We are happy to announce that Humble Roots Cafe & Deli will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know Owner, Tyler Towe’s, personal tastes and creations a bit more he has kindly answered some questions for us.
(Courtesy of Humble Roots)
What is your favourite thing to cook right now?
I enjoy experimenting with meat and dairy alternatives; nut or tofu based cheese, seitan, aqua faba based recipes and various beans/legumes. It’s a welcome challenge to explore and refine dishes that are relatively new to the culinary scene.
What is the first dish you cooked?
(Courtesy of Humble Roots)
Shepherds Pie was the first thing I remember “trying” to prepare. It was always a favourite of mine growing up as the one my grandma made was very impressive.
What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?
BC corn is always a welcome treat!
Best tip for home cooks?
When ever possible, source local!!! Get inspired at nearby farmer’s market and try to revolve your meals around what’s seasonal. Jar and preserve your local fare at its optimal time for harvest so it can be enjoyed all year round. Talk to your local farmers, ask them questions as they are a wealth of knowledge and can provide insight on what’s fresh now and what to look forward to.
(Courtesy of Humble Roots)
Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.
Our dish is inspired by the time of year and the local ingredients available to us. It is designed to be a light and refreshing chapter in a farm to table story as told by chefs and farmers alike.
We are so fortunate that Buffalo-Gentai Development Ltd has given generously to the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society’s 2018 Long Table Dinner- On The Farm.
“We are honoured to be a sponsor of the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society’s Long Table Dinner. Serving the community has always been our mission, so we are very glad to support local produce and economy.”
(Courtesy of Buffalo-Gentai Development Ltd)
Buffalo Investment Canada Ltd is a Vancouver based real estate developer with over 20 years of proven success focusing on premium developments on a global stage. Led by real-estate guru Mr. William Wang, Buffalo is dedicated to building quality developments, in superior market locations, with long-term investment value.
Based in Greater Vancouver and licensed by the Financial Institutions Commission (FICOM), Gentai Capital Corporation is a lending specialized asset manager in the business of originating, funding and servicing mortgage investments.
Thank you, from everyone at the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society, to Buffalo-Gentai Development Ltd for their considerable support of this event. As a Gold Sponsor, they have helped us create a night of quality food, great company and amazing entertainment.
Here at the Coquitlam Farmers Market we are all about local, seasonal and sustainably grown produce. What better way to celebrate the summer months than a fresh take on some familiar foods! This week’s topic: pears.
Did You Know?
Did you know there are over three thousand varieties of pears grown in the world but none are native to North America?
Due to their low acidity, pears are often suggested for weaning babies as they are not too hash or their digestive system. This fruit has more fibre and potassium than apples!
A medium sized pear has about 300 calories and used to be known as “butter fruit” for its soft, butter-like texture. Pears are in season in South West British Columbia from August until December! Make sure you stop by the market this Sunday to try some of the province’s best!
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium pears, quartered and cored
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Salt
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions:
Step 1- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high.
Step 2- Add pears, one cut side down, and cook until browned, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes. Turn pears to other cut side and cook 4 minutes.
Step 3- Add sugar and 1 tablespoon water, swirling pan to combine. Turn pears skin side down and cook until sauce is thickened slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pinch of salt.
Step 4- Serve warm with ice cream!
Ingredients at the Market
Pears:
Butter: Golden Ears Cheescrafters
Ice Cream: Rocky Point Ice Cream
Other Greens and Vegetables: Amazia Farm, Beckmann Farm, Floralia Growers, Forstbauer Farms, Langley Organic Growers, Never Say Die Farm, Ripple Creek Organic Farm, Shen’s Farm, Wah Fung Farm
Steps on How To Grow
Pear Growing 101:
Step 1- In order to produce fruit, you need to plant more than one variety of pear tree. This will allow cross-pollination but ensure these varieties are compatible.
Step 2- Make sure you plant your trees in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun that has good are circulation.
Step 3- Space the trees 20 to 25 feet apart. If you are using dwarf trees, space them 12 to 15 feet apart. For trees that come from containers, remove the plant. Use shears to remove any circling roots. For grafted trees, position the inside of the curve of the graft union away from the sun when planting.
Step 4- Dig a hole that is a few inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots. Set the tree on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole. Be sure to spread the roots away from the trunk without excessively bending them. Do not add fertilizer or topsoil to the hole.
