Archive for 2009
Slow Food Calgary
Terra Madre Day Tidings continued…
December 12th dinner at the home of Tonya Lailey and Yves Starreveld
We missed the date proper, but adhered to the local caveat – mostly. B.C. produce, Ontario wine, Québec cheese and maple syrup were our glaring and delicious exceptions.
The gathering was nothing if not convivial – people meeting for the first time fell easily into each others’ company and shared keen appetites and an interest in the flavours and provenance of all that passed their lips.
We sat by the fire as the temperature outside fell below -30C. We ate and drank…
Canmore’s Valbella Meats Charcuterie
• Landjaegar
• Coppa
• Chimney Sticks
Niagara’s Pingue Cured Meats (from a very recent trip)
• Proscuitto
• Salami au Proscuitto
Courtesy of guest Matt
• local and homemade dried Venison Sausage
• Brassica Mustards – Cranberry & Honey and Roasted Garlic
• Edgar Farms’ pickled Asparagus
Wines: Lailey Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir (Niagara VQA), Stoneboat Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir (Okanagan VQA)
Continue reading this article …
Community, Events, Growers and Farmgate Sales, Local, Slow Food Calgary
TM Day at Kathleen Charpentier’s Farm
Kathleen Charpentier has just been elected Women’s Vice-President of the National Farmers’ Union – congratulations!
She sent us words and images from her TM day celebrations on the farm…
"Our celebration took place on a day that was minus 35 degrees centigrade."
"Despite the cold, we feasted on bison ribs, mashed potatoes, homemade butter, homemade pumpernickel bread, curried carrots, green beans, pickles, saskatoon-apple crisp, raw cream and plenty of wine."
"Everyone watched Food Inc. (including the teenagers) and the discussion was intense."
Community, Events, Growers and Farmgate Sales, Local, Slow Food Calgary
TM Day Tidings continued…
This menu from Slow Food Planning Committee Member, chef, proprietor of Meta4 Foods and devoted locavore, Eric Geisbrecht, who prepared these toothsome dishes for his staff at work on December 10th…
• Ewe-nique Lamb Saddle, with a local honey and cider glaze, stuffed
with Lund’s carameilzed onions, and roasted Okanagan pink lady apples.
(yes, i still had a stash of Lund’s onions!)
• Braised white cabbage with caraway, Broek Acres Berkshire bacon and chestnuts
• ‘Blumenthal style’ “boiled crispy” local potatoes
• Lund’s carrot salad with fresh mint and organic hazlenuts, Banyuls vinaigrette
It was a great meal and the guests were stunned at the quality of the food.
Community, Events, Growers and Farmgate Sales, Local, Slow Food Calgary
Terra Madre Day Tidings
We will be posting menus, stories and images from the homes of Albertans who took up the Alberta Locavore Challenge in celebration of Terra Madre Day on December 10th.
Here is an account of Doug and Elna Edgar’s (of Edgar Farms) Terra Madre Day dinner…
Local product list:
Gruyere cheese from Sylvan Star Cheese
Local free range eggs from Holmes Hus Antiques and the Farm with the Good Food
Highwood Crossings Whole Wheat Flour
Hamilton’s Barley Flour
Eagle Creek Farms Fingerling Potatoes and Garlic
Edgar Farms hormone & antibiotic free naturally raised BBQ beef ribs
Home-grown Asparagus soup
Pesticide-free home-grown apples
Pesticide-free home -grown strawberries
Pesticide-free home grown onions
Pesticide-free home-grown sweet mamma squash
Pesticide-free home-grown carrots
Flavors of the Foothills barbeque sauce with Black Currents & honey
Chinook Honey Mead
Nixon’s Honey
Beck Farms Cabbage
Eagle Creek Farm Garlic & Fingerling Potatoes
The Menu
• Home made Barley Rolled Oats Sesame Crackers made with Hamilton’s Barley
Flour & Nixon’s Honey served with Eagle Creek Farms slow roasted garlic &
• Sylvan Star Gruyere Cheese
• Home made Edgar Farms Cream of Asparagus Soup with a choice of garnishes -
Blue Cheese, Cheddar Cheese & Chives
Continue reading this article …
Slow Food Calgary
Terra Madre Day Celebrations Across Canada & Around the World
Terra Madre Day is December 10th, 2009 when we also celebrate Slow Food’s 20th anniversary. People will gather all around the world to celebrate locally produced food that is good, clean and fair.
You can read below a list of events scheduled in your country followed by some examples of planned worldwide celebrations according to each one of the seven pillars that guide the Terra Madre Day. The pillars stand for our values and wishes for the future, which we declare to be a right for all communities. For further info: Visit the Slow Food Terra Madre site
Continue reading this article …
Community, Events, Growers and Farmgate Sales, Local
December Open House at Sylvan Star Cheese!
Event Notice from Sylvan Star Cheese – CALGARY (November 23, 2009)
On Saturday December 5th 2009, Sylvan Star Cheese will have an ‘Open House’. We finished our new cheese plant and Farm-Direct-Market and we want to celebrate this with you. If you ever wanted to know how Champion Gouda Cheese is made, come in and check out our brand new production facility.Also be sure to visit out our new Farm-Direct-Market, with a wide selection of local and gourmet products.
Find out which high quality products your local community has to offer. As always, it is possible to try our award winning Gouda cut straight from the wheel, but also our Gruyere and Edam can be purchased here. We also offer many other cheeses such as Cheddar, Feta, Blue Cheese and several specialties. Besides cheese we sell many other local products like meats, eggs, crackers, soups, jams & jelly, chocolates, cookies and much more! Everyone is welcome to come in and tour our facility and try samples of our products at our Farm-Direct- Market.
The doors open at 10.00 am and close at 5.00 pm.
Please visit www.sylvanstarcheesefarm.ca for more information and directions.
Events, Local, Slow Food Calgary
Slow Food Resolutions at The Cookbook Co. Cooks
Monday, January 11, 2010 @ 6:30 PM
The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 722-11 Ave. SW
Price: $40 members, $50 not-yet-members
Slow Food Calgary invites you to enter the New Year with
the inspirations of a good meal, a glass of wine,
a few words to consider, and congenial company.
Spend this winter evening with Slow Food Calgary’s president, poet, educator, author and advocate, dee Hobsbawn-Smith. She will share her annual ruminations on how to live a Slower life, in Calgary, in Alberta, in winter. And in spring, summer and autumn.
A New Year offers another opportunity to make a small change or two towards Slow living, and inspiration can arrive in small or unexpected ways.
Dinner and wine included.
Call or visit the Cookbook Co. Cooks to reserve a place a this event: 403-256-6066
722 – 11 Ave. SW, Calgary
www.cookbookcooks.com
Slow Food Calgary
At “Route 40 Soup Co.”, Turner Valley
Get on the trail to Route 40 Soup Co.
Route 40 Chef-Owner Mark Klaudt with Trudy Cutfield of Cornflower Ranch, Turner Valley
The Alberta Snail Trail Passport
Rebekah Pearse and her Delightful Desserts
Rebekah Pearse, owner of Nectar Desserts, in a rare quiet moment with some of her creations.
Where to find Nectar Desserts