forage

Eagle Creek Farm Garlic

John Mills is someone we get excited about. He’s a youth farmer from West of Innisfail who is working on expanding his variety of crops. Right now his corn maze and flower operation is the bulk of his business, but he also grows garlic and is looking into heritage potatoes. If you haven’t tried his garlic you really must. We still have a good supply of it for $1 per bulb. This week we are also roasting some and putting it into a potato soup.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

At Forage, we like to celebrate classic prairie recipes. The ones that our parents and we grew up on. One of those recipes is Buttermilk Chocolate Cake. It’s a sheet pan cake with a touch of cinnamon with a buttermilk cocoa glaze over top. Growing up south of Calgary there were 2 and a half channels and not a lot to do on Friday nights but watch Tommy Hunter. To pass the time I started baking things like our Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, Rickety Uncles, and this cake. So much of food is connected to memories and this cake brings back a lot for me.

Specials for this Week

Monday - Butter Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with curry spices, tomato, and cream served over basmati rice $14

Tuesday - Meatballs and Penne

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatballs simmered in Forage tomato basil sauce and served over penne pasta $11

Wednesday - Roast Squash Risotto Cake

Risotto cake made with roasted squash from Sudo Farm served with red wine braised cabbage $12

Thursday - BBQ Bison Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison with potatoes, onions, and peppers in a BBQ sauce topped with a corn meal biscuit crust $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 – Beef Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Roast Garlic and Potato $6

Something Sweet – Buttermilk Chocolate Cake $3

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

Welcome to 2010!

For those of you who made a resolution to try new things here’s your chance to make good on that promise. This week our special stew is a Goat Korma. In November I was sourcing some venison when I received a package from Ravenwood Farm Fresh Meats in Caroline. This family owned business raises their own natural beef, Berkshire pork, goat, and rabbits. They also have a retail meat shop that carries a variety of other meats. I had been looking for a source on goats meat so I ordered dome from them. I have to tell you, the samples I had were silky in texture and with a mild lamb like sweetness. We are making this Korma with toasted almonds, curry spices, and yogurt. It’s delicious and you really should give it a try!

For those of you who resolved to not make resolutions we have Mom’s Chocolate Cake to help ease the bite of the frosty weather and the alarm clock.

People always ask what kind of local products are available in January in Alberta. Well actually there are a lot of things available, you just have to eat a little more seasonally. Alberta is blessed with cooler nights that make our root vegetables a little sweeter than those from further south. This week we have our Roast Beet Borscht to highlight one of those crops that stores well for the winter months. We roast the beets before adding them to the borscht and this intensifies and mellows their flavor.

Here’s the menu for the week of January 4^th:

Monday - Beef Macaroni Casserole

Hoven Farms organic beef, macaroni, tomatoes, and cabbage baked with cheddar cheese on top $10

Tuesday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, leeks, mushrooms, thyme, and apple cider served over egg noodles $13

Wednesday - Vegetable Curry

Lund’s Organic carrots, Sudo Farm squash, green peas, cauliflower, and chick peas in a rich curry sauce served with basmati rice $12

Thursday - Asian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire meatloaf with hoisin glaze served with fried rice and ginger carrots $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 – Goat Korma $8

This Week’s Soup – Roast Beet Borscht $6

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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

Well it seems fall and Thanksgiving have really come out of now where this year. That late heat wave had us thinking summer might stick around a little longer but the snow on the weekend was a reminder that things are predictably unpredictable here!

We think Thanksgiving is ultimately an agricultural holiday. It’s about family and friends coming together to celebrate around a meal and reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. We’re thankful for all the farmers and producers that take on the task of raising and growing the food we eat. I know I wouldn’t be able to last through a growing season like the one we just had and we’re lucky to have people who, in spite of huge amounts of uncertainty, keep doing what they do. We’re also thankful for our customers who support us and the farms we support. This weekend, if you find yourself in front of a farmer, stop and say thank-you. I know they always appreciate the support.

