WHEN TO SALAD

Salad Before, Salad After, Salad in Between…what is the answer. Travelling back and forth to the U.K. and Ireland in order to care for an elderly sister has made me very aware of the many differences in the preparation of food and the times of day in which the meals are taken. When in Ireland it is quite likely that salad isn’t served at all or may be included on the same plate as the main meal. In the U.K., due to its proximity to Europe salad served after the main course is de riguer for the more sophisticated classes but not necessarily adhered to by the less privileged. In France the order in which food is served is highly ritualistic with salad unquestionably following the main meal.

Listening to a debate on BBC Radio I gained from the discussion the understanding of why the order in which food is served is really a matter of the tummy’s ability to digest whatever is sliding down the gullet. Vegetables are more easily absorbed by the body if eaten separately. Meats and chicken require a more acid environment so the most natural process would be to eat one’s salad first.

In Europe class differences still count, one only needs to read a Jane Austen novel to realize the past is still with us. Her rules described breakfast as being served around 1000 am, as befitted a leisure class. (This distinguished them from the lower orders, who ate very early before going off to work.) The next main meal was dinner served at 700pm preceded by afternoon tea at 400pm. As most of the population now adheres to working hours, lunch which is called dinner over here, is quite a substantial meal followed by a late afternoon tea and then supper/dinner, again generous portions, served around 700pm. In France the enormous midday meal, followed by a siesta, is what the country revolves around. The French come to a halt for a leisurely three to four hours before returning to the workplace at 400pm. As a leading member of the European Union this enviable lifestyle doesn’t fit well with the standard working hours of its fellow members. The French are reluctant to change but despite their reluctance the shift is taking place.

Ireland, is now digging out from under the collapse of the Celtic Tiger years. This small nation, once considered the fastest growing member in the European Economic Union, is now facing potential bankruptcy unless the EU is willing to bail them out. In the glory days of the boom with all that wealth available for the first time to the working classes the Irish took to Take-Out meals with a vengeance. Reluctant to give up their newfound leisure time the Irish began to pave over their front gardens. In fact many citizens loved their pavement so much that they ordered the back gardens to be paved over as well. Now that the good times are over the Irish are learning to cook, some for the first time. Book stores are flooded with material on meal preparation and food gardening. The next instruction books one can expect to see on the shelves are manuals on how to remove all that tarmac that surround their cottages so that they can experience the joy of growing one’s own food.

CONVERTING KALE TO A DINNER TREAT

Turning A Big Flat Green Kale leaf into a divine dinner ingredient is a bit of a stretch but it can be done. Take a few of those large outer leaves and slice out the tough stem. Fold the leaves over to create a loose roll and cut them across the grain. Try and slice the leaves into narrow ribbons, about ¼ inch wide. In a heavy frying pan melt a combo of olive oil and a knob of butter. Grill a tablespoon of chopped ginger and a similar amount of chopped garlic. Frying them for a minute should do it. Toss in the kale, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoonful of water. Now, cover with a heavy lid and set on medium heat. Five minutes later pop the lid and you will discover a heap of intensely green, tender, delectable leaves. I do this recipe constantly and it never loses its appeal. Preparing veggies this way is going to make you feel good about what you are feeding the family because you haven’t lost any nutrients or had to pour excess cooking water down the kitchen sink. You have just captured all the intense colour and goodness of the food. You can transform any coarse outer leaves, including cabbage or beet leaves that show up in your garden or your shopping bag, into life sustaining edible food.

Having A Grown Grandson who has Celiac Disease (CD) has made me very aware of how difficult meal preparation can be when one is suffering from this disorder. CD is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This result in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals which are necessary for good health. Celiacs generally get relief from eating a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, triticate and barley. It is the gluten in the flour of these grains that is the trouble maker according to info I checked on the Canadian Celiac Assoc. website. It is really time consuming to check out the ingredients on store bought products… and eating in a restaurant is like treading around hidden land mines. So when I discovered this week that Locals Market is featuring gluten-free meals prepared on site and gluten free baking supplied by Sylvie’s Market it sounded like a winning collaboration. Crackers made with grated cheese, oregano and potato flour served with their renowned clam chowder is an irresistible combo.

RAISING WORMS

Raising Worms is An Amazing Experience. All you need is a small container or tote box on your back deck. My experiment is turning out well and all I did was fill the tub full of soil and some shredded paper, spade in a handful of red wiggler worms given to me by a friend, and enough water to keep the soil lightly moist. Feeding the soil with finely chopped left over vegetable and fruits , the worms receive a steady supply of food which they convert into nutrient-rich castings. Two or three pounds of green kitchen refuse including tea bags and coffee grinds a week is enough to keep them happy. To create the perfect environment I drilled air holes on the sides and added a cover. It would be a plus to find a tote with a spigot to drain off excess water. That way there is no danger of those little wrigglers becoming water-logged. The compost they create is considered “black gold” as the castings are far more beneficial to plants than any man-made fertilizer, according to a website called WormWatcher. It will provide you with step-by-step guidelines and pictures to assure you get the right start.

