Long before there were Florida oranges and an apple a day, berries were keeping us happy and healthy through the long winter months. Fact is, berries are better for you than just about any other fruit. Berries were vital to the well-being of the indigenous population, who made a kind of fruit leather by pounding […] Read more
Berries are a healthy choice
Prairie Palate: Better for you than just about any other fruit and can be served in a variety of ways
Canary seed approved for humans
And why not? It’s nutritious and gluten free
I got the news, appropriately, via Twitter, i.e. a tweet: Canary seed has been granted the status of human food. Last month, regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States gave canary seed the human stamp of approval. Which raises the question, if canary seed is for the birds, why would we humans flock to […] Read more
What’s more Canadian than a bowl of porridge?
Prairie Palate: Canada is the second-largest oats producer and the largest exporter and they were a staple for pioneers
I started my day with a bowl of oatmeal porridge. Nothing could be more Canadian. We grow more oats in Canada than anywhere else but Russia. Canada is the second-largest producer — and the largest exporter — of oats in the world. Mountains of our oats are turned into brand-name breakfast cereals, oatmeal cookies and […] Read more
Ring in the International Year of Pulses with this recipe
Prairie Palate: United Nations has declared this for 2016 — and with good reason
Take your pulse. Not that pulse. I’m talking lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas. The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. That’s something we can celebrate here on the Canadian Prairies, where we grow more pulses than most places on earth. But we don’t eat them, not nearly enough. Almost all our pulse […] Read more
Resolutions for 2016
Prairie Palate: Because they all revolve around food they are likely to last
It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, and for that I usually look to the kitchen. My resolutions always seem to revolve around food. One year I resolved to eat more potatoes. The next year, to eat more beans. The following year, to eat berries every day. Another year I pledged to make a pot of […] Read more
Do you have a collection of empty ice-cream pails?
If you do, you probably use some to fill with Christmas goodies to have on hand in the freezer
My parents never threw out anything that might be used for something else. This was never more evident than in the stack of plastic ice-cream pails leaning like the Tower of Pisa in a corner of the laundry room. No kidding, it’s taller than I am. Growing up, we ate a lot of ice cream. […] Read more
Bigos — a Polish stew made for sharing
Perfect for a cold winter meal and gets better as it’s reheated
Nouvelle cuisine has its place, but I prefer food with a long and storied history, especially when the recipe and story come from a dear friend. But this recipe does not begin in her kitchen. It begins on a winter road trip along the Crowsnest Highway between Alberta and British Columbia. After a long day […] Read more
Prairie Palate: Getting tired of zucchini yet?
Make some cakes with them – perfect from the freezer or eating warm from the oven
When my husband and I got married 20 years ago, we had one pre-nuptial agreement, at his insistence: that I would never plant more than six zucchini at a time. Talk about tough love. Zucchini is my favourite summer vegetable, for a number of reasons. It grows quickly, it’s lush and attractive, the flowers are […] Read more
Thoughts of upcoming election bring thoughts of Dief’s dinners
John Diefenbaker was a proud Prairie boy and his mother was an excellent cook
Since we’re in the midst of a federal election campaign, I’m thinking of John Diefenbaker’s dinner. The Dief was Canada’s 13th prime minister and a proud Prairie boy… especially proud of his mother Mary’s good Prairie cooking. Diefenbaker was born in a small town in Ontario in September 1895. In 1903, when he was seven, […] Read more
In search of apples — anything with apples
This fruit brings back fond memories of growing up on the farm
In Berlin, I left the hotel early one morning in search of coffee and apples. Anything with apples. Wandering the neighbourhood, I found a sunny little bakery on a leafy street near the Brandenburg Gate. It had a tiny sidewalk patio with four tables and a plethora of potted plants. Best of all, a sign […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
