Fire up the BBQ, Summer's a coming!

Spring has sprung. Yeah, I know it's May 11th. But around here it only has JUST begun to feel like winter might actually end. It has been unseasonably cold ever since... well, as long as I can remember. The amount of snow still on the ground is much too much for this time of year. The ice in the river hasn't even broken yet. Despite the weather, all the seasonal businesses in our charming little tourist/mining town are starting to open up and the summer people are arriving. They must be in shock. However, it is a happy reminder that it is indeed May! 

My birthday usually falls on Victoria Day weekend, which is a week away. May Long is the weekend that the trees begin to bud. It is also the weekend that many people typically put in their gardens in these parts. I just can't see either of those things happening yet. The weather... an endless topic of conversation... 

Let's get to the point! The good news is summer is on its way. What better way to welcome her than by firing up the BBQ! What have I been craving the most over the past couple months? Pizza. Lucky for me I have a nice ball of goat mozzarella, which I have been zealously hoarding the past week just waiting for the perfect opportunity to consume. How can I rectify the need to BBQ and the need for pizza? EASY! BBQ pizza.

BBQ pizza or grilled pizza is perhaps the most authentic form of Italian pizza you can get without actually having a wood-fired brick pizza oven. Imagine: Crispy, slightly charred thin crust, chewy on the inside. Oh yeah. Don't be intimidated by throwing dough on the grill. It's easy! I've been making this recipe for years and it's always a hit.

Fresh off the Barby!

Grilled Pizza

Serves 4-6

First, make crust:

1. Dissolve 2 ½ tsp. of quick rising yeast in 1 ½ cups of warm water. Give it a little stir. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on a low speed. 
2. As soon as you can see that the yeast is frothy and alive, add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix in. 
3. Add 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil. 
4. Gradually add one more cup of flour. 
5. When your dough starts to get thick, swap out your paddle to the dough hook. Let your machine do the work, gradually adding a bit more flour as needed. 5 minutes or so. 
6. I like to finish my dough by hand, kneading for a couple more minutes on a floured surface. 
7. Form it into a nice ball. 
8. Lightly oil the surface of the dough. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a dry towel. 
9. Let rise for an hour while you prepare the toppings. 

The following are your must-have toppings:
Olive oil
Thinly sliced garlic
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Thinly sliced tomatoes
Sliced bocconcini

You can make a nice simple pizza just like that or you can add other toppings too. Last night I added artichoke pieces and kalamata olives. Other times I have added a bit of meat to the above list, like moose pepperoni. The key is to try and not have too many things going on on your pizza. Remember, you just need a scattering of each ingredient. We are going for Italian pizza, not North American fast food pizza!

Putting it all together:
1) Pre-heat your BBQ to a medium heat.
2) Dump your dough onto a cutting board and cut into 4 or 6 pieces. 
3) Hand stretch your dough. Shape is not important. It’s rustic! You want it to be quite thin though, no more than 5 mm.
4) Brush olive oil liberally on both sides of doughl.  Lay your pieces of dough on a baking sheet. 
5) Place dough on the grill. You may have to do your pizza in batches depending on the size of your BBQ. However, only cook one side of your dough at this point. Grill for about 5 minutes or until bottom begins to golden and is getting grill marks. Rotate dough 90 degrees for grill cross marks.
6) Remove dough from the grill. Put it back on the baking sheet with the cooked side facing up.
7) Add toppings to the grilled side of your pizza. Here’s the order I like:

My fave local beer!

       -lightly brush with olive oil
       -scatter slices of garlic
       -lightly sprinkle with grated mozzarella
       -scatter on tomato 
       -scatter on other toppings 
       -end with slices of fresh mozzarella aka bocconcini
9) Return pizza to the grill. As the bottom of your dough is cooking, the ingredients will heat and the cheese will melt. If the bottom of your crust is crispy but your cheese is not yet melted, you can transfer your pizza to the upper rack until the cheese begins to bubble.
10) Remove from the grill, slide onto a cutting board, chop up into pieces, arrange on serving platter and sprinkle with a basil chiffonade. Serve with a glass of wine or your favourite beer!

