June 11, 2013

ValleyLiving T H E C O M O X VA L L E Y R E C O R D

| JUNE 2013

PHOTO: COMOX FAWN BY TANYA SMALLWOOD

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THE COMOX VALLEY RECORD

VA L L E Y L I V I N G

Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

CHALK IT UP...

Buy any Shindaiwa Multi-Tool Powerhead and any Multi-Tool Attachment and get a FREE Trimmer Attachment* Retail value $109.95. Part # 65001

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Those furniture wizards Anthony and Joey of RED LIVING have brought in the chalk paints of ANNIE SLOAN - now we can try to duplicate the furniture transformations that the two of them do on a regular basis.

They are holding "how to" classes in their beautiful store and you will learn how to revamp your chairs, tables, mirrors, armoires and that ugly china cabinet you inherited - and repurpose it. (RED LIVING - 238 Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. (250) 871-1325) Once you have mastered the technique take your project a few steps further - apply a stencil to a table top or armoire front for extra style.

Chalk paint is amazing - it can be painted on anything - even concrete floors.

Prep?? - not necessary - a clean surface is all you need.

Chalk paint dries quickly adding the second and third coat can be done in less than 30 minutes - once everything is to your liking, take a damp cloth and do the antiquing process of removing some of the paint.

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By Judith Moore numerous recipes out there - but be warned - they do go on nicely - but the antiquing process must be done with sanding rather than the easy method of using a damp cloth.

The colour palette offered in the ANNIE SLOAN collection is extensive - and you can create your own colour by mixing.

WARNING ! Chalk painting is addictive - you will find yourself looking at furniture and thinking "what colour should it be?"

Judith Moore Interior Design • 250-941-0262 • www.jmid.ca

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Va l l e y L i v i n g

Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

Be safe in the sun It is a well known fact that sunlight has a profound effect on the skin causing premature skin aging, skin cancer, and a host of skin changes. Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging. Both UVA and UVB radiation can cause skin damage including wrinkles, lowered immunity against infection, aging skin disorders, and cancer.

The Comox Valley Record

3

This is what GREAT FIT can do for you!

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Minimize UV Exposure • Avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when sun’s rays are strongest.

• Be aware you can get an extra dose of UV when around surfaces that reflect light including water, sand, and snow.

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day.

• Protect face and neck by wearing a widebrimmed hat.

• Don't forget to protect eyes by wearing sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

How do Sunscreens Work?

Sunscreens contain ingredients that actually absorb the UV rays and then scatter them. This means that the length of the rays are altered enough to prevent serious damage. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 filters 92% of the UVB. SPF15 sunscreen will delay the onset of sunburn in someone who would burn in 10 minutes to burn in 150 minutes.

Sunblock is different than sunscreen. It physically blocks the sun's UV radiation of the skin, both UVA and UVB. The most well-known sunblock is zinc oxide.

Remember • Shake the bottle well.

• Most adults should use about 1 oz. of sunscreen to cover whole body.

• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going in the sun.

• Cover all skin that's exposed to the sun. Don’t forget your scalp!

• Reapply the same amount of sunscreen every 2 hours and definitely reapply after swimming, toweling off, or sweating heavily.

• Lips sunburn faster than skin. Apply a SPF lip balm when applying your sunscreen.

• It's important not to rely on sunscreen alone to protect your skin.

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4 The Comox Valley Record

Va l l e y L i v i n g

Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

❰❰ Food News ❱❱

❰❰ Perfect Pairings ❱❱ Susan Vandermolen talks about

June's food News

3 Beaufort Wines:

from around the Comox Valley

Hans Peter Meyer Tickets go on sale June 1 for the 2nd Annual Flavour Gourmet Picnic, taking place at Coastal Black Estate Winery Sept 15. Tickets available at GourmetPicnic.ca (it sold out 4 weeks early last year.... Note that Flavour is sponsoring the June "local food hero" promotion. FMI see the launch info online at j.mp/VILFH BC Shellfish Festival has a wide range of activities going on June 6-15, with many local restaurants partnering to showcase our abundance of sustainable, healthy food. The free public event on Saturday, June 15 at the Comox Marina Park features a chowder contest, the BC finals for oyster shucking, and lots of cooking demos and things to taste.

Start June 15 with a food fest celebrating "Early Veggies" at the Comox Valley Farmers' Market. The Wednesday summer market kicks off downtown July 3 (England Ave between 5th and 6th Streets). Note that the Market will move to the Sports Centre (beside Vanier) for July 13 (MusicFest weekend).

Congrats to Island Joy Rides: they've been awarded a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor! They credit their award to all the great producers in the region.

