We’ve got some of your favourites and so new things for specials this week. We’ve have our fabulous Turkey White Bean Chili tonight served with some Tres Marias blue corn tortillas and a chipotle slaw made with Lund’s Organic cabbage. On Tuesday, we are making brisket for the first time. We’re going to roast it slow with BBQ spices and serve it with cheddar grits. On Wednesday we’re making Ratatouille for the last time this year because the greenhouses usually pull all their plants and start planting new ones in late January. We also have the Italian classic Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta and Beans. This is a thick soup made with pork, pasta, and beans. Finish it all off with a slice of our decadent Mom’s Chocolate cake.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Turkey White Bean Chili

Winter’s Turkey and white bean chili served with Tres Marias corn tortillas and chipotle slaw $13

Tuesday - BBQ Beef Brisket

Slow roasted Hoven Farms organic beef brisket with BBQ glaze served with cheddar grits $14

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Gull Valley Green Houses bell peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant simmered with fresh thyme and white wine served on cous cous $12

Thursday - Braised Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken thighs and legs braised with tomatoes, herbs, and wine served with creamy smashed potatoes $14

Friday - Bison Meatballs

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison meatballs in tomato basil sauce served with penne $13

This Week’s Soup – Turkey and Wild Rice $8

This Week’s Stew – Pasta e Fagioli $8

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage – 3508 – 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551

We are nearing the end of the growing season for Gull Valley Greenhouses so this week we are featuring some of the last of this season’s crop. We’ve got Paprikash on Tuesday, Stuffed Peppers on Wednesday and the last of the butterleaf lettuce in fridge. One of the greenhouses has installed grow lights so this means we’ll be able to get cucumbers and tomatoes in January after the Christmas break. There is a bit of a premium with the addition of the lighting but it will increase the season by about 3 months over last year.

This weekend I helped finish the tagging at Buffalo Horn Ranch and this is the time of year when the bison is at its best. The herd has been grazing on grassy pastures all summer and fall and so the meat is flavourful and full of nutrients. We’ve got bison in the Bison
Pot Roast Stew all week and amazing Bison Short Ribs on Thursday.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Mushroom Beef Cutlet

Hoven Farms organic beef cutlet breaded and fried, served with mushroom pan gravy and a baked Lund’s Organic potato $13

Tuesday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in a hungarian paprika and sour cream sauce with Gull Valley Green Houses peppers and egg noodles $13

Wednesday - Stuffed Pepper

Gull Valley Green Houses bell pepper stuffed with tomato rice, salsa, black beans, topped with cheddar cheese served with mexican slaw $12

Thursday - BBQ Bison Short Ribs

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison short ribs braised in smoky tomato sauce with root vegetables and white beans $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 – Turkey and Wild Rice $8

This Week’s Stew – Bison Pot Roast Stew $9

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – (403)269-6551

We’ve put together an exciting menu this week with lots of lovely late fall dishes. We’ve cured and smoked Berkshire ham hocks and cooked white beans in with them for the soup. We’re wrapping chicken and rice inside big beautiful Taiwanese cabbage leaves for the Asian Cabbage Rolls. If you haven’t tried the Broek Pork Acres smoked mettwurst, Monday is your chance to taste how delicious this sausage is.

New to Forage this week is Canada Goose Wild rice from Fort Assiniboine about 100 km North of Edmonton. That’s Ruedi on the airboat harvesting one of his lakes. The rice is in Thursday’s special and we are also selling it for $6.50 for 7oz. or about 1 cup.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Monday - Choucroute Garnie

Our take on the classic dish with Broek Pork Acres smoked mettwurst on top of cabbage, potatoes, and sauerkraut simmered with white wine $13

Tuesday - Asian Cabbage Roll

Sunworks Farm chicken and rice wrapped in Sudo Farm Taiwanese cabbage leaf served with vegetable stir fry $14

Wednesday - Winter Squash Penne

Sudo Farm winter squash, Gull Valley Green Houses peppers, Innisfail Growers parsnips, penne pasta, and sage cream sauce $11

Thursday - Bison Hunter’s Stew

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison simmered with root vegetables, tomatoes, and red wine served with white and Canada Goose wild rice $13

Friday - Elk Meatloaf

Wapiti Ways elk and Hoven Farm beef meatloaf with saskatoon berry gravy served with buttermilk smashed potatoes and steamed Lund’s Organic carrots $14

This Week’s Soup – Ham Hock and White Bean $8

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

It is with some sadness that I have to report that after 7 and a half years of writing a column for the Calgary Herald, dee Hobsbawn-Smith has been released as a free-lance writer. dee is Calgary’s strongest advocate for eating local and her voice will be missed. Her last article runs Wednesday and I think a little local response to the issue is necessary. dee will find other places to write about our land and the people on it, but it is sad to see our mainstream media becoming more and more homogenized and centralized. That’s a picture of dee enjoying the Canada picnic at Terra Madre a couple weeks ago.

