Posted by Mathew Wright Contest#1 – Not open to residents of Vancouver IslandTwo return tickets on Harbour Air from downtown Vancouver direct to Comox on June17, 2011, returning June 19, 2011 (45 min flight)Two night’s accommodation in a one-bedroom suite with jacuzzi at the Crown Isle Golf& Resort Community, June 17-18, 2011 Two tickets to the Chefs’ Dinner on June 17, 2011 featuring chefs Robert Clark of CRestaurant in Vancouver; Andrew Springett of Black Rock Oceanside Resort in Ucluelet; Andrew Stigant of Crown Isle Golf & Resort Community; Garrett Schack of Vista 18 in Victoria; Richard Verhagen of Market Street Grill on Salt Spring Island and Belinda Jonesof Gatehouse Bistro in Cumberland Two tickets to the BCSF Festival Day event at Comox Marina Park, Saturday, June 18,2011 featuring cooking demos, live bands, the BC Oyster Shucking Championship, localfood and more Deadline to enter is May 1, 2011 Entry details at: http://www.bcshellfishfestival.ca/BCSF/weekendgetawaydetails.htmlContest#2 – Open to allTwo night’s accommodation at the Crown Isle Golf & Resort Community, June 17-18,2011Two tickets to the Chefs’ Dinner on June 17, 2011Two tickets to the BCSF Festival Day event at Comox Marina Park, Saturday, June 18,2011 featuring cooking demos, live bands, the BC Oyster Shucking Championship, localfood and more Deadline to enter is May 16, 2011Entry details at: http://www.discovercomoxvalley.com/promotions/contests.htmMore information about the festival and all the events taking place can be found on ourwebsite at www.bcshellfishfestival.ca and our FB Page at www.facebook.com/BCShellfishFestival.> B.C. Shellfish Festival
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
B.C. Shellfish Festival
B.C. Shellfish Festival
Posted by Mathew Wright Contest#1 – Not open to residents of Vancouver IslandTwo return tickets on Harbour Air from downtown Vancouver direct to Comox on June17, 2011, returning June 19, 2011 (45 min flight)Two night’s accommodation in a one-bedroom suite with jacuzzi at the Crown Isle Golf& Resort Community, June 17-18, 2011 Two tickets to the Chefs’ Dinner on June 17, 2011 featuring chefs Robert Clark of CRestaurant in Vancouver; Andrew Springett of Black Rock Oceanside Resort in Ucluelet; Andrew Stigant of Crown Isle Golf & Resort Community; Garrett Schack of Vista 18 in Victoria; Richard Verhagen of Market Street Grill on Salt Spring Island and Belinda Jonesof Gatehouse Bistro in Cumberland Two tickets to the BCSF Festival Day event at Comox Marina Park, Saturday, June 18,2011 featuring cooking demos, live bands, the BC Oyster Shucking Championship, localfood and more Deadline to enter is May 1, 2011 Entry details at: http://www.bcshellfishfestival.ca/BCSF/weekendgetawaydetails.htmlContest#2 – Open to allTwo night’s accommodation at the Crown Isle Golf & Resort Community, June 17-18,2011Two tickets to the Chefs’ Dinner on June 17, 2011Two tickets to the BCSF Festival Day event at Comox Marina Park, Saturday, June 18,2011 featuring cooking demos, live bands, the BC Oyster Shucking Championship, localfood and more Deadline to enter is May 16, 2011Entry details at: http://www.discovercomoxvalley.com/promotions/contests.htmMore information about the festival and all the events taking place can be found on ourwebsite at www.bcshellfishfestival.ca and our FB Page at www.facebook.com/BCShellfishFestival.> B.C. Shellfish Festival
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Sunday, September 12, 2010
Joel Salatin, Clean Food Farmer, Speaks At Brambles Market, Comox Valley
- Joel Salatin, founder of Clean Food Farm Polyface Inc. speaks at Brambles Market In Comox Valley.
Okanagan Food And Wine * Vancouver Food And Wine
Thursday, July 8, 2010
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
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.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
Success! Comox Valley Shellfish Festival
Comox, BC June 21, 2010 – The 2 –day Comox Valley Shellfish Festival concluded yesterday and the combination of weather, attendance and record sales have organizers elated and already looking forward to next year’s event.
“First of all I have to thank Mother Nature for providing us with the best possible weather over
the weekend, it couldn’t have been better. Our gala dinner for 200 guests at the Filberg Lodge
was a huge success and we were able to raise $3,000 during our silent auction for Y.A.N.A. It
was great seeing all nine chefs and their sous-chefs working collaboratively to prepare the
finest nine-course seafood meal served on Vancouver Island,” said festival producer Matthew
Wright.
Sunday in Comox Marina Park drew a throng of locals and visitors alike to the site to enjoy live
music, a beer garden and plenty of tasty seafood treats.
“The festival day in Comox Park was also a huge success with record numbers in attendance
which we estimate to be over 2,000 people. Our food vendors were sold out by 3 p.m. and the
oyster shucking contest was a crowd favorite,” Wright said.
Nine competitors from as far away as Vancouver drew shucking knives and went toe-to-toe
while a large crowd curiously watched and cheered them on. At the final tally, it was 23 year-old
Comox Valley resident and line cook Devon Shute from Avenue Bistro who won the $500 cash
prize.
Organizers were also extremely pleased with the amount of attention the festival generated
this year culminating in a mention in this past weekend’s Globe & Mail as well as by the
attendance of two food/travel TV shows from both internationally and nationally broadcast
companies who will be highlighting the festival.