Avenue Bistro is prepping a June preview of favourite summer libations paired with special nibbles. Visit between 4-5pm to taste a weekly classic – Left Bank, Pimms Cup, French 55. Chef Aaron Rail is releasing his summer menu at the end of June.

White, “Dark Rosé, Red

Hans Peter Meyer

The Avenue Bistro "Left Bank" cocktail, part of their weekly series of June summer cocktail previews.

I'm hearing good things about local food breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at Zocalo in downtown Courtenay. They're also offering a Lunch By Bike service.

A summer menu collaboration between Chef Jonathan Frazier and new right hand man Christopher Thrift is something to look forward to mid-June at Atlas Cafe.

Updates to the gluten-free menu and breakfast menu to follow.

Join Island Gourmet Trails' Chef Gaetane Palardy and hostess and French-secondlanguage teacher Édith Jacob for a series of summer gourmet cooking experiences at Blue Moon Winery.

After a recent first-ever visit I'm looking forward to picnicking at Beaufort Winery. Their summer season has launched, with the tasting room, wine shop, and picnic area open Fridays and Saturdays.

I'm a big fan of what Thierry Vrain and Chanchal Cabrera do at Innisfree Farm.

They grow organic food. They operate a CSA. They grow medicinal herbs.

They offer workshops and courses.

Now they've launched an almost-weekly "dinner and food movie" series that runs the gamut from pleasure to politics. Is there food news I'm missing? Please tell me! Your submissions welcomed here: j.mp/FoodNews.

250 6th St. in Downtown Courtenay

250 338 9838

atlascafe.ca

"This," Susan tells me, "is a red that wants to be white." Using the vineyard's three reds – Cabernet Foch, Marechal Foch, and Leon Millot – they've created a beaujolaisstyle, easy-drinking "dark rosé" by pressing the grapes fresh, taking the juice off the skins early, and aging in stainless steel. How does it pair? "Very well with smoked foods. Try smoked duck salad with an apple cider vinagrette, or salads. A great patiopicnic wine, it also has complexity and goes well with some of the stronger flavoured Natural Pastures cheeses."

Susan and Jeff Vandermolen of Beaufort Winery recently returned from the 2013 London's International Wine Challenge. Their 2010 Shiraz picked up a Bronze Medal, the 27th award this year, and the award for Beaufort L'ARTISTE 2011 since 2009. I talked with them Jeff calls this a "blend of about three of their Beaufort the two Valleys" – 50% of wines, how they'd pair them The best for the last? the grapes are from this – and, "Why Grantham Ridge My favourite from the trio: L'Artiste 2011, Comox Valley estate, 50% in the Comox Valley?" a medium-bodied, aromatic blend of are from the Okanagan "We loved the south-facing, Comox Valley & Okanagan Valley grapes Valley. "Bringing other sandy slope," Susan says. grapes in allows us to "We looked at 100 different play with flavours," Susan explains. "We sites before we bought this one." Purchased setup dozens on dozens of blends in glasses in 2006, vines planted in 2007, Beaufort and fine tune the ones we like." delivered its first vintage in 2009 with 50% Medium-bodied, it has a rich aroma, from estate grown grapes. A couple of tough Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new French oak years followed. But 2012 was good, and barrels. Blended with Shiraz and Marechal Jeff is optimistic about 2013. "We're weeks Foch, Susan says she's "looking forward ahead of last year. That warm start to May to how this one will age." L'Artiste has the was perfect. Now, if we get the rain..." complexity to stand up to strong flavours.

QANDISA 2012 "We recently had it with espresso rubbed Our first tasting was a white, made of bison loin served on smoked grits, but it's 100% Siegerrebe grown on site. "Siegerrebe light enough to go with pork." is related to Gewürtztraminer and they Your turn. Have a glass to share with share certain qualities. It's off-dry, with us? Please tell us what you’re enjoying a long finish. From a beautiful season, on our “good food” page at j.mp/ as in 2012, the resulting wine develops EatDrinkVancouverIsland a delicate, orange Muscat flavour which you'll pick up on the end of the finish." Her recommended pairings: Prontissima Pasta, basil pesto, and pan-seared Spot Prawns, finished with smoked sea salt from Clever Crow. "It's a beautiful wine with any kind of fish or shellfish."

WINES DISCUSSED

Qandisa 2012, available at Beaufort Winery Beau Nouveau 2012, available at Beaufort Winery and select local retailers.

