Vegeta-pals

Our program team and our chef and community volunteers really missed being in the classroom this year. Although we couldn’t visit in person, we came up with a new way to connect with B.C. kids.

The Vegeta-Pal Program!

A modern and tasty pen pal project… with a twist! This fall we paired elementary school classrooms across the province with volunteer food systems champions to build relationships, interest, and connection around growing and cooking food. The Vegeta-pal program provided a new way for us to deliver upon our mission of connecting chefs, kids, and communities to foster systemic change towards healthy, sustainable, and just food practices.

What do the teachers think?

Our classroom has had the opportunity to work with the Growing Chefs program for the past few years. It was an awesome program, very informative and hands-on for the students. We loved having the chefs in the classroom as they were very knowledgeable and interacted well with the kids, their enthusiasm about food was infectious! This year, we have been given the opportunity to work with vegeta-pals as we cannot have the chefs physically visit our classroom. So far, they have been great! The students loved the first video and activity. We are looking forward to the next few weeks of the program.

- Michelle Cavanagh
Grade 5/6 Classroom Teacher Champlain Heights Elementary, Vancouver

How do the volunteers feel?

The Vegeta-pal Program through Growing Chefs has been a fantastic inspiration for us. This virtual program has allowed us to connect with local children to share our favourite food stories, culinary inspirations & ultimately, to really connect with our future foodies, farmers, & chefs on what they love to eat & where the food they are enjoying comes from. A bit of culinary education, geography & math is added to the pot for good measure. One of us is a farmer, & the other, a Chef, so we were inspired to become vegeta-pals simply to connect kids to their food. Where it comes from, how it grows & to encourage a healthy understanding of their favourite foods. We are hopeful that our vegeta-pals will be inspired to learn more about their favourite foods, hopefully just as inspired as we are to teach them about the process involved from growing to eating!"

- Miche & Patrick
Vegeta-pals, Vancouver Island

And most importantly, what do the kids think?

“We have had lots of learning and fun, such as our online field trip and learning about the six parts of a plant (stem, roots, leaves, seeds, fruits, and the flowers) from our vegeta-pals. Some other things we learned are planting in an urban environment is called Urban Agriculture. Urban Agriculture is important because we can’t always rely on imported food. A good way to help is to plant seeds on your balcony backyard, or somewhere else.

- Brendan, age 10

Right now we can’t have anyone come into our class, but we are in the new Vegeta-pal Program. I am a vegetarian and enjoy eating and cooking with vegetables.

- Sabrina, age 10

“My Vegeta-pals are amazing and cool. I can’t wait until I learn about every vegetable so I can make salad every day.”

-Arianna, age 10

45 Children’s Books for the Growing Chefs in Your Life!

Cozy up over Winter Break with some of these books, all about food - from seed to plate to compost. Let’s celebrate our food system while diving into some great stories about urban agriculture, cuisines around the world, farming, gardening, cooking, composting, and so much more! Buying gifts for the growing chefs in your life? These books may just be what you’re looking for!

Search for these books at your local library or a favourite local bookstore such as Kidsbooks, Dilly Dally Kids, or Russell Books on the island which has a GIANT selection of used books.

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Picture Books for All Ages:

A Day With Yahyah by Nicola Campbell

This story invites us to learn about a First Nations family set in the Nicola Valley of British Columbia where an Elder passes down their knowledge of foraging, edibles in the woods, and about plant life. A local story, sharing Indigenous knowledge.

Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt

This beautiful picture book shows the reciprocity between the natural world and humanity and also honors the Cree language and storytelling traditions. Also included is a recipe for bannock bread, as well as basic Cree words with a pronunciation guide.

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson

This story highlights the many characters who play a role in bringing our food to the table. Meet some of our food systems heroes in this farm-to-table tale.

Bread Lab! by Kim Binczewski and Bethany Econopouly

Baking bread during isolation has been a toasty trend this year. This author sneaks a pinch of science into a story about transforming a kitchen and baking bread. Get the kids in your life excited about integrating science and math in the kitchen, while baking tasty treats!

*this author is up to some amazing work as the managing director of the Bread Lab at Washington State University in Mount Vernon, where her work includes field research, community outreach, and connecting farmers with bakers, chefs and businesses

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals

This is one of our favourites that we bring into the classroom with us each year - beloved by our volunteers, staff, teachers and students alike. This rhyming story takes us on an educational journey to learn about what everyday items can be composted to make your very own nutrient-rich plant food. From apple cores to zinnia heads - learn how to stew up your own compost at home. A family fun activity we can all do!

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Slink into the life of a worm with this hilarious read. It will surely have you wriggling in laughter, while learning about the daily happenings in the life of a worm - a critter that has a very important role in our world.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Growing Chefs' mission of educating kids about the food cycle: from seed, to plate, to compost is truly told in this story. Included in this book is a perfect winter comfort food recipe to make your very own vegetable soup together!

Harvest by Kris Waldherr

Celebrate the abundance of harvest season year round with this story. With all the bounty that harvest can bring, this family goes to work to savour all their hard work by preserving all the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that have been produced in their garden.

How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller

This story may feel awfully familiar to many parents - but with a role-reversal twist! This laugh-out-loud funny, book may just be the secret ingredient to inspire picky eaters to try something new, and try their hands in the kitchen! We couldn’t wipe the smile off of our faces reading this one.

Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt

We love this story, that explores how one kid can make a difference in helping out a friend, and fighting against food insecurity. A book filled with so many important lessons around friendship, trust, empathy and that activism can begin at any age.

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli

Have you heard the true story of Nobel Peace Prize Winner “Mama Miti”of Kenya, who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977? This is a powerful story for the whole family to enjoy, that depicts the power that one person can hold to impact the future of others. 