Grey Cup is coming and the Stampeders are one win away from being there. Once again Forage will be offering tasty Sunworks Farm chicken wings to enjoying while watching the classic Canadian event. This year we are making Maple BBQ Wings and offering them for $16 for 2 dozen. We also have the Forage Football Party Pack that has 2 dozen wings, 1 jar of Forage Salsa, 1 bag Tres Marias Corn Tortillas, Lund’s Organic Carrots and Canola Seed Buttermilk Dip, Hickory Maple Pecans, and 4 Buffalo Horn Ranch Honey Garlic Sticks all for $45! The pack is suitable for about 4 people to enjoy. Please pre-order your wings and Party Packs, by phone (403)269-6551, by closing on Tuesday, November 19^th for pick up on Thursday the 20^th or Friday the 21^st.

Forage is open Remembrance Day, Tuesday, November 11^th.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Tagine

Sunworks Farm chicken simmered with tomatoes, chick peas, sweet spices, mint, dates and orange served with cous cous $14

Tuesday – Remembrance Day - Beef Tamale Pie

Hoven Farms organic beef, Gull Valley Green Houses peppers, corn, black beans all baked with a cornmeal biscuit top $13

Wednesday - Winter Squash Risotto Cake

Roasted Sudo Farm winter squash risotto formed into a cake and served with braised cabbage $12

Thursday - Braised Beef Shank

Hoven Farms organic beef shanks braised for hours with vegetables and red wine served with honey roasted root vegetables $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 – Fish Chowder $9

This Week’s Stew – Bison Chili $9

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

So it’s taking some time to digest the experience at Terra Madre this time around. There were several positives and a few negatives but the movement as a whole is growing and expanding in influence. The purpose of Terra Madre is to give those people who are part of a Good, Clean, and Fair food system a chance to share, exchange ideas, and gain some self esteem that what we do is important and worthy. The Canadian contingent gathered for a picnic on Sunday afternoon and the event wrapped on Sunday night with a big multinational dance party and everything seemed right in the world.

No sooner had we landed back in Calgary and Canada Lands announced that they are not going with the Calgary Farmers Market’s plan for redevelopment. Not exactly a positive result for eating more locally in Calgary but we are optimistic about farmers markets in Calgary. The whole issue of the CFM closure raised Calgarians voices and they expressed a need for markets to be a part of our communities. Hopefully this will lead to several smaller and more accessible markets integrated into our communities.

If you want to hear more about the Alberta team’s experience and thoughts on Terra Madre 2008, Slow Food Calgary is hosting a Tales of Terra Madre on Monday, November 17^th at the Wild Rose Brewery on Currie Barracks. I know many of the participants were inspired by TM and it is going to be great to hear their thoughts and observations. This event will sell out. Tickets can be purchased from the Cookbook Company (403)265-6066.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chorizo and Lentils

Sunworks Farm chicken chorizo, Gull Valley Green Houses peppers, tomatoes, and red wine served with green lentils $13

Tuesday - Berkshire Pork Normandy

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork braised with apple cider, leeks, and mushrooms served with egg noodles $14

Wednesday - Vegetarian Chili

A variety of beans, GVGH peppers, onions, GVGH tomatoes, and chili spices served with a green salad $12

Thursday - Chicken Rigatoni

Sunworks Farm chicken, spinach, tomato sauce, and rigatoni pasta topped with bechamel and cheese $12

Friday - Meatloaf and Mashed

Hoven Farms organic beef and Broek Pork Acres pork meatloaf with tangy tomato glaze served with smashed potatoes and steamed carrots $14

This Week’s Soup – Fish Chowder $9

This Week’s Stew – Boeuf Bourguignon $9

Something Sweet – Apple Crisp $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM – (403)269-6551

We’re back! Slightly jet lagged and slightly overweight! Forage is open today and tomorrow with slightly limited supply of fresh produce and fruit until we can get to the market. The trip to Italy was great and we tasted some amazing things at Salone del Gusto. That’s Sue tasting a dried goat’s leg that is cured in front of a wood fire.

