K is for Kohlrabi

Cabbage, meet turnip. This is basically what Kohlrabi is. It can be eaten raw or cooked (do peel it first) and it is a used in many parts of the world. It’s grown here in the Shuswap and is often available from local vegetable farms. In German, “khol” means cabbage and “rabi” means radish.

J is for Jalapeno

These little green peppers full of goodness are great to warm things up as we approach the cold dark nights of November and yes, they are grown here too, in the Shuswap. Jalapenos are the first pepper ever sent to space on NASA’s Space Shuttle. And if that’s not exciting enough, they are also sky

I is for Inspiration

In addition to I not being a great food letter, I thought I’d pause to thank and congratulate the Shuswap Food Action Society for their first week of a brand new hot lunch program at the local junior high school. This program is focussed on nutrition and local food, is supported by the community and

H is for Haskap

The Haskap berry is a super duper food, grown in many places around the world, the growing conditions in the Shuswap are especially ideal for this badass berry full of nutrients including Vitamin C, Manganese and Vitamin K. It’s versatile too, sweet, savoury, baking, sauces and marinades. In these parts, we like to use them

F is for Fennel

Back to school means back to basics, like the alphabet of food grown in the Shuswap earlier this summer. Fennel is both a herb and a vegetable. A two for one deal if you ask me. It’s versatile, flavourful and a welcome addition to any roasted veg, soup or jar of pickles.

F is for Food Day Canada

July 31 is Food Day Canada – a day to celebrate Canadian farmers and food workers. You can help celebrate by supporting farmers and producers and choosing local food. So enjoy that visit to the market and say thanks. Seems we’ve had plenty of disagreements this last year and a bit, but surely we can

E is for Elderberry

The elderberry is a flowering plant and the resulting berries are rich in anthocyanidins giving it the rich purple colour. The Elderberry is high in Vitamin C and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Typically used in jams, jellies, syrups and liquors, it’s recommended that the berries be cooked and the leaves and branches discarded because there

D is for Dill

Although far from a large crop, dill plays an important role in preserving food. The pickling cukes are in season and canning jars are so popular, they can be difficult to find this time of year. So here’s to dill, making cucumbers (and other veg) in vinegar, awesome.

C is for Cherries

I grew up in Northern Ontario. Sure, we could do apples, maybe blueberries and raspberries. Most of the summer fruit would arrive from Southern Ontario. The distinct fruit baskets were a welcome site. But cherries – those were very rare (and quite expensive). All the way from BC. Most often, they’d be reserved for long

B is for Blueberry

The tiny blueberry punches above its weight. It’s a high nutrient, low calorie food with super powers. It’s high in Vitamin C and K (yes, there is such a thing), fibre, manganese. It can help reduce blood pressure and inflammation. And lucky for us, they are grown in abundance in the Shuswap. Get yourself a