A few words on basil:
-Fresh basil is a lovely way to finish off your pizza. Prepare and sprinkle over top just before serving. If you prepare it any sooner, it will wilt.
-Sure you can just chop up your basil but making a chiffonade is equally easy and classes up any dish!  How to make a basil chiffonade:

http://howtocook.casaveneracion.com/how-to-make-basil-chiffonade/

-If you don’t have any fresh basil but you want that basil flavour (as was my situation last night), sprinkle some dry basil over your toppings before your pizza goes back on the grill.

Next post teaser:
So as I mentioned, my birthday is coming up in a week or so. I’m having a party! In discussing the menu with my significant other, he suggested that it might be impossible to have an ethical meal. What?! Sounds like a challenge... and a great opportunity to try out some new recipes!

Goats Do Roam

I am very excited about the thrilling weekend I have just had! I traveled to Whitehorse where I finally got to do a much anticipated cheese making workshop on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I visited the goat farm, the Lendrum Ross Farm, which produced the milk. It was an “udderly” fantastic weekend! Hardy har har! Not only was I opened up to the  intriguing world of cheese making, not only did I stuff myself full of the most delicious cheese I’ve had in recent memory, not only did I get to cuddle the most adorable little creatures ever to roam God’s green earth, I met some kind-hearted, knowledgeable and welcoming kindred spirits in my quest for ethical eating. 

The cheese making course (offered through Yukon College) was expertly instructed by Tina Ratay, a farming partner of the Lendrum Ross Farm. Tina is a foodie, chef, cheese maker extraordinaire. During the course of our workshop, she explained the history of cheese making, the chemistry behind it and the process of making cheese from farm to table. We then made mozzarella and paneer. She also showed us different ways to present and eat the cheese.

Cheese making is surprisingly a lot easier than you may think. You can make paneer that is ready to eat in a matter of minutes with 2 ingredients. Mozzarella takes a bit longer but is quite straight forward. The recipes that we used in the course originate from number of different recipes that Tina has taken bits and pieces of and perfected. Tina also showed us how to add different flavours to the mozzarella by kneading or rolling different spices and seeds into the cheese. Add the end of the class we had a cheese feast! I did not hesitate to lead the charge to the table or go back for seconds!

I was very interested to learn that the flavour of the cheese actually comes more from the cultures used rather than the type of milk. The mozzarella had no hint of "chèvre" in it. In fact, the average person would not be able to tell that the mozzarella was made from goat's milk as opposed to any other type of milk. What you would be able to note is that it is unlike any run of the mill cheese in its freshness and lack of processing.

Formed mozzarella balls in the foreground.
Flatten mozzarella sprinkled with Za'atar
(a Middle Eastern spice mixture)
about to be rolled.

Brined Mozzarella

1. Heat 4L of milk in a sterilized stainless steel pot.
2. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid into 1/4 cup cool water.
3. At 13 degrees Celsius, add citric acid mixture to milk, stirring in an up and down motion until well incorporated.
4. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of liquid rennet into 1/4 cup cool water.
5. At 30 degrees Celsius, add rennet mixture to milk, again stirring in an up and down motion.
6. When the solution reaches approximately 38 degrees C, you will see a separation of curds from the whey. Turn off heat. Note: The curds are the solids. The whey is the milky liquid.
7. Scoop curds into a bowl.
8. Press curds into manageable sized balls, squeezing out as much whey as possible.
9. Heat a small pot of water with about 1/3 cup of coarse salt.
10. Drop in the balls of cheese. The water level should just cover the balls of curd.
11. When the water reaches 60 degrees Celsius, remove balls again squeezing out as much whey as possible.
12. Return balls to salt water and continue heating.
13. When the water reaches 74 degrees Celsius, the balls of curd will be soft. Pull and stretch the balls until glossy and smooth. 
14. Form the balls into desired shape and drop into a pan of cold water, place pan in fridge and let them sit until firm. 
15. Dissolve 1/2 cup of coarse salt into 1 litre of cold water in a large jar. Add the finished balls of mozzarella and brine for 8 hours, shaking from time to time. 
16. Remove balls from brine, and allow to dry uncovered, on a plate for 8 hours (refrigerated). After 8 hours, flip over and dry other side for 8 hours more. At this point, the balls can now be used immediately, wrapped for future use or even frozen for further into the future use. Simply refrigerated, the cheese will last 3 weeks or more. You can also skip the brining step and enjoy the mozzarella fresh. It will slice but not shred easily and is like bocconcini.

Mozzarella marinated in olive oil, garlic & lemon zest. Yum!

Mini Mozzarella, Basil & Cherry Tomato Skewers.