My Food, Your Food by Lisa Bullard

A story that takes place during food week at school, where kids bring in their families cultural foods and share them with their class.  Explore the many different types of food from around the world, the similarities they share, and the cultures that celebrate them.

My Soca Birthday Party by Yolanda T. Marshall

Who doesn’t like a surprise birthday party, especially one this delicious!? Canadian author, Yolanda T. Marshall invites us to a celebration with a fusion of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of African and Carribean cuisine, music, dance and culture.

Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming by Lisl H. Detlefsen

Right this very minute, right in front of us, are many available opportunities to learn about and give thanks to our food systems heroes that have helped bring the food we have to our table. This story is a beautiful reminder and gentle nod to all the hard working folks behind the scenes that make up our food system. Follow up by checking out our food systems heroes thank you video.

Stone Soup by Heather Forest

This ancient tale, retold by Heather Forest teaches that making something from nothing, is a lot easier when we work together. This book is about food, community, and sharing while sharing an important lesson of how a small contribution from one, can lead to a collective impact that is so much more.

The First Fry Bread: A Gitxsan Story by Dr. M. Jane Smith

Fry bread has a significant role in the Gitxsan culture. It is often served both at home and at feasts. The fry bread story has a message for children on the importance of building up their spirits.

The Perfectly Wonky Carrot by Chris Newman

This story ticks all the boxes - a fight against food waste, with a little dose of self-love and a celebration of diversity. This confident little carrot shows that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes - and to consider giving a little bit more love to the rare looking fruits and vegetables in the produce section during your next shop.

Plant’s Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Move through the lessons on the life cycle of a plant with this fun book that showcases the side of plants that we don’t always see. After story time - follow up with our vegetable stretch video that we love to use to teach kids about how a plant grows, and get a little movement break in when we need to readjust our energy levels!

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Picture Books for Ages 2-6:

Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root

At Growing Chefs, we are huge supporters of inclusive gardening, and believe that you can grow food anywhere! And that is why we LOVE this book that takes us on a rhyming journey exploring all the different places a garden can grow. This story can be a child's first introduction to a DIY garden using repurposed materials. Apologies in advance if you find one of your boots filled with dirt one day!

And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson

What goes into taking care of a vegetable patch? It’s not just planting, and harvesting. It takes a lot of time to dig, plant, weed, water….and wait! But taking on this task with family, makes it that much sweeter. Journey through the cycling seasons, and explore all that the good brown earth can offer in lessons and in harvest. 

Busy in the Garden by George Shannon

Carrot-all to join in on rhyme time with 24 poems about the growing season? Adults who have a strong appreciation for puns may even enjoy this book more than the kiddos. Riddles, rhymes, and rockin’ thymes.

Because of an Acorn by Lola Schafer & Adam Schaefer

Missing adventure these days? This story invites us down a path, journeying the seemingly simplest aspects of our layered ecosystem while learning about the life cycles of a plant.

Carrot Soup by John Segal

A story that follows Rabbit through the seasons of tending to a very precious patch of carrots. Come harvest time, the carrots are gone, and Rabbits friends have a lovely soup-rise in store for him!

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A-Z by Lois Ehlert

Practice ABC’s, celebrate fruits and vegetables from around the world, and increase food vocabulary! Included in this fun picture book, is a tasty glossary showcasing where each item is grown, and how it is usually eaten - a perfect read before snack time!

Little Pea by Amy Krauss Rosenthal

“If you don’t eat your sweets, there will be no vegetables for dessert!!” Wait...what!? A sweet story for picky eaters, and their parents who find themselves in a common pea-dicament when it comes to meal time - but with a twist!

Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington

We can’t think of a tastier way to learn about the intricacies of where food comes from then over a big pizza pie. Sally is doing pizza, in the coolest way possible. Buying flour right from the mill, making pizza sauce with tomatoes from the community garden. We’re all about it!

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

We love this story about the power of believing in yourself, determination, patience and following your gut. Despite everyone telling a young boy that his carrot seed will not grow into anything - he doesn’t stop watering, weeding, and waiting. An important story that is a fundamental part of being a successful gardener.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Let’s follow the lead of Liam in this story by daring to dream about a more green world. Environmentalism in an urban setting. As we turn the pages of this book, the dark, grey world transforms before our eyes into a vibrant, lush, green one.

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Picture Books for Ages 5-9:

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang 

Trial and error in the kitchen is something that we have probably all experienced during this pandemic. No need to get discouraged! In this story, Amy Wu is determined to make one of her cultures traditional recipes despite her many failed attempts - I wonder what the secret ingredient is?

Eddie's Garden: And How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland

This fun story showcases all the hard work that goes into making a garden grow. But as we know, there is more to it than just a gardener's hard work! Eddie gets some help from the sun, rain, and many little critters. An inspiring story that inspires the youngest of gardeners to grow anywhere they can!

Food Truck Fest! by Alexandra Penfold

Feeling stuck at home? Travel the world of food, exploring with these restaurants-on-wheels, and get a taste of adventure! A celebration of the vibrancy food trucks bring to our communities, that showcases all that goes on behind the scenes to gather, transport, prepare and cook delicious food for us in the most unexpecting of places.

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

A delicate introduction to understanding how a plant, flower, or tree has come to be - sharing important vocabulary around the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination. A perfect companion for early science lessons, and curious young gardeners. Our favourite part? This book includes instructions for a fun seed-growing project!

Grandma's Garden by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton

This timeless, heart-warming, and cross-generational story that showcases all the power a garden has. Imagining one space that holds opportunities to learn, discover, celebrate and share in stories and moments of solitude. Snuggle up with a loved one, and enjoy the comfort of a garden with this book.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

This cheerful story has all the good feels, while educating young readers about the many cycles and elements of gardening. Most importantly, this story drives home the importance of community, and that we all need a little help from our friends. Author Lynne Cherry is on a mission to inspire kids to grow their own food at home or at school. Growing Chefs approves!

