F2 Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Comox Valley Record
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
to your table
IN SEASON THIS FALL CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE CVFM.CA
MARKET NEWS
Can one desire too much of a
WE ARE MOVING INSIDE We will be moving inside on October 19th to the Native Sons Hall (360 Cliffe Ave). Although we are moving to a different location you will still be able to enjoy the large selection of fresh local product and tones of tasty treats. • Qualified Red Seal Chef • • Quality Catering for all occasions • • All natural gluten-free product line • • Hazel’s Creek Farm •
LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS Laura Agnew OWNER
250-335-2625 www.unionbaycatering.ca
There are a lot of activities that happen behind the scenes to make the market run smoothly. In order to complete all of this we rely on volunteers. There doesn’t have to be a large time commitment as often an hour will be plenty of time to get the job done. We need help with things such as parking attendant, customer service, set up, tear down, equipment maintenance, kids table just to name a few. If you are interested helping us out send us and email at info@cfvm.ca.
UPCOMING EVENTS: • October 6, 2019 Farm Fresh Soup Fest: A Locally focused soup festival fundraiser. May of the ingredients and products for this great cause have been purchased from or donated by vendors at the farmers’ market. A great way to support local and try tasty variations on soup. • Food Fest: November 16, 2019: Chefs from NVICA cook up seasonal dishes made with product from our vendors. A delicious way to try something new or to spice up your favorite dish. • December 22 to January 10: Holiday Break: The market will be closed on Saturday December 28, 2019 and January 4, 2020 to give our hard-working vendors some well-deserved time off. We will return to our regular schedule on January 11, 2020.
Comox Valley Mushrooms photo credit Bill Jorgensen
Over the next several months we will be having some fun events such as Food Fest, raffles and so much more. Stay tuned for more information.
Fresh Mushroom Soup The earthy flavour of mushrooms shine through in this soup. Serves 6 Compliments Chef Lesley Stav Ingredients 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced* 4 cloves garlic, minced* 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced (about 4-1/2 cups)* • Nutritional Sample Size based on six servings • Calories (kcal) : 160 • Fat Calories (kcal): 90 • Fat (g): 11 • Saturated Fat (g): 4 • Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves* 1/2 tsp sea salt and pepper 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 cup whipping cream 3 Tbsp fortified wine** 1 Tbsp soy sauce • • • • • •
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5 Cholesterol (mg): 15 Sodium (mg): 370 Carbohydrates (g): 14 Fiber (g): 2 Protein (g): 5
Preparation Melt butter and olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms become limp, 2 to 4 minutes. Add broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until mushrooms are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and process until smooth and return to the pot. Stir in whipping cream, fortified wine, and soy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and gently reheat. Garnish each serving with a pinch of fresh thyme. *Available at the Farmers’ Market ** See Hornby Island Winery for Sherries and ports Chef notes: use any mushroom or combination of mushrooms
Comox Valley Mushrooms
Comox Valley Mushrooms is a family operated craft mushroom farm in Courtenay specializing in cultivating gourmet mushrooms. Galina, Stoyan and their two sons moved to the Comox Valley two years ago with dreams of leaving their fast-paced careers in the Lower Mainland and starting a new adventure. Stoyan became interested in mushrooms while listening to a TED talk by Paul Stamets on how mushrooms can save the world. With more research he quickly realized the crucial role fungi serve in ecosystems worldwide. Since then he has travelled as far as China to learn about the finer points of mushrooms and mycelium. In the summer of 2018 Comox Valley Mushrooms produced their first test crop of Oyster mushrooms. Less then a year later Comox Valley Mushrooms had a fully operational
onsite lab and fruiting rooms producing multiple strains of choice gourmet mushrooms. In the controlled conditions of their lab, Comox Valley Mushrooms inoculate sterilized substrate consisting of hard wood sawdust (alder, maple and oak) that is supplemented with soya husk, wheat bran and oyster shells, depending on the variety of mushroom. After a 2-6 weeks incubation period, the mycelium fully colonizes the substrate and is ready to fruit. The inoculated bags are then transported to the fruiting room where a specific combination of temperature, humidity, light and fresh air encourage mushroom growth. 7-14 days later the mushrooms are ready to eat.
Try our local favourites! 635 MCPHEE AVE., COURTENAY (250) 334-4422 • Mon - Fri 9-4
www.naturalpastures.com
Galina and Stoyan currently produce 6-7 varieties of edible mushrooms including, Oyster (King, Pink, Blue, Golden, Pearl and Elm), Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, Shiitake and Reishi. With 20 varieties of mycelium in their spore bank, there are always new varieties waiting to be grown, including certain medicinal mushrooms that in some cases can take over 7 months to produce! You can find their mushrooms weekly at the Farmers’ Market as well as in local grocery stores and restaurants. Such as Edible Island. You can follow them at comoxvalleymushrooms.com or on Facebook/Instagram at @comoxvalleymushrooms.