Community-supported fishing (and a random tale about the sea)

As the bio on my blog says, I love the ocean. I grew up on Vancouver Island but left when I was 19 years old. I miss many things about the sea - the smell of the fresh salty air and the sense of calm that envelopes me when the waves are lapping against the beach. 

It was this sense of calm that my mom, my sister, and I sought out after Angie finished the Boston Marathon on April 15th. Our time in Boston was brief and while we immensely enjoyed the initial part of our visit, the trip certainly did not turn out as we planned. We were never in harm's way after the bombings but we were scared and confused by the events that unfolded around us. 

After the bombings, our emotions were high and we sought refuge in a trip to the Massachusetts seaside. We drove out of the city to find the ocean and walk in the sand. We chatted with New Englanders who were horrified that their most treasured event had been marred by terrorism. We ate good food at a diner in Salem and enjoyed a most fabulous supper in Gloucester.  After a long day on the road, we returned to the city, still on edge but with a feeling of peacefulness that comes from spending the day together with the ones that you love. 

The story of our trip to Boston doesn't have much to do with community-supported fishing but our meal at Alchemy in Gloucester certainly did. Despite the fact that Gloucester is a fishing town right on the Atlantic ocean, Alchemy sold salmon that had been brought in from the Faroe Islands. This is because Atlantic salmon has been horribly overfished and most Atlantic salmon sold in stores today is farmed. While I'm not interested in debating the merits of farmed vs fresh salmon, I personally will not buy farmed salmon. However, given that I live in Alberta, fresh fish (never mind good-tasting fish) is hard to come by, not to mention incredibly expensive. Enter Skipper Otto's Community-Supported Fishing (CSF). 

I first heard of Skipper Otto via CBC Radio in Calgary. The CSF concept was being profiled on the radio and I was intrigued. I contacted the individuals at Skipper Otto and requested the names of clients who were willing to act as references for their business. I spoke to a few people who had ordered from Skipper Otto in the past - all were thrilled with the quality and taste of the salmon that they received. I took the plunge and purchased a share last summer. Truth be told, the salmon we received is some of the best that I have ever eaten. It is not fresh when we receive it in Alberta but it is frozen very soon after being caught and tastes almost as good as fresh. 

I paid $250 for a CSF share last year and received approximately 8 large salmon fillets (1/2 of a whole salmon) plus a few packs of smoked salmon. This priced out to be less than the farmed Atlantic salmon that you can buy at Costco. The quality was superior and as mentioned, the taste was excellent. We will be ordering a CSF share again this year and I'd encourage you to consider doing the same*. Skipper Otto delivers in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon.  

*I'm not afflicted with Skipper Otto in any way and receive no financial benefit or incentive from writing about their fish*

Yam, chickpea, and quinoa salad

We have had some glorious spring weather over the past week here in the Rockies. As always happens when spring arrives, my thoughts turn to salad. Specifically, grainy salads. I'm a little obsessed with quinoa and love the variety of salads that can be made with this one simple ingredient.

This current quinoa salad incarnation arose from the dried chickpeas that I bought at this month's 20% discount day at Nutter's. My friend Carrie talked me into trying dried chickpeas in an effort to reduce our grocery bills while on maternity leave. Using dried beans is very easy but to be honest, it is a bit of a pain. You need to plan ahead and start soaking your beans the day before you want to use them. Once you've soaked them for 24 hours, they need to be cooked on a slow boil for 40-60 minutes. (check out this website for more info on using dried chickpeas). Using dried chickpeas is MUCH cheaper than buying cans at the store and the sodium content is significantly reduced. I also found that the flavour was much better. Going forward, I think that I will use a mix of dried and canned beans as I don't think that I will always have the time needed to use dried.

Anyways, back to this salad…It's a hearty salad that stores really well in the fridge. It was adapted from  one of the Whitewater Cookbooks but I'm not sure which one. It's not a super fast salad to make but the effort is well worth the result.

Ingredients:

Dressing
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup good olive or canola oil (I have been using Highwood Crossing lately)
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
1/2 cup quinoa
1 large yam (about 1 1/2 cups), peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds or pecans
1 cup spinach, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup feta, crumbled

Directions:
1. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Toss chopped yams with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread on a cookie sheet and baked at 350F until just tender (about 30 mins).
3. Add quinoa and 3/4 cup cold water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins on low. Fluff with a fork when done. Leave lid off to let cool.
3. Place chickpeas, red onion, sunflower seeds, spinach, parsley, and feta into a large bowl. Add cooled yams and quinoa.
4. Pour dressing over ingredients and mix gently until combined.
5. Store in fridge for up to a week.

