I came to Newfoundland for the first time just over four years ago. I can still vividly recall taking the ferry across from Nova Scotia in the late winter, listening to the groaning sounds of the ice around the boat. Within two months of arriving I made my first trip to Bonne Bay, a remote fjord on the west coast of the island. I went to learn about the food system and fisheries in the region as part of a PhD program I was beginning at Memorial University that fall.
Spectacular vistas, whales breaching, ice bergs floating by, and a foragers paradise. We are blessed with many wilderness areas that offer abundant edible plants. I rarely go on a hike without stopping to have a little taste of this or that. In this post, I will touch upon some of the edibles currently available in our wonderful wilderness.
Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity, I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here. Last week, I recieved by my set of samples from George, and here's what my benefactor told me about the varieties:
Red Dutch: A very dry, yellow flesh red from Holland in the 1940’s. An excellent potato. Late maturing.
Northern White: A white flesh variety, from Quebec apparently, from the early 1900’s. Very high yield. Good taste.
EEk! Sorry everyone - I missed September entirely. Oh well, at least I have a lot to say about the garden.
As you may remember, I've been growing my first real attempt at a garden this year, with a 12x4 foot raised bed. Last time I wrote I was complaining about the water ban, but that's certainly not a problem anymore! I've harvested just about everything now (a little less then I was hoping). What remains is to pick the carrots, beets, and turnip, and to prepare the garden for the winter.
March is Nutrition Month and this year's theme is 'Celebrate Food, From Field to Table'. Root Cellars Rock! is certainly backing up that idea. Try this bright and fresh Nutrition Month Carrot and Seed Salad, made with carrots from Lester's Farm Market and local honey, and keep an eye on the blog and facebook for the rest of the month for more recipes and resources inspired by this month's celebration of healthy food and cooking together.
Root Cellars Rock! has a new Recipes page and this is the first in a series of posts that will test out recipes using local foods from NL, with highlights about our province's farmers and markets and tips for home cooking. Find out how to make spicy, chocolatey butternut pancakes, with butternut squash grown by Seed to Spoon CSA in Portugal Cove- St. Phillips.
In Newfoundland and Labrador we produce a huge abundance and variety of leafy greens for a lot of the year, but they’re sparse come wintertime. If you're missing summer salads and need a boost after all the heavy holiday eating, there is a way to get local greens into your life way before spring, and it is so extremely simple. In your own kitchen you can easily grow the powerhouse of plants, the sultan of salads, the emporium of enzymes…sprouts!
The St. John's Farmers' Market, like other markets across the province, has made it easier for folks to access fresh, local, healthy food from June - November. As a way to highlight some of the wonderfully delicious, and healthy meals you can make easily at home with a few ingredients from your local farmers' market, I've decided to start blogging recipes after my visits to the St. John's Farmers' Market throughout the summer. As I am living in St. John's, I will be highlighting the St. John's Farmers' Market and some of the goods that can be found there - but I encourage anyone who is interested in posting a recipe highlighting local foods found from your near-by farmers market, farm market, road side stand or u-pick to do so. Simply get in touch with Rick Kelly at richardkelly@foodsecuritynews.com to learn how!
A Sunday Brunch that's Fit for a King
I don't think you can get much better then Sunday Brunch - especially when your plate is topped with poached eggs, cooked to perfection, toast, local greens and herbs.
Poached Eggs with Arugula, Basil, and Oregano
This week at the Farmers' Market, I picked up local Eggs from Daphne and Stewart King and Oregano both from Oz of The Organic Farmin Portugal Cove, Arugula and Basil from Jeremy Carter of Mt. Scio Farm on Mt. Scio Rd, some mint and chives from The Seed to Spoon Collective, and some delightful herb bread from a local baker.
Ingredients (3 servings):
3 large Eggs 3 large handfuls of fresh arugula several basil leaves a bundle of oregano, mint, and chives 3 pieces of toast, buttered Water 1/2 tbs white vinegar Sea Salt Fresh Ground Pepper
Fill a large pot with water, put it over medium-high heat, add vinegar, a pinch of sea salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. Crack one of your eggs into a cup and gently pour it into the water, repeat with the rest of the eggs.
Depending on how you like your eggs, let them boil for 2-4 minutes - a really soft, runny egg should take around 2 minutes and a soft to firm egg will need approximately 4. When they are ready, remove them and place on some paper towel to dry off.
Place your toast on a plate. Top with a handful of arugula, followed by an egg, and finally top with mixed herbs. Use scissors to cut the herbs directly onto each egg and then sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!
