Category Archives: Local Food Producers

Breath of Life Wildcrafting

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This is Yarrow and Nettle Hydrosols. Hydrosols are the aromatic water that remains after distillation of botanical materials.

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This is Balm of Gilead which is made with Cottonwood buds. It’s reported to help with muscle and nerve pain. This is one example of Al’s seasonal, small batch products.

Anyone that knows me well, knows how much I love local, wild foods and medical plants.

A few weeks ago, I got a chance to get reacquainted with wildcrafter, Al Cadorette. He used to supply me with morels mushrooms a number of years ago. Recently, he’s started making hydrosols, oils, tinctures, tea blends and other wildcrafted products from our local bioregion. He makes small batches of products which are only available seasonally.

Presently, he’s advertising his products on Breath of Life Wildcrafting a Facebook page. You can place orders by private message on Facebook or by email: breathoflifeoils@gmail.com.

He’s working on a website and he’s at the Kamloops Farmers Market on Saturdays. Here’s a link to his new Facebook page. If you are inclined, go over and like/follow his page to get updates about NEW seasonal products.

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I’ve been looking for Chaga for years. Chaga grows on Birch trees and is used as an adaptogen and as a treatment for some cancers.

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This is how I met Al, through my passion for Morel mushrooms.

GO BOX Storage FREE U-PICK

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The GO BOX Permaculture Project has had a bumper crop of raspberries!

It’s time for the GO BOX Storage FREE U-PICK!

PLEASE check into the office first and we will show you where to pick. We have TONS of cherries, some currants, and TONS of raspberries. We are located at 2853 Bowers Pl, Kamloops.

The FREE U-PICK is open from 9am to noon on Monday to Friday, July 11-15th, 2016. PLEASE come ONLY during these times. Thanks.

To find GO BOX Storage see this Google Map.

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We also have lots of cherries to share!

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And there’s still some currents and gooseberries available!

Walnut Choco Bar

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Walnuts are one of the few nuts that can compete against dark chocolate.

This is a sweet and chewy bar with a strong chocolate overtone. Walnuts are one of the few nuts that can compete with the flavor of dark chocolate. Use at least a 70% chocolate for the best results.

2c organic walnuts
1/4c organic sunflower seeds
3T organic butter
3T local honey
1 pastured whole egg
pinch sea salt
1tsp lemon peel, freshly grate
1/4c 70% organic dark chocolate pieces
In a food processor, lightly chop the walnuts and sunflower seeds. Mix in the butter, honey, egg, lemon peel and sea salt. When everything is combined add the dark chocolate pieces. Spread and press down the dough onto a buttered, 8″x8″ glass baking tray. Bake at 325F for 20 minutes. Cut the bars into 16 or 32 pieces. Cool the bars in the fridge before serving.

Seasonal Foods: Roasted Beets and Walnut Salad

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Roasted, marinated beets are very nice with gouda and walnuts. Serve the marinated beets on a bed of microgreens. These greens are from our indoor growing unit.

This simple recipe is great at this time of year for using up root cellar beets. The salad is nice with either golden or red beets. If you use a mixture, the red beets will stain the golden beets pink. It’s best to make a large amount of this marinated salad and store in the fridge for easy meals throughout the week.

Roasted Beet Marinate

8c organic golden and/or red beets, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 small organic onion, rings
3 organic celery stalks, chopped
1c Orange Salad Dressing
2-3c organic microgreens
1/4c-1/3c organic gouda, quark or feta cheese
1/4-1/3c Crispy Salad Topping
Roast the beets at 300F for 60 minutes in a glass dish. The beets should be tender but not soft. While the beets are roasting, soak the onion rings in the Orange Salad Dressing. Add the warm beets and celery to marinate with the onions in the dressing. Cool the beet marinate in the fridge.

When ready to assemble the salad make a bed of greens for the marinated beets. Top the marinated beets with Crispy Salad Topping and gouda, quark or feta cheese. Grass Root Dairies is a local source for organic gouda or quark.

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The marinated beets keep well in the fridge. The salad can be assembled quickly for an easy meal. The marinated flavor continues to improve with time.

Orange Ginger Dressing

1 organic orange, freshly squeezed
1/2 organic lemon, freshly squeezed
1 clove organic garlic, finely freshly grated
2T organic ginger, finely freshly grated
2T raw cider vinegar
1tsp local raw honey (optional)
1T homemade whole seed mustard
1/2c organic extra virgin olive oil or organic toasted sesame oil
Freshly squeeze the orange and lemon. Finely grate the peeled garlic clove and ginger. I usually keep organic ginger in the freezer and grate the ginger without peeling. Add the raw cider vinegar, whole seed mustard, and oil. Shake vigorously.

Crispy Salad Topping

2c organic walnuts or organic sunflower seeds, chopped or whole
2T organic coconut oil
1tsp sea salt
In a case iron fry pan melt the coconut oil. Add the sea salt and walnuts or sunflower seeds and stir for a few minutes until the nuts are slightly browned. Cool completely before using. Store in the fridge until needed.

For the LOVE of Quark

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“Quark cheese is a soft unripened cheese with a smooth texture and mild flavour. Quark is excellent for recipes that call for cream cheese. Use it in your cheese cakes or as a topping for baked potatoes and for adding to dips and sauces.”
Grass Root Dairies

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Quark makes an excellent topping for warm salads. These microgreens and sprouts come from our indoor growing unit. The greens are topped with caramelized onions and sliced pork roast.

Easy Quark Dip or Creamy Quark Dressing

Quark makes a wonderful dip for cut vegetables or can be thinned out to make a creamy dressing for salads. Grass Root Dairies, the new name for Gort’s Gouda, makes a creamy, delicious quark. You can find quark in Kamloops at Nature’s Fare.

2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/2tsp sea salt
1/2tsp black peppercorns, freshly ground
1/2c organic quark
1/3-1/2c virgin olive oil or raw sesame oil
This recipe is best made in small amount. Finely grate the garlic and place in a small bowl. Add the spices and mix in the quark well. Add 1/3c olive or sesame oil and mix again well. This will make a thick dip. Add more oil for a thinner dip or dressing.

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Quark makes an excellent dip for cut vegetables such as carrots, celery and broccoli.