Zucchini Mama

I used to have "white trash" nachos at The Whip when I had a craving for nachos with canned olives and jalapenos--looks like they have a new chef--Jeff Wernbacher and he may have kicked it up a notch--Nachos - Tortilla chips, Serrano chili, cheddar, avocado cream, and green onions --10$ I'd still miss the olives though--it's one of those weird cravings we seamonkeys get on a full moon.

The Farm now has a blog: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/farmblog/. The first market is this Saturday.

We went to Fresh Café last month and the food was pretty good. They have a fun juice menu and make their own sausages. My son's crepes with lemon curd were a favorite. However they are having trouble regulating the temperature upstairs and it was sweltering on a cool day. So if you can, snag a table outside. The chocolate festival was on when we were in The Peg and we tasted some awesome chocolate bread pudding at Grass Roots at The Forks that was outstanding. The savory bread pudding at Tall Grass is good too.

If you go to Calories and the rabbit paté is on the menu, it's fantastic. Calories is good for lunch--the sandwiches are great. I used to live across the street and have a nostalgia for their California club on wild rice bread--kind of nineties-style, but that's the nostalgia part. For dessert, try the Schmoo Torte--you don't see that every day! Caramel sauce on a pecan-chiffon--it's soooo good!

Well, we've just been to Thyme on the Ocean in Comox, which I highly reccommend--it may be a bit out of your way, but you can zip up there pretty fast on the new highway. They have a Napolean Pizza menu at lunch, as well as other goodies. I had the Tartuffo Nero with black truffle paste, wild mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella from Fairburn Farms which was outstanding. They have other lunch items such as a Fisherman's Soup and lunch specials with a focus on local ingredients. Stop in Cakebread Bakery in Courtenay to pick up some excellent bread--the Garlic Miche is brilliant.

Sometimes you can find Thai basil plants at the farmer's markets.

Cathedral Creek Bistro is good, but it 's been years since I've been there. The feta garlic pizza at the Copper Kettle is a Regina legend. Weczeria is in Saskatoon, but it's worth the trip!

Pineapple sage is fun, wasabi, Thai basil, shiso, and summer savory.

I've had good lamb at Trafalgar's and it is on their Spring Menu and I love Vij's Lamb Popsicles.

Adele, I know it's a bit late in the game but The Sweet Obsession cafe at Trafalger and 16th makes an awesome hot cross brioche. You could phone them to see how much longer they are making them. 2611 16th Avenue West Vancouver, BC V6K 3C2 (604) 739-0555

UBC Farm in March: These are photos I took while volunteering for the Intergenerational Landed Learning Program which teaches elementary students where their food comes from.

Thanks run2eat, Here is the latest info on what's happening at the Farm: Important Food Security Workshop on the Future of UBC Farm -Please Register ASAP Over the following weeks UBC will be making a decision about the future of Vancouver's last working farm - the UBC Farm (and Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.) The UBC Farm is a unique asset to the city and region. It provides students and the broader community the opportunity to learn hands-on about how changes in the way food is produced and distributed are a key piece in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climate change, and in creating healthy local communities and economies. To see the kind of innovative programs that UBC Farm offers from school garden programs, to an urban Aboriginal community kitchen, to a student-run farmer's market, to apprenticeships in organic agriculture, to a diverse array of research, please check out their website: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm How to Get Involved: UBC Campus Planning will be holding a workshop (possibly in April or May) on food security and South Campus (where UBC Farm is located). It appears that this will be the only opportunity for the public to have input on the future of UBC Farm before UBC Campus Planning releases proposed options for the future development of South Campus. The person to contact to register for the workshops ASAP is Joe Stott. His number is 604.827.5157. If they tell you that the workshops are full, you may want to suggest that they make them available to more people. Friends of the Farm meetings take place every Tuesday night at 6 pm in the Student Union Building at UBC in room 211. All are encouraged to attend. You can check out the Friends of the Farm website at: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/friendsubcfarm/Site/Home.html Finally, if you would like to tell the President of UBC, the Board of Governors, Campus Planning and Metro Vancouver about your support for the UBC Farm, please write them a letter at: Stephen J. Toope President and Vice-Chancellor Office of the President The University of British Columbia 6328 Memorial Road Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2 Nancy Knight Associate Vice President Campus & Community Planning The University of British Columbia 102 - 2210 West Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 The UBC Board of Governors c/o Reny Kahlon, Acting Secretary 6328 Memorial Road Vancouver, V6T 1Z2 UBC/GVRD Joint Committee c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, V5H 4G8 Dr Murray Isman Dean & Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems The University of British Columbia 2357 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 And it would be great if you could send one to the farm for their records, too: UBC Farm The University of British Columbia 2357 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UBC farm is being scrutinized for development by the current UBC administration. I am hoping to raise this issue with the communities off campus who want to keep the farm as it is. I will keep you posted about what is going on and at some point I'll probably organize some kind of event to gather signatures from people who want to support the farm. Any ideas on how to get media attention would be appreciated. Many Thanks! Lori This is the latest development from the coalition to save the farm: As you may have noted, we now have a new email address that is: savetheubcfarm@gmail.com Please use this new email to contact us, as it is more in-line with our new directives. We have split up the main group into 7 focus groups: INFORMATION - researching other university farms & how they are surviving EVENTS - creating and spreading information about farm events VCP RESEARCH - finding transparency with the VCP MEDIA - looking at methods of spreading news about the farm via a variety of media outlets LETTERS - creating templates and ideas for a letter writing campaign POLITICAL CHANNELS - ensuring that we are working with the appropriate groups FUNDING/OUTREACH - looking into availability of funding from various sources If you weren't able to attend last Tuesdays meeting, and want to be put in touch with any of these groups, please let me know. We have also started up discussion groups on Vista. Send an email to is@landfood.ubc.ca to become a part of the discussion. All that is required is your CWL and the course name which is 'Climate Action Fee'. Please email Tegan (tegan_adams@yahoo.ca) if you would like a discussion group formed for your focus group.