The sesame seed search

A good friend (and my partner in crime when it comes to saving money on groceries!) is looking for help - she finds the price of sesame seeds in Canmore to be ridiculously high. I've tried to find sesame seeds for her at Costco and Superstore but I can never find them. Anyone know where to get a good deal on sesame seeds?!

The easiest way to save money at the grocery store

An alternate title for this post could be "The nerdiest thing that I know" because I'm going to tell you about the 'Scanning Code of Canada' (brace yourselves - this is exciting stuff!).

When I was a child, my mom was pretty diligent about managing our family's grocery budget. She would always check the receipt before she left the grocery store and she would often find errors on her bill. I have followed in my mom's footsteps, and like her, I often find that I have been overcharged on multiple food items (A rough guess would be that 25% of my grocery store bills have mistakes on them). And while both my mom and I would return to customer service to get the error corrected, I have since taken things a step further and found a way to make those mistakes work to my advantage. Enter, "Scanning Code of Canada".

The Scanning Code of Canada (as pictured above) states that when a customer is overcharged for an item, they are entitled to receive that item for free (up to a value of $10.00). Example:

Canned beans: Advertised price - $1.79/can
                      : Price you are charged - $1.99/can

Many cashiers will try to simply refund you the .20 cent difference. However, you are entitled to receive that can of beans for free. You will receive a refund for the price difference on any subsequent cans purchased.

Using the Scanning Code of Canada to your advantage requires a few techniques. 1) You must have some awareness of the cost of each item on your grocery bill. This can be difficult as it means remembering many prices. However, errors most commonly occur on sale items so, to start, pay closest attention to those. 2) You must check your receipt before you leave the store. It's easiest to get your money back if you act quickly as you are less likely to lose your receipt and/or forget the price of sale items. 3) You have to be willing to remind cashiers of their obligation to follow the Scanning Code. While the Code is voluntary, almost all stores in Canada adhere to it and often times, cashiers are simply not aware of the policy.

It may seem petty to use the Code to help save money on your grocery bill but groceries often take up a huge portion of a household budget and I'm a firm believer in saving money wherever I can!

Organic Beef, Chicken, and Grain orders in the Bow Valley

From Farm Box:

Place your orders online before March 14th for the following Spring Offers:

Prairie Roots Organic Chicken - Sunworks Farm, Armena AB.

These truly superior products come with a long list of certifications, including Organic, Free-Range, Humane, and Local Sustainable.

Several combo boxes available as well whole chickens.

Place Your Chicken Order
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* NEW* Organic Grass-Fed Beef - Sunworks Farm, Armena AB

This grass-fed, grass-finished cattle share the organic pastures at Sunworks Farm with the chickens who follow them in an intensive grazing method that keeps the grasses healthy & well fertilized, and the animals naturally fed.

Place Your Beef Order
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*NEW* Highwood Crossing Organic Grains & Oils - High River AB

Highwood Crossing is a beautifully sustainable family grain farm and processing facility near High River AB that produces a diverse selection of whole grains, flours and cereal mixes as well as amazing Cold-Pressed Canola Oil & Flax Oil.

Some of you may have sampled these exceptional products from our market stall last year. This year rather than package these products into a grain share, we will offer seasonal bulk orders.

Place Your Highwood Crossing Order
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We are working with a New Online Order/Registration System!
Zone4 Systems is working it's magic for us, so please note that you will receive confirmations from this system in your inbox when you place your order!

Farm Box

farmbox.ca

Join Us on Facebook! ...For updates, recipe ideas & Local Food For Thought!

Cooking chicken

I've long struggled to cook chicken breasts in a manner that I'm happy with. I like to BBQ them in the summer but am stuck for other cooking options throughout the rest of the year. Moist chicken breast is elusive to many, hence this instruction set from TheKitchn.com.

I've tried this method twice - I used too much flour the first time so I was only lightly dusted each breast with a smidge of flour this time. Much better! I sprinkled each breast with Hazelwood Herb Farm Chicken Blend, paprika, and salt + pepper before dusting them with the flour. I followed the directions (almost) exactly as posted and was very happy with the results. I used the chicken in salad on this occasion but it would also go nicely on top of pasta. I've copied the instructions below for ease and included my minor changes.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon dried herbs (parsley, paprika, oregano etc)
Olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter

Equipment
10-inch sauté pan with lid
Instructions

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with the handle or flat of a knife (I skipped this step because my chicken breasts were already fairly even in thickness).

