forage

Well hopefully we have the whole email thing figured out now and you are receiving your Monday email as usual! We had a modem that was failing over the last few weeks and the new seems to be running fine. Just in case, I’m going to put the information for our Forage for the Holidays items in this email again.

We’re stocking the shelves with great items for entertaining and enjoying as we celebrate the holidays. We’ve got more of the Holmquist Orchard Hazelnuts, Winter’s Turkey Breast Roast, Vital Green Organic Chocolate Milk, Ladybug Proof and Bake Croissants, and Sylvan Star Gouda.

We are now taking preorders for Tourtieres. This year we are making them with pork, beef, bison, and veal along with our blend of Forage spices, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic all wrapped in pastry. They are frozen and need to be thawed and baked and will easily feed 4 adults. Tourtieres need to be pre-ordered by Tuesday, December 15^th for pickup during Forage Hours Thursday, December 17^th through Wednesday, December 23^rd. Don’t forget that we are also taking preorders for fresh Winter’s Turkey’s. The Forage for the Holidays page on the website is now up.

We are also adding Mulling Spice from The Silk Road Spice Merchants. This is a new company started by a young couple here in Calgary. Their Mulling Spice has Indonesian cinnamon pieces, allspice berries, cloves, mace, cardamom pods and dried orange peel. Just steep in apple cider, cranberry juice or red wine and you have a comforting festive treat. We’ll add more of their spices in the near future.

This week we have some great comfort food to help you get through the busiest days of the season. We have Roast Pork, Brown Ale Chicken Pot Pies, delicious Braised Beef Shanks, and a Squash Risotto Cake. And for what ails you, Chicken Noodle Soup and Mom’s Chocolate Cake!

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork rubbed with herbs and slow roasted. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy $14

Tuesday - Brown Ale Chicken Pot Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, carrots, and rutabaga in a Wild Rose Brown Ale sauce topped with whipped potatoes $11

Wednesday - Roast Squash Risotto Cake

Sudo Farm squash risotto cake served with braised cabbage $12

Thursday - Braised Beef Shank

Hoven Farms organic beef shanks braised for hours with herbs and wine served with roasted potatoes and root vegetables $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 – Italian Bison Stew $8

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle $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

First off, the disclaimer… These instructions are for suggestion only. Please use your own judgement and a meat thermometer to decide if your turkey is cooked properly or not. Every oven cooks a little differently and this is the method we use but there are hundreds of ways to prepare a turkey. This is what works for us, but if you have a different method, by all means go ahead.

Remove the neck and any organs from the inside of the turkey. Rinse off the turkey with cold water and then pat completely dry with paper towel. Stuff the turkey with your favourite dressing if you prefer. Brush the turkey with about ½ cup of melted butter. Season with about 1 tablespoon of regular salt or 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Sprinkle with pepper and other herbs. Try thyme, sage, rosemary, savoury, fresh or dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan with 2 heads of garlic (cut in half), about 4 cups total of 1/2 inch dice carrots and celery, ½ cup of cubed butter, and the neck and organs. Wrap the entire roasting pan and turkey in foil.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the turkey in the center of the oven.

Roast at 425F for 30 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350F. Roast at 350F for 15 minutes per pound less the 30 minutes already at 425F. Uncover the turkey for the last hour of cooking to baste and brown. So, for a 20 pound turkey, roast for 30 minutes at 425F, and 4 ½ hours at 350F for a total of 5 hours (5 ½ hours if stuffed). Uncover at the 4 hour mark (4 ½ hour mark if stuffed).

If you aren’t sure if the turkey is done (and aren’t too worried about the appearance of the turkey) you can cut in between the thigh and body of the turkey. Free range birds will tend to be a little pink down in here because they are so dense but the meat should look cooked. If it doesn’t, you can cut between the thigh and body on both sides and bake the turkey a little longer. When the turkey is out of the oven, wrap it in foil and let it sit for at least 15-30 minutes before carving. Enjoy!

