open farm days dinners
Lots of amazing events happening this weekend for Alberta Open Farm Days.
Forage on the Farm at Gray Arrow Farms, Thursday, August 15
Join forager Jennifer Doucet, Hart House restaurant and the Forstbauer family for a ramble and dinner, Thursday, August 15. Tix: $89/p+
The Grande Taste Tour, Saturday, August 17
The 124 Street Grand Market is having their sixth annual Grande Taste Tour, Saturday, August 17. This year it’s a leisurely tractor ride through Stonepost Farms and Camola Foods. It wraps up with a dinner by chef Paul Shufelt (Workshop Eatery, Woodshed Burger). Tix: $90/p
Fire, Farm, Feast An Open Farm Days Dinner & Farm Tour at Prairie Gardens with Get Cooking, Sunday, August 18
Enjoy a five-course dinner chosen to highlight the diversity of delicious produce, herbs and flowers grown on Tam Anderson’s farm. Tix: $125/+
save the falcons!
Bin 104 (5454 Calgary Trail, 780-436-8850, bin104.co) adopted the Peregrine falcons that nest in the Weber Centre several years ago. Although the Peregrine has come back from near extinction, it’s still considered endangered. But, the nesting sites on several tall Alberta buildings are considered part of one of the most successful breeding programs in North America. Enjoy the Bin’s Annual Falcon Fest Fundraiser, Wednesday, August 21 with great drinks, snacks and a silent auction. Funds raised go to the maintenance and medical needs of their adopted feathered friends. Tix: $75/p
60 years of great italian food and comestibles
Help the Italian Centre Shops celebrate their 60th birthday from 11am-4pm at every location—little Italy, the south side and the west end—on Sunday, August 25. Yes, there will be cake!
six easy ways with celery
Sundog Farm has the most amazing celery. Tall bright green stalks, with tons of healthy leaves, I cannot go by their stand at the Strathcona or the Downtown Farmers market without buying some. It has so much flavour and crunch. And Jenny Berkenbosch of Sundog says it’s one of the few crops that is doing well with all this rain. Here are six ways to use up the bounty besides the usual crudité platter or Caesar garnish.
- Make a cocktail: In a cocktail shaker, muddle 1 chopped celery stick with the juice of ½ lemon and a teaspoon of sugar (or to taste). Add 2 fingers of gin. Shake and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist
- Toss torn up celery leaves into any summery salad
- Remember ants on a log? This is the grown-up version: almond butter, chopped dates and sliced celery on toast. Season with a bit of large flake sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil
- Make a salad with fennel, celery and walnuts: Toast some walnuts, slice both the fennel bulb and celery into small strips, add some chopped parsley, tarragon if you have it and torn celery leaves. Toss in a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Season well and add some grated Pecorino if you like
- Make Leanne’s old-fashioned potato salad: thetomato.ca
- Make celery salt. Dry leaves in a low oven, then pulse or mortar with sea salt.