Prima Taste offers Roti Canai? The handful of times I've been they didn't have it on the menu, only the Roti Prata. Cool, I'll have to go and try it there Will have to arrange an outing there soon! ← Sorry, I must have been confused. In fact, I still am! The roti parata at Primas Taste is puffier and flakier than I've had at other places. Chindi, the owner of Chutney Villa is from Singapore, or at least I read she moved here from Singapore so she serves good nice roti parata. What is roti canai then? Has anyone been to that obscure place called JR's on Fraser? I see it's moved a couple of doors down from its former location.

I bought my honey a dozen long-stemmed garlic bulbs and homemade nougat from the Winter Market. I bought my son and his friends a dozen tiny cupcakes topped with candy hearts from Butter Baked Goods on Dunbar. For all of us, I bought a box of chocolates from Choconymph, a new place on West 10th near Alma. Their "Glinda", with it's juicy squirt of blackberry jelly makes me very happy.

Thanks for the pics flowbee. I am so addicted to roti canai. You know who does a decent one? Prima Taste downtown.

Any good tea shop should carry rooibus. It's a very healthy daily drink and you can leave the leaves in and drink it cold without it becoming bitter. I also drink a rooibus chai which is very nice, which they sell at Shaktea. Sometimes you see it in England marketed as "children's tea." It's the red bush tea that Mma Precious Ramotswe drinks in the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency novels by Alexander McCall Smith.

I made mince tarts and used dried cranberries, raisins, cherries, blueberries, and organic lemon and orange peel marinated in Marsala. Choices had the best prices in my neighborhood for what I wanted. Dried blueberries cost a fortune! Next year I'm drying my own.

I'm interested in Whistler's Own Bakery. We've been seeing and tasting their products here in Vancouver lately and the Skookum Bar has become a regular snack I put in my son's backpack. I tried the U-bake cookies I bought and Meinhardt's-very good too. I've never been to Whistler. Has anyone been to the bakery?

What about a cookbook with recipes for cooking with tea or tea-flavored chocolate? Most good chocolate places like Haas or Chocolate Arts makes tea-flavored truffles. Depending on his style--either a beautiful hand made tea cup--Sawa tea room often sells nice ones or a unique, beautiful antique tea cup and saucer. Barabaro Joe's probably has some good tea-related books. Ooh Cha on Kinsgway carries this neat little nesting tea set that I covet. I see there is an O-Cha and an Ooh Cha and a Shaktea and a Shakti tea room in Vancouver just to make things really confusing.

The Artisan Bake Shoppe in N Van makes tiny decadent Stollen Bites. A friend of mine picked up a box at Whole Foods. They are delicious and kind of ingenious, really. Like 2 bite stollen, and they are oozing with butter.

If it is for cancer treatment I think the pills are recommended because they are so concentrated. Otherwise, phone the women at Shaktea as they are experts in green tea and carry some of the best.

Lots of people have raved about Finest at Sea. They might do a good one. Has anyone been?

Thanks Agnolottigirl for giving me the low down on the ferry and the advice and links for Bainbridge. Everyone, thanks for the taco info and all the rest--velvet Elvis and ice cream included . With the info I've gleaned from other threads I'm ready to plan the intinerary. I'm very excited and I'll let you know how it all goes down! Zuke

Thanks Mizducky, SusiQ, tsquare, kiliki and tamiam for your info and advice. Trolloween! How I would love to be a part of that--maybe in future years. My son likes to us a to host a halloween party every year for his friends. However, I think a photo-op with the Fremont Troll may be in order, and I covet the Gorgons vs. Harpie bendy monsters available at Archie McPhee! Fremont sounds like such a cool neighborhood. The haunted junkyard sounds wonderful, but it's probably too scary for my boy. He's more at the Scooby Doo level of spookiness. From what you've all said, I think we should spend two nights staying in Seattle and two nights in Bainbridge. That might be the best use of our time and dough. Then we can park the car at the hotel and use transit in Seattle. We also love to walk, but mom and dad need to take it a bit easier. As for food--taco stands, good pizza, diners, bakeries, and chocolate. I think that's the appropriate list for this trip. Maybe Peter and I can slip out one night to a nice lounge. Thanks Again, Lori