Various flavoured mozzarella. Some with seeds, others with
Za'atar.

Paneer

1. Heat 4L of milk in a sterilized stainless steel pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 
2. When at a boil, turn down the heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The milk should curdle at this point. If it doesn’t curdle, add some more vinegar tablespoon by tablespoon until it does. 
3. Spoon the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. 
4. For making a pressed paneer, lay the cheesecloth and curd bundle onto a cutting board, put the ends of the cloth to one side and cover with a plate and add a weight on top, pressing the curd into a patty. Tilt the cutting board so that it drains into a sink. Unwrap curd and cut into slices. It can be used in stews and curries, fried or eaten fresh. It does not last longer than a day or two even if refrigerated.

Pressed Paneer

There are several online resources and books should you choose to try it out on your own, however, I would greatly recommend taking a class. It was very beneficial to have an expert in the room, readily available to answer any and all questions as you went! I will certainly be procuring some vegetable rennet and goat's milk in order to re-create this at home.

You may recall me having mentioned the Lendrum Ross Farm in a previous post. They are the Yukon’s only (as far as I know) goat farm and fabricators of goat cheese. Tina has worked with them for a number of years. When I first contacted Brian Lendrum to ask about the availability of their cheese and to enquire about cheese making courses, he invited me out to the farm to meet the goats. After signing up for the cheese course and knowing the specific dates I would be in town, I contacted him to take him up on his offer. 

On Sunday, on my way back up to Dawson, I stopped by their idyllic little farm located on Lake Laberge. Brian, whom I had only previously corresponded with via email and Susan, who I had met the day before at the cheese course, were gracious and enthusiastic hosts. 

Baby goats hanging out.

Upon arrival, they took me straight away to see the herd. It was a beautiful spring day and the goats were mostly lounging in the sun outside their shelter. In the past couple of weeks, the majority of the goats had had their kids. There were 27 little babies, frolicking, sleeping, playing, calling out to each other, chewing their cud, and trying to get a little milk from momma. The dozen or so adults were equally enjoying the pleasant weather. I haven’t spent too much time around goats but what instantly struck me was their huge personality. They are smart, playful and fiercely individual. I was smitten. I loved holding and petting the sweet little babies as Brian and Susan answered my millions of questions. After awhile, the whole lot of them headed out to the hills for an afternoon stroll.

After spending some quality time with the goats, Brian and Susan showed me where and how they milked the goats. They do it all by hand! Then they showed me the rest of their farm. They also grow organic vegetables for market and keep chickens. Later they took me to the cheese making kitchen. What is especially impressive is that Brian and Susan live off the grid. They have solar panels and occasionally a generator for all their power needs, which include an electric fence! 

Then we went in for coffee and lemon bars and chatted about several topics: raising chickens, raising pigs, ethical food, goose rillettes, France, teaching, gardening, living off the grid, hunting, farmer’s markets, Dawson. Before I knew it, over 2 hours had passed and it was time for me to get on the road. Not, however, before Susan loaded me up with several kale recipes and French books. It was a delightful afternoon, one that I will cherish forever. 

I know I’m gushing a bit here. But really! Who knew that at the end of that little dirt road that I’ve passed on the highway so many times before, never thinking twice of, would have opened its doors to me and unleashed such a degree of magic and inspiration. Ever since, I’ve found myself dreaming about quitting my job and taking up goat farming and cheese making. Now, I know there’s a lot more to it than what I could possibly take in in the space of a couple hours. It is not easy work. But it is so important. For those who farm sustainably, humanely and with such love, my respect and admiration is huge. I look forward to returning soon. Thank you.

Goats heading off for a walk.

Food for Thought, Version 2.0

I’ve only begun to educate myself about our current food system and related issues over the past 5 years or so. It started when I went to culinary school. I admit sheepishly that before, I was happily ignorant to what was going on in the world of food, you know, except for the eating of it! In culinary school, they really didn't delve too much into the food system either but that's where I first caught wind that not all was hunky dory. I was 30 years old and astonished that I really had no clue.

So what I have I done in the past 5 years? Well, not a whole lot. Read a couple books, watched a few documentaries. Felt some guilt. And then it sort of faded away... 

I don’t know what changed in me most recently but I know when it happened. I was browsing Netflix and came across the documentary Vegucated. I gave it a whirl. Vegucated is a decent flic but it didn’t really present any information that I didn’t already know. What it did do, once again, was challenge me to question my attitudes and eating.