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid

Canadian author and illustrator Barbara Reid, invites you into this soothing story that has us giving gratitude to the bounty of nature, and all that a tree can offer. This book is sure to help sprout in our imaginations, a magic that will never have us looking at trees the same again. 

The Garden of Happiness by Erika Tamar

This is a serious, feel-good book about urban agriculture! Marisol is inspired by a vacant lot in her community that is transformed into a community garden. She wants to get involved, but there are no available plots left - but that doesn’t stop her! She passes along the inspiration to so many others, with her sheer determination to plant a seed.

The Pea Blossom by Amy Lowry Poole

A retelling of an old tale of Five Peas in a Pod, one pea finds its destiny and purpose on the windowsill of a house near the city of Beijing where a young, sick girl finds hope and healing in this little pea.

The Ugly Vegetable by Grace Lin

Join us in celebrating all the fruits and vegetables that don’t get enough appreciation in this world with this story! We don’t carrot-all about whether or not our produce looks perfect - it's equally as delicious! This story includes a scrumptious recipe for ‘Ugly Vegetable Soup’ with a complete guide of Chinese pronunciation for some decadent produce.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

This story paints a picture of the combined forces in a garden: the busy bees swirling in the green, and the less noticed, wriggling worms and vital work being done down in the dirt. This rhythmic story provides comfort that we are not alone in our hard work in the garden!

Up We Grow!: A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge

We are invited to get to know the hardworking farmers who plow, plant, compost, mulch, harvest and market fruits and vegetables. We learn about the chickens and goats, buzzing bees, and many of the farmers’ friends, working in synchronicity that help make it all happen. This informative book explains to children the importance of small local farms while touching on soil science, pollinators and sustainable agriculture.

Watch Me Grow!: A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City by Deborah Hodge

This book features photos taken locally in Vancouver that highlight all the possibilities of urban agriculture, and growing food in the city and how kids can be involved!

Zora’s Zucchini by Katherine Pryor

Zora was warned that she was planting A LOT of zucchini, but like most kids, she wasn’t focusing on the potential problems, when there was so much possibility! When her family was all zuked out, and ran out of creative ways to eat zucchini - Zora started her own neighbourhood vegetable swap! We love this story that highlights a community growing food, and coming together to share in their harvests.

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Books for Ages 9-12:

Seed Folks by Paul Fleischmen

In this short novel, a seed is planted in a diverse neighborhood that sprouts and grows into a community garden. A great novel, for intermediate aged readers that covers topics about urban agriculture, community, and that one person can make a big difference in their community.

Seed Savers: Treasure by Sandra Smith

Treasure, is Part one of the ‘Seed Savers’ series that gently depicts a dystopian society where seeds and gardening are illegal. Two kids, meet a friend who teaches them about seeds, and real food.  This leads them to let their curiosities take them on an adventure where they plant a forbidden tomato plant. This series of 5 books showcases the importance of the seed savers in our world, and may plant a seed for the kids in your life to discover the magic that is in a seed.

The Vanderbeekers and the Secret Garden by Karina Yan Glaser

We love this second book in the Vanderbeekers series that is a mega-feel good story about the neighbourhood children joining forces for good to create a secret healing garden in their urban community of Harlem for one of their elderly neighbours who is sick. Jam-packed full of warmth, community, and caring.

The Recipe for a Happy Holiday

Monday, December 14th, 2020
NEWS RELEASE: THE RECIPE FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY

Local food-focused charities partner with chefs and local businesses to support edible education this holiday season

Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots Farms have written the recipe for a happy holiday

• Start with two local food-focused charities (Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots) 

• Engage three talented local chefs (Chefs Robert Clark, Tasha Sawyer, TJ Conwi) 

• Add generous philanthropists (Willow Grove Foundation and more)

• Throw in a boatload of sustainable seafood (Organic Ocean) 

• Mix with 345 spatulas and ladles (House of Knives)

• Finish with a cup of creativity, teaspoon of generosity, and pinch of love.

Chef Tasha Sawyer
Photo Credit: Mavreen David Photography

LunchLAB is a collaborative project between two local charities, Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots. In LunchLAB, students learn to grow their own food, supplement that food from local farms, and with the support of their teacher and chef-in-residence, learn to cook for themselves and their peers. This week, hundreds of children will go home with one of their favourite LunchLAB dishes and a special gift to help them keep cooking at home.

““We are not able to be in schools right now and our LunchLAB chefs and team miss spending time with the LunchLAB students,” said Amanda Adams, Growing Chefs’ Program Director. “We wanted to let them know that we are thinking of them this holiday season. We can’t wait to be in the kitchen with them again.””

At Total Education High School, 45 students who regularly would be a part of our LunchLAB program are receiving a pasta meal kit with ingredients and instructions so they can practice their cooking skills at home by creating a nutritious meal for their family, all created by Chef Tasha Sawyer. Additionally, Chef TJ Conwi has bottled up the kids’ favourite salad dressing from the salad bar for 300 LunchLAB students at Lord Roberts Elementary School. They will also receive the recipe for this healthy dressing so they can teach their caregivers how to make it at home. All students will also receive a special gift from our friends at House of Knives to help them keep cooking.

Additionally, 80 local families in need will receive a generous gift of healthy, sustainable seafood (frozen shrimp and salmon, and canned tuna) from Organic Ocean, made possible by a donation from the Willow Grove Foundation. These families will also receive a recipe and cooking tips by Chef Robert Clark, recently appointed to the Order of Canada in November 2020 for establishing a world-renowned program to help businesses and customers identify and purchase sustainable seafood.

Seafood hampers will be distributed to families by Vancouver Coastal Health's Leadership and Resilience program team and Vancouver Technical Secondary School. These are many of the same families that were provided with weekly meals earlier in the pandemic through our LunchLAB pivot, Chefs for Families.