Step 5- Make sure you water your young tree enough in order to establish roots.
Step 6- Add a small amount of fertilizer. If you have highly fertile soil, use less fertilizer.
Note: Do not add too much fertilizer because it is important for the tree to not have too much nitrogen!
Step 7- Prune your trees to either a central leader system or a modified leader system (this is easier to maintain). If you have a dwarf tree it is better to prune to a central leader system.
Step 8- During the first summer, remove any shoots that form within 18 inches of the ground. The result of this should look like a Christmas tree. Prune your trees regularly and thin the fruit as well.
Note: After your trees are established, water them regularly.
Step 9- When harvesting the fruit, pick them when they are fully grown but still very hard. Keeping the fruit at room temperature to ripen will produce the best product.
Pears in B.C.
Did you know pears are one of the very few fruit that don’t fully ripen on the tree? In Canada, commercial pear production is limited to regions with a mild winter climate. The tops producers of pears in this country are Ontario, Nova Scotia and B.C.!
The climate in B.C.’s Okanagan make growing pears easy and successful but this fruit is grown across the southern region of this province.
Hundreds of farmers have been growing pears in B.C. for decades with no sign of slowing down!
…Most importantly, the markets allow us to serve the community with our fresh produce.
For over 15 years, Never Say Die has been participating in farmers markets selling their locally grown, no spray vegetables. Never Say Die’s early roots with farmers markets, began with selling exclusively garlic says Owner Le Faan.
We knew we had the best garlic around so instead of just selling it
on the farm we took it to the markets for the community to give a try. Everyone loved it! After years of growing garlic we are now able to grow over 30,000 garlic bulbs annually.
Two years later, Laan began selling a variety of vegetables. She says the markets have become their primary outlet for selling produce!
Participating at the farmers markets allows us to meet new people
and increase our clientele but most importantly, the markets allow us to serve the community with our fresh produce.
With greater consumer awareness, Laan says Never Say Die’s goal is to provide consumers with quality no spray produce that is grown locally.
We know many people are tired of buying produce at grocery stores that are sprayed with many chemicals like pesticides. Not only that, many consumers have no idea where the produce is coming from. That’s where we come in.
You can currently find Never Say Die at three different markets weekly. Laan loves where her company is at the moment and will continue to supply the community with fresh produce for many years to come.
We believe that consumers deserve the right to know where their purchased produce is coming from. We are committed to building the community by participating in local farmers markets to attract and bring people together.
Here at the Coquitlam Farmers Market we are all about local, seasonal and sustainably grown produce. What better way to celebrate the summer months than a fresh take on some familiar foods! This week’s topic: beets.
Did you know beets are grown for both their edible roots and greens?
Did you know beets are grown for both their edible roots and greens?
Did You Know?
Did you know beets are a member of the scientific family which includes among other things, spinach? Their greens are high in vitamin A and are great in salads and other fresh summer dishes!
Beets are in season in South West British Columbia from July all the way until December! They have been used as both a dye and drink packed with nutrients like vitamin C and fiber.
Step 1- Put the potatoes, carrot, parsnip, beets and bay leaf in a large pot of water. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 2- Sauté the onion, garlic and dill to your liking and then add it to the pot.
Step 3- Cook your combined ingredients in your pot over low heat for another 30 minutes.
Step 4- Enjoy your borscht hot or cold, chunky or pureed!
Ingredients at the Market
Beets: Forstbauer Farms, Never Say Die Farm
Bell Peppers: Floralia Growers, Never Say Die Farm
Carrots: Wah Fung Farm, Never Say Die Farm
Onions: Wah Fung Farm
Dill: Floralia Growers, Shen’s Farm, Red Barn Plants and Produce
Greens: Amazia Farm, Beckmann Farm, Floralia Growers, Forstbauer Farms, Harvest Direct, Hill Top Farm, Langley Organic Growers, Mandair Farms, Never Say Die Farm, Ripple Creek Organic Farm, Shen’s Farm, Snowy Mountain Organics, Wah Fung Farm
Steps on How To
Beet Planting 101:
Step 1- Seeds should be sown about one half inches deep in the soil with each row about 12-18 inches apart. The seedlings will need to be thinned when they are one to two inches tall and spaced about one inch apart.