What was the difference this go around? Well, I think it was that I was finally ready. Like many things in life, you can’t force yourself to do something until you’re ready. You can quit smoking a hundred times but you won’t be successful until you’re ready to do it. Making a big shift in life requires a huge effort and dedication, especially at first. I realized that it was finally time. I had to stop making excuses, stop living a lie. It was time to carefully examine my own practices and make a plan to do my part, big or small, to change a system that I believe to be inherently wrong. It is a process and I am far from having it all figured out but the more I get informed, the easier it gets. 

I wanted to compile a list of books and films that have influenced me to change the way I look at food. Now just because I have watched a certain film or read a certain book does NOT mean that I prescribe 100% to what its author is putting out there. I am simply looking to enhance my knowledge and understanding of the world. By exposing myself to as much information as I can, I am able to take from it what I want, form opinions and make decisions on issues that I deem to be important.

This list is by no means complete and is not listed in any particular order. I'm sure I have forgotten many titles. I will continue to add to this list as I remember or as I come across new material (or new to me material). Feel free to make recommendations!

Books of Interest:

The Green History of the World: The Environment & the Collapse of Great Civilisations 
by Clive Ponting

The Atlas of FOOD: Who Eats What, Where and Why 
by Erik Millstone & Tim Lang

The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating 
by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon

Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet 
by Vesanto Melina & Brenda Davis

Gwich’in Ethnobotany
by Alestine Andre & Alan Fehr

Celebrate Yukon Food Seasonal Recipes 
compiled by Fireweed Community Market Society

The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North 
by Beverley Gray

http://www.borealherbal.com

The Boreal Gourmet: Adventures in Northern Cooking 
by Michele Genest

http://borealgourmet.com/about-the-boreal-gourmet-cookb/

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health 
by William Davis

The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat 
by Loren Cordain, Ph. D.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life 
by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp & Camille Kingsolver

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com

Whitewater Cooks: pure, simple and real creations from the Fresh Tracks Café

by Shelley Adams

http://www.whitewatercooks.com

 Recipes I've tried and loved: Hungarian Mushroom Barley Soup (p.25), Tabbouleh & Chickpea Salad (p. 43), Whitewater Veggie Burger (p.52), Torta Rustica (p.66), Pad Thai Fried Noodles (p. 68).

Whitewater Cooks: at home

 by Shelley Adams

 http://www.whitewatercooks.com

 Recipes I've tried and loved: Goat Cheese & Sun-dried Tomato Terrine (p. 28), Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette (p. 38), Cool Sesame Miso Noodle Salad- half the rice wine vinegar and lime juice! (p.48), Karen's Roasted Potato & Fresh Mint Salad- half the oil & salt (p. 49), Roasted Vegetable Salad (p. 58), Cedar Planked Salmon with Maple Soy Glaze (p. 108).

Whitewater Cooks: with friends
 by Shelley Adams
 http://www.whitewatercooks.com

Videos of Interest:

Food Inc. 

http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

Food Matters

http://www.foodmatters.tv

The Future of Food

http://www.thefutureoffood.com

Fast Food Nation

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation/

Vegucated

http://www.getvegucated.com

The Real Dirt on Farmer John
        http://www.angelicorganics.com/ao/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148&Itemid=182

Hungry for Change

http://www.hungryforchange.tv

Gary Yourofsky- Best Speech You Will Ever Hear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4

Graham Hill: Why I’m a weekday vegetarian (Ted Talks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUJD3sGppUo

Ann Cooper talks school lunches (Ted Talks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSTZ6AdQdwk

Dan Barber’s foie gras parable (Ted Talks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvrgD0mAFoU

Vegan Style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ubOaIhlRX0

Carb Overload

You know, I didn’t take on the whole “ethical omnivore” thing in order to lose weight. I took it on as a life choice specifically for moral or ethical reasons. I did assume, however, that because I would be eating more locally sourced food and that I would be more informed about my food that the food would be of a much better quality and therefore better for me. I had hoped perhaps there may be some weight loss benefit along the way. 

Well, I’ve gained 7 pounds in the last month. Of course, there are lots of other factors involved. I’ve been busy at work. I haven’t exercised as regularly as I normally do. I haven’t been planning my meals. I’ve been drinking regularly. Blah, blah, blah. 