Thanks to an alert Quadra Island reader I was reminded that mashing “regular” potatoes with the skins on isn’t a great idea due to the possibility of chemical sprays and fertilizers that penetrate the spud. In past years I have spent long periods in Ireland helping to care for an elderly sister and that’s where I became enamoured with eating mashed potatoes with the skins on…the diff being that they were raised organically. In the past purchasing foods grown organically wasn’t possible on the average budget but the gap is closing. Consumer preference for uncontaminated food is changing the marketplace. There’s a very telling guideline on the web called “The Dirty Dozen Foods” and there you can find the list of chemically raised fruits and vegetables that should be avoided, if possible. There are varied lists available but generally bell peppers, celery and potatoes take the top spots.

A GARDEN IN A BAG

Experimenting With the Various Ways to small space garden has opened up a world of opportunities. Here’s my latest project and this time it is definitely “in the bag”. When you live in a condo with a 20 foot wide deck there is only so much space for pots of flowers and veggies. But what about the outer walls or the fence that divides your space from the folks next door? Reading about a New York high rise gardener who hung large bleach bottles suspended on ropes from the inside frame of his one large window reminded me that anything is possible. He cut away half the side of the bottles, filled them with potting soil and compost and planted them full of trailing vegetable plants. One spring in Ireland, while I was looking after an elderly sister, I successfully grew spinach in a shopping bag on the side walk. That provided me with fresh greens for the next three chilly months.

That led to the idea of filling up colourful shopping bags with soil and trailing veggies and hanging them on outer walls and fences. Well, why not? And shouldn’t every great idea start with a trip to the Salvation Army to select the equipment? I found a wonderful assortment of coloured shoulder bags and sagging purses. The bags I chose each hold about a gallon of soil. The idea of using standard shopping bags was rejected after discovering that at least two gallons of soil is required and the bags are then much too heavy to suspend from the fence…although perfect for seating on an unused walkway. If you are going to try this idea remember to cut holes in the bottom of the bags for drainage.

As I am in the process of moving, my friend has agreed to using his small space for the latest brain wave. So far I have planted one trailing tomato, a zucchini and a patti-pan squash. Next planting will include scarlet runner beans and strawberry plants. The display at the moment looks definitely rag-tag but I do believe that when the vines of all those plants are tumbling down the wall, laden with succulent greens and fruits, and the colourful patterns of the bags are showing through the foliage, that all this effort will be worthwhile.

TO PEEL OR NOT TO PEEL - THE POTATO QUESTION

Spending So Much Time in Ireland these past two years has given me many new ideas on the preparation of food, particularly the humble potato. Potatoes are served everywhere in great abundance. Even rather posh eateries, which generally serve from a steam table, go overboard. Unless you call out a plea to stop, your server will happily place great dollops of fried, boiled and mashed potatoes on your plate. That’s all three on the same dish…hardly room for a green veg, a thick slice of Irish beef or a ladle of rich gravy.

The most interesting thing about the Irish way with a potato is that it is most often mashed with the skin on. Now that is a phenomena I wasn’t accustomed to despite being raised by Irish parents. My mother’s idea of cooking spuds was to cover them totally in cold water and bring to a roaring boil. When done the potato water was poured off and into the sink. Yikes! Well my dears gather round and I will now explain the process for producing a perfect dish of mashed potatoes.

As you are likely aware, there are many vitamins and minerals in the skin of the potato. Leaving the skin on adds precious nutritents. Red potatoes or Yukon Golds are the best candidates for skin-on mashers as the skin in thin and smooth. The red skins give a lovely colour and your guests will clamour for this recipe. Now, slice potatoes into one inch wide rounds, place in a steamer and cook until just soft…about 15 minutes. Drain the water into a bowl and save for your soup stock container. Place a clean tea towel inside the potato pot and leave for five minutes. This will absorb any excess steam and stop the potatoes from becoming soggy. Then it is time to take out that masher and chop them up before adding either milk or butter. Adding milk a few drops at a time allows you to mash the potatoes to perfection and control the soggyness that happens when you splash in too much milk. Don’t forget a lovely knob of butter and there you have it, a dish loaded with nutrients and the perfect comfort food. Explain to the kids that those enticing red flecks are a secret ingredient.

