Backseat Adventure - Slow Food's Feast of the Fields

When a whole bunch of foodies get together in a spectacular location for some yummy, locally produced and cooked food it is a recipe for a hot afternoon. When a couple with two young daughters go to that event it is a recipe for a sweaty, busy afternoon spent chasing, cajoling, and sometimes eating.

The family went to Slow Food Calgary's Seventh Annual Feast of the Fields on Sunday. There were local restaurants cooking food sourced from a number of local producers. The food was great, the music was fun, the location was fantastic. The Monster was mostly whiny and picky and the baby was fussy. I think it was a day for the babysitter...

Slow Food Calgary is devoted to the protection and promotion of regional cuisines, ingredients, and local purveyors. At Feast of the Fields a number of local restaurants teamed up with local producers to showcase ingredients, taste, and talent found here.

Hubby and I were looking forward to the day. It had been a tough week for both of us and the promise of good food and a day out kept our spirits up. When Sunday bloomed into a gorgeous Indian Summer day and the girls napped well beforehand we thought we were set. You could smell the grills as you approached the garden at Rouge, starting us salivating.

Unfortunately, the Monster was not in the mood for a garden party, asking us for a tea party at a friend's house instead. She was temporarily placated by some lemon water when we got there. And until we found some bacon on one of the specially prepared treats she wanted nothing to do with the food. Hubby and I busily gorged ourselves on everything she wouldn't eat, and then some. Tomatoe and bacon soup, duck proscuitto, blackcurrant and yoghurt tartletts, and more.

Then we found ourselves a spot in the shade, with a good view of the garden and the band. The Monster found some other kids - including ones in the best t-shirts with the slogan "Slow Eater" on them. And when Jessica Beacock, one of the chefs from Rouge, came out to harvest some nasturtiums from the garden the kids flocked to her. She gave them a lesson in edible greens and even let them pick some flowers to taste. The Monster liked the peppery taste so much she helped herself again.

At the end of the day Hubby and agreed on two things. One, it appears that you need money to be a foodie in this city. While I won't discount the importance of an organization like Slow Food, the event wasn't cheap. And it seemed that a lot of people there weren't afraid to show off that they have money. There isn't anything wrong with that, but it makes me wonder about the rest of the world. Good food isn't only for the rich, but I'll save that tirade for another day.

And two, as much as we want to expose the girls to local producers and new tastes, we would have had a better time if we'd gone by ourselves. Sure, there were lots of kids around and we believe it is important to introduce the concepts of Slow Food, but it might be better to wait until she is a bit older to appreciate an event like this. Or maybe we just wanted a date.

Sources:
Slow Food Calgary
Rouge
Slow Food Edmonton

Backseat Adventure - Innisfail Growers

Gas prices be damned, today was a day for a road trip. The family loaded up into the new car (it's still new to us after 6 weeks) and headed north to the Innisfail area. It was Customer Appreciation Day for the Innisfail Growers. The producers that make up this group opened their farmgates to customers for tours, treats, and sales.

The Innisfail Growers sell at the farmgate and in farmers' markets throughout the province. Our Sunday morning haunt, the Calgary Farmers' Market houses them in a prominent booth at the front entrance. Currently they are the first stop on my weekly grocery shop. I want to see what they have, what's being grown here before I stop anywhere else. This means I can get asparagus, crisp lettuce just picked, crunchy and sweet carrots, juicy tomatoes, baby potatoes, beef, lamb, and the Monster's favourite: peas.

There are five farms that make up Innisfail Growers. We made it to two farms: The Jungle Farm and Edgar Farms. A two-year old can only handle so much travelling, and will fight tooth and nail when you try to take her from the goats, pony, piglets, horse, chickens, and kitten of Edgar Farms.

At Edgar Farms the Monster and Hubby ate their bodyweights in fresh peas. Hubby said they were the sweetest he's had. Me? I don't do peas. Ask my mother, I've never been able to eat them. My standard excuse is that I am allergic since eating one pea will induce a violent stomach reaction in me. Really, I am like the princess and the pea, detecting just one pea in a serving of shepherd's pie and washing my hands with hand sanitizer every time I shucked some for the Monster today.

Alas, it was too late for asparagus. But we did get a good lesson from Elna, one of the owners of Edgar Farms, on how it grows and is harvested. The above shot is of the Monster exploring a field of asparagus gone to seed. Who knew this is what happens when you don't pick it? It makes me want to plant some myself, for the taste and late summer visual of those gentle fronds.

The Monster was in heaven at Edgar Farms. Beyond the animals to pet and feed was the tour of the fields and the all-you-can-eat peas. Sure these peas were hail damaged, but cosmetics don't matter to her. Sure they were starchy peas if you picked the ones on the bottom of the plant. But it was dirt and peas and tractors. Needless to say, there was a fit to be had when after over two hours there we insisted on heading for home. This nursing mom was starving and the jars of pickled asparagus for sale weren't going to cut it.

We did also make it to The Jungle Farm. This family farm is more than u-pick strawberries and flowers - not that I'm complaining about that! They grow lettuce, raspberries, zucchini, onions, pumpkin, artichokes, and more. They have a beautiful set-up, with a lovely red barn for farmgate sales and treats. Leona, one of the owners took us on a wagon ride with the swank red tractor. Personally, I found it quite interesting as she shared the struggles of our short growing season and extreme weather, but it was a bit much for the Monster and all the other kids. They just wanted a cool wagon ride on the hay bales. It's all worthwhile for the strawberries! Red, red, red. We didn't stay to pick, however, because a) it was damn chilly with a brisk wind and b) I have plans to go strawberry picking later this week.

"Not bad for 35 bucks in gas," was the Hubby's short summary. You can finger paint and take the dogs for a walk, but I think the Monster was much happier on the farm today and anyday. We just have to remember to take lunch with us next time, a few muffins and some raspberries won't cut it. The Jungle Farm had a delicious smelling beef on a bun, but we weren't hungry then. Unfortunately, the sandwich shop we wanted to go to in Innisfail was closed and peas were our option at Edgar Farms. Must bring picnics for adventures, must bring picnics.

I would love to say that we came home laden with food and I cooked this fantastic, simple, farm fresh meal. I would love to say that, but we got home at 6:00 pm and both the Monster and the baby needed to eat NOW. Sadly leftover pizza was the quick option. But we'll be at the market tomorrow to say hello to our new friends and pick up the newly appreciated bounty from the market stall.

Sources:
Innisfail Growers
The Jungle Farm
Edgar Farms
Country Drive.ca