maxmillan

I've been growing radicchio with excellent results (ie. very little maintenance.) I've thinly sliced the leaves, mix it with chick peas and sliced red pepper. Toss it with a dressing made of lemon, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fresh ground black pepper and freshly ground curry mix (The Cape Herb & Spice Company.) It tastes out of this world. The best thing is that I simply tear the outer leaves and let the rest grow. I've had a few rounds of salads made from the same plants and they are now slowly starting to flower. The radicchio are in pots to control pests and I've got them on a table outside. I'm experimenting with other plants to see which are the most hardy so I can plant more next year. Red lettuce, cherry tomatoes, tumbler tomatoes (very bountiful), kale (Rainbow and Russian), Swiss chard, pac choy, cilantro, Thai basil, mint, spearmint, acorn squash, zucchini, corn, garlic chives...these are the most successful so far. I've got other things under observation - jalapeno, sweet red peppers, golden berry, thornless blackberry, basil and other herbs that are regenerating from last year. I have not used anything other than water and plant companion plants to ward off pests. I've thrown "garlic water" on susceptible plants, coffee ground, and manual removal of pests. I'm aiming for sustainable gardening and trying to convince family and friends to replace a portion of their grass and flowers and grow food. Next year, I want to grow edible weeds and flowers for practical and esthetic purpose. Growing your own food has been very grounding, rewarding and educational. I wish I started this long ago.

Organic Meadow ← Any idea where I can get it in Vancouver? Where is it made? I should have mentioned, I prefer to buy local. ← You can find it in Choices stores (note that it's a pressed cottage cheese, so if you were looking for a tub, you may have missed it). Thanks. I found it. They didn't carry it at the Cambie store and they had it at the MacDonald store. ←

I'm looking for a U-pick farm for raspberries and blackberries, preferably not sprayed. I usually go to Westham Island in Delta but would prefer something a little closer such as Richmond. Can someone point out a farm in Richmond with good raspeberries? It should be ready for picking in the middle of July. Can someone also suggest a place to buy ready picked raspberries in Richmond (or close by) that sells in bulk? I would like to buy 10 to 20 pounds. I'm even willing to buy from a nearby grocer, if the quality is good. Thanks.

UBC Farmers Market had their first day yesterday. The weather held out, especially for the people who were lined up early for the organic eggs, strawberries and young garlic. The Mayans had their cilantro and radishes. One group of radishes were enlongated in shape and, although I didn't try it, has less bite than the regular beets. The smell at this market is incredible. Fresh herbs, lavender, garlic...it is much more pronounced here without the car fumes at other markets. The market runs until October with each week bringing in the seasonal crops. You can wander around the fields, see the chickens, bring the kids and finish the day wandering around Point Grey. I bought a few things I've never tried before: turnips greens, garlic scapes and young swiss chard. They are all organic and very fresh; picked the day before. I think this market is unique in that it is student and volunteer run and you are shopping in the area where they are grown. There are many unique education programs for kids and school. They promote sustainable and organic practice. I plan to bring my nephew to help harvest for the market (and they have to be controllable.) I think this is a good way to get kids interested in real food. When you go, there is a ton of information regarding kid friendly activities. You can get onto their mailing list http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/ They email a list of what will be available at the next Saturday market as well as activities. The last presentation (by donation) was about Winter Gardening.

Organic Meadow ← Any idea where I can get it in Vancouver? Where is it made? I should have mentioned, I prefer to buy local.

Looking for organic cottage cheese. Choices and Capers didn't have them when I last looked. Is there such a thing?

The only place with exotic flavored Kit Kat is Izumi-Ya in Richmond and it's red bean. Everyplace is sold out. Couldn't get through the phone at Konbiniya (got a fax tone.)

Checked out Yaohan, T&T, Candyland and other stores in Richmond and no exotic flavor Kit Kats. They said they won't get it in until fall. Going to Richmond is a nightmare. Can someone recommend a store that is guaranteed to have these Kit Kats so I don't have to drive the mental streets in Richmond?

It's obvious this thread is not going to help me.

If you must know, it's part of our job, wine tasting that is. If it was illegal the head office would not allow this. I repeat, the food is secondary as this is put into our budget. So let's get back on topic.

My co-workers have a monthly budget for wine tasting and food. But we need a venue that is licensed, has a private room and preferably in Vancouver. We bring our own wine and the food budget is about $150 for 8 - 12 people. We make up the difference from our own pocket for the food. So far, the suggestions I have made has been shot down because the restaurants have been too expensive, dingy, or whatever.. The last place we did this was at Little India (or New India?) which is a buffet restaurant on West Broadway. We had BC VQA wine, half of which was white. So this turned out somewhat appropriate for pairing. They were kind enough not to charge a corking fee. Of course, we uncorked our own wines. Our wine selection will depend on what we pick for our next venue. We do aim to have at least one dessert wine, a port, or something sweet. Can someone make a suggestion that will please most of us? It would be a Sunday early evening booking. The focus will be on the wine and the food secondary so we don't need a three course meal or anything too frivolous.