I should say that I am a prolific dieter. I’ve dealt with the battle of bulge since I was a preteen. I know exactly how to lose weight. I’ve been losing and gaining weight for years. I say this facetiously of course. It’s not something that I’m proud of. It is what it is. And it’s something that I’m constantly dealing with. But whatever, I’m over weight but I’m not morbidly obese. I have no health-related issues. I have low blood pressure, good blood sugar, excellent cholesterol. Really, if a few extra pounds is my biggest problem in life, I’m not doing so bad.

That being said, there is a weight range that I feel most comfortable in and before I started eating ethically and I was on the top end of it. Now, I am out of that range so I’m not feeling too good about it. As I do anytime it’s time to get serious about my eating habits and health, I look back to what I have been consuming. How did I get here? Is ethical eating to blame?

I’ve been on several diets throughout my life but I have found a way of eating that works for me when I can muster up the will power to keep it going. When I’m being "good", I eat a diet of predominantly lean protein, low-fat dairy, lots of veggies, berries, fruit and healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, etc. I try to avoid the usual culprits: alcohol, refined sugar, fatty proteins and starchy foods such as potatoes and most grain products. 

Generally, I have found that eating foods high in carbohydrates such as wheat and other grains do not help me lose or maintain weight. They make me feel bloated and lethargic. Whatever full feeling they might give me is always temporary. What gives me a lasting feeling of fullness is when I consume some protein with whatever else it is I might be having. Protein has been a little lacking in my life lately.

It’s become blatantly apparent that ever since I began eating ethically, I have devoured whatever carbohydrate (aka wheat product or the like) I can get my hands on: bread, pita, naan, crackers, granola, popcorn, potatoes, tortilla chips. Perhaps because I’ve deemed them ethical, they are suddenly okay in large quantities? 

Another observation, because I haven’t been eating dairy products and I've been eating limited meat, I’ve been replacing those items with foods that contain more carbohydrates and less protein than their less ethical counterpart. 

Example 1
I used to consume:
Dairyland 1% Milk (1 cup)
110 Calories
Fat 2.5 g
Carbohydrates 12 g
Protein 9 g

Now, I consume: 
Blue Diamond Sweetened Vanilla Almond milk (1 cup)
90 Calories
Fat 2.5 g
Carbohydrate 16 g
Protein 1 g

Example 2
I used to consume:
Oikos Traditional Greek Yogurt-Coconut Vanilla Flavour (150g)
160 Calories
Fat 4.5 g
Carbohydrate 18g
Protein 11g

Now, I consume:
Amande Cultured Almondmilk Yogurt-Coconut Flavoured (170g)
170 Calories
Fat 8 g
Carbohydrate 23g
Protein 3g

Example 3
I used to consume:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (4 oz)
128 Calories
Fat 2.5 g
Carbohydrate- nil
Protein 23g

Now, I consume:
Original Beans in Tomato Sauce (1/2 cup serving- approximately 4.4 oz)
140 Calories
Fat .5g
Carbohydrate 28g
Protein 7g

I think you get the point. I’m consuming way less protein than I used to. I am replacing the protein with carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are often in the form of added sugar. Whatever carbohydrates they may be, they are going straight to my ass! 

Oh yeah, there are still the other 3 factors which have contributed to my recent weight gain: lack of exercise, excessive socializing (beer = carbs) and lack of meal planning. The lack of meal planning is a biggy. I do much better when I have a plan. Eating on the fly has probably been a key reason that I’ve resorted to eating so many bread products, crackers etc. They are easy and accessible.

Hmmm, I could blame ethical eating as the reason behind my recent weight gain but in reality, that’s a bit of a cop out.  Truth be told, in the past month I was basically allowing myself to eat whatever I wanted as long as no tortured animals were involved. Not a great long term strategy... Whether a food is ethical or not, there are calories to be considered! 

Like everything in life, it’s all about balance. As you can probably guess, balance has never been my strong suit. I’m an extreme kind of girl. In any case, my goal for the next couple weeks is to get off my butt, cut down on the beer, get organized with my eating and seek some balance in life. Summer is on its way after all!

All these questions!!!

Okay, a few people have been asking me questions, which I am more than happy to answer! Where is NOT the place to talk about why I'm doing this? At the dinner table. Kinda awkward. 

1) So hang on, you say in your blog that you’re a locavore but you can eat an avocado. That comes from Mexico. How is that local? Explain.