Step 2- As they continue to grow, they should be thinned again, until they are growing about three to four inches apart. Beets can be planted successively (about three weeks apart) so you can have multiple harvests throughout the growing season.
Step 3- After your beets have matured a bit, put mulch around the plants to help conserve moisture and keep weeds at bay. Weeding will need to be done periodically. Be careful not to disrupt the roots of the beets.
Step 4- Watering your beets is important. Make sure the plant receives about an inch of water per week.
Note: When growing conditions are overly wet or poor-draining, fungal diseases are common.
Step 5- Depending on the variety, beets mature between 55-70 days. Beets can be harvested at any point you desire. When beets become larger than three inches they become tough and fibrous in texture. The greens of beets taste best when they are between four and six inches in height.
Note: It is important to maintain continual growth when growing beets. If growth stops, an inferior crop will result.
Beets in B.C.
Beets are one of B.C.’s many field vegetables that thrive due to a moderate climate, fertile soils and access to good water. The majority of field vegetables are produced in the southwest corner of the province with the remainder spread largely throughout Vancouver Island and the southern interior.
Did you know beets are primarily grown for the fresh market? At the same time, they are considered a storage crop by the province. Growing as much storage crops as we do, the province has set a quota in order to balance the amount grown among farmers while not to overload the marketplace.
The Coquitlam Farmer’s Market is a food hub and draws in a great cross section of shoppers.
While Elke, Ken and their son Erik manage farms separated by distance, the desire to grow quality produce binds them like they were run next to each other. Ken and his wife have been growing plants since the 1970’s, first developing Rainforest Gardens, a retail and mail order perennial nursery. He says his sons desire to dive into the food side of farming is what has gotten them where they are today.
Erik started it all, taking over areas of our nursery and then moving to Cawston. Amazing to think we are now heading to 100% veggies and fruit production.
In the 2000’s their passion blossomed into Red Barn Plants & Produce growers of interesting vegetables, herbs, edible annuals and of course intriguing perennials. The family currently has one farm located in Maple Ridge and another situated in Cawston. Prior to his adult farming days, he grew up around plants, stemming from his mother’s love of growing produce.
My mother was a farm girl and she always seemed to have a packet of seed around for us.
Elke and Ken say their two farm locations are a large reason why they can grow a good selection of plants, fruits and vegetables. So as a food producer in British Columbia, why is it important to buy locally?
I am going to take the glass half full answer to this. Keeps money and employment local. Half empty answer; what if something goes wrong out there
in the big world?
Ken says the success of the buy local movement rides on the principle that farmers’ voices are heard and understood.
Farmers must be heard not just the food advocates.
He adds that the movement should stop trying to expand and “create a solid foundation.” While Ken points to the fact that sustainability means something different to everyone, one thing Red Barn Plants & Produce focuses on is quality products with a strong focus on community engagement.
Here at the Coquitlam Farmers Market we are all about local, seasonal and sustainably grown produce. What better way to celebrate the summer months than a fresh take on some familiar foods! This week’s topic: bell peppers.
Did you know red peppers are simply green ones left on the vine longer? (Courtesy of KT Ng)
Did You Know?
Did you know peppers were named by Spanish explorers searching for peppercorn plants to produce black pepper? Also, they are considered fruits because they are produced from a flowering plant and contain seeds.
Peppers are in season in South West British Columbia from July through to October! Bell peppers are the most cultivated in the pepper family and are good in salads, pizzas, soups, sandwiches, or eaten fresh as a snack.
1 bell pepper (any color), cut into four 1/2-inch-thick rings
4 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan
4 slices multigrain (or other) bread, toasted
8 cups mixed salad greens
Directions:
Step 1- Heat one teaspoon of oil over medium-high in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Add bell pepper, then crack one egg into the middle of each pepper ring.
Step 2- Season with salt and pepper and cook until egg whites are mostly set but yolks are still runny, this is about two to three minutes. Gently flip and cook one minute more for over easy.
Step 3- Sprinkle with Parmesan and place each egg on a slice of toast.
Step 4- Toss salad greens with one teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper; serve alongside eggs.
