Ready for Launch! I think!

Tomorrow's the day - a published cookbook on the shelf...crazy! It feels like just yesterday I started down this road, but at the same time I feel like it's taken forever to finally get to this point!

Without further ado - it's my pleasure to present - The Preservatory Cookbook - Seasonally Inspired Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Artisanal Preserves!!

Tomorrow's the day! April 25th - The Preservatory Cookbook release...available across North America - I'm thinking of sitting at Chapter's and stalking the cookbook section, that's weird right?

I can not wait to hear what everyone thinks of the book, and at the same time I'm dreading hearing the reviews! It's so beautiful, and I'm so very proud of the result...yet, it feels almost too personal now to have it out there for public consumption. I'm also a bit jet-lagged and fighting off a cold - so maybe that's the weird feeling I've been having all day!

Regardless - ready or not we're about to launch!

We're hosting a Launch Party here at the farm on Sunday - April 30th from 3pm in the old Dairy Barn - tickets include a copy of the book, a jar of The Preservatory preserves and of course nibbles and sips from the cookbook! I sincerely hope you'll come join us to celebrate!

 

New Year - New Purpose

Well 2016 sure flew by! Not one post from this desk - I can only blame the cookbook, the farm, the jam, the winery...my procrastinating! Thankfully we have 2017 to make up for it, all going to plan.

The Preservatory cookbook is at the printers as we speak, with a launch date of April 25th, 2017. A true labour of love, I was warned it would be a long process but didn't believe it would actually take almost two years. Appetite Random House editor Jenny Bradshaw has been a dream to work with, I really drew a lucky hand, being a first timer she was kind and supportive throughout the editing process, so many decisions and such thought go into every detail - I hope you love the results!

The farm is covered in beautiful crispy snow and we're heading into a chilly week, -10 they are predicting which means carrying water to the horses, walking short dogs along a 'cleared' path and making sure the bird feeders are topped up!

It also means, no excuse for not getting the new website contented uploaded - speaking of procrastination! I'm thrilled at the new design and can not wait to launch it along with our new branding and preserve flavours at this months Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco!

The Preservatory Cookbook!

The Preservatory - Cookbook!

It's happening - Finally! I think I started a proposal about five years ago - it took a few glasses of wine and a good friend to convince me to send it off - that was last July! It took a full year to hash out the details and sign the contract, with RANDOM HOUSE!!

Completely surreal, very exciting and completely overwhelming now that I have a deadline! The photo shoots have begun, we have two under our belt now and the pictures are amazing, I'll post teasers as we go.

The Preservatory cookbook will have 75 recipes FOR preserves and another 50 recipes WITH preserves. I'm including about 20 recipes of preserves that we currently produce and am creating the others as we speak - this is by far my favourite part of the process. The preserves will of course be seasonal, so the clock is ticking to get the summer fruit into jars and onto the page.

Stay tuned for more updates and few recipes to test out...

Behind the scenes with Janis Nicolay - photographer extraordinaire!

My Big Fat Weekend...

I love to travel. I love to eat. I mostly travel TO eat. Seriously, I have no interest in visiting places that don't offer me less then five options for amazing food a day. The obvious locales are my favourites ...Paris, New York, San Francisco but I've become very good at seeking the obscure.

Tricks of the trade-

Rarely trust a concierge

Always trust a bartender

Never trust Yelp

Walk between meals if possible - even if its Chicago in February and -38

I keep notes on my iPad for each city, whenever I stumble across a mention of somewhere interesting I make a note to research further. I have a few sources I check first and if not recommended by at least three, I pass.

I have a strong preference for casual dining and by that I mean no elaborate 20 course tasting menus , unless you're at Stone Barns in NY or French Laundry in Napa, both bucket list meals and not for the days when you're doing 5 restaurants!

The hard part is narrowing down your choices, I hate missing out on a dish.  I also have a bad habit of finding somewhere amazing and wanting to go back and order that same thing over & over. I try and limit this to no more then 3 repeats a trip  - but it's HARD...especially the Gnudi at Spotted Pig

and the Pork Buns at Momofuku, and the roast chicken at Zuni, and the brandade at Le Comptoir...sorry I'm sitting on an airplane eating "artisanal" cheese that tastes suspiciously like Cracker Barrel!

