Island Vittles » Island Life

Garlic Day 2010 at Charman Farms

Theresa — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:17:01 +0000

This beautiful bundle of Tibetan garlic is my favourite souvenir from last Sunday’s Garlic Day at Charman Farms. The cloves are huge, and the garlic is STRONG, pungent & spicy. But the best thing about this year’s Tibetan crop is it’s nutty finish. The longer it sits in your mouth, the nuttier it gets. And when you’re a garlic nut, that’s a very good thing.

I volunteered to join the Charman Farms’ brigade for the day — headed up by the grower, Dan Charman (pictured below), our ragtag crew included Dan’s wife Susan, island friends, off-island relatives (from as far as India), and unsuspecting weekend house guests who thought they were just going for a farm tour and ended up cleaning garlic for 4 hours…but it’s all hands on deck at harvest time, and it’s such a fun day spent in the forest at the top of the hill that the time passes before you know it.

I learned all sorts of things about all sorts of people standing around this table for a few hours with this happy group. And with all the chatting we still managed to keep the dozen or so varieties of garlic in some sort of order. (Honest Dan!)

See that big pile of garlic skins in the background? I became fixated on making garlic paper from the moment I saw it. So much paper! Of course, I’ve never made paper, and I have only a vague idea of the work involved, but doesn’t it sound like a great idea? In my dreams, I imagine it to be like Egyptian papyrus.

Fortunately, I have learned — with age — to allow these hare-brained schemes to “ferment” in my head before speaking them aloud to anyone, thereby committing myself to taking home — in this case — bags of garlic paper to sit in our basement alongside all the other great ideas gathering dust and pests until I finally decide to compost them myself.

So I dreamed of making garlic paper for the time I was there, until it came time to go home, at which point I was far too tired to contemplate scooping up anything other than myself. And since I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, I didn’t have to lame out and admit that maybe it wasn’t such a realistic idea after all.

With age comes wisdom, that’s all I have to say.

I also hung around the tasting table answering any questions that the crowd had. This resulted in me tasting a lot of raw garlic very early in the day, which, in turn, resulted in a bit of stomach upset. But did I complain? Did I quit? Are you kidding me? I was a member of the garlic brigade for the day. Quitting is not an option when the hordes of gourmet garlic fans descend.

So I quickly munched down a couple of pieces of bread and downed some water with a bit of lemon squeezed in, and got back to work. Actually, first Susan fed me a couple of her mother’s famous brownies, and then I got back to work — a layer of chocolate and butter fortifying my delicate constitution against the perils of raw garlic.

For those interested, this year’s crop included the following varieties of garlic:

Spanish Roja
Thai
Korean
Yugoslavian
White Russian
Red Russian
Tibetan
Rose D’Valour
Red Austrian…and a few more I didn’t manage to get pictures of.

Thanks to Dan and Susan for a wonderful day. They sent me home packing more artisanal garlic that one person should be lucky enough to have in a lifetime, never mind one year.

Needless to say, you’ll be seeing some garlic recipes around here very soon.

Sunday Lunch – Sandwiches @ Morning Bay Vineyard’s Artisan Market

Theresa — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:17:26 +0000

I’m serving up lunch at Morning Bay Vineyard today from 12 to 3…on offer are Bacon, Lettuce and Roasted Tomato with Rosemary Mayo, or Eggplant Parmesan with 3 Cheeses Roasted Garlic Mayo. Both come on fresh baked foccacia (it’s cooling on the rack right now), with fresh carrot pickles.

I’ll toot my own horn quickly by saying that I make WICKED sandwiches. Come up to the top of the Harbour Hill Road on Pender Island and taste for yourself.

Come join us! Taste & buy some great Pender wines, shop for art & cards by Amy Heggie, preserves and bread from Gulf Islands Gourmet, get a chair massage or some handmade beauty products from Trish. I hear there’ll be jewellry too!

Wild Food Article for August – Grape Leaves

Theresa — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:01:04 +0000

I write a monthly article entitled “Wild Food” for Avid Magazine, based here on Pender. This month’s article is all about using, and preserving, fresh grape leaves. (The link is to a pdf, and may take a few seconds to load.)

Pender has a “Mediterranean” climate, meaning that we get more sun, higher temperatures, and less rain than Vancouver and Victoria. Grape vines grow well here — if you don’t have one in your own garden, you’re bound to know a friend or relative with one!

