Densely textured, richly coloured and earthy even in their seed form, beets are reminiscent of dirt for Saskatchewan writer dee Hobsbawn-Smith.
Putting down roots, part 1: Beets
First We Eat: Taking us back to lands left behind, beets today are the closest we get to eating a mouthful of minerals
Great recipes rely on timely fall resource management
First We Eat: Your garden’s yield may need storage all at once if autumn arrives on short notice
dee Hobsbawn-Smith recounts an early-September rush to get frost-sensitive Prairie produce out of the garden, into the kitchen and processed for storage.
Cherries, part 2: Strudel
First We Eat: Prairie gardeners have until about the end of October to get sour cherry plants into the ground
Sour cherry shrubs, with proper care, can thrive in the challenging climate of Canada’s Prairies and produce fruit for delicacies such as strudel, as shown in the recipe here.
It’s chicken day
First We Eat: If it’s from a good farmer, a whole direct-sale bird is worth that extra bit of cost
This issue’s recipe: honey lemon chicken. Chicken Day means getting whole processed birds from a local farmer, getting them home in coolers, cutting each up for bagging and freezing, then stripping the carcasses for stock and pet food.
Summer brings a cherry jubilee
First We Eat: Direct off the tree or baked into desserts, the fruit is rich in both flavour and nutrients
Seeing this year’s fresh Okanagan cherries being unpacked at the local farmers’ market, in the wake of a disastrous 2024 growing season in that region of British Columbia, was a magical moment.
Stock can be the stock answer for a healthy diet in recovery
First We Eat: These simple combinations of ingredients come bearing highly nutritional benefits
Stock is the foundation of many restorative dishes. In folk medicine that recognizes the healing value of food, this is old news.
Plan for leftovers
First We Eat: Preparing ingredients to do double duty is just good sense
The act of eating occurs repeatedly on life’s continuum, and marshalling your ingredients to do double duty is just good sense.
How we can be Gordie Howe in Canada’s kitchens
First We Eat: There are Canadian foods I’d love to see on my table if I could obtain them here
Interprovincial trade regulations exist to protect local economies, preserve regional autonomy, and of course generate local income. But even the Bank of Canada believes lowering internal barriers would boost our economy while effectively keeping our dollars in Canada.
A literary celebration of food
First We Eat: Like a good meal, ‘One Book One Province’ is meant to offer a shared experience
On the Prairies, the month is a hopeful time for food lovers: we’re perusing seed catalogues, planning our gardens and dreaming about salads made from the season’s first greens.
Comfort food for hard times
First We Eat: What foods help you find peace in stressful situations? Here’s one of mine
Hand-pulled Shanghai noodles redolent of wok hei, the near-mystical “wok energy” or caramelized smokiness that has been called the breath of a wok, are a revivifying dish of comfort — soul food for hard times.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