If you have preordered a Winter’s turkey, they will be available for pick up at Forage during regular hours this Thursday and Friday. Forage will be closed Monday for Thanksgiving. Have a great weekend.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Monday - Chicken Chorizo

Sunworks Farm chicken chorizo with potatoes, peppers, spinach, and tomatoes $13

Tuesday - Chicken Fried Steak

Hoven Farms organic beef cutlet with a Southern coating served with pan gravy, macaroni and cheese, and Lund’s Organic collard greens $14

Wednesday - Wild Rice, Squash, and Mushrooms in Phyllo

Canada Goose wild rice, roasted winter squash and mushrooms wrapped in phyllo with a roasted tomato sauce served with broccoli $13

Thursday - Chicken Burrito

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

Friday - Bison Short Ribs

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison short ribs braised with red wine and herbs served with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots $17

This Week’s Stew – Bison Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Roasted Squash $7

This Week’s Salad – Red Pepper Feta Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Chocolate Zucchini Cake $4

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

This week we are celebrating Gert Lund’s broccoli. Actually we’re celebrating the fact that Gert was able to coax anything out of the challenging growing season we’ve had. Broccoli loves cooler weather and so it has grown quite well. The problem is that as soon as the weather gets hot it becomes ready for picking and all at the same time. We’ve got a cream of broccoli soup and broccoli in some of the specials. We also have the first of Gert’s baby carrots and some of his lettuces in our salads and bagged greens.

Wow! The Farm Table Dinner at Chinook Honey went way beyond our expectations yesterday. The weather was perfect and Cherie and Art had people assisting with the opening of hives, learning about their mead, and tasting honey warm from the hive. Dinner was a great way to cap off an afternoon of getting closer to the people who grow, collect, and produce great food for us. Thanks to all who came and look for another dinner on the farm next summer.

Forage will be open on Friday serving our Roast Chicken Dinner and closed on Monday for Labour Day.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork, slow roasted with herbs, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, pan gravy, and Lund’s broccoli $14

Tuesday - Bison Macaroni Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, macaroni, tomatoes, and green peppers baked with cheddar cheese on top $10

Wednesday - Roasted Tomato Risotto Cake

Roasted tomato risotto cake served with summer squash, chard, and broccoli $13

Thursday - Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, rice noodles, peppers, carrots, peas, broccoli, cilantro, mint, and peanuts on field lettuces with lime coriander vinaigrette $13

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken Dinner

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

This Week’s Soup – Cream of Broccoli $7

This Week’s Salad – Lovage Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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

We are excited to have flower bouquets back from John Mills of Eagle Creek Farm. These flowers are picked on Monday and we have them in Forage sometime on Tuesday. John selects the flowers that are at their best and the assortment changes as the season goes on. Bouquets are $15 and look great anywhere in the house! We are also looking forward to having John’s great garlic in very soon.

The fruit crops from the Okanagan are nearing the peak and this week we are featuring organic peaches from Blush Lane in our Peach Cobbler. We also have the Sunrise apples and we’ll bring in other great varieties as they come into season.

I took a cooler full of meat from local farmers to enjoy at the cottage and created the Asian Vegetable Salad to go with a Broek Pork Acres pork loin roast. It has cabbage, chinese cabbage, broccoli (from Lund’s), corn and a thai inspired dressing full of cilantro, ginger, garlic, chili, and lime. We enjoyed it so much I thought we’d offer it this week for you to try.