Well, I’m not a locavore in the sense that I will ONLY eat food raised within a certain proximity to my house.  In the Yukon, it is possible that I would develop scurvy if I tried to do that! Well, unless I harvested a freezer full of cranberries. To me, being a locavore means that you’re interested in eating locally produced food as much as possible. So, if I had to choose between going down to the farmers’ market to pick up a head of locally grown romaine versus going to the grocery store and picking up one that was grown in California, I am going to head to the farmers’ market. I look forward to having that option in a couple months time!

I will buy anything Yukon made or Yukon grown first, provided it is a comparable product. Even if it costs more money, it’s worth it to me. It supports Yukon growers, it’s better for the environment because it hasn’t been trucked in, and it’ll be, without a doubt, fresher and therefore more nutritious.

When it comes to meat, dairy, and animal products, I want to know that the animals I consume have been treated humanely. I cannot know if this is true unless I have some knowledge of where the animal is from and how it has been cared for. If I buy meat raised in the Yukon, I can talk to the farmer. I can visit the farm. When traveling I would also endeavour to support producers from the places I am visiting. And of course, fill my suitcase with whatever local specialty products I can get!

2) What’s the difference if an animal is raised humanely or not? If you eat it, it still dies.

To me there is a big difference between a life of suffering, fear and abuse and a life that is happy, peaceful and quickly ended. 

I think it is insane that people are so out of touch with where there food comes from. I've had people lecture me about how hunting is so awful and cruel when the meat they eat comes from a feedlot. I think it's also bizarre that people will eat meat but they can't deal with handling it raw. Or people that only eat boneless, skinless chicken breast because it in no way resembles the animal it once was. 

This animal is giving its life to give you nourishment. The least you can do is show some respect and ensure that it has lived a good life. I would even go so far as to say that if you are going to eat something, you should be prepared to kill it yourself. I look forward to having the experience of harvesting my own moose one day. 

3) You have vegan recipes on your blog but you’re not a vegan. Explain. 

If I can’t source out ethical animal products, I don’t want to use unethical ones. So you look for alternatives, which means sometimes they are going to be vegan! Even if you have ethical animal products, it doesn’t mean you have to eat them all the time. North Americans, in general, eat a crazy amount meat, cheese, milk, etc. That is not good for your health, ethical or not. There’s no harm in cutting back a bit.

4) So what do you do when you go to someone’s house to eat? Or out to a restaurant? How strict are you?

I am not 100% strict. It’s impossible because unless all you ever do is eat at home, you are never going to have total control over your food options.

Since I took on this little experiment, there have been several occasions at friends' houses where I have had to make the call on whether I was going to eat or not eat certain foods. Generally speaking, I try to stick to my guns. Lots of my friends are aware of my new eating habits now and lots of times there are several different dishes so there is something I can eat.

Eating at someone’s house is a situation where you do what you can but you’re not going to be perfect. I feel like, every effort you make to eat ethically counts and you can still make a difference without being a militant extremist about it. There’s no reason to feel bad if you end up eating something that is unethical. To be perfectly honest, I would feel a hell of a lot worse if I made my friends feel bad or uncomfortable because I was being totally h-core about it.

Eating in a restaurant, you can be more discriminating. They should be thrilled to make substitutions and omissions to dishes. It is their job, after all, to make their customers happy and satisfied. Right? Well, I’ll let you know... I’m have NEVER been a picky eater. Those annoying people in restaurants that ask a million questions... I can’t stand those people. Now I’m one of them? Well, not entirely. Although, I worked up the courage last week to ask one question about the menu...

Quotes from the past week that have kept me motivated and inspired:
“You might have to make some more almond milk. It’s better than milk actually. It tastes better. No puss.”
“Love you for knowing what is right. We better get fishing n hunting n berry picking. No, I’m not drunk.”
It’s reassuring to know that the person who is most affected by my shenanigans, my husband, has been happily along for the ride. Le sigh.

PS- He’ll have his own blog out soon: The Reluctant Ethical Omnivore. Lol 

Awesome Almonds

Almond milk has become my go-to liquid of choice and a great milk substitute in all kinds of recipes. I even made my own this week to try it out. Super easy and far superior to store bought versions. Surprisingly though, not cheaper. Check out this link, which explains how to make it:

http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/06/08/homemade-almond-milk-almond-meal/

Homemade Almond Milk with morning coffee.