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

I’m fresh from my trip to Seattle and I brought back more of the Holmquist Orchard Dry Roast Hazelnuts. We have a limited amount for sale in Forage and when they are gone they’re gone… until our next trip down. Things are booming at the orchard as more and more chefs are discovering these great local hazelnuts and we were told about a third variety that will be available this fall. Holmquist is just across the border from Abbotsford and they sell their nuts at Farmers Markets in Seattle.

The nettles are up! When I got home I was glad to see that the nettles we had planted last year have come up again. We had them in a few specials last year and as soon as there are enough we’ll put them in something! Just another small sign that spring is here.

There are a few seats left for the Farm Table Dinner next Wednesday, April 22^nd, featuring Cakadu Heritage Lamb. Call to book your seat.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Tuesday - Chicken Caprese Pasta

Sunworks Farm organic chicken tossed with Forage pesto, Gull Valley Green House tomatoes, bocconcini, and penne $13

Wednesday - Stuffed Peppers

Gull Valley Green Houses bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice and black beans served with chipotle slaw $12

Thursday - Chicken Fried Steak

Hoven Farms organic beef cutlet breaded and fried. Served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and braised red cabbage $14

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 – Chicken Santa Fe $8

This Week’s Stew – Pork Normandy $9

Something Sweet – Lemon Cake $4

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

So we’re still buzzing from LOCAL 101! The event was great and there were lightning bolts of connections being made all over the place. The LOCAL 101 page on our website has been open for comments so people can continue to make connections and look for information. We are planning LOCAL 201 for next March so keep checking back to see where it all goes from here.

There are still a couple spots left for Tuesday’s Buttermilk Biscuit Baking Class. The class costs $25 and starts at 7:00PM, Tuesday, March 31^st. Give Forage a call if you would like to join us.

We have that beautiful roast Berkshire pork on Tuesday as a special. Last Monday we visited Broek Pork Acres and saw them out in the pastures enjoying the bit of sunshine. Joanne and Alan Vandenbroek are the exception in the pork industry. While hog producers are closing barns and eliminating production, they are focusing on heritage breeds and better tasting pork and are growing their business.

Carrot cake is back! We’ve got some of the last of the season carrots from Lund’s Organics and are offering our delicious carrot cake for the next couple weeks.

I’m (Wade) off to Seattle for a bit of a break. It’s a tremendous food city and I’ll be reporting on my adventures on my blog www.attheroot.ca. Also, Forage will be closed for the Easter weekend next week.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Monday - Turkey Smokie

These lean and tasty smokies from Winter’s Turkeys were a huge hit last time we served them. Served with steamed potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut $12

Tuesday - Roast Berkshire Pork

Roasted herb rubbed Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork served with green lentils and pan gravy $14

Wednesday - Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Gull Valley Green Houses peppers and tomatoes along with zucchini, mushrooms and fresh basil tossed with penne and baked with mozzarella $11

Thursday - Chicken Tamale Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, beans, corns, tomatoes and chili spices baked with a corn biscuit top $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 – Mulligatawny $8

This Week’s Stew – Curried Vegetables $8

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

First off it’s St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday so we’re celebrating with traditional Lamb Stew made with Cakadu Heritage Farm Barbados Blackbelly lamb. We love this lamb because it is a fur sheep as opposed to a wool sheep. This means that it does not have lanolin which can contribute to that lamby flavor that we all know. Finish off you salute to the Irish with a slice of our Guinness Stout Cake. It’s our usual Mom’s Chocolate Cake made with Guinness Stout which adds a nice deep flavor.

