Bramblings From Vancouver Island

By: Angeline and James Street

Brambles Market

Well, summer is here for sure-at least in the produce department, if not outside! This is our favourite time of the year. We get excited by every delivery; it’s like Christmas every week. We can’t wait to break into the boxes to see what new goodies we have received. Asparagus is done, as are fiddleheads and mache. But, then there are other treasures to be had: baby potatoes, baby carrots, strawberries, lettuces,green beans and baby zucchini… Oh, it’s hard to know what to eat first!!

We are planning and setting up so many things for the coming year. It’s too bad there are so few hours in the day to get everything done. As many of you know, we are working on a website as one of our big projects right now. It is taking longer than expected as we want it to be really great. There are just so many things we want to cram onto the site, but we have to pick and choose what we do put on it, so that it is useful and entertaining and interactive for YOU. And it really is challenging to figure it all out! If there are particular things that you think you would like to see on the site, please let us know. Right now, if you have food photos or recipes featuring local goodies, feel free to send them in to us to use on the site. The more the merrier!

French Breakfast Radishes

Here’s an idea: Serve the radish roots in the French fashion: dip them in butter and kosher salt and eat them with buttered bread for breakfast!

The first year and a half have flown by, and we sure have learned a lot! We are taking stock of what we do well, what we need to improve, and what else we want to accomplish in the coming year. (That’s where all the thinking and planning come in…) We just have to work really hard at making at least half of our dreams into reality now.

So, here is the first newsletter as part of one of the things we want to make happen this year! Let us know what you think! If it’s great, let us know. If it stinks, we suppose you can tell us that too. Till next time, thanks for being part of the Brambles experience with us. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Meet the Grower:  Vantreight Farms Saanichton

How many years in business?

126 – Five generations

What are the primary products you offer?

A wide variety of fruits, vegetables, fresh cut daffodils, bulbs and upick crops.

Fresh cut daffodils from organic, bio-diesel run Vantreight farms, Vancouver Island, B.C.

Please describe your production methods or farming practices, particularly those that are distinguishing or unique to your business?

We are utilizing organic methods and are applying this year for organic certification for our 15,330 m2 (165,000 sq.ft.) state-of-the-art greenhouses and land adjacent to the greenhouses totalling approx 6.5 acres with further certification planned for the future.   Our packing facility is second to none with a 4650 m2 (50,000 sq.ft.) warehouse processing plant, 8  cooler units totaling 1,189 m2 (12,800 sq.ft) of cold storage, shipping and receiving areas with 3 loading docks with room for further expansion.  Future plans include the use of bio digesters for the creation of heat and power to grow food all year round while significantly reducing GHG’s for the region.

What inspired your choice for this career?

Aside from carrying on our family farming legacy, I was personally inspired to choose the farm as a career because of our farm’s ability to positively contribute to the community and increase local food security on Vancouver Island.

Why do you sell to Brambles?

The more local businesses support local agriculture by buying from the farmer the better off we all are.

Do you believe that it is important to shop locally?

Absolutely.

*Local Food And Wine*

Pacific Kissed B.C. Oysters In Vancouver

Comox Valley on Vancouver Island is not only the where the locavore community was born in B.C. but also where much of the region’s best shellfish comes from.  If you are lucky enough to be in Vancouver during the shellfish season, look for the Pacific Kiss oyster, B.C.’s renowned shellfish that has a sustainably farmed stamp of approval. Pacific Kiss affiliate partners are providing 12 different kinds of shellfish to be served side-by-side.  Participating restaurants are Monk McQueen’s Restaurant and Patio and Joe Fortes Seafood and Chophouse.

British Columbia boasts some of the richest shores found throughout the world. There are over 1,000 oyster farmers caringly growing dozens of varieties of world-class oysters along those shores. Eating oysters in B.C. is eating locally sourced, sustainably cultivated food. In fact, when you choose to eat oysters in B.C. you are supporting a small farmer and a rural community.

The Pacific Kiss platter is offering a tasting of oysters, their full flavors offered side-by-side, giving a rare culinary experience to savor and compare the subtle differences in Beach oysters, to deep-water-cultured oysters to those oysters grown by the K’omox First Nations to the tray-cultured beach hardened oyster.  Each of the twelve varieties come from a different coastal region of B.C.  The Pacific Kiss stamp of approval authenticates that the oyster has been grown in a sustainable and environmentally sound way by a registered B.C. Shellfish Association member. Pacific Kiss respects and adheres to both the Sea Kiss and OceanWise programs.

Here is a short video on How To Shuck An Oyster by Nigel McMeans, executive chef at the BlackFin Pub at the Marina in the Comox Valley:

A few more choices for fresh B.C. Shellfish are:

C Restaurant (an Ocean Wise Founding Restaurant Partner)

900 West Lounge - The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – 900 West Georgia Street – 604.684.3131

A Kettle of Fish – 900 Pacific Street – 604.682.6661

Aqua Riva – 200 Granville Street – 604.683.5599

Aria Restaurant & Lounge – 433 Robson Street – 604.602.1999

Twitter @LocalFoodWine

Okanagan Food And Wine * Vancouver Food And Wine

*Local Food And Wine*