Ingredients at the Market
Bell Peppers: Floralia Growers, Never Say Die
Cheese: Golden Ears Cheesecrafters
Eggs: Alder Creek Heritage Homestead, Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm, Rockweld Farm
Bread: A Bread Affair, Delish Gluten Free, Gesundheit Bakery
Greens: Amazia Farm, Beckmann Farm, Floralia Growers, Forstbauer Farms, Harvest Direct, Hill Top Farm, Langley Organic Growers, Mandair Farms, Never Say Die Farm, Ripple Creek Organic Farm, Shen’s Farm, Snowy Mountain Organics, Wah Fung Farm
Steps on How To
Bell Pepper Planting 101:
Step 1- As an option, plant three seeds in one pot, and thin out the weakest seedling. Let the remaining two pepper plants live as one plant. About a week before moving your plant into a bigger pot, introduce compost or other organic nutrients into the soil.
Step 2- Once the seedlings are large enough to transplant, place them 18-24 inches apart. Place the pot outdoors in a warm environment. You can warm up the soil by covering it with black plastic.
Step 3- Water the plants two to three times per week or if conditions are particularly dry, more frequent watering may be necessary. To help retain moisture you can add mulch to the surrounding area.
Step 4- Weed carefully around the plant and harvest as soon as the peppers reach desired size.
Note: Keep your plant as warm as possible for the best germination conditions. Also, the longer you keep the peppers on the vine, the greater vitamin C content.
Bell Peppers in B.C.
Bell peppers are considered a greenhouse vegetable by the B.C. government. The industry now relies on state-of-the-art facilities and production practices to produce high-quality fresh vegetables!
These advances in technology have extended the growing season and therefore has allowed consumers the option of buying locally during times when certain produce were not historically available.
Here at the Coquitlam Farmers Market we are all about local, seasonal and sustainably grown produce. What better way to celebrate the summer months than a fresh take on some familiar foods! This week’s topic: cherries.
Did you know cherries belong to the rose family?
Did You Know?
Did you know British Columbia grows 95% of Canada’s cherries? The cherry fruit is part of the Rosaceae family which also includes almonds, peaches, apricots and plums.
Cherries are in season in South West British Columbia for the months of July and August! They are known to have a very short fruiting season and can be among the earliest to ripen.
Recipe of the Week
Cherry Basil Bruschetta
Ingredients:
2 Cups cherries
1/4 small red onion, or 1 shallot finely diced
1/4 Cup of basil
1/4 Cup chives
2 tsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 Cup feta or goat cheese.
pinch of salt & pepper
baguette
Directions:
Step 1- Pit and chop cherries. In a small bowl mix together onions, cherries, and stir in basil, chives, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Step 2- Let sit while you prepare your baguette.
Step 3- Slice your baguette and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
Step 4- Lightly toast in a 400F oven for about eight minutes, or until crisp.
Step 5- Spoon over toasted baguette slices.
Step 6- Crumble goat cheese or feta over the cherries and finish with a crack of black pepper.
Ingredients at the Market
Cherries: Harvest Direct Farms, Hill Top Farm, Snowy Mountain Organics
Basil: Ripple Creek, Forstbauer Farms, Floralia Growers
Chives: Floralia Growers
We're open! And we have cherries! Pick these up, and other local goodies, until 1pm! https://t.co/zv7NkZSF5T
— Coq Farmers Market (@CoquitlamMarket) June 18, 2017
Steps on How To
Cherry Planting 101:
Step 1- Place seeds less than five centimetres down and about a half a meter apart in either a pot or the ground. Then fill the hole up to soil levels.
Step 2- After they have sprouted, space the cherries to about six meters apart. Like most plants, cherries don’t like being over crowded.
Step 3- Cherries need sun and water. BUT they do not grow well if they are waterlogged so keep the plant slightly moist and do not over water. Test the soil down to about eight centimetres and water whenever this depth feels dry.
Step 4- Add mulch or organic compost once the plant has sprouted. Fertilizer is best avoided with young trees because they are easy to burn. The compost should give plenty of nutrients.
Step 5- As an option, prune the cherry tree occasionally as this can help with its growth.
Note: You can add defences against birds such as hanging CDs from branches or fend off burrowing animals by building a physical barrier.
Cherries in B.C.
There are more than 1,000 types of cherries but approximately 20 are grown commercially in B.C. spread across about 3,500 acres. You can find some of these varieties right at the Coquitlam Farmers Market!
Did you know, Canada holds the record for baking the largest cherry pie in the world? One weighing in at 39,683 pounds was baked in Oliver, B.C. breaking the previous record.