2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with dried herbs of your choice.

3. Quickly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, so that they are just lightly dusted with flour.

4. Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil and butter. Let them melt, and swirl the pan.

5. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually searing or browning them). Then flip each chicken breast over.

6. Turn the heat to low. Put the lid on the pan. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Do not lift the lid; do not peek.

7. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek.

8. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and tada! Soft, tender, juicy chicken breasts that aren't dried out in the least. Double check them to make sure there is no pink in the middle. Slice and eat.

Food happenings in the Bow Valley

Finally - a new blog post! Baby Z is now 9 weeks old and life is settling down enough for me to return to cooking and blogging about food. I've also received a few emails over the past week about opportunities to support local agriculture which has further inspired me to write this post.

From Farm Box:
Hello Local Foodies! You are invited:

Farm Box Winter Pow-Wow
@ Communitea Cafe
7-9pm, Thursday, February 28th

Join us for snacks, learn about what's NEW for 2013...& Meet Your Farmers!

Lots of Change & Growth in 2013!
We are excited to share with you what we've been working on this winter, including:

* The New Faces of Farm Box

* Our New Location

* Farm Box goes Year-Round

* Urban Agriculture Project

* Changes to the Shares

* New Working Shares

* You'll also have a chance to meet several of the farmers that Farm Box works with! *

Please RSVP by Monday, Feb.26th so we know how much food to prepare!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Avni and Chrystel

Farm Box
farmbox.ca

Also from Farm Box:

Hello Foodies and Farm Boxers!

Farm Box invites you to fill your freezer this Spring with pasture-raised, heritage-breed pork from Fisher Farms.

 This season, Fisher Farms is offering a variety of gourmet sausage and nitrate-free bacon!
And for those of you seeking less processed options, they've got roasts, chops, & ribs available. 

Please place your order by Feb. 28th for delivery the following week on March 7th.  

Fisher Farms raises Berkshire and Tamworth hogs on their pasture near Didsbury Ab. These happy hogs are raised with compassionate, responsible and ethical practices. Farmer Nolan Fisher is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare and product quality. This sustainable farrow-to-fork operation “strives to produce the best pork products available, by raising our free range pork the way Mother Nature intended.”

All products arrive frozen, labelled and vacuum packed.

Nitrate-Free Boneless Hams (2-2.5kg) limited qty! $15.40/kg

Pork Chops - Thick Cut, Boneless (4/pkg) $23.96/kg
Pork Chops - Thick Cut, Boneless (2/pkg) $23.96/kg

Ground Pork (0.5kg pkg) $13.24/kg

Shoulder Roast (1.5-2kg pkg) limited qty! $18.60/kg

St. Louis-style Side Ribs (0.5-0.9kg pkg) limited qty!  $18.60/kg

Baby Back Ribs (0.5-0.8kg pkg) limited qty! $23.43/kg

Pork Belly (0.5kg pkg) limited qty! $18.60/kg

Pork Fat (2kg pkg) $4.00/kg

Bacon!

Nitrate-Free Back Bacon (0.5kg pkg) limited qty!  $31.99/kg
Nitrate-Free Bacon - Sliced (0.5kg pkg) limited qty! $23.96/kg
Nitrate-Free Bacon - Unsliced (0.5kg pkg) limited qty! $23.96/kg

Sausage! (all gluten free except breakfast)
Nitrate-Free Bratwurst (0.5kg pkg) $23.43/kg

Mennonite Sausage (0.5kg pkg) $22.04/kg
Farmer Sausage (0.5kg pkg) $22.04/kg
Breakfast Sausage (0.5kg pkg) $22.04/kg
Garlic Fry Sausage (0.5kg pkg) $22.04/kg
Smokies (0.5kg pkg) $22.04/kg
Summer Sausage (0.5kg pkg) $23.30/kg

From Iain (the farmer that I order grass-fed beef from):

Please let us know at your earliest convenience if you are considering buying beef or pork from us in 2013 with an indication of quantity. There is no binding commitment to purchase on your part until you send back a completed order form/cutting instruction sheet by the end of August deadline (end of July for first time customers) Letting us know your requirements now however guarantees you supply and allows us to manage our inventory so that we know when to stop accepting new orders. All product will be allocated on a first come/first served basis.

Thanks,
Iain

Iain's beef goes quickly so if you are interested, email him soon to get your name on the list. I plan to attend the Farm Box Winter Pow-Wow and hope to find out about options for purchasing local eggs. It's the one big item missing from my (wanna-be) 100 mile diet aspirations. I'll keep you posted!