I was a bit late getting around to collecting the leaves from our vine this year, but it’s been a little cooler than usual, so I still found lots of palm-sized tender leaves near the end of the new growth on each stem — those are the ones you want.

Dolmades recipes abound on the internet, so I’ll leave you to find those on your own.

You can also use grape leaves to wrap meat or fish in. The leaves impart a subtle aroma and taste to the meat, and keep everything juicy, whether you steam them in a bamboo steamer, or barbecue them on the grill.

The other night, I mixed some unripened goat’s cheese with some fresh herbs and a little olive oil, then wrapped up spoonfuls in leaves that I had lightly brushed with olive oil (that helps the leaf to stick to itself when you roll it up).

We grilled the little bundles alongside our wings. The cheese was warm and lightly melted, and absolutely delicious spread on slices of fresh baguette. The leaves are pleasantly smoky, but a little to chewy to eat more than one.

Next time, I’ll be using some of the larger leaves to wrap sockeye fillets destined for the grill. Can’t wait!

Video – Warm Dungeness Crab & Sea Asparagus Salad

Theresa — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:33:46 +0000

My video debut!

It won’t win the James Beard Food Video of the Year (is there such a thing?), but we had fun making it.

You’ll see a short introduction to life here on Pender Island, some live-action food foraging, (and the salad is pretty good too…)

I cooked the crab as described in “The School of Essential Ingredients” by Erica Bauermeister, a book I didn’t really care for (and to be honest, didn’t finish). Claire’s Roasted Crabs, however, are worth the price of the book (in paperback).

Howard’s aversion to crabs (he thinks they’re spidery) means that we only eat dressed crab around here. And I’m the lucky devil who gets to dig the meat out of all those arachnid-like shells! That’s a love of food, folks, if I do say so myself.

The other main components of this warm salad were steamed baby new potatoes, blanched mizuna greens and blanched sea asparagus. The dressing is a luscious mixture of butter, shallots, ginger, garlic, lemon and white wine, and the whole thing is finished with a few other bits you’ll see in the video. Check it out, or I’ll send this guy after you!

Top Five Friday – 5 Great Reasons to Visit the Pender Farmer’s Market

Theresa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:18:51 +0000

If you’re on Pender Island this weekend, be sure to stop by the Farmers’ Market on Saturday:

I’ll be there serving Pender Pulled Lamb on Homemade Flatbreads with Veggies and Tzatziki– look for my table around the side of the community hall — beside the lounge.
I’ll be there serving Fresh Falafel on Homemade Flatbreads with Veggies & Tzatziki.
A percentage from all my sales go to support Pender Island’s Community Hall — now in its 10th year!
There will be fresh produce and eggs from Hope Bay, Whalewhych and other farms — come early it goes fast…
There will be A TON of really great crafts, preserves & baking — so many talented people on 1 little island!

Happy Anniversary Morning Bay Vineyard

Theresa — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:03:57 +0000

I wandered over to Pender Island’s own Morning Bay Vineyard on Saturday to join in the celebrations — co-founders Barbara Reid and Keith Watt put on a party to celebrate the winery’s 5th Anniversary.

We were treated to some new wines and enjoyed some great food and music. Congratulations to Keith, Barbara and staff — and thanks for putting on the party!

Here`s Barbara preparing herself to receive the masses at the tasting table. Barbara and Keith presented us with 3 Fifth Anniversary Releases on the day:

2009 Morning Bay Bianco – An aromatic blend of 5 grapes grown here on Pender. I took a bottle of this fresh taste/smooth finish home with me. Howard and I enjoyed it with some wings, asparagus and garlic scapes from the charcoal grill. Keith recommends pairing this with local seafood — the grapes are grown seaside, after all.

2009 Morning Bay Chiaretto – Described as crushed strawberries in a glass. A blend of 3 Pender grown grapes, made in a Blanc-de-Noir fashion (white wine from red grapes). This is not that Kool-Aid blush wine from the 80`s, a la Crockett and Tubbs — it`s a seriously enjoyable wine.

2006 Morning Bay Syrah – A rich barrel-aged red wine in the Rhone fashion. Smokey Oak and savoury spice. A recommended pairing for barbecued meats.