I followed the instructions with a couple exceptions:
-I soaked the almonds overnight so they ended up being soaked for about 15 hours. 
-When blending, I used 3 cups of water to make it nice and thick. 
-I used 2 tablespoons of raw sugar to sweeten. It dissolved quite easily into the liquid.
Also, I dried out the almond meal as suggested. We added some of it to our moose burger patty mix tonight in place of oatmeal or breadcrumbs that we’ve added in the past. Doesn’t just have to be used in baking!

Below are a couple of great recipes that use almond milk. For the followed recipes I used unsweetened almond milk of the store bought variety. I’m saving the good stuff for my coffee.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potato with moose sausage and grilled veggie skewer.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes 
(adapted from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook)

This recipe is an absolute gem! If you like samosas, you'll love these potatoes. Warm, hearty and spicy. Yum! Thank you Cecille for introducing me to the recipe.

Ingredients:
5 medium-sized, russet potatoes
1/4-1/3 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon vegan butter
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted & ground
1 small onion, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt 
pepper to taste
3/4 cup frozen peas
Juice of 1/2 lemon
chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:
1) Pierce 5 medium sized potatoes and bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 1 hour. Let cool. (You will reheat the finished product at 400 degrees as well.)
2) When potatoes are mostly cooled, slice lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Lay out the skins on a baking sheet. Mash the insides up in a bowl with the almond milk and vegan butter, season with a bit of salt and pepper.
3) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and sweat for 7-10 minutes until onions become translucent.
4) Add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute more.
5) Add cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well.
6) Add potatoes, mix everything well. Cook until potatoes are heated through. Add a bit more water if the mixture seems dry.
7) Add peas and lemon juice. Cook until peas are just warmed through.
8) Check seasonings.
9) Scoop the filling into the skins. Bake for 20 minutes.
10) Garnish with chopped cilantro. Watch out, they’re hot!

Crepe with fresh berries and coconut flavoured almond yogurt.

Dessert Crepes

Here is a recipe I’ve been making for years. When I was 18, I lived with a family in France on a little dairy farm for a year. The mother of the house made the most delicious crepes. This is her recipe. I substituted the milk below with unsweetened almond milk. I found, however, that with the almond milk the batter was too thick, so I added almost another whole cup. I used vegan butter instead of regular butter. Serve with fresh berries and almond yogurt. Yummy!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups milk (up to 3 cups if using almond milk)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup of flour
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Beat eggs. Mix wet ingredients into the same bowl. 
2) Sift dry ingredients into wet mixture while whisking.
3) Let batter rest in fridge for an hour.
4) Heat non-stick pan to medium heat.
5) Grease pan with butter.
6) Spoon in just enough batter to make a thin coating on bottom of pan.
7) Cook until light golden brown. Loosen edges.
8) Flip, cook other side. 
9) Remove from heat.
10) Serve with your favourite topping.

Yukon Farmers

The past couple weeks I’ve been making an effort to establish some contacts with local (aka Yukon) farmers to source out chickens, pork and cheese. The challenge of eating ethical meat in the Yukon is that you need to plan. You can’t just swing by the farm and pick up some pork chops. You need to estimate how much meat you need and order now for the fall. 

There is a website for Yukon Farm Products and Services, which has a listing of the all the producers in the Yukon:

http://farmproducts.yukonfood.com/producers.htm

It has been quite useful and informative.

As I’ve mentioned before, the biggest thing missing in my life right now is ethically produced cheese. Vegan cheese does not cut it. And even if it did, it’s still highly processed. I’m just not into eating food that is parading around as another food when it is clearly not. Almond milk? No problem. It’s a decent substitute when used in a recipe along with other ingredients. I don’t generally sit down to drink a big glass. I do, however, wanna sit down with a big block of cheese. Vegan cheddar cheese? No. I’d rather eat no cheese at all than vegan cheese.

Luckily, in the Yukon we have the Lendrum Ross Farm. They grow a variety of organic vegetables but more importantly for me, they produce several varieties of goat cheese. I love goat cheese. I purchased some of their cheese last summer at the Fireweed Community Market in Whitehorse. It’s good stuff. 