““We are incredibly grateful for such a seamless collaboration between organizations and blown away by the number of people reaching out to volunteer their time and donate food, space, services, products and money. The resilience and support from our community is truly inspiring,” says Alexa Pitoulis, Executive Director of Fresh Roots.”

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About LunchLAB 
Both Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots believe food can be a catalyst for positive change and a source of joy and inspiration, even during challenging times. LunchLAB is a collaborative project between two local charities, Growing Chefs and Fresh Roots. In LunchLAB, elementary and high school students learn to grow their own food, supplement that food from local farms, and with the support of their teacher and chef-in-residence, learn to cook for themselves and their peers.

About House of Knives
House of Knives’ vision is a simple one: to improve the quality of life of all those they encounter through education and innovation. Their goal is to match our customers with quality and functional tools, and to educate them on how to use and maintain their tools. To achieve this, they strive to create an inclusive atmosphere within each of their stores where customers who appreciate quality feel comfortable entering and inquiring about their products and services. If customers' needs are not obvious, they listen openly, and without prejudice or bias, to help them determine what their needs are and how to fulfill them.House of Knives aims to have their customers view them as not only as a destination where one can purchase fine quality tools and functional gifts, but as a resource for the service, knowledge, and education required to use and maintain their investments.

About Organic Ocean 
Organic Ocean was established by fishers who recognized that sustainable livelihoods rely upon sustainable fisheries. Driven by the growing demand for responsibly sourced seafood, Organic Ocean has evolved into a community of seafood producers — traditional, modern, and indigenous — all dedicated to ecosystem and social stewardship. The top chefs were the first to recognize that by making choices for the good of our oceans, they were also being provided the finest ingredients. Now Organic Ocean fish and shellfish is also available for contactless, door to door delivery to the home or office. Organic Ocean is a Certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet and was named one of the Top 25 Sustainability-minded Seafood Suppliers That Have Transformed The North American Industry. 

Websites:

• growingchefs.ca/lunch-lab

• freshroots.ca/lunch-lab

• houseofknives.ca

• organicocean.com

Donation Websites:

• growingchefs.ca/donate

• freshroots.ca/donate

Instagram:

• @GrowingChefs

• @FreshRootsFarms

• @HouseOfKnives

• @OrganicOceanSeafood

Photo and interview opportunities available. 
Download High Resolution Images Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JSpuxcrbfls0-H988HPkhkt5doKkZhR4?usp=sharing

Media Contacts:
Jaydeen Williams - Co-Interim Executive Director at Growing Chefs
jaydeen@growingchefs.ca
604-710-1677

Caroline Manuel - Communications and Engagement Manager at Fresh Roots
caroline@freshroots.ca
778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 108

Program Contacts:
Amanda Adams - Program Director at Growing Chefs
amanda@growingchefs.ca 
604-916-2556

Alexa Pitoulis - Executive Director at Fresh Roots
alexa@freshroots.ca 
778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 101

Support local B.C. businesses for all your food-related holiday shopping!

We’re big advocates for sustainable and local products and you can bet that extends to our holiday shopping list. Now, more than ever, it is important to support our local businesses and local food community.

When doing your holiday shopping this year, we encourage you to think local and sustainable. Consumables make a great gift your loved ones will be more than excited to receive and there is no shortage of great local businesses that provide something for everyone on your list.

Remember that experiences and time together is a great gift as well. Consider supporting local restaurants by gifting a friend a gift card to their favourite local eatery so you can hang out and enjoy a meal together in the future, or source local ingredients and pick up a cookbook from a local chef for your family to cook and enjoy a meal together at home. There are loads of ways to get creative.

Our team of staff would like to share some of our favourites to help you find a gift for the foodie on your list. Almost all of the businesses below allow you to shop online and pick up your order at the store, or have your order shipped to you or directly to the person you are shopping for this holiday season making your holiday gift giving easier than ever this year.

East Van Roasters - eastvanroasters.com
319 Carrall Street, Vancouver, B.C.

If you have a chocolate lover on your holiday list this is the place to shop. Creating incredible, ethically sourced bean-to-bar chocolate and coffee, this local shop is also a social enterprise work and job training for women in downtown Vancouver. Check out their online shop for some sweet treats and even some sweet EVR swag.

East Van Jam - eastvanjam.com
Vancouver, B.C.

We love this local jam company with an incredible selection of locally made products made from B.C. produce. There are so many incredible flavours you’ll find it hard to pick just one. Available through online orders or at a selection of retailers (check out their website to find one near you).

Soirette - soirette.com
1433 W Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C.

For holiday cakes, cookies boxes, and macarons, check out Soirette bakery. Their holiday cookie box makes the perfect gift with nine varieties of delicious cookies. Or for a fun and scrumptious family activity- check out their DIY ginger bread kit. Everything you need to build and decorate your own gingerbread house.

Hives for Humanity - hivesforhumanity.com
101 - 1245 Glen Drive, Vancouver, B.C.

Looking for stocking stuffer ideas? Our friends at Hives fro Humanity have got you covered with jars of fresh local honey, beeswax candles, and a fine collection of salves , balms, and tinctures. Order online or check out their website for a retailer near you that carries their products.

Blue Heron Creamery - blueheroncheese.com
2410 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C.

Plant-based, cultured, fresh & aged. Blue Heron produces 100% dairy-free, plant-based vegan cheeses and other products, a perfect gift for the vegan in your life. But not just for vegans! Consider a Blue Heron purchase for any foodie on your gift list.

Mission Hill Family Estate - missionhillwinery.com
West Kelowna, B.C.

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery is Canada’s only five-time winner of Winery of the Year. Their online shop offers wine by the bottle, or carefully curated gift packages. Treat your friends and family to a bottle of B.C.

