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eG Foodblog: Ann_T - Vancouver Island

Ann_T

By Ann_T
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Ann_T

Ann_T

Posted
Posted

Good Morning from beautiful, sunny Vancouver Island.

My name is Ann and I live with my husband Moe in Duncan, British Columbia right in the heart of the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. We have a son, Matt, who is 24 and lives just an hour south of us in Victoria. My blog theme is planned around all the wonderful foods that are available here on the island, mostly in the Cowichan Valley and the Victoria/Sidney area.

I have a friend visiting from Toronto this week and Sandra and I plan to drive all over the southern part of Vancouver Island visiting farms, markets and wineries. It is my intention to cook most of our meals using local in-season produce, meats and seafood also from the area. We got started early by going to a couple of the farmers’ markets in Victoria on Saturday and the Cedar Farmer’s Market on Sunday. Duncan has a wonderful farmer’s market that is open every Saturday 12 months of the year and I very seldom miss it. I love this time of year. Each week the selection at the market just gets better and better. I can’t wait until the corn and tomatoes are available.

Actually this week won’t be too much different from the way that I normally cook and plan meals. I’ve always shopped on a daily basis and I’ve never minded driving some distance to find what I want.

Here is a picture of Saturday’s take from the Markets. The garlic is from the James Bay Market and the rest of the produce came from the Moss Street Market.

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It's early here, just 6:15 AM so I'm off to the kitchen to make coffee.

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Foodblog: Vancouver Island
Thibeault's Table -  Blog

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Megan Blocker

Megan Blocker

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Yes, yes, YES!!!! I cannot wait to see what this week has in store. Ann, I love your food and your photos - please share lots of both. :wink:

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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FabulousFoodBabe

FabulousFoodBabe

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Ann, I'm so excited for your blog! My firstborn arrived in Vancouver last Friday and will spend a month there camping and kayaking up and down the island, and researching marine mammals with some biologists. Not only will I get to see your life and life in Vancouver, but I'll get to feel a little connection to the kiddo.

My gosh, that's lovely garlic!

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Daniel

Daniel

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Good morning Ann... These blogs are like the best of from the dinner thread.. Really looking forward to following you this week.. Have a great time! Thats some looking machine you have there.. Can you tell me about it..

Edited by Daniel (log)
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christine007

christine007

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Ann, I really chuckled when I saw you blogging this morning, I was just looking at your beautiful dishes in the Dinner thread, and I was thinking to myself what a great blog you could do! :biggrin:

Really looking forward to sharing your life and cooking.

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Chufi

Chufi

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Ann, this is going to be fun! beautiful pictures and good food await us!

And how timely to have another BC blog, while I am planning our BC vacation. We still don't know if Vancouver Island will be on the itinerary.. maybe your blog will help us decide!

Klary Koopmans

~ The Travels of Verjuice & Chufi

~ Eat cheap, travel far

~ Dutch Cooking recipe index

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MarketStEl

MarketStEl

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As I don't hang out on the "Dinner!" thread that often, this will be an introduction to a new eGer for me. I look forward to learning something new.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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Ann_T

Ann_T

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Thanks everyone. I've never done anything like this before and I'm a little nervous. And to have to follow Bryan's amazing blog on top of that.

Ann,  I'm so excited for your blog!  My firstborn arrived in Vancouver last Friday and will spend a month there camping and kayaking up and down the island, and researching marine mammals with some biologists.  Not only will I get to see your life and life in Vancouver, but I'll get to feel a little connection to the kiddo.

My gosh, that's lovely garlic!

Fabulous FoodBabe, your son might not want to come home. He will probably fall in love with the Island. We moved our son out here back in 1998 when he was 15 and he says he is never leaving.

Good morning Ann... These blogs are like the best of from the dinner thread..  Really looking forward to following you this week.. Have a great time!  Thats some looking machine you have there.. Can you tell me about it..

Daniel, the espresso machine is a Saeco Incanto Sirius, one of the super automatics. We are really happy with its performance. It is all we drink now.

Ann, this is going to be fun! beautiful pictures and good food await us!

