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.
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?
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.
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 happy to announce that Chef Adam Jonas will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know his personal tastes and creations a bit more he has kindly answered some questions for us.
What is your favourite thing to cook right now?
Anything on the BBQ like fresh sockeye, steaks, chicken or pork chops. With the hot summer weather it’s nice the get out of the kitchen and cook outside!
What is the first dish you cooked?
I cant remember that but, the first time I learned how to properly cook items like braised beef short ribs and risotto as a young cook working at Galleries on Westwood Plateau, I knew I wanted to become a chef.
What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?
I purchased some Chilliwack corn this week that was delicious, as it is this time of year every year. I also always look forward to our fresh BC harvest items every summer like cherries, blueberries, and peaches. It’s always sad when the growing season comes to an end for these items.
Best tip for home cooks?
Keep it simple. Utilize as many local in season products as possible. Try new recipes. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time when you have company to make the evening less stressful.
Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.
Growing up in a very creative family; a father who built furniture, a mother who was a gifted seamstress and a grandmother who was a marvellous cook, Brigitta knew from an early age how to sew,stitch, knit, wield a hammer and cook at an early age.
Music was an important part of our lives as well, more as in appreciation than playing an instrument; I learned to play the flute much later in live.Most of our weekends and holidays were spent either hiking, climbing and skiing in the Alps, or at the cottage my parents rented at a farm. There I learned to love an appreciate farming and nature in all it’s aspects.
Thus it was only natural that Brigitta was attracted to clay’s earthy properties. She says the material lends itself to being manipulated in every creative way one can think of.
Whether it’s soil I plunge my hands into to bring forth flowers and plants, or whether it’s clay I let slip through my hands to coax into shapes and forms, both give me the immense pleasure of creating. Creations that in return reflect on the beauty of nature.
Despite her creative upbringing, Brigitta says she began working with clay later in life. Once her youngest left home, she one day, filled her time by going to a pottery class with a friend. This reignited her passion for pottery and created opportunities that she did not let slip by. Eventually receiving a business license and building her studio, Brigitta began to sign up for markets, art studio tours and Christmas sales.
There was no opportunity when I was young, studied nursing, immigrated to Canada, and had a family.Even though I did not plan to start a business at this point, I did go to the Kootenay School of Arts studying ceramics for two years. Today I am still very happy working in my studio, totally enjoy the enriching contact with my customers at the markets and am up to a challenge when doing the odd custom work.
Brigitta creates her own unique colours and textures by mixing her own glazes, made of minerals, clays and oxides, which she sources from Greenbarn in Port Kells.
I buy Canadian clay sourced in Medicin Hat (Medalta), Alberta, through the pottery supply store Greenbarn in Port Kells. Medalta is a historic ceramic manufacturing complex now turned into aceramic art school.
To offset the potential environmental damage from glazing materials Brigitta mixes surplus glaze and clay, form bricks, or lately ollas, and fire them to bisque temperature. This process stabilizes all material, and she then uses the bricks and ollas in her garden.
First and foremost, Brigitta’s design inspiration comes from nature. She says she does her best work when the environment is in mind. The rivers, forests and ocean that surround us, reflecting shapes and colours back to us.
…a perky frog, sea stars and shells are enhancing birdbaths, mugs and teapots. The process from idea to finished product can be long. An idea, some drawings, a prototype, or two, or three, breakage and disappointment, but eventually the piece looks at least somewhat like the original idea.
She is intrigued by both straight and clean lines and but gravitates towards organic shapes and forms like leaving uneven rims on plates, bowls and platters.
Or I coax an undulating wave into my mugs, making them look like fresh out of the ocean. And then my flower arranging vessels….well, I do sit in my garden a lot and while admiringthe flowers I’d like to display I envision the form that would do it best.
What in part makes Brigitta’s pottery so unique from one creation to another is the inherit way pottery is finished. She says despite technological advances, no two kiln loads turn out exactly the same.
Outside temperature and humidity, density in stacking the pieces, thickness of each piece, type of clay usedand placement in the kiln all play a role on how a pot turns out. That is why it can be very difficult to exactly replicate a piece.
Read More About Brigitta’s Pottery Making Process:
I do both hand building and wheel throwing and often combine the two.
Lets take a midsize mug:
A lump of soft clay, about 500 g, is gently wedged ( a special kneading technique that is supposed to get rid of air bubbles in the clay and align the tiny clay particles so that throwing becomes easier and even).