Coho Commissary Market - cohocommissary.com/market
Vancouver, B.C.

Head over to the Coho Commissary’s online Market for a number of incredible and delicious food and drink options from their incredible community of local small businesses. There’s something for everyone in here and if you simply cannot decide which food items to get for your gift try one of their curated food boxes with a selection of amazing products from their vendors.

Sheringham Distillery - sheringham-distillery.myshopify.com
Sooke B.C.

Started by a local chef turned distiller and his wife, Sheringham makes small batch handmade spirits from high quality, locally sourced ingredients. The perfect gift for those who enjoy making cocktails.

Lumette -enjoylumette.com
Sooke, B.C.

Alayne MacIsaac (also co-founder of the above mentioned Sheringham Distillery) created Lumette for those who want to enjoy a cocktail without the alcohol. These non-alcoholic spirits are crafted using premium botanicals and traditional distilling methods and make the perfect gift for those that love making fabulous cocktails, without the alcohol.

Davis Bay Tea Co. - davisbaytea.ca
Davis Bay, B.C.

Who doesn’t love curling up on a cold rainy day with a piping hot cup of delicious tea. Davis Bay Tea Company has a wide selection of delicious loose leaf tea blends and even has holiday gift boxes so you can give the tea lover on your list a gift that allows them to experience many of the amazing blends and flavours Davis Bay Tea Co. has to offer.

Flourist - flourist.com
3433 Commercial St, Vancouver, B.C.

Have an avid baker on your holiday list? Check out Flourist for some great gift ideas. Whether it’s some new tools for in the kitchen or perhaps a bouquet of flours, the baking enthusiast on your holiday list would definitely love to receive some of the amazing products Flourist has available.

Untangled Cider - untangledcider.ca
725 MacKenzie Road, Cawston, B.C.

Dry, fruit forward ciders made on the Klippers Organic Farm and served at Row Fourteen Restaurant. Klippers believes that food should be organic, fresh, and grown free of pesticides or genetic modification – just as nature intended.

You can find Untangled Cider weekly at the Vancouver Farmers Market.

Vancouver Farmers Market - eatlocal.org
Vancouver, B.C.

Our B.C. farms and producers offer fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, and poultry, sustainable seafood, craft beer, wine and spirits, artisan food products, handmade craft, wild harvested foods, and hot food and coffee. When you shop at a Vancouver Farmers Market, you’re buying fresh, delicious food directly from local producers.

Stirring Up Fun!

Calling kids of all ages! A fun family cooking class awaits!

Stirring Up Fun happens this Sunday, November 8th. This class is going to be so cool. Grab your kid-sized aprons (and your kids!) and master your family’s cooking skills with Chef Alain Chow of the acclaimed Vancouver restaurant, Kissa Tanto. Consistently ranked as one of Canada’s best restaurants since opening its doors in 2017, Kissa Tanto is basically… a big deal!

stirring up fun - Family cooking class | november 8, 2020 | 3:00 PM
$50 INCLUDES ingredients from Whole foods market | $20 ZOOM ONLY

Chef Alain will walk your family through some accessible cooking techniques to help you make a delicious, nutritious, and vegan (but so good!) pasta dish based on Kissa Tanto’s famous Tajarin Pasta. How can stock infuse your pasta sauce with flavour? What is nutritional yeast for? Answer these questions and many more this Sunday.

Photo by Scout Magazine

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Our longtime friends, Whole Foods Market is sponsoring out From Farms to Forks Food Series, and also providing the ingredients you’ll cook with! The team at Whole Foods have carefully selected ingredients from their stores to help recreate restaurant-quality food at home.... with your kids! Sound too good to be true? We promise, it’s not! Ingredient packages will be available for pick-up at two convenient Whole Foods locations, with everything you need for the meal (except a little oil and salt) already assembled. Easy peasy!

Speaking of Whole Foods, Growing Chefs is currently the beneficiary of the fall 2020 bag donation program! All BC Whole Foods locations are collecting 10 cent donations for Growing Chefs for every bag you don’t take home. Don’t forget--pack a reusable bag, save the environment, AND support food literacy in your community… all in one.

Now, don’t see the word vegan and opt out! We’re telling you… Chef Alain has packed nutrition and flavour into this dish. And we purposely chose a cool vegan dish to teach you something new. You and your little chefs will learn how to use products you might not encounter every day and make something you eat all the time more nutritious. 

And, there’s more! A musical guest. No kidding! The maestro Matt Kennedy (who happens to be a Growing Chefs board member on top of being an incredible musician) will delight you with tunes for all ages following the cooking demonstration! Enjoy restaurant ambience in your own home, with a chef-coached meal and musical entertainment… you’ll basically be fine dining!

Matt Kennedy is a Vancouver-based singer-songwriter and member of several acoustic string bands including fan favourite "Farmteam".  Matt sings and plays guitar and mandolin.

Photo by Mavreen David Photography

Get your kids and grownups into the kitchen! Can’t wait. Hope to see you there.

Lettuce Ask You a Question…

Hello friends,

If you carrot all about healthy kids & healthy food peas lend me a moment of your thyme as I butter you up and eggs-plain why you should join a bunch of fungi’s for Growing Chefs virtual food trivia night this Thursday. 

LETTUCE ASK YOU A QUESTION - FOOD TRIVIA | october 29, 2020 | 8:00 pm
$25 includes local beer and cupcakeS | $10 ZOOM ONLY

Bean missing pub trivia? Our friends in the local food community have brusseled up some trivia celery-brating local food. Tac-o-bout fun! Join us this Thursday, and use your melon to kick some asparag-ass and squash your competition proving your trivia knowledge is shrimply the best. Basil-ly it’s your chance to show your food knowledge can’t be beet and win some grape prizes if you come out on top, all in support of a good cause. Play for fun, play to win, play to learn. Are you eggs-cited to play? I know I yam and can feel the excitement for this event from my head to-ma-toes.