Sunday, August 30^th is our next Farm Table Dinner at Chinook Honey. Look for our Farm Table Dinner schedule for the rest of the year to be posted soon along with the fall schedule of cooking classes.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Tagine

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, chick peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, squash, and tomatoes simmered with moroccan spices served with cous cous $13

Tuesday - BBQ Braised Beef Shanks

Hoven Farms organic beef shanks braised with a tangy BBQ sauce and served with smashed potatoes $13

Wednesday - Vegetable Pot Pie

A variety of vegetables fresh from the market in a herb cream sauce topped with biscuit crust $10

Thursday - Greek Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, Fairwinds Farm feta, and kalamata olives on greens with red wine and oregano dressing $13

Friday - Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf and saskatoon berry sauce served with buttermilk mashed new potatoes and carrots $14

This Week’s Stew – Curried Vegetables $8

This Week’s Salad – Asian Vegetable Salad $4

Something Sweet – Peach Cobbler $4

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

Our Forage Birthday Party is this Friday, July 17^th between 5PM and 7PM. Please note that Forage will be closed on Friday until 5PM so we can set up for the event. We are offering a Buffalo Horn Ranch burger on Glamorgan Bakery bun with Gull Valley Green Houses tomato, lettuce from Innisfail Growers, and fixin’s along with a Mom’s chocolate cupcake, and Pearson’s Berry Farm saskatoon berry lemonade for $10 plus GST. A portion of the sales will go to Community Crop, the group that coordinates the community gardens in our neighborhood. Buffalo Horn Ranch will be here also selling their great bison. They prefer to take cash to bring a little extra and stock up on some meat for the grill. We are taking over some of the parking lot and there will be limited seating inside and out and the meal will be available for takeout too. If you like, feel free to bring your own plates and glasses so we can keep the waste down. We are going to serve the burgers between 5PM and 7PM so just swing by and help us celebrate 2 years in business in Calgary.

If you are looking for something to do after the Forage BBQ, head on over to the Uptown Theatre for the opening night of Food Inc. This documentary about our food system includes commentary from Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan and it should do for the local food movement what An Inconvenient Truth did for the environment.

If you are an avid gardener you might be interested in the Gardeners Forum happening Sunday, July 19^th, at Olds College. There are speakers in the afternoon (including dee Hobsbawn-Smith, Penny Marshall from Highwood Crossing and Wade from Forage) followed by a dinner and panel discussion. You can view the PDF brochure for the event here. Tickets for the event are only $60!

The Northlands Farmers Market is going great now and there is lots of local produce to be found. Last Tuesday there were potatoes, peas, carrots, beets, lettuces, radishes, and the list goes on. We grabbed some strawberries from Nobel Farm and promptly made Strawberry Freezer Jam with them. Unlike regular jam, freezer jam is not cooked so the jam maintains the flavor of these great strawberries. There is nothing like our biscuits with this jam and it is now available in our freezer! The Northlands Market runs Tuesdays from 3:30PM to 7PM on the East side of Northlands mall just off Crowchild.

Tuesday’s special is Annatto Seed Bison with Chimichurri – a South American condiment made with cilantro, parsley, oregano, garlic, chilies, lime, juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. It compliments grilled meats fantastically so come on Tuesday to try our version. The Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad is back this week along with Lobster Bisque!

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Tamale Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and peppers with a cornmeal crust $11

Tuesday - Annatto Seed Bison and Chimichurri

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison marinated with our annatto seed marinade and then grilled. Served with roasted potatoes, peppers, onions, and chimichurri. $14

Wednesday - Green Pea Risotto Cake

First of the season green peas mixed into risotto and formed into cakes. Served with green salad $13

Thursday - Greek Chicken Salad

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, a variety of lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, Fairwinds Farm feta, black olives, and red wine vinaigrette $13

Friday - Forage Birthday Party 5PM To 7PM

We’re celebrating 2 years of business in Calgary with a BBQ. Bison burger, chocolate cupcake, and saskatoon berry lemonade for $10 and a portion of the sales will go to Community Crop.