The festival would like to thank all the generous sponsors who generously donated to this
year’s live auction including BC Ferries, West Coast Air, Cindy Mawle, The Old House Village
Hotel & Spa, Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa, Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community, Atlas Café, Avenue Bistro, Horne Lake Caves, Mustang Survival, the Vancouver Aquarium, Mussels and More Pottery and Horne Lake Outdoor Centre.
developments at www.comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca
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Thursday, June 3, 2010
Comox Valley Shellfish Festival
Comox, BC June 3, 2010 – The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival is gearing up for a bigger and even better event this year in BC’s shellfish capital, the Comox Valley.
The festival opens June 19th with the Gala Evening Dinner. 200 guests will be treated to a gourmet nine-course seafood supper served along the banks of Comox Harbour, outdoors underneath tents at the historic Filberg Lodge. Along with locally grown seafood, local vintners Beaufort Winery as well as Surgenor Breweries will be providing the wine and ale infusions throughout the evening. This year we are holding a silent auction to raise funds for local charity Y.A.N.A. Tickets are limited and going quickly. The party continues on Sunday, June 20th at Comox Marina Park with tasting booths featuringshellfish delicacies as well as desert treats, live entertainment, a beer garden and the much
anticipated Oyster Shucking Contest. Visitors coming in from out of town can take advantage of a festival hotel rate being offered at the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa or discounts being provided for travelers from Vancouver to Comox on WestCoast Air. Come meet growers, chefs and shellfish aficionados as you savour a truly west coast
experience in scenic Comox Valley.More information can be found on the festival website at Comox Valley Shellfish Festival
Sea you at the festival!
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Chef Roland St. Pierre, Locals Restaurant
Chef Roland St. Pierre, Comox Valley
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- Chef Ronald St. Pierre, Locals' "Pride and Joy"
A stay in Comox Valley, Vancouver Island would feel black and white, gray even, without dining out at least one meal - if not daily - at Locals Restaurant in Courtenay. Where the colors of nature greet you at every turn, this is a Valley bursting with vibrancy. If there's one thing nature loves, it's color: The eye-popping yellows and purples of Spring flowers, the deep greens of leafy vegetables, the dark reds of vine-ripened tomatoes, even the fleshy pinks of fresh salmon.
Comox Valley's Pride And Joy
“Locals – Food From The Heart of the Island” is the pride and joy of Chef Ronald St. Pierre who, with his wife, have created a dining experience that represents the culinary best of Vancouver Island's Comox Valley. To walk through Locals' doors is like walking into an Island Chefs Collaborative Farmers Market turned restaurant.
The exterior is humble enough. In fact, the praises that were sung about the restaurant and Chef St. Pierre, his philosophy and his passion for fresh, local ingredients did not prepare me for finding the restaurant to be the cornerstone in a Courtenay strip mall. As a first-time visitor to the Island, at every turn I was struck by the quaintness and charm of old farms, wooden buildings, even Courtenay itself is a picturesque little town entirely walkable with cheerful cafes and shops that line 5th Street, its downtown core and the center of Comox Valley. But now I know why people had failed to mention the restaurant's exterior – once you've eaten there, what's outside doesn't matter. The restaurant's interior is tastefully appointed, with a second room that has large booths for a private dining experience. But truly, the only thing you remember is how good the food is!
Chef Roland St. Pierre is a pioneer in translating “locavorism” into the driving philosophy behind a successful restaurant. Mind you, on Vancouver Island, locavorism is the common mind-set and to do otherwise is, well, frankly absurd. The Comox Valley especially is an abundant bread, fruit, cheese, meat and seafood basket. It could easily be named “Valley of Plenty” so abundant is all the fresh quality fare within arm's reach. The Locals' website explains their philosophy and reasoning, such as, "Buying habits are shifting with 'food currently tied with health as our 4th top spending priority.'” It's definitely worth reading if you at all consider yourself a foodie. Or a greenie.
So Chef Roland and his wife got to talking with local farmers and growers and saw what could be directly sourced for their table. They create their seasonal menus around the ingredients available. Pattison Farms, for example, supplies their fresh greens such as baby spinach, heirloom tomatoes and spicy mustard greens. Beaufort Vineyards supplies them with wine, as do other local vineyards like Chase & Warren Estate Winery and Cabrea Vineyard & Winery as well as the many vineyards just a bit south in the Cowichan Valley.
As part decoration and as part tribute, Chef St. Pierre hangs his walls with portraits of the farm-to-table suppliers he sources his fresh, local ingredients from. If you are keen to do a tour of the Valley's prime growers for ingredients ranging from pork to duck, tomatoes to broccoli florets, goat cheese to mussels to ancient method balsamic vinegars, take a look at Locals' walls, jot down the names and then work your way down the “wall.” With this itinerary, curated by Locals' Restaurateurs Chef and Mrs. St. Pierre, you are guaranteed to enjoy a thoroughly fresh and authentic introduction to some of the Island's star growers and local farmers.
Local's Market Sheet Menu
The price points are also exceedingly reasonable. More often than not Locals' has a Prix-Fixe or Market Sheet menu to order from. Depending on the season, for $35 you can have a seared duck “prosciutto” appetizer, a main-course of Bison (or fresh caught salmon) and a medley of desserts including fresh off-the-farm raspberry mousse. Or you can order a' la carte from the menu. Either way, you'll leave exceedingly, freshly satisfied.
Reservations suggested. 384 8th Street Courtenay, BC Canada Reservations 250-338-6493
Monday, February 15, 2010
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:
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