Momofuku Pork Buns & Singapore Sling Slushie

I'm on my way to NYC for the annual Summer Fancy Food show, when I told the border guard I was going the 'fancy food show' he actually laughed, I informed him it's a real thing and after chatting more he ask for my business card so he could bring his wife to the farm to try out barrel diving!

Travelling is a bit stressful for me, not the flying and getting through security, but deciding which restaurants I'm going to get to...do I make reservations? That's a big commitment for me and most of my favourite meals have been sitting at the bar....but, do I take a chance and not get into the more 'hot' places? I usually end up with  a few late night reservations allowing me to get a couple 'appie hours' in beforehand. I only have two reservations booked for this trip and one is a repeat...Il Buco Alimentari and I'm going back for the deep fried baby artichokes! Can. Not. Wait. The other was recommended to me last time I was in ny by the food editor of a very fancy magazine, so I'm pretty confident I won't be disappointed ...plus I researched five other sites, just to be safe :) oh and I'm going to the Spotted Pig as soon as I land...that Gnudi better be on the menu still!

Il Buco Alimentari - Crispy Artichokes

Happy travels - Lee

The Breslin's - Curried Lentils & Poached Eggs

PIZZAM! Pizza & Jam....no really!

Pizzam! Proof that not all crazy ideas are all that crazy...

How it all began...

Last year at Feast of Fields, actually two years ago, but I digress...Mary from Terra Breads and I decided to collaborate on a crazy idea...she was making amazing pizzas in her AWESOME 'husband-built' pizza oven and I was making 'PB&J' sandwiches for the event, they were actually Brioche with Spiced Walnut Butter & Plum Vanilla & Star Anise Preserves and pretty tasty...

Anyways, we combined the two and made a few PBJ pizzas...THEY.WERE. AMAZING!

Moving along...

Patrick & I were on a sales trip in Whistler (yes, I know that sounds rough) and stopped for a snack in the lobby of the Four Seasons and shared a couple flatbreads that were on special, best bar snack ever!

Next thought....

We should make flatbreads for the Picnic's at Vista D'oro, oh and we should use our jam as a base...oh and like those pizza's in Provence, we can garnish with dressed greens....

This is what transpired one night in the kitchen....

Mise en Pizzam!

Simple Pizza Dough (you could easily use frozen)

Apricot Tarragon & Riesling Preserve with Duck Confit

Heirloom Tomato & Chile Preserve with Pancetta, Bocconini & Fresh Tomatoes

Green Tomato & Garam Masala Preserves with Italian Sausage, Fromage Fraise & Cilantro
My Fav!

Green Walnut & Grappa Preserves with Truffle Salami, Fermier Cheese, Frisee

Finished Tomato & Chile Pizzam with Fresh Basil

Finished Apricot & Duck Pizzam Garnished with Fresh Tarragon

So now all I have to do is get Mary's husband to build me a pizza oven for the deck and we'll be in business! Or win the lottery and build a Pizzam Truck modelled after the Del Popolo truck! (Google it!) Hey a girl can dream!

The Pizzam Menu

Figs & Walnut Wine Preserve with

Proscuitto, Blue Cheese & Arugula

Heirloom Tomato & Chile Preserve with

Pancetta, Bocconcini, Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

Green Heirloom Tomato & Garam Masala Preserve with

Italian Sausage, Fromage Fraise, Cilantro

Green Walnut & Grappa Preserve with

Truffle Salami, Fermier Cheese, Frisee

Apricot Tarragon & Riesling Preserve with

Duck Confit, Alpine Gold Cheese & Fresh Tarragon

Get out to the Farms!

As spring seems to have finally decided to show it's warmer side, we come out of hibernation and look forward to the arrival of those first fresh local culinary treasures and begin seeking them out. The best way to discover these delicious offerings is to head out to the country and visit the farmers and vintners that are producing them.