The thing that sticks out the most for me from Terra Madre is how fortunate we are to have a tremendous network of farmers and artisans that grow and create food for us. It’s not a common as you would think whether it’s Italy

Thanks again for understanding our need to be closed while away. Come in today and grab some bison macaroni casserole and tomorrow we’ve got roast chickens.

Here’s the menu for the rest of this week:

Thursday - Bison Macaroni Casserole

Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, tomatoes, peppers, and macaroni baked with cheddar on top $12

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy

$40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Chicken Noodle $8

This Week’s Stew – Turkey White Bean Chili $9

Something Sweet – Fudge Brownie $4

Forage Hours Monday to Friday 2PM to 7PM

3508 – 19^th Street SW – (403)269-6551

Forage will be open Tuesday, October 14^th for the week and then just for the following Monday, October 20^th. Sue will leave for Torino on Tuesday and join us at Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre so Forage will be closed Tuesday, October 21^st through Wednesday, October 29^th. Again, thank-you for your understanding! If you want to check in on our adventures, go to my blog where I’ll be posting throughout the trip.

The Salone del Gusto is a giant food show featuring unique and sustainable products from Europe and around the world and Terra Madre is a gathering of 5000 farmers/producers, 1000 cooks, academic types, and this year a youth contingent. Forage is sponsoring John Mills of Eagle Creek Farm and Jolene Kolk of Kayben Farm with our Future of Farming Fund that we raised at our first birthday party and we hope to give our customers a chance to hear their stories when the return. In the mean time, you can pick up garlic from John’s farm and Black Currant Punch Base from Kayben at Forage. We also have a roasted garlic and potato soup special this week too.

The next post will be on Wednesday the 29^th. Happy Thanksgiving and Ciao!

Here is the menu for the week of October 14^th:

Monday - Closed For Thanksgiving

Tuesday - Moussaka

Cakadu Heritage lamb, Hoven Farms organic beef, and potatoes between Gull Valley Green House eggplant with bechamel $13

Wednesday - Roast Squash Rigatoni

roasted Sudo Farms squash with rigatoni pasta and a sage cream sauce baked with cheese $11 add a green salad $4

Thursday - BBQ Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork and Hoven Farm organic beef meatloaf with BBQ glaze and mashed potatoes $13

Friday - Chicken Cacciatore

Sunworks Farm chicken simmered with tomato sauce and herbs and finished with capers and olives served with orzo $14

Monday, October 20^th - Italian Chicken Sausage

Sunworks Farm organic rosemary and garlic chicken sausage with tomatoes, white beans, and peppers served with herb roast potatoes $14

This Week’s Soup – Potato and Garlic Soup $7

This Week’s Stew – Elk Chili $9

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours Tuesday October 14^th to Friday, October 17^th and Monday, October 20^th 2PM to 7PM

Forage will be closed Tuesday, October 21^st through Wednesday, October 29^th

3508 – 19^th Street SW – Phone (403)269-6551

For our final instalment for Thanksgiving I want to recognize the farmers themselves. It takes a special person to work with nature to raise quality food and bring it to the market and often we overlook their importance. Thanksgiving is a celebration of their faith and effort and they need to be thanked for that. As we move forward we are going to need more farmers in Alberta to grow more products for us and this is where our biggest challenge may lay. Farming needs to be seen as a rewarding profession in order to draw more people into it.

We’ve got a couple new products available this week – MacKay’s Cochrane Pumpkin Ice Cream, and fresh garlic from John Mills of Eagle Creek Ranch. John is attending Terra Madre as a youth delegate later this month and this garlic is beautiful!

Forage will be closed Friday, October 10^th through Monday, October 13^th for the Thanksgiving weekend and again Tuesday, October 21^st through Wednesday, October 29^th so Sue can attend Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto in Italy. Thank-you in advance for understanding our need to be closed. We run with a small team and it would be too hard to try and stay open during this time.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Normandy

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in an apple cider and leek sauce with mushrooms served on egg noodles $14

Tuesday - BBQ Bison Casserole

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

Wednesday - Ratatouille

Sue is making her classic ratatouille with Gull Valley Green Houses peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes and zucchini served with Highwood Crossing wheatberries $13