I have to admit, I’m a little shy when it comes to talking to strangers. When I was a kid, my dad would strike up conversations with anyone and everyone and I always felt so awkward about it. Sending emails out to people I don’t really know? I mentioned to Marsha, “They’ll think I’m such a newb.” I don’t know anything about cheese making or raising animals. It’s like being a cheechako when you want to be a sourdough. These guys don’t have time for me. She quickly dismissed the notion. “Of course not! When new people contact them, it’s an opportunity for them to expand their market. Besides, they are doing something that they are passionate about so of course they want to share with anyone who is interested.” Makes sense... 

She was spot on. I sent out a short email to the folks at the Lendrum Ross Farm making general inquiries. Where I might be able to find their cheese in the off-season of the Fireweed Market? I had also heard that they offered cheese making courses so I asked about that.  

I had a response in the space of about 10 minutes. Brian, who wrote back to me, explained that they don’t have any cheese at the moment but produce cheese from May to December. He said that the first babies are about to be born so the milk will be flowing shortly and then the cheese shortly after that. He also told me about mozzarella making workshops instructed by their farming partner at Yukon College in Whitehorse. Then he invited me to drop in on my way to Whitehorse sometime and meet the goats. How rad is that? And to boot, when I wrote back thanking him and telling him that I was hoping to do the cheese course in a month’s time, he wrote to give me a heads up that they fill up quickly so I shouldn’t delay in signing up. 

I’m please to report that I’ll be making a special trip down to Whitehorse on May 4th to do the mozzarella workshop. I’m psyched. You know what that means... Pizza!

My second order of business: pork. Specifically: bacon. I’ve made my own bacon before but now I want to make my own ethical bacon!!! Not being aware of any pig growers in the Dawson area, I contacted Aurora Mountain Farm in Whitehorse. They grow cows, pigs, organic veg, chicken and grain among other things. I sent them a brief message inquiring about pigs and chickens. Again, same day response. They thanked me for my interest, told me a bit about their operation and let me know that they added my name to their mailing list and would be sending out all the details for the upcoming season shortly.

A couple days later, I was telling a friend about how I intended to order a pig from a Yukon farmer and she told me that there was someone in Dawson who was going to be raising pigs this year. Turns out, it’s my egg guy, Derrick Hastings! Actually, he's my seed guy too. A few weeks ago I bought some organic seeds from him through the Dawson Buy, Sell & Trade Facebook group.

Derrick and his wife, Katie are Dawson farmers. I’ve known them for a few years. They are super friendly, community-oriented, and of course passionate about what they do. They started out doing vegetables, then expanded to eggs and chickens and now they’re branching out to pigs. In addition, they makes a variety of teas, salves, sprouting kits, etc. I contacted Derrick right away. One pig, coming right up! 

There are so many reasons I’m excited about this pig and it’s not just the bacon. I am supporting local farmers. Because I actually know them, it feels very personal. I feel like I’m helping them expand their farm. I feel like I’m part of this exciting, new experiment that they are embarking on. I’m excited that I’m going to be able to go to the farm and experience the whole process of raising pigs and educate myself about exactly what that entails. I feel more connected to my food already.

This past weekend, the Dawson Community Garden hosted its 4th Annual Seedy Saturday. It’s an opportunity to meet with local growers, buy or exchange seeds and take in some presentations. I had been under the impression that the morning speakers were more geared towards farmers so I only went in the afternoon. Okay, let’s be honest. I was a little hung over so it was easy to talk myself out of the morning sessions. But anyways, I stopped by in the afternoon to touch base with Derrick about the pig and check out the event. I was stunned by the number of people there all sharing information, networking and socializing... In retrospect, I really wish I had gone for the whole day and fully participated.

You know, in this age of technology, internet, Facebook, it’s funny how unconnected you can still be. For example, even though I am Facebook friends with Derrick, I didn’t know that his farm, Full Circle Farm, had a Facebook group with a wealth of information regarding his operation and gardening and farming in general. Another example: I did not know until recently that there is a Dawson City Food Secure Advocacy Group that has been meeting over the winter and addressing food related issues in Dawson. Have I been living under a rock?

Anyways, I won’t beat myself up too much. This is all part of a process. If I look back at where I was a few weeks ago, I am so much more informed. Everything can’t happen instantly. I can just continue to keep learning and force myself to strike up conversations with anyone and everyone! 

Next on the agenda: Firm up my chicken numbers and get my order in.

Speaking of chicken:
Is the chicken local? -Here is the link to a hilarious clip from the show Portlandia! Lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRHJlE4PGI