L'ArtistE 2011, available at Beaufort Winery and select local retailers.

www.naturalpastures.com

Celebrating 16 years of the simple things

atlas café

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Enjoy summer with Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala cheese

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Monday - Friday 9-4 635 McPhee Ave., Courtenay Farmers Market Sat. 9 - noon

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Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

The Comox Valley Record

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❰❰ Comox Valley Farmers' Market Producer Profile ❱❱

Good Earth Farms

"Nothing says summer like a fresh-picked strawberry!"

Hans Peter Meyer Located on a historic Mennonite property in Black Creek, Good Earth Farm was originally settled in the late 1930s.

Today it is a labour of love for Simon Toole and Heather Mills. They're part of the young crop of food producers changing our local food economy.

Keeping it small, they are focusing on quality and connection to consumers.

Both are from the east, Simon from Montreal and Heather from Owen Sound. They met over a conversation about tomato seeds. Heritage seeds are now one of their principal products.

WHAT THEY GROW Another is strawberries, once a popular market crop for Mennonite farmers. Good Earth Farms is again establishing a reputation for strawberries with an "old fashioned" flavour.

"We grow Tri-Star," Simon explains. "It's an older variety, smaller and more labour intensive than many, but our customers really like them. Older buyers tell us that they have that 'old-fashioned' flavour." When asked to

explain, Simon pauses, "Most people know strawberries that come from California. They're big, but they taste like cardboard. Anyone who's had a wild strawberry might understand: it's not the sweetness, but the intensity of the flavour that makes it special.

Nothing says 'summer' like a fresh-picked strawberry!" Good Earth strawberries are available July through til frost in September.

Good Earth Farm puts the focus on quality, local, heritage varieties, and natural growing methods.

This extends to the varieties of garlic that are grown and the collection of seeds. Seeds are available at Saratoga Gifts and Video (Oyster River), Delfine's in Cumberland, Jennie's Fine Foods in Port Alberni, Weinberg's Good Food (Fanny Bay), and the Comox Valley Farmers' Market.

COMOX VALLEY FARMERS' MARKET When they started growing Simon and Heather were advised that the Comox Valley Farmers' Market was the best place for their business. Now into their 11th year at

Tri-Star strawberries in blossom. Expect the "old fashioned" favour at the Comox Valley Farmers' Market July-September from Good Earth Farms the market, the market continues to be their primary place of business.

"It's very important to us," Simon says. "We knew we were going to focus on quality. That meant we had to find a way to get the maximum return on our investment, and direct selling is the best way to to do that." But it's not just the direct return; it's the relationships with customers. "The biggest reason for being at the market is that we get to meet our customers. We hear what they like, and what they don't like."

Simon cites examples of other producers who have been at the market for years simply because

Strawberry fields forever.

Simon Toole straddles established and yet-to-be-planted fields at Good Earth Farms in Black Creek.

of the value of this direct connection.

Market shopping is more than "atmosphere." It's also an investment in the local food economy. Taking

the Good Earth Farms example, seeds reflect local climate and growing conditions. Garlic and strawberries are grown for flavour rather than

convenience. And, every strawberry bought at the market puts a dollar back into a Black Creek farmers' pocket, rather than exporting it to California.

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6 The Comox Valley Record

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Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

A Rock Garden

The ultimate in refinement A rock garden, or rockery, is a beautiful addition to any backyard. It is not a pro­ ject that should be taken lightly, however.

A well-executed rock garden requires de­tailed planning, but if done correctly it will be a marvel to behold. And if you build it yourself, you may very well discover a captivating pastime!

Some kind of slope is best suited to this type of garden feature — a rock garden is meant to be a subtle blend of mineral and vegetable that calls to mind alpine landscapes dotted with delicate little flowers and fragrant plants.

The first step in creating a rockery is to position some large stones as a foundation.

Choose a few with irregular shapes. If you’ve already got some large rocks on your property, position them carefully.

You might want to lay some newer stones around them to create a more natural

effect. After this, lay smaller stones of varying shapes and sizes.

Now, you’re ready to plant. Select diffe­rent varieties of dwarf or low-growing shrubs, but be careful to choose a mixture of shapes (erect, crawling, rounded, etc.) so you can create a harmonious effect. A rockery also requires a wide variety of flowers. Once again, don’t be afraid to mix species.

The upkeep of a rock garden is fairly demanding. Weeding should be done on a regular basis, and watering should also be done frequently, as stones trap the heat and dry the soil. If possible, install an automatic watering system when you’re building the garden. The task of pruning and dividing perennials will vary, depending on the types of plants you’ve chosen. A last piece of advice is to take care as you work on your rock garden’s slope in order to avoid falls.

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Tuesday, JUNE 11, 2013

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