Thursday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy

$40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

Friday - Closed For Thanksgiving Weekend

Enjoy Thanksgiving weekend! Forage will reopen Tuesday, October 14^th

This Week’s Soup – Split Pea Soup $7

This Week’s Stew – Bison Stew $9

Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4

Forage Hours this week - Monday to Thursday 2PM to 7PM

Forage Phone (403)269-6551 – 3508 19^th Street SW

This week I want to acknowledge the plants and animals that are grown by our farmers in Alberta. Often we talk about the importance of eating locally without stating how good our local products taste. The Berkshire pork from Broek Pork Acres, Lund’s Organic baby carrots, Grizzly Gouda from Sylvan Star, elk tenderloin from Wapiti Ways, saskatoon butter tarts from the Saskatoon Farm, Highwood Crossing Cold Pressed Canola Oil, Black Currant Mead from Chinook Arch Meadery, strawberries from Broxburn Farm, asparagus from Edgar Farms… the list goes on and on. We are blessed with an abundance of plants and animals that are grown and raised with love and care and this makes them taste great! We are thankful we have such variety to enjoy.

The Grassroots Farmers Market at Northlands has their last market day for the season this Tuesday between 3PM and 7PM. It sounds like there will be a few less vendors, but there are some things at this market that aren’t available at CFM. Cantaloupes from Brooks, pies from Three Sisters, strawberries from Noblelford, perogies, field tomatoes, and stone oven breads.

This week we have beautiful sugar pumpkin risotto cakes, the smoked ham sausage from Broek Pork Acres, Chicken Paprikash, and a split pea soup that we made with some wood oven roasted pork hocks.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Beef Stir Fry

Hoven Farms organic beef ribs, Sudo Farm suey and bok choy, carrots, and broccoli served with steamed rice $14

Tuesday - Chicken Tamale Pie

Sunworks Farm organic chicken, Taber corn, black beans, tomatoes, and peppers with a cornmeal biscuit crust $14

Wednesday - Sugar Pumpkin Risotto Cake

Roasted sugar pumpkins from Brooks mixed into a risotto cake and served with wilted greens from Lund’s Organic $12

Thursday - Smoked Ham Sausage

Broek Pork Acres smoked ham sausage with cabbage, sauerkraut, and Upper Green Farms potatoes $13

Friday - Chicken Paprikash

Sunworks Farm organic chicken and Gull Valley Greenhouses peppers with our paprika sour cream sauce served on egg noodles $14

This Week’s Soup – Split Pea Soup $7

This Week’s Stew – Chicken Chorizo Stew $9

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

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

Forage will be closed Friday, October 10^th to Monday, October 13^th for Thanksgiving weekend and Tuesday, October 21^st to Wednesday, October 29^th for Terra Madre 2008 and the Salon del Gusto in Torino.

So continuing the theme of Thanksgiving, this week I want to talk about land. Not just land, but our entire environment in Alberta that allows agriculture to thrive. Alberta’s growth is placing great stress on farmland as rural areas look attractive to potential acreage owners. We are also seeing our smaller towns and cities appropriating surrounding land for development. This is eliminating some farmland and raising the prices across the board. Soon we are going to have to preserve the land that is needed for crops and grazing in order to secure the future of farming in Alberta. There also needs to be a plan for the sustainability of our watershed and the protection of our environment so it can continue to support us. We need to be thankful that we live in a place where we can grow our own food.

We have added Saskatoon Granola from Three Sisters Pies to our inventory. Deanna is drying her own Saskatoon berries for the granola and we loved the samples we tasted. We will still stock her Maple Granola too.

Also, we haven’t made carrot cake in a while so it is back this week. Lund’s Organics has a great supply of carrots now so we thought it was time.

Here’s the menu for this week:

Monday - Butter Chicken

Sunworks Farm organic chicken in traditional sauce with cardamom basmati rice $14

Tuesday - Italian Meatloaf

Broek Pork Acres Berkshire pork and Hoven Farms organic beef meatloaf with Italian seasoning and tomato glaze served with herb roasted potatoes $13

Wednesday - Chard and Spinach Frittata

Lund’s Organic spinach and chard with Sylvan Star gouda and Sunworks Farm eggs $12

Thursday - Beef Stroganoff

Hoven Farms organic beef in mushroom sour cream sauce with rice $14

Friday - Roast Chicken

Sunworks Farm roast chicken served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and gravy

$40 whole $26 half $15 quarter

This Week’s Soup – Cauliflower and Cheddar $7

This Week’s Stew – Beef Stew $9

Something Sweet – Carrot Cake $4

Slow Food Calgary Winter’s Turkey Kitchen Party – Thursday, October 2^nd, 6:30 PM

Go to our Events page for more info.

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