Spring berries
I picked up my first strawberries last week at Van Grootheest farm stand. Thanks for the heads up Reg. They were delicious, of course. So sweet and yummy. I don’t know why I expect the first strawberries to be tart and not quite ripe. I didn’t expect any strawberries to be ready so soon, especially […]
Wineries
Imagine for a moment that provincial governments controlled grocery stores and decided to stock mostly imported beef because it generated higher margins than beef raised by Canadian ranchers. Most Canadians would probably be outraged. After all, we grow cattle here. We have farmers, processors, distributors, and rural communities that depend on that industry. While consumers […]
Albert’s letter
I received a letter recently from Albert, who has a very important question about sod that I felt I should share an excerpt from with you. “I have a rough area in my yard and was torn between seed, sod and hydroseeding. My friends out west call sod ‘poisonous strips of green death’ and advise […]
Lazy, Hazy, Bonfire Crazy
Do you remember what June was like when you were an elementary school kiddo? I do, especially the fourth grade at St. John’s in Weston. The anticipation of being set free on the very last day of classes was intoxicating for me. But I did love that last month of classes. I loved the special […]
Rose 101
It’s definitely the time of year to stop and smell the roses…mostly because they are at the beginning of their bloom cycle and it’s my first chance to enjoy them. Roses are grouped into 3 main classes, each with many varieties in them. These three groupings are Old Roses, Modern/Hybrids and Old/Species. The class of […]
Outrageously good
Oysters in Prince Edward Island have been devastated by two diseases that are only harmful to oysters. The mortality rate has been 100 per cent. This is terrible news for these oyster growers as it takes a good three years for oysters to grow from seed to oyster. In the meantime, they have no income. […]
June!?
We’re this close to tourist season! Yep, we’re so close we can smell the sunscreen and see the blistered shoulders of visitors. And, if you live here year-round, you know how especially difficult it can be to get around during the summer months. Each year the roads in the County are busier and busier. A […]
In my garden
In my garden this week, everything seems to have sprung up overnight. My asparagus patch is producing twice as much as last year, my chives and thyme are looking real fine. The garlic is two feet tall now and the fava beans are coming along. It’s been too cold to plant the tomatoes, but they […]
A tale of two Jacques
I still have the tie I was wearing when I was humbled about my wine knowledge. It wasn’t a super busy night in the restaurant, but it was busy enough to keep us moving at a good pace. Armed with my corkscrew and sense of hospitality, I approached the table and asked if I could […]
Slow cooker ribs
I bought a new slow cooker and had a craving for beef short ribs. I never buy them because they are so expensive and whenever I see them at the grocery store they are very sad looking for the price. Thin and fatty with more bone than beef. I prefer the thick English cut, which […]