FROM LOGGER TO LOCAVORE

That’s Not So Difficult when you have lived
your life repeating the mantra…”Buy Local”. When Onion Lake Logging was struck hard by the economic slowdown Ron Everett, a partner in the business, launched into his new venture with gusto. We’ve all watched the old Arby’s restaurant on 11^th St. arise from its “ashes” like a Phoenix and slowly transform into a bustling food market and very cool eaterie.

Aptly named, the Local Market & Café is a reflection of Everett’s belief system, one that he incorporated into the logging business as well. The first thing that catches one’s eye when entering the market is the wonderful mix of woods used in the furniture, display cases and wainscoting. The material comes from the wood waste left on the logging sites after the trees have been felled.

The selection of veggies, meat and fish in the containers leaves absolutely no doubt that the customer is buying local produce. “ My first choice is to support ‘mom & pop’ farms” explained Everett. “Our meats such as beef from the Sayward Valley and McClintock Farms, bison from Island Bison on Hamm Road and Mennonite beef from Black Creek are processed at Gunter Bros.” He said that there is a full time Govt. meat inspector on site there at all times. Tannadice Farms pork is also packaged by the same processor. The chickens are processed at Sunshine Farms where the certified inspector is in attendance three days a week. Shellfish is brought in from the waters of Quadra, Cortez and Read Island and packaged at Walcan.

A steaming bowl of seafood chowder, prepared by Chef Gernot Arps, is a life-changing experience. Chef Gernot is European trained and has performed some kind of magic on his recipe. My friend and I both ordered a bowl of chowder the other day. She is a serious foodie and actually writes a blog on food and wines so it was interesting to watch her reaction. She was like Pooh Bear with his pot of honey. Humming quietly to herself as she consumed each spoonful, when the soup was finished she very daintily licked clean each mussel and swimming scallop shell . I was expecting her to lift up the bowl and also give it a through lick!

It’s Time For You Avid Small Space Gardeners to get the seedlings started and prepare your outdoor containers. Just make sure the top 12” of soil in the containers is replaced with fresh high quality compost. The weather resistant stir fry greens such as arugula, corn salad, kale, collards, oriental greens and spinach are the among the few veggies that can be safely direct seeded into your pots prior to April. West Coast Seeds has a planting chart in its spring catalogue that is an invaluable guide. So far the only place I have located the booklets is at C.R. Garden Centre. Starting a garden journal is a great way to mark the passage of time and recall the performance of last season’s plantings.

OUR TOWN, THROUGH THE EYES OF AN EASTENER

Showing Off Campbell River to my friend from Ontario last week was a reminder of how special it is to live on our beautiful coast. Food expert Anita Stewart, who has authoured 14 books on Canadian regional foods, was on the west coast to host a culinary conference in Vancouver. She managed to slip in a side trip over here and I was fortunate to spend an afternoon with her. It was one of those glorious early spring days on the Island when everything sparkled, even the air. Anita is always eager to find out what’s new in regional food and farm initiatives so what could be more fitting than to head off to Connie Kretz’s fledgling commercial vegetable gardens at the Hudson family farm. There were still a few over-wintering crops to examine including arugula, raddichio and kale. Connie is now experimenting with soil conditions and crops that survive our long winter rainy season but her first year in the farm market business has produced a fine summer crop and the next season will be worth waiting for. It was Anita’s first opportunity to view this splendid waterfront property. With the back drop of ancient trees framing the Discovery Passage and sheep eyeing us warily as we tramped the Hudson farm trails, nature provided us with a perfect show.

The Bigleaf Maple Sap-Tapping Workshop I attended at Duncan in mid February was another recent regional activity that interested Anita. Fortunately, I came home from the workshop with an extra bottle of maple syrup which I shared with our guest. She was raised in Ontario where maple syrup production is just part of the local food mix and I was curious about what her reaction would be to our island product. I observed her with some anxiety as she sipped on her first spoonful of local syrup. It passed the test! She was surprised at its quality and impressed by its taste.

Winter Dinners Are My Favourites with heaps of mashed potatoes, at least two or three vegetables and a lovely piece of local fish or Island beef and a generous ladle of sauce to complete the feast. I almost always include Brussel Sprouts, which are at their peak in the winter months, when a good frost helps to sweeten their leaves. They are so full of valuable nutrients it is a pity so many people don’t like them, including President Obama. I have a cooking technique which I will share with you. Prepare yourself to be amazed! You may be able to convince your entire family to munch a few sprouts. Heat up your frying pan and melt a large dollop of butter or margarine plus add half a teaspoon of brown sugar. Cut the sprouts in half, lengthwise. Arrange them face down in the pan and cover with a lid. Don’t add water. Cook them at medium heat for about five minutes. You’ll know they are ready if the sprouts turn intensely bright green and can be pierced with a fork. Remove immediately and serve with a smile. If they pass muster with you the readers, then let’s send the recipe to Mrs. Obama.