If you’re thinking about joining don’t delay, now’s the thyme to be sure you don’t get apricot without tickets. Kale your friends and rutabaga them to grab a ticket so you can play together, from a distance, and Lettuce Ask You a Question. Kiwi count on you to play food trivia with us? We would a-peach-iate you joining us a waffle lot.

Phew, I was definitely on a roll there, thanks for pudding up with those food puns. 

Tickets for this virtual event are just $10. Still need a little extra encourage-mint? For $25 we’ll throw in a 4-pack/6-pack of locally brewed beer and a Chocolate Mocha Porter Carrot Cupcake featuring Mocha Porter from Persephone Brewing Company (Gibsons) for you to enjoy while you play to make it a true (at-home) pub trivia night, couch potato style!

Gluten-free cocktails from The Strait & Narrow (Sidney) or alcohol-free beverages from Coastal Cultures (Gibsons) or Phillips Soda Works (Victoria) are also available by request.

BeVERAGES and cupcakes must be picked up from an East Vancouver location on Thursday afternoon.

BEER THANKS TO: Bomber Brewing (Vancouver), Bridge Brewing Company (North Vancouver), Dead Frog Brewery (Langley), Driftwood Brewery (Victoria), Mariner Brewing (Coquitlam), The Parkside Brewery (Port Moody), Persephone Brewing Company (Gibsons), Russell Brewing Company (Surrey), Strathcona Beer Company (Vancouver), Twin Sails Brewing (Port Moody), and Yellow Dog Brewing (Port Moody).

CUPCAKES THANKS TO: Cassandra Cake Co. (Port Coquitlam).

Orange you glad the food puns stopped? I mean that was just bananas. Imagine if we were sharp enough to throw in some  kitchen puns - that would have been pan-demonium! 

Have a rice day and we hope to see you Thursday! 

Amanda Adams
Growing Chefs Program Director and Trivia Buff

Donor Shoutout: Culinary Cache

As we soar through the From Farms to Forks Food Series, we want to take a moment to spread the love to our amazing sponsors and donors. Today we will be acknowledging those who contributed to our Culinary Cache, a complimentary gift bag that was delivered to our VIP ticket holders filled with tasty treats and products celebrating local food producers and businesses.

A big thank you to: The 101 Brewhouse + Distillery, Abeego, Bespoke Spirits House, best kind bakeshop, Davis Bay Tea Co, Earnest Ice Cream, Edible Vancouver & Wine Country, Fresh Roots, Fresh Prep, Hives for Humanity, KICS Lemonade, Klippers Organics, Knifewear, Mission Hill Family Estate, Tempea Natural Foods, Victoria Olive Oil Co, Whole Foods Market, and Zaklan Heritage Farm.

An extra thank you to J. Josue Photography for capturing all of these images, and Il Centro, Italian Cultural Centre for providing a safe space to pack our caches.

Keep an eye out for more posts about the other amazing people and places we’re collaborating with! Missed our Culinary Kick-Off and Loco for Cocoa? Not to worry; we have more amazing events coming up, including:

• Thursday, October 29th at 8:00 pm: Lettuce Ask You a Question (Food Trivia)

• Sunday, November 1st at 7:00 pm: Vivacious Vegetables (Cooking Class) with Chef Devon Latte of The Acorn Restaurant

• Sunday, November 8th at 3:00 pm: Stirring Up Fun (Family Cooking Class) with Chef Alain Chow of Kissa Tanto

Abeego Beeswax Wrap

best kind bakeshop

Earnest Ice Cream

Edible Vancouver

Growing Chefs

Knifewear

The 101 Brewhouse & Distillery

Bespoke Spirits House

Davis Bay Tea Co

Fresh Prep

Fresh Roots / Growing Chefs (LunchLAB)

Hives For Humanity

KICS Lemonade

Klippers Organics

Mission Hill Winery

Tempea Natural Foods

Victoria Olive Oil Co

Whole Foods Market

Zaklan Heritage Farm

OUR DONORS LOVED THEM, is a bit of an understatement:

Join us to get Loco for Cocoa!

Less than one week until Loco for Cocoa, our second delicious event in our From Farms to Forks Food Series. I haven’t been this excited about an event in a long time.

loco for cocoa chocolate experience | october 25, 2020 | 7:30 pm

If you haven’t heard the details, it’s an online celebration of all things chocolate! The night includes cool (but short!) lectures on the history of chocolate and how cacao is grown, along with a live demonstration of a delectable chocolate dessert. It’s going to be super fun.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Merri Schwartz, the founder of Growing Chefs and one of the current Co-Interim Executive Directors. But I’m also a professional pastry chef and chocolatier. Talking and teaching about chocolate are two of my favourite things of all time.

Me surrounded by chocolate treats.

What I’m most excited about for Loco for Cocoa are the people. 

I get to work on the dessert with a good friend and one of my favourite pastry chefs (oh, and newest Growing Chefs board member), Wendy Boys! Wendy and I always have a great time together, and we’re stoked to do our chocolate class with a little banter. We all spend a lot of time watching talking heads online these days, and interacting with a colleague--even through Zoom--is a much more fun way to teach you how to make dessert.

The amazing Wendy Boys! Photo by Mavreen David Photography.

Then, we have Shelley Bolton. Another dear friend and favourite collaborator, Shelley is the manager and chocolate maker at the amazing East Van Roasters. She’s going to explain how cacao is grown and how chocolate is made, and share about her experiences at cacao farms in the jungles of Guatemala and the hills of Hawaii. Can’t wait!

Shelley Bolton making chocolate in a 30 kg stone grinder.