This Week’s Soup – Lobster Bisque $8

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

Something Sweet – Rhubarb Upside Down Cake $4

Forage hours this week Monday to Thursday 2PM to 7PM and Friday 5PM to 7PM – 3508 19^th Street SW – PH(403)269-6551

So we’ve had many people ask about the progress of Gert Lund and his crops. The news is not that great. On Wednesday morning he got frost that wiped out a third to half of his beans and peas, he has had only about ¾ inch of rain, and it just hasn’t been hot enough to get the carrots germinating the way they should. He did tell me that he has started to deliver spinach to Blush Lane. Spinach is a cooler weather crop so it is thriving in these conditions. He said the forecast is looking good for rain on Monday and Tuesday and then warm after that so he’s hanging on a couple more weeks.

Gert isn’t the only one dealing with a myriad of issues in local agriculture. Many of our farmers are facing drought, high hay prices, cold weather, and now the threat of grasshoppers. It’s not been a good year so far. Gert said that he really appreciates the support though and that it helps to confirm why he does what he does.

The rhubarb from my parent’s garden is finally producing enough to start picking so this week we are making Rhubarb Crisp as the special sweet. These rhubarb plants are the ones I grew up with and are a few decades old. The crisp comes in a mason jar, ready for warming. We’ve also got the last of the Edgar Farms asparagus on our tart on Wednesday. Many of the other Alberta crops are starting to slowly come in so we’ll start to feature them as the month goes on.

Don’t forget about our Forage Birthday Party on Friday, July 17^th! We’ll be serving a bison burger, cupcake, and saskatoon berry lemonade for $10 and some of the proceeds will go to Community Crop. No need to book ahead, just drop by between 5PM and 7PM.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Beef Burrito

Hoven Farms organic beef, Gull Valley Green Houses peppers, rice, black beans, and cheddar all wrapped in a Tres Marias tortilla with fresh salsa $11

Tuesday - Bison Shepherd’s Pie

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, carrots, peas, and beans topped with whipped potatoes $10

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

The last of the asparagus! Edgar Farms asparagus on puff dough with Sylvan Star gouda and potato mousse served with green salad $13

Thursday - Chicken Caesar Salad

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and our caesar dressing $13

Friday - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with picnic potato salad and our famous gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Chicken and Wild Rice $7

This Week’s Stew – Italian Beef Stew $8

This Week’s Salad – German Potato Salad $4

Something Sweet – Rhubarb Crisp $4

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

We’re gearing up for the BBQ season by stocking some of our favorite local meats in the freezer. Starting Monday we have Winter’s Turkey Smokies, Buffalo Horn Ranch Bison Patties, and Broek Pork Acres Smoked Mettwurst (the one from LOCAL 101 everyone raved about) available for sale in the freezer. The smokies are lean and only require couple minutes on the grill, the patties can be grilled from frozen, and the mettwurst also only takes a couple minutes to heat up. We’ll see what the response is to these products and maybe look into stocking other items. We will also have Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken fully cooked and in the cooler for picnics and oven free evenings this summer. Whole and half Sunworks Farm organic chickens will be available.

We are closed on Wednesday for Canada Day. Enjoy celebrating this great country we live in!

After the mayhem of Stampede passes, we will be celebrating Forage’s Second Birthday. On Friday, July 17^th we will have a Buffalo Horn Ranch Burger, Mom’s Chocolate Cup Cake, and Saskatoon Berry Lemonade for $10 available from 5PM to 7PM. This year we are going to raise funds for Community Crop – the group who coordinates the community gardens in South Calgary. They are working on installing new gardens a couple blocks down from Forage on 34^th avenue around a City owned building. We hope to raise dirt money for them with the burger sales and there will be representatives from CC on hand to talk about their plans. It also looks like Buffalo Horn Ranch will bring down their tasty bison for sale. There’s no need to reserve for this event, just swing by Forage and join in the fun.