Chef Seamus from Birdie`s Bistro at The Pender Island Golf & Country Club was in charge of the day`s food. Flank steak and local lamb fresh off the grill, vegetable sides full of flavour and foccacia to scoop everything up. Delicious, if just a bit messy…(we`re on Pender after all — disposable cutlery is frowned upon…)

Here`s the winery barrel room, complete with piano. Weddings, dinner parties, art exhibits and musical benefits have all been held among the barrels…

Here’s one section of the vineyard…apparently, Keith and Barbara have been doing some wishful dreaming with regards to taking off on the open water…perhaps they’ve had enough of tying off the vines!

I hope not, because they are wonderful hosts and we sure wouldn’t want to lose them…perhaps you will join me next year for anniversary #6?

Until then, check their website for tasting and tour information.

Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, Tomato-Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Theresa — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:30:36 +0000

Don’t have a lot on my plate today — as if you didn’t notice.

In Good Morel Standing

Theresa — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:09:54 +0000

Photo by Chiot’s Run

Look what my friend Jill found in her car after she dropped me off at the ferry terminal!

The mystery is solved, and I feel somewhat abashed at thinking so ill of the women who happened to be in the Swartz Bay ferry terminal with me on Sunday. How could I have believed that anyone would take a bag of wild mushrooms from the waiting room washroom? I’m sorry.

And the morel of the story? Why, they’re back in my hot little hands, of course.

Losing My Morels

Theresa — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:57:54 +0000

Wild Morels. The stuff my magic mushroom dreams are made of.

No hallucinogenic visions– just earthy, savoury, umami-laden delights — that is, if I can find mine.

Because somewhere between the food festival in Victoria where I bought these, and boarding the ferry for the return trip home, I lost them. I think I left them in the bathroom in the ferry terminal — a trip to the terminal`s lost and found got me some strange looks, but none of my missing Morels.

That night, I asked myself what I would have done if I had found a brown lunch bag full of fresh morels in the ladies`washroom. And to be honest, I found my morel-morals to be a little loose.

Pre-emptive Karma – gotta love it.

ICC Victoria Food Festival – Defending Our Backyard

Theresa — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:01:10 +0000

I spent the day at Fort Rodd Hill in Victoria yesterday, attending Defending Our Backyard: the 3rd Annual Island Chefs’ Collaborative Local Food Festival and Farm Fund Raiser.

Big mouthful, eh?

Not as big as the one I had all afternoon – enjoying a feast of local, seasonal and sustainable food. And drink. Did I mention the drink? There was a lot of drink.

The ICC is a growing community of Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands chefs raising awareness and funds to support local farms and sustainable agriculture. The day was an opportunity to meet local food producers and chefs and sample fresh island seafood, meats, bread, fabulous cuisine, ale, lager, porter, wine, cider, mead, port and a couple of other alcoholic beverages I’ve forgotten in the haze of the afternoon.

I told you there was a lot of booze.

Lucky for me, Jill, a Pender friend, was driving. I got to try them all.

We wandered the park in the drizzling rain exploring, tasting and discovering.

The find of the day for me was a beautiful unrefined sea salt which is hand harvested locally. The Vancouver Island Salt Co. also had their Maple Smoked Rock Salt on hand for us to try – a finishing salt with deep flavour and a sweet scent.

Andrew Shepherd is a chef and the craftsman behind these artisanal salts. It’s a new venture, and sure to bloom quickly. I have a feeling Andrew will be spending even more time in the tidal waters near Cobble Hill…

The best booze award (sorry no photo) goes to the Oak Aged Gin from Victoria Spirits. Howard and I enjoyed a bottle of their gin not too long ago, but I must say, this oak-aged stuff is on a totally different level. A dram of that after my dinner, but before my coffee, everyday for the rest of my life, please and thank-you very much.

Tastiest meat product has to be the 18 month-aged prosciutto from Ottavia Bakery & Delicatessan (top photo). The accompanying house-made bread sticks made exceptional delivery devices.

Favourite offerings from local chefs included the organic seafood tamales above, the duck burgers with pancetta jam and dandelion mustard on a brioche-type bun being assembled below on the left, and a unique and TASTY halibut ceviche (no photo), marinated in local apple cider vinegar & verjus and served on a blue-cheese crisp — delicious – and my best bite of the day.

Many thanks to the ICC for a foodie-filled afternoon of tasting, learning and connecting. I hope we raised buckets of cash to help keep the local food movement alive. It`s gathering momentum — positive, fun, family-friendly events like this are rocketing us towards exponential growth — and we`re going to get our food systems back where they should be. Right here at home.