Forage now has the Going Organic – A Culinary Community book for sale. This is a great book full of stories and recipes from Alberta organic farms and chefs. Wade wrote a forward for the book and has a couple pages of recipes in it. This is a must have for all of us who love local products.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Braised Chicken Thigh

Sunworks Farm organic chicken thigh braised in wine and mushrooms served with garlic mashed potatoes $14

Tuesday –St. Patrick’s Day - Irish Lamb Stew

Other than having a pint, a must for St. Paddy’s Day. We make ours with Cakadu Heritage Lamb $11

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Gull Valley Green Houses eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, white wine, and thyme served over cous cous $12

Thursday - Bison Short Ribs

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison short ribs cooked until the meat falls off the bone served with Sylvan Star gouda potatoes $16

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 – Beef and Wheatberry $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Puttanesca $9

Something Sweet – Chocolate Guinness Cake $4

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

LOCAL 101 Saturday, March 28^th 1:30PM – Forage farm Table Dinner Wednesday, March 25^th, 7PM – Biscuit Baking Class Tuesday, March 31^st 7:00 PM

We tend to get wrapped up in the prospect of spring too early around here. The rest of the world seems to be admiring their tulips and crocuses while we get to look out at a foot of snow and -30 wind chill. Well, one sign that the days are getting longer is the return of Gull Valley Green Houses to the Calgary Farmers Market. There was a limited supply of cucumbers last week and this week Scott says he’ll have eggplant, lettuce and beans. We have a few bags of baby cucumbers this week at Forage and we’ll add more as the crops come in.

Our first Forage Farm Table Dinner was a success and everyone enjoyed sharing some great food together. The next dinner is on Wednesday, March 25^th and we are featuring Broek Pork Acres Berkshire Pork. Call us to buy your ticket.

By popular demand, we are doing another Biscuit Baking Class on Tuesday, March 31^st. The class is $25 and it is a hands on class where you will learn to make your own biscuits.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in an apple cider, leek, and mushroom sauce served with egg noodles $13

Tuesday - Bison Shepherd’s Pie

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, potatoes, carrots, corn, and peas in gravy topped with whipped potatoes $12

Wednesday – Spinach Risotto Cake

Spinach risotto cake served with roasted vegetables $12

Thursday - Turkey White Bean Chili

Winter’s Turkey, white beans, peppers, thickened with flour tortillas and served with Mexican slaw $12

Friday - Roast Chicken

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

This Week’s Soup – Roast Butternut Squash $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Peanut Butter Brownies $4

LOCAL 101 – Saturday, March 28^th, 2009 1:30 PM – Call Forage to get your $15 Advance Tickets Now.

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

Since we are going into the Family Day weekend I thought I would talk a little about families and farming. Farming used to be very much a family business. Children grew up learning about the land and how to create an income from it and then eventually the land was passed onto them to continue the business. Lately though, more and more kids are not staying on the farm. They have seen their parents struggle to make ends meet, farming has become a big business venture, and there is an abundance of better paying jobs out there. Even the smaller producers that we use here at Forage, who are doing things differently, are finding it hard to keep the farm in the family. Out of over 30 producers we use, we know of 2 that have the next generation in place to take over the land.

We are now offering Basil Pesto made with fresh basil from Alf’s Greenhouse and the other traditional ingredients – garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan Reggiano. It’s perfect for tossing with pasta or spreading on crostini and a 125 mL jar is $6. Look for it in our cooler.

We’ve added a couple pages on the website. One for the Farm Table Dinners and another one for Cooking Classes. The Buttermilk Biscuit classes we a big success so we will be offering other classes over the next few months. For more information on either of these two things, go to the Forage website.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in a Hungarian paprika, tomato, and sour cream sauce with bell peppers and egg noodles $13

Tuesday - Chicken Tortilla Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, beans, tomatoes, and peppers layered with Tres Marias corn tortillas, chipotle cream, and cheddar with Mexican slaw $14

Wednesday - Vegetable Tagine

Cauliflower, chick peas, carrots, and potatoes simmered with Moroccan spices, orange, and mint served over cous cous $12

Thursday - Mushroom Minute Steak

Hoven Farms organic beef cutlet smothered in mushroom sauce served with white rice $13

Friday - BBQ Bison Meatloaf

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatloaf finished with a BBQ glaze served with roasted potatoes, and steamed carrots $14

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle $8

This Week’s Stew – Italian Sausage and Bean $9

Something Sweet – Red Velvet Cake $4

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

Forage will be closed Monday, February 16^th for Family Day

Thaw the tourtiere in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the tourtiere uncovered on the middle rack for 45-60 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot. Enjoy! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!