And how timely to have another BC blog, while I am planning our BC vacation. We still don't know if Vancouver Island will be on the itinerary.. maybe your blog will help us decide!

Klary, I hope you find time to visit the Island. Especially if you haven't been here before. It really is beautiful.

As I don't hang out on the "Dinner!" thread that often, this will be an introduction to a new eGer for me.  I look forward to learning something new.

MarketStEl, The Dinner thread is the thread that I hang out the most on so I don't think that many members will know me. Hopefully my blog will change that.

I promised Moe and Sandra scones this morning so that is what we had. Blackberry Scones.

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We are going to spend some time driving around Lake Cowichan this afternoon. I'm hoping that we will find a nice place for lunch. See you all later.

Ann

Foodblog: Vancouver Island
Thibeault's Table -  Blog

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Ling

Ling

Posted
Posted

I'm a fan of your photos, Ann...as you already know from the "Dinner" thread. :wink: I've been to Vancouver Island a few times, but mainly to do the touristy things like having high tea and visiting the wax museum. Looking forward to seeing more of the local produce and cheeses!

Lorna Yee

the cool kids at belltown lofts

The Cookbook Chronicles

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snowangel

snowangel

Posted
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Welcome to blogging, Ann!

The sweet corn is in here. We had some earlier this week that was very disappointing, but our very favorite corn stand was open last night, and did not disappoint. My family always sighs over the first corn of the season because they know that it will be on the table 7 nights a week for quite a few weeks. The days here have been HOT, and one of the vendors at the farmer's market was predicting tomatoes in the very near future. This is indeed a glorious and bountious time of year!

BTW, Ann's scone recipe is in RecipeGullet -- right here.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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christine007

christine007

Posted
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ann are you of English heritage? I ask because my english mom makes scones a lot. Sometimes we put strawberry jam right in the batter.

Do you serve clotted cream with your sometimes?

they are beatiful, btw, love the blackberries in them.

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fou de Bassan

fou de Bassan

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Your scones look scrumptious! I completely missed the last blog and so am happy to come in at the the beginning of yours.

Is the lavender from your garden? It's beautiful :wub:

If only Jack Nicholson could have narrated my dinner, it would have been perfect.

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Ann_T

Ann_T

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Welcome to blogging, Ann!

The sweet corn is in here.  We had some earlier this week that was very disappointing, but our very favorite corn stand was open last night, and did not disappoint.  My family always sighs over the first corn of the season because they know that it will be on the table 7 nights a week for quite a few weeks.  The days here have been HOT, and one of the vendors at the farmer's market was predicting tomatoes in the very near future.  This is indeed a glorious and bountious time of year!

BTW, Ann's scone recipe is in RecipeGullet -- right here.

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Foodblog: Vancouver Island
Thibeault's Table -  Blog

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FabulousFoodBabe

FabulousFoodBabe

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Ann_T, today I'm jealous that you have that butcher shop within reach. How wonderful! Now I have to go figure out the exchange rate so I can see what the prices are in $US.

Are there many places like that where you live?

Mmmmmm, corn and butter. No salt?

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

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Ann,

I clicked on your blog and my screen rolled right down to the picture of Cowichan Bay meats and I was washed away with wonderful memories.

My mother grew up in Cowichan Bay in a house put together from several cottages, right across from the original Cowichan Inn. My grandparents owned a marina and guiding business there.

Food memories are flooding back now, the 'Indian candy' smoked salmon made by Minnie, who lived with my grannie, the home made lemonade, figs warm off the tree outside the kitchen window. The berries we picked by the pail to made pies and crumbles.

My Cowichan Indian sweaters, driving go-carts around my cousins place in Maple Bay, catching a dog fish, getting hooked with the gaf hook as my father fell backwards out of the fishing boat...

Thanks for the memories.

the Chocolate Doctor
www.thechocolatedoctor.ca

www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
eGullet foodblog 2006 • eGullet Foodblog 2012

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Shaya

Shaya

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Gorgoeous osso buco Ann. What gives it that creamy yellow goodness?

Your website is beautiful, by the way. You seem to cook and bake a lot of great food. Do you teach cooking or do anything else professionally in the buisiness or is this all for leisure?

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