On the wheel it takes just a few minutes to form the cup, but then I take a rib (a flat tool) to the wobbly mug and distort the wall to get my wave pattern in. Lots of opportunity to press just a little bit too hard and the thin walls collapse. But if successful, the mug is then transferred onto a drying board and left to dry for a few hours (or anything from half an hour to two days, depending on the weather and humidity) till leather hard. That means the clay will be exactly like leather, it holds its shape but can still be manipulated to some degree. The mug is put back on the wheel, upside down, and the bottom gets trimmed, all the excess clay taken off to form a nice foot.
Meanwhile a handle is formed and left to dry to the same leather hardness as the mug, and then attached to the mug. The mug is left to dry completely, to bone dry, which can take anything from a day to almost a week.
Then the mug is fired to a temperature of 1040 Celsius. This process is called a bisque firing. It takes about 9 to 10 hours to peak temperature and a day to cool down. The process hardens the clay, however, it is still porous, won’t hold water, and is still not very strong.
At this point the glaze is applied. Glaze is a calculated mixture of clays, minerals, oxides and possibly colour pigments that will form a glass like layer around a bisque piece.
There are many techniques to do that, depending on the type of glaze used. Glaze can be painted on, sprayed on, poured over the piece, or the piece can be dipped right into the glaze.
Glaze dries quite fast and the piece can be fired a few hours to a day later. I fire to a mid range temperature of 2,000 Celsius. This time it takes about 12 hours to reach peal temperature and a good day to cool down.
We are happy to announce that Chef Karen Curtis of Kic’s Gourmet Products will be joining our Long Table Dinner once again! To get to know her personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.
What is your favourite thing to cook right now?
I’m trying more vegetarian dishes right now, looking for ways to incorporate new veggies into my food. I just put some shaved fennel into a coleslaw and served it with an orange dressing that a chef friend of mine made. So good! I also just made stuffed tomatoes on the BBQ. They were stuffed with a mixture of Central Park ground pork, veggies and Golden Ears Cheesecrafters cheese. We really enjoyed those.
What is the first dish you cooked?
I don’t remember but I do know that by the time I hit grade eight foods class, I was cooking full meals and they were trying to teach me how to broil a grapefruit half covered with brown sugar!
What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?
I’m all over zucchini right now. Spiralized and served with a rose sauce, sliced into ribbons and sauted with garlic and basil or served with a fresh tomato sauce, stuffed with lentils and cheese, baked into muffins or loaves.
Best tip for home cooks?
Don’t be afraid to try something new. You learn even from your mistakes!
Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.
Gluten free, Coconut Thumbprint cookies filled with lemon curd and fresh raspberries.
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.”
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.
We are happy to announce that Chef Victoria Leszczynski of Ela Made Me Do It will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know her personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.
What is your favourite thing to cook right now?
Japanese turnips are my new favorite vegetables. I love them raw or roasted; roasting makes them even sweeter and juicier!
What is the first dish you cooked?
Hard to say as I used to cook with my grandmother since long before my earliest memories! My first solo dinner was likely dad’s meat sauce and spaghetti recipe, his secret ingredient is a small pinch of cinnamon to compliment the beef!
What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?
Cabbage! As a Polish immigrant I got pretty excited when they cabbages started to pop up at the market a few weeks ago.
Best tip for home cooks?
Colour= flavour! Don’t be afraid to get a really dark sear on your steak or try roasting your favorite vegetables at a higher temperature than usual (with careful monitoring/turning) for a sweeter, richer flavour!
Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.
I will be serving braised beef short ribs! An intense sear for flavour followed by a low and slow braise will result in a melt in your mouth entree.
Crisp Organics has always strived to help diversify crops, protect waterways and improve air quality for Lower Mainland residents and farmers.
“We really began farming for environmental and conservation reasons and have been working hard to transform our land into a vibrant farm with an intense focus on sustainability. We also get to work together as a family.”
Over a two year period, Andrew Vogler and his family searched from Pemberton to Hope for the perfect plot of land to farm. Partnering with his mother, Andrew says they purchased 11 acres in Abbotsford, close to home, about nine years ago.
“My mother grew up on a dairy farm and we were always growing stuff and so I have always wanted to get involved myself. Sustainability has always been apart of our lives and we wanted to see more diversity in crops.”
Andrew says his family knew the area had the perfect soil for farming and lots of vegetables were being grown already.
