tuesday - Asian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatloaf with a hoisin glaze served with sesame ginger slaw $12

Wednesday - Macaroni and Cheese

Our take on the classic with loads of Sylvan Star gouda $9

Add a green salad $4

Thursday - Beef Shepherd’s Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, carrots, peas, beans, and corn in a light gravy topped with mashed potatoes $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 – Tortellini in Meat Sauce $8

This Week’s Soup – Bison Hamburger Soup $7

This Week’s Side – Pesto Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $5

On the Menu

Look for some things we’ve not done before on the menu this week. On Tuesday we are making Lamb burgers made with Cakadu Heritage lamb, mint, and parsley and served with Greek Salad, tzatsiki, and fresh pita from Village Pita. On the sweet side of things we are offering a cake we’ve been doing for years on the catering side of things. It’s a Flourless Chocolate cake that we make with Bernard Callebaut bittersweet chocolate, organic eggs, sugar, butter, and coffee. It is rich and divine and gluten free if you are so inclined. We are also making Eggplant Parmigiana on Wednesday and if you haven’t tried Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant then you have to give them a try. Unlike the eggplants at the supermarket that have travelled thousands of miles, these are from up the highway and when cooked are creamy and tasty with no hint of bitterness.

Next Farm Table Dinner

Wednesday, May 26^th is the date of our next Farm Table Dinner. This month we are featuring organic beef from Hoven Farms. I have invited Tim Hoven to join the dinner and I’m sure there will be some discussion about the new Kingsland Farmers Market that Tim is creating with some other farmers. As soon as he confirms I’ll let everyone know but in the mean time you can book your spot by calling Forage. This Farm Table Dinner is $49 and includes dinner, dessert, coffee/tea, and gratuity.

Monday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork leg roasted with herbs and served with mashed potatoes and gravy $13

Tuesday - Lamb Burger

Cakadu Heritage lamb patty served with Greek salad, pita bread, and tzatsiki $13

Wednesday - Eggplant Parmigiana

Gull Valley Green House eggplant lightly breaded and fried topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan cheese served with Italian salad $12

Thursday - Spring Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, potatoes, peas, leeks0, mushrooms, and carrots in a light chicken sauce with biscuit top $10 Add a green salad $4

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 – Curried Vegetables $8

This Week’s Soup – Bison Hamburger Soup $7

This Week’s Side – Saskatoon Berry Slaw $3

Something Sweet – Flourless Chocolate Cake $5

Farm Table Dinner

We still have spots available to our Farm Table Dinner on Wednesday night. We are featuring Cakadu Heritage Lamb. Dinner is $49 and includes dinner, dessert, coffee/tea, and gratuity. Give Forage a call to book your seat.

Pie Class

We are just nailing down a date for our next cooking class and this time around we’ll be making pie. The class will be either Saturday, May 1^st or 8^th in the morning. Each participant will be making pastry and an apple or saskatoon berry pie to take home and bake. If you are interested in taking this class, email us at info@foragefoods.com and we’ll let you know which date the class will be.

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

Monday - BBQ Bison Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison slow roasted then simmered in tangy BBQ sauce with potatoes, peppers, topped with cornmeal crust, served with creamy coleslaw $13

Tuesday - Chicken Burrito

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, peppers, rice, beans and cheddar wrapped in a Tres Marias flour tortilla served with salsa salad $13

Wednesday - Stuffed Peppers

Gull Valley Green House bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice and beans served with a green salad $12

Thursday - Rigatoni

Forage meat sauce with Vital Green veal, penne, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, bechamel and provolone and mozzarella cheeses $11 Add a green salad $4

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 – Fish Chowder $8

This Week’s Side – Picnic Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Apple Crumble Cake $3

Iranian New Year

Iranian New Year arrives on the first day of spring and we’re celebrating with our Iranian Bison Stew. We start by cooking Broxburn onions for over an hour. Then we add browned Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, dried lime, turmeric, cinnamon, and a touch of tomato paste and let it simmer for hours. The final addition is toasted yellow peas and it makes the most delicious and interesting flavour combination from so few ingredients. Wade was taught how to make it by a friend who was taught by her Iranian mother-in-law. Celebrate a new year and the arrival of spring by getting some on Monday.

Farm Table Dinner Menu

The excitement is building for Wednesday’s Farm Table Dinner featuring Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork. It just happens that this meal will have a decidedly Italian feel with roast Berkshire pork porchetta, roasted fingerling potatoes, green beans with hazelnuts, eggplant parmigiana, and tomatoes with basil and mozzarella. Do we need to mention that dessert is ricotta cake with apples and a cinnamon cream? There are still a handful of seats left so call to book your spot.

Gull Valley Green Houses Are Back

Ahh, another sign of spring is the return of products from Gull Valley Green Houses. This week we have heads of butterleaf lettuce, baby cucumbers, and some green beans. We’ll also have a green salad available all week so you can start getting caught up on your veggies.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Iranian Bison Stew

Celebrate the Iranian New Year with this delicious stew made with Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, dried limes, onions, tomato, turmeric, cinnamon and yellow peas. Served with basmati rice $13

Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash

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

Wednesday - Vegetable Tagine

Carrots, cauliflower, peas, beans, chick peas, with mint, dates and orange served over cous cous $11

Thursday - Beef Macaroni Casserole

Hoven Farms Organic beef, tomatoes, cabbage, green peppers, and macaroni topped with cheddar $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 – Italian Bean and Sausage $7

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Mulligatawny $7

This Week’s Side – Honey Mustard Carrots $4

Something Sweet – Apple Crisp $4

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