I've been looking for organic strawberry U-picks as well but to no avail. However, I decided to grow June bearing strawberries in a pot this year and it's looking very bountiful. Just from one plant I estimated I will get two to three pounds of Ranier strawberries. Even if you don't have the garden space, you can grow your own in several pots on a sunny balcony. Although I don't know where the seedlings come from, I grow them in organic soil. As for organic U-pick, I believe a farm on Westham Island has rasperries, blackberries, blueberries and other varieties. I may have been too late but their organic strawberries were too small and would have taken too long to pick what I needed. They do have an interesting small sweet yellow strawberry variety I've never seen before. I'll have to dig out my file to find out the name and location.

Found them! At the Nat Bailey Farmer's Market. They are as close to organic as I could find and the stock, I was told, is relatively young. I forget the name of the vendor, but they are from Chilliwack and are also at the Trout Lake Market. They are frozen, $2.50 per pound and I had to buy a minimum 2 - 3 pounds.

I particularly like the spicy soup based used for the noodles. What should I look for to make a similar soup base? I see dried Korean chilli, chilli paste, etc. Can anyone suggest a popular brand that I may find in my Vancouver British Columbia location?

If it's booze, it should have to be sold in a government or private liquor store. Try contacting the company, and finding out if they've shipped any to canada. Then find out how to get some. ← You might be out of luck finding the Luxardo brand. However, there is another brand (forget the name) but much more expensive. The Maple and Broadway BC liquor store has it. I understand they de-listed it because it's not a good seller but they may bring it back during the Christmas season. I have asked the manager to bring it back but apparently, some things are up to the reps, not the BC govt liquor stores as to what is available. I'm going to try again to see if they can get it in. I'm coddling my last bottle for my black forest cheesecake. They do, however, have cherry brandy if that will suffice.

Does anyone know where I can buy the ready to serve tomato bruschetta topping made by "Emma?" It comes in a 1litre glass jar. The last place I bought it was Bosa on Victoria last year for around $6. It's a product from Italy and I'm guessing "Emma" is a brand name just like "Hunt's." The top of the lid has a sticker which reads, "Muraca." This sticker extends as the seal to the jar. I really love this topping as you can see the bright red tomato pieces and the olive oil are both delicious and NOT sweet. A clerk at Bosa recommended the Italissima brand and it looks like a darker mush with a lot less oil. They no longer carry the above brand. I use this not only for bruschetta but also for pizza and anything that needs a good authentic tomato taste. I find other brands use sugar and/or overuse spices which overpower the tartness.

I try to frequent Spices (Cambie and 17th) as the food is so good. Because everyone is avoiding this area, driving is quite good.

I found a comparable pressure cooker on this site: http://www.wellscan.ca/cdn-site/pcookers_cdn.htm These Chef's Design are much lower in price and the good thing is they are located in Burnaby so you can shop in person or have it mailed to you. Derek, on another thread kindly informed me of this site which sells Kuhn Rikon: http://citychef.ca/xcart/customer/home.php?cat=320 They are located in Richmond and they replied that you can pick up your order in person. However, they do deliver for free (which is inclusive in the price. Be aware of the refund policy****) Thanks to everyone for your response.

I'm considering getting the Kuhn Rikon 8L Duromatic Hotel pressure cooker model. It was a toss up between the 7L Duromatic and the above. I'm hoping to have something that will last a long time and have a lot of versatility (ie. cooking chicken, roast, etc.) I know they both will do the same job. However, I like the double handle and the squatter shape on the hotel model. Also, this one has a thicker metal wall. Before I make my purchase, can anyone offer any advice as to whether or not I should spend the extra $184 for the hotel model? If I'm only using it at home, does it make any difference which model I use? Thanks.

As beccaboo noted, coil stove won't be a problem. There's no suggestion [that I recall] in the user manual or other literature that came with the pan suggesting gas-only. It's a heavy gauge SS pan with a substantial aluminum bottom disk. I've mostly used mine on coil electric. CityChef have carried them for years, that's where I got mine. Vancouver based, $255 for the seven litre, free shipping By the sound of things, someone is feeding you suspect information cheers Derek ← Thanks for the lead. I'm going to check it out. My friend did a demo on her Lagostina pc. We made a whole chicken and filled the rest of the pot with vegetables. After 25 minutes it was still not done and we threw everything in a roasting dish and cooked another 10 minutes. I was not very impressed with the flavor. But we prepare the meal within 10 minutes by adding lemon, juice salt, pepper,and chicken spice.

Thanks for the inspiration. I think this is worth experimenting. Now to find me a stevia plant or seeds.

Thanks for your replies. I was on the fence about enameled cookware. Initially I liked it for it's non-reactivity to food. I do have a cheaper enamel pot for making simple quick soup and I do know what you mean about burned spots. I don't think the cleaning is worth it for me.

I understand LC is cast iron and Chantal is carbon steel. The Chantal website explains thoroughly how well they test their cookware for warping and chipping of which I was highly impressed. I know cast iron has a longer heat retention but it's so darn heavy. I don't plan to make long simmering recipes. I just want long lasting cookware that will satisfy general use (making noodles, eggs, quick soups...) I've read somewhere here that even the LC handles fell off after only a few uses.

Yes, I know what Stevia is. My question is how do they process this plant into sugar or the liquid form? Apparently one can grow this plant and make their own sweetener. I also know there is a controversy about the labelling of Stevia between the sugar companies and Stevia producers. It is used by diabetics who do not want the conventional sugar substitute (aspartame, saccharin, etc.)