“The soil, a sandy loam, is the result of thousands of years of sedimentation onto the old Sumas Lake bottom, which once covered much of the lowlands between Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Sumas Lake was drained in the early part of the 20th century to open land to agriculture and the area is now one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada.”
Crisp has created two seasonal harvest boxes, Summer and Cool Season, which are dropped off in about 20 neighbourhoods. Andrew says his family wants people to get a sense of what local produce is available so they can create healthier and more creative meals.
“We deliver the boxes every week and each one has around seven difference types of produce. We created it for people who want to try something new and more sustainable and who may not be able to always make it to a market.”
Crisp Organics has a three to five week growing period, cycling through about 40 different crops, therefore their harvest boxes vary from week to week, adding to the excitement around what customers will receive.
“We let them know ahead of time about what will be in the harvest box so they can plan their meals in advance. We find that people will try it out, see what they like and then maybe go to market to find our products. Everyone’s lives are so different and this program allows people to experience local food.”
To ensure crops are grown, maintained and harvested to their standards, Andrew says his family works closely with staff.
“Care is the most important thing. Care more than anything both in which products to harvest and what to leave to continue to grow. Care in keeping it cooler and damp before you get to market is also important.”
Be sure to stop by Crisp Organics at market to see what they will have!
We are so fortunate and honoured that Bold Properties has given generously to the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society’s 2018 Long Table Dinner- On The Farm.
“At Bold Properties we develop, design and build single-family homes, condominiums, townhomes and rental apartments that put people at the forefront. We are driven by the human experience of space, where smart design meets livability, technology and energy efficiency at our new townhomes, Edgestone in Port Moody. The homes we build in the Tri-Cities bring together family and friends like the exciting Long Table Dinner, and we are proud to support this memorable experience. To all the guests, bon appétit and enjoy the summer evening!”- Bold Properties Team
Thank you, from everyone at the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society, to Bold Properties for their considerable support of this event. As Presenting Sponsor they have helped us create a night full of community, quality food and great conversations around sustainability; a similar environment to that of their property designs.
Bold Properties is and has been involved in a number of community events including Wheel2Heal, Lights of Hope and Marpole’s Community Day and we are thrilled to be in such company.
We are happy to announce that Chef Jasbir of Mandair Farms will be joining our Long Table Dinner once again! To get to know her personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.
What is your favourite thing to cook right now?
Nothing is my favourite. I like to make something new each time, experiment with different things and see how it turns out.
What is the first dish you cooked?
The first thing I ever made was dhal and roti.
What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?
The tomatoes from the Okanagan farmers, Hill Top.
Best tip for home cooks?
Make sure that you have all the ingredients for what you are going to make but also have a well stocked spice cabinet.
Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.
It is going to be a samosa chaat. It is a spin off from your typical indian Chaat Appetizer. Some ingredients will be fresh lettuce, diced fresh cucumber tomato, and onions topped with plain yogurt and my famous tamarind chutney.
“Simple, real, honest,” is the mantra of Poco Soap Co. Building on 16 years of casual soap making and discovering a more simple lifestyle, owner Shea Hogan says he continuously looks for ways to make deeper connections with his local community.
Soap is a real, tangible product that when made well is good for you and ultimately good for our planet, by not using any artificial ingredients no harmful toxins are produced which eventually end up in our environment.
Deliberately avoiding what might be considered typical branding for a soap company, Shea has chosen both a unique and relevant being to help represent his business.
I wanted to find a way to showcase my community through my logo, and bears are an ever present, important part of Port Coquitlam. This bear was inspired by a local bear that made headlines a few years ago.
In addition to being inspired to create for the local economy, Shea says he firmly stays away from the use of plastics, using biodegradable and compostable materials instead.
My soap labels are made of sugarcane waste fiber and are fully biodegradable and compostable. And my lip balm tubes are made from paperboard.
While Poco Soap and Co. may have a slight natural masculine bend as Shea has creative control over his products, he feels good soap is for everyone and benefits all genders.
I don’t specifically make my soaps for men, but as I am a man the brand may have a naturally more masculine bend to it that perhaps more men can relate to, which could be a good thing as men in general are a little standoffish when it comes to natural soaps. So hopefully I can help break down some gender stereotypes, and help raise awareness that natural soaps are okay for men to use too!
With its current success, Poco Soap Co. is expanding! Shea plans to bring his products into wholesale and online selling spaces, as well as opening his workshop for retail possibilities.
I am continuing to develop new products, such as natural lip balms, and will be expanding my soap line.