While agritourism may have it’s roots in Italy – British Columbia has wasted no time adopting the term and lifestyle, nowhere is this more apparent then in the farms and wineries across this beautiful province. Agritourism offerings are as diverse as the landscape they rest on; from corn mazes with your kids to barrel sampling with the vintners, the choices are truly endless.

Preserving Krause asparagus at Vista D'oro

Food and wine go hand in hand and culinary agritourism and wineries are a match made in heaven. Agritourism on wineries comes in many forms; from culinary classes and vineyard tours to fully gourmet-stocked tasting rooms and overnight stays amongst the vines, the wineries are taking the ‘experience’ to whole new level.

A trip to the Fraser Valley uncovers many of these experiential destinations.  With over ten wineries from Richmond to Chilliwack, and endless farms stops along the way, it’s easy to plan a full day out in the country and come home with edible delicacies and local wines to stock your pantry and cellar for months to come.

Farmhouse Cheese - always on the picnic menu!

 

At The Farmhouse Natural Cheese in Agassiz, view cheese makers turning fresh ‘from the cow’ milk into beautiful artisanal cheeses, then take a stroll around the farm to meet the cows and goats that make it all possible. Stop in at Krause Berry Farms to get the first crop of asparagus and pick your own ripe strawberries then head in and watch those same berries being made into fresh baked scones in their farm kitchen, melt in your mouth deliciousness!

Thomas Haas treats in the Farmgate Shop

Warning: Shameless plug about to begin… At our own farmgate shop and winery, Vista D’oro Farms in Langley, alongside our wines, we feature culinary products made on our farm using our orchard fruits as well as produce from other local farms. We also stock other great local products including artisanal cheeses, charcuterie as well as local chef produced delicacies such as Thomas Haas chocolates, Terra Breads baguettes and crackers, and Tequi-Lime Sauces from Chef Ann Kirsebom.

Picnic under the walnut tree with a view of the vineyard.

Vista D’oro also offers picnic-ing under the walnut trees or on our deck, produced in our commercial kitchen incorporating fresh local ingredients into our menus.  Using products grown or produced on our farm as well as many other local farms alongside a glass of Vista D’oro wine, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

The Fort Wine Company in Fort Langley offers delicious fruit wines and has another lovely spot for romantic picnics. They also offer tours of the farm and winery and a lovely bistro in the tasting room.

First blooms on the apple trees!

Take the time to meet with the people providing these experiences they are a passionate bunch who truly love what they do and only too happy to share it with you.

Come and hang out on the deck!

Be sure to check out www.circlefarmtour.com for more stops in the Fraser Valley!

With so many unique agritourism experiences to choose from your hardest task will be convincing yourselves to come back home. Careful, you may end up like us, never leaving the farm!

Farming in Louboutins

LOUBOUTINS – OF THE CHRISTIAN VARIETY

I don’t know many women who aren’t a least a little shoe crazy, so honestly my addiction doesn’t make me feel too guilty. I mean really, who doesn’t get a little excited when you see that tell tale red soul of a Louboutin?

Yes, I realize I’m a farmer by day, however I love a dressy night out. My retirement plans include a pied-à-terre in Paris, with a closet dedicated solely (pun intended) to the aforementioned footwear, so it only seems right to begin the collection now, because let's face it, on a farmer's salary, Louboutin’s put a serious dent in the ‘marketing’ budget and it’s going to take a few years to accumulate enough of these beauties to fill said closet.

My first pair have their own dedicated shelf in my office, where I can keep a close eye on them as well as use them as inspiration to work a little harder everyday!  When we were about to launch the D'oro fortified Walnut Wine to trade and media, I realized the time was ripe for purchase, I mean I had to convey the new winery ‘brand & image’ right? They came to me through a lovely sales lady at Holt Renfrew, home of the coveted Pink bag, she even sent a lovely note the following week to see how the two of us were making out.

Convincing the accountant and auditor of this purchase was another matter entirely and I still think they missed the true value and meaning of that purchase, but a girl’s gotta try right?