Our third guest, Dr. Shea Henry, is a scholar who knows aaaaaaaall about the history of chocolate. I could listen to Shea talk for hours about the archaeology of food. The current Director and Archivist at the Maple Ridge Museum, Shea is full of cool, historical facts and has been giving talks about the history of chocolate for the past ten years!

We cannot wait for Shea’s talk about the history of chocolate!

Oh, and I can’t forget the other awesome piece! The local bit. We decided for the dessert that we’re going to source every. single. item. locally. (Of course, technically… the cacao and the sugar in the chocolate are imported. But because the product is roasted and ground right in the Downtown Eastside, we decided to count it.) 

The pears are from Parsons Farm Maket, the honey is from Hives for Humanity, we’ll have Mission Hill Family Estate wine, and the wonderful Earnest Ice Cream… all from BC! Even our vegan options are local: the Earth's Own oat cream, and Blue Heron Cheese plant-based butter both hail from Vancouver, while the Cosman & Webb maple syrup comes from a lovely farm in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. The salt is courtesy of the amazing Salt Spring Sea Salt.

If you join us, your $75 ticket will land you a package of these items so you can follow along as we cook. Or just keep to enjoy later ;). For those of you who are from out of town, you’re still welcome to join the Zoom for just $20! We will provide you with a shopping list so you can follow along too.

Thank you Mavreen David Photography for visiting Chef Wendy Boys during her run-through.

We’re so grateful for the support of our Silver Thyme event sponsors, Mission Hill Family Estate and Whole Foods Market for helping us throw fun events like this one. Thank you Pacific Restaurant Supply for opening your space to allow for safe and convenient ingredient pick up!

I’d be honoured to have you on board. Let’s celebrate chocolate and Growing Chefs together! Purchase your tickets here, and check out the other great events we have coming up here.

loco for cocoa chocolate experience | october 25, 2020 | 7:30 pm

Introducing Our New Intern: Andria Coulbourn!

Hi everyone! My name is Andria and I am a new student intern working with Growing Chefs for the Fall! I am beyond excited to be working with Growing Chefs, especially as we navigate our new online world and find new ways to keep creating community. Food is a huge part of my life, and I am very passionate about food literacy and creating sustainable food systems. 

Agriculture has always been a large part of my life! My grandparents live in Saskatchewan where they run multiple commercial greenhouses, producing fresh veggies to sell at farmers markets and through local distributors. Since I was young I’ve always spent time in my summers working in the greenhouses. I loved picking tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers but my favourite time was working at the markets. Since I was little I was so amazed by the wonderful community created between the vendors and purchasers at the market. Local agriculture brought so many people together! 

Since spending many summers picking and growing veggies at the greenhouses my interest in food led me to attend UBC to study in the faculty of Land and Food Systems. Land and Food Systems allows me to study interdisciplinary programs to learn all about my focus on international development and sustainable food systems. Through Land and Food Systems I also learned about international agriculture and had the opportunity to travel to Indonesia to take courses at an agricultural university south of Jakarta.

This amazing experience even allowed me to tour various agricultural systems such as tea fields and cassava fields. More locally, my courses have also taught me all about food literacy, which further encouraged me to pursue education in my future and hopefully teach in elementary schools. I am currently in my fourth year at UBC and I am really looking forward to bringing the knowledge I learn from Growing Chefs and what I’ve learned in the classroom together to help create food literacy and more sustainable food systems!

In my spare time, I love going on walks, watching the sunset at the beach and of course curling up to watch a movie with lots of snacks!

Week Five - Successful Summer Harvests and Winter Crop Planning

We are at week five of our Garden Q&A series with the Vancouver Master Gardeners, with only one more week to go! We have really enjoyed receiving your questions, and learning together about growing food. The world of growing food has no finish line, and there is always something new to learn. This week we have a question answered by Master Gardener student Sally, and then Bev and Jennifer are talking about guidelines for choosing what to plant for winter gardens, and how to maintain them.

Question from Diane in Lake Country:
Why are my cucumbers doing the curl this year?

Answer from Sally:
Cucumber fruit curl, properly known as crooking, is a common condition of cucumbers. 

There are many causes, requiring you to do a little detective work to correct the situation.  

 Pollination Problems: Even when there are plenty of pollinators in your garden, conditions might not be right to ensure complete pollination. Pollen requires semi-humid, warm conditions to be at its best, and when it’s too dry or prolonged rains occur during flowering, cucumber ovaries may not be fully pollinated. Cucumber flowers are pollinated by insects (mostly bees) that must visit each flower multiple times for complete pollination to produce a normal fruit. Inadequate pollination happens when there are too few bees, or when weather conditions are too wet, dry, hot, cool or cloudy. If only part of a flower's ovaries are fully pollinated, the enlarging ovary, which is the little cucumber fruit, becomes lop-sided. One side lengthens, while the other side stays shorter, causing curved fruit. You can hand pollinate cucumbers to achieve better pollination results, but if the weather is against you, fruits may still curl. We can't control adverse weather, but we can encourage bees to visit our yards by planting alyssum, calendula, dill, monarda, parsley, echinacea and many more types of herbs and flowers. Our cool, damp weather this year is likely the culprit, as bees don't fly in the rain.  

Diane, since you’ve indicated that you’re familiar with growing cucumbers successfully, the following issues are unlikely to be the source of this year’s problem. But here are some further thoughts. 

Incorrect Growing Conditions: Cucumbers need very specific cultural conditions when their fruits are developing or those fruits may become deformed. Evenly moist soil at temperatures above 60 F. (16 C.) are ideal for straight fruits. Try adding up to 4 inches (10 cm.) of organic mulch if your earliest fruits are crooked and water your plants any time the top inch (2.5 cm.) of soil below the mulch feels dry. Because fluctuating moisture can also adversely affect fruit formation, try mulching cucumbers to keep soil uniformly moist. Wait to apply straw, dried grass or compost until soil has warmed in late June. Mulching too early keeps soil cool, which is the opposite of warm-season crop requirements. 