For our next Farm Table Dinner will be at Chinook Honey just West of Okotoks on Sunday, August 30^th and there will be tours of the honey processing, the Chinook Arch Meadery, and a tasting of their meads. After that we hope to serve dinner at a long table in their garden. If the weather does not permit, we’ll scatter tables and eat indoors. We’ll begin at 3:00 PM and tickets are $109 which includes tours, tasting, dinner, mead, coffee, tea, and gratuity. We have a limited number of spaces so call Forage to book your spot.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Butter Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken simmered with tomatoes, cream and curry spices served with basmati rice $13

Tuesday - Italian Meatballs

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork meatballs simmered in Forage tomato sauce with fresh basil served with penne $12

Wednesday - Happy Canada Day

Forage is closed on Canada Day

Thursday - Alberta Chicken Salad

A dinner sized salad with Sunworks Farm organic chicken, Canada Goose wild rice, Edgar farms asparagus, hickory maple pecans and saskatoon berry vinaigrette $13

Friday - BBQ Pork on a Bun

Slow roasted and smoked Broek Pork Acres pork with Carolina style mop sauce on a bun served with slaw and baked beans $14

This Week’s Soup – Chicken and Wild Rice $7

This Week’s Stew – Turkey and White Bean Chili $8

This Week’s Salad – Gull Valley Green House Greek $4

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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

Let’s face it, gravy is good any time of the year. A couple weeks ago we changed our Roast Chicken Dinner to include a more seasonal BBQ dipping sauce. It’s good sauce, but our gravy is better, so we’re bringing back the gravy. We’ll still offer the dinner with Picnic Potato Salad through the summer and you’ll have gravy for the chicken. Best of both worlds!

We’re into the last couple weeks of asparagus season and we are starting to see some other produce come on line. The Farm Table Dinners are going to feature Edgar Farms pea tendrils, asparagus, and rhubarb, and our green salads will have leaf lettuce and spinach from Innisfail Growers. We’ll even have lovage from our gardens featured this week.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Burrito

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, tomato rice, black beans, peppers and cheddar wrapped in a Tres Marias tortilla $12

Tuesday - Italian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire meatloaf with Italian seasonings served with herb roasted potatoes and pan gravy $14

Wednesday - Asparagus Tart

With a season that only lasts 6 weeks you have to eat the Edgar Farms asparagus while you can. Our tart has a potato and gouda mousse on puff dough topped with asparagus and more gouda. Served with green salad. $13

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 - Roast Organic Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with picnic potato salad and our famous gravy $40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Seafood Chowder $7

This Week’s Stew – Turkey and White Bean Chili $8

This Week’s Salad – Greek Salad with Fairwinds Farm Feta $4

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

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

When I was saying our farmers needed rain a couple weeks ago, I’m sure you all thought, here they go again, those farmers are never happy. Well, after touring 3 farms on Saturday I can tell you just how desperate it is. Peter Haase of Buffalo Horn Ranch is reducing his herd to half if rain doesn’t come soon. It costs too much to feed them hay instead of the lush green grass that there should be right now. Gert Lund’s carrots are yet to germinate and by today, his dugout will be dry. Without rain in the next week or so, he says he’ll just plow the fields and wait for next year. It costs too much to haul the water to the farm so eventually finances will dictate the outcome. He also told us about plans for new golf courses that will surround his farm. I’m sure they won’t have any trouble finding water to keep the greens lush and soft the way the golfers like them.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Braised Turkey Sausage

Winter’s Turkey smokies simmered with white beans, green beans, and tomatoes served with Edgar Farms asparagus $14

Tuesday - Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, peas, corn, and carrots with whipped herb potato top $12

Wednesday - Stuffed Peppers

Gull Valley Green House bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice and black beans topped with cheddar, served with salsa salad $13

Thursday - Thai Bison Salad

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison cooked in satay sauce with peppers, peas, tomatoes, lettuce and a ginger peanut dressing $13

Friday - BBQ Bison on A Bun

Slow roasted Buffalo Horn Ranch bison with tangy saskatoon berry BBQ sauce served with pan bread and picnic potato salad $13

This Week’s Soup – Seafood Chowder $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken and Asparagus Stew $8

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

Something Sweet – Mojito Bars $4

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