Poor Nutrition: Cucumbers are heavy feeders and require a significant amount of nutrition to fruit properly. Prior to planting, each cucumber plant should be provided with a balanced, (preferably organic) fertilizer, then side dressed with the same product every two to three weeks once the vines start to run. 

Physical Interference: If you discover newly-forming cucumbers not straight when they’re sprawling on the ground, try training them up a trellis or fence. As the ovaries of cucumber flowers are elongating, young fruits can easily deform when they catch on flower petals, vines, or leaves. Growing them on a trellis gives fruits more space to spread, away from physical barriers.  

 Resources 

• What causes cucumber fruits to curl?

• Cucumbers Not Straight – Why Are My Cucumbers Curling?

Digging in with the Kids - Growing Chefs Integration Idea:

Planning to increase your pollinator plants is a great first step to having more fruitful gardens. There is great value in being able to chat about the importance of pollinators with kids - and this often really fires them up to ensure that they are doing their part to make a difference, and support our pollinators. Next time you are out for a walk, have kids note what plants seem to be the crowd favourite for the pollinators, and consider bringing these into your garden. Perhaps they want to keep a journal and track their pollinator sightings out and about. There are many more pollinators than just bees, so get to know your local pollinators - and keep an eye out for them when you are outdoors. The bright colours of flowers attract pollinators, so plan for adding some colour in your garden - you can’t go wrong!

BONUS! Master Gardener Students Bev and Jennifer talk to us about what can be planted now for winter gardens, and how to maintain these plants throughout the season.

From Bev 

Warm days and cool nights… September is definitely one of my favourite times of year. While a final harvest of summer vegetables is on the minds of gardeners, there is still time to do a little planting to continue to enjoy your garden into the winter. Lettuce and corn salad (sometimes called Mache´) are two options that can be sown in September. 

 Lettuces such as Winter Density, Cimmaron, and Rouge d’Hiver are recommended by Linda Gilkson. She says that if you have some type of temporary covering, like row covering, for particularly bad winter weather, you can extend your harvest. Corn salad is something that I have not tried, but according to many seasoned gardeners, it is one of the easiest greens to grow and will tolerate extreme weather. It prefers cool, moist soil for sprouting, and seeds start to germinate in 7-21 days. When it comes time to harvest it, slice the rosette of leaves off just above the soil line, with a sharp knife as the plant will continue to grow back. This is a veggie I’m going to try this year! 

A few tips on growing winter vegetables: 

• Winter vegetables require mulch, mulch, mulch to keep them insulated from the cold and from freezing. You want to do everything you can to keep the soil as warm and protected from heavy rain erosion as possible. Collecting leaves in the Fall is a great and inexpensive way to create your own mulch. If you’re growing lettuces in the Fall though, work thin layers of mulch around where you’ve planted as you don’t want to prevent the seeds from benefiting from the last days of summer sunshine. Mulching also attracts beneficial insects such as ground beetles to your garden. 

• Don’t harvest lettuces when they are frozen unless you are throwing them into a soup, because they will be mushy. Wait until the crop thaws. For example, you might go out first thing in the morning and everything is frozen, but if you wait until later in the afternoon that may be a better time. 

• Raised beds are generally beneficial for winter crops because the soil stays warmer and drains more efficiently.  

• If you garden in containers, make sure they are frost proof and move them closer to ta wall and/or under a shelter. Linda Gilkson suggests: 

…you can grow containers together and insulate between the pots with leaves, plastic, straw or other materials. Wrapping a band of burlap or plastic around the outside of the whole group off containers gives the roots even more protection from freezing. (p. 182 Backyard Bounty) 

From Jennifer

We are fortunate to live in Vancouver where climates are mild enough to grow some vegetables all year round. Cold crops such as Kale & Collards and Arugula are good choices for fall planting as they both do better in cooler temperatures and Kale can even benefit from a light frost. 

However, you do need to take a little more care when growing vegetables over the winter. Here are some things you should consider:

1. Choose a winter variety. For kale consider Winter red, Winterbor, or Siberian. Arugula - try Wild arugula, Dragon's Tongue, or Astro. 

2. Timing - For kale, you need to get your transplants planted 8 weeks before the first frost (approx November 1) so I would use seedlings. If you start from seed, you will need an additional 4 weeks to get them to germinate to the seedling stage, so you should sow seeds or start indoors in early August. Arugula can be sowed now or 8 weeks before the first frost. In a cold frame, you can sow 4 weeks before the first frost. Remember to shade (eg umbrella) young seedlings from the really hot sun until they mature. 
   Pre-sprouting seeds help to accelerate the germination stage. Simply soak the seeds in water for 4 hours before planting or place seeds between layers of damp paper towel placed in a plastic bag in a warm place until they sprout. 

3. Select a sunny location (eg southern facing). 

4. Make sure the soil is well-draining. Amend the soil if needed with compost & always mulch with dried leaves or straw to insulate. 

5. Do not fertilize in Fall as extra nitrogen will encourage a flush of tender new growth which will not likely survive winter temperatures. 

6. Be prepared for below-freezing temperatures by creating a cold frame or having a cover (eg plastic, burlap, cloche)  available to protect crops during heavy rain or freezing temperatures. Remember to remove these covers when it is sunny. 

Enjoy your greens this winter. They will grow more slowly and will be smaller in size but they should be more tender and tasty.  Arugula may have a milder flavour and be less peppery. 

Please pick up a free copy of "Planting for great fall and winter harvests" by West Coast Seeds at your local nursery for complete details on growing and harvesting all winter vegetables. You can also download it here. 

Good luck with your year-round vegetable gardening!