Viva La Baguette

Vive la Baguette!

It’s universally acknowledged that the French know a thing or two about good food and wine. They’ve been making an art of wine for two centuries, and every day the French consume more than 30 million baguettes.

There is no definitive history of the baguette, but our favourite theory links the origin of modern French bread to the French revolution. While the monarchy and upper classes feasted on fine loaves, the lack of quality bread among the general population was one of the driving forces of the uprising. In 1793, the post-revolution government made a law stating: “Richness and poverty must both disappear from the government of equality. It will no longer make a bread of wheat for the rich and a bread of bran for the poor. All bakers will be held, under the penalty of imprisonment, to make only one type of bread: The Bread of Equality.” The shape of the baguette is said to have emerged in the 1920s, when a new law made it illegal for anyone to begin work between 10pm and 4am. As this didn’t leave enough time for bakers to prepare larger loaves before the morning rush, the baguette’s long, slim form would bake faster and be ready in time for their customers’ breakfasts. At True Grain, we make our French Baguettes as they’re made in France, with just five ingredients: White Flour (we use only BC-farmed organic), water, yeast, malt and a touch of sea salt. The bakers shape each baguette by hand and bake it with care, so the outside is robust and crunchy while the inside stays pillowy soft.

A baguette’s mild flavour makes it an ideal accompaniment to a wide variety of food and wine. Imagine yourself in winter, dipping hand-torn chunks of baguette into a beef stew between sips of cabernet sauvignon. Or sitting on a summer patio enjoying a crisp pinot grigio with smoked salmon crostini. For those with a sweet tooth, nothing beats a slice of baguette with chocolate, next to a chilled fruit or dessert wine. Stop by True Grain to pick up a fresh organic French Baguette (we also make sourdough and multigrain baguettes!) before your next picnic or winery tour. We’re happy to be able to bring a slice of France to the beautiful Cowichan Valley.

True Grain 1737 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay

Submitted by Sophia Jackson Image Judith Okeefe

The vineyards at Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Cowichan Valley Officially Recognized as a Unique Wine Growing Region

The Cowichan Valley is being recognized as a new sub-geographical indication (sub-GI), an official and protected term under B.C. law used to help consumers identify B.C. wines’ origins. The Cowichan Valley subGI is roughly defined as the area between the Cowichan watershed, the eastern coastline from Mill Bay to Maple Bay and the western area of Cowichan Lake.

“The Cowichan is home to family-owned and operated wineries and grape growers who have been part of the valley for generations,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “They take pride in the wines they produce and recognizing their hard work, skills and growing reputation on the B.C. and international stage is overdue. They make great wine in the Cowichan from the grapes grown in the valley, and the designation both respects and promotes that.”

Defining geographic zones on wine labels connects consumers with the unique geographic area the grapes are grown and the wine is made in, and increases exposure to the region for both wine and tourism businesses.

Wines labelled with geographical indications and/or sub-GIs commit to consumers that the wine was produced with a minimum of 95% of grapes grown from the specified region.

There are nine official geographical indications in the province and five subgeographical indications. The Cowichan Valley is the first sub-GI outside of the Okanagan and joins the Golden Mile Bench, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Falls and Skaha Bench in the Okanagan Valley.

“Having Cowichan Valley officially recognized as a distinct and unique wine grape growing region in B.C. is testament to the maturity of the wine growers and producers in the region. To put it simply, when you now see Vancouver Island, Cowichan Valley, BC VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) on a bottle, it is your guarantee that you’re sipping a wine that is 100% grown and made in this particular terroir of British Columbia.” Miles Prodan, president, BC Wine Institute -

For information about all the geographic and subgeographic indications in B.C., visit: http://www.bcvqa.ca/ wine-regions-of-bc/

Submitted by Giulia Sa Barreto

LOOKING FOR MICROGREENS? We grow plenty of them!

A&S MICROGREENS

t.250-710-6135 www.asmicrogreens.com

TASTING ROOM OPEN 1 - 5 PM EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY OR BY APPOINTMENT.

Celebrating over 50 years of the grape, Joseph Busnardo is credited as the  rst person to import and plant vinifera grape cuttings in BC.  is changed the future of the grape and wine industry. Come celebrate over 25 years in the Cowichan Valley and enjoy locallygrown, estate-produced wine. If you’re lucky, a 25 year old wine will be available for tasting!

1500 Freeman Rd, Cobble Hill I 250 743 2311 WWW.DIVINOWINE.CA

It’s August, and the streaming West Coast sunshine has transformed the landscape into an oasis of fruit-laden trees. Cherries, plums, apples, pears and peaches – the variety and abundance has created an explosion of food processors to be established in the Valley and cider-makers delight in creating homegrown vintages.

Even so, each season, thousands of pounds of ripe fruit fall to the ground only to rot in the Summer sun. Tree-owners are often too busy to deal with their trees, or can no longer keep up with the demands of caring for, harvesting and processing an abundance of produce year after year.

However, Cowichan Green Community’s (CGC) FruitSave program continues to step up to rescue fruit that would otherwise go to waste, and ensure it gets redistributed throughout the community. This gleaning program organizes and connects volunteer pickers with fruit tree owners whose trees produce an overwhelming yield. The gleaned fruit is shared between the pickers, the tree owners, and emergency food service providers. Additionally, the gleaned fruit is donated to local canning workshops and food skills programs that aim to teach the community about the importance of healthy food. At CGC, the reFRESH Cowichan team will be contributing to handling the excess produce and processing the fruit into value-added products for redistribution to those in need.

Fruit Save: Share The Abundance

With the collaboration of reFRESH Cowichan Team and the promising fruit season ahead, FruitSave is looking for fruit trees and volunteers to help our program achieve its full potential in reaching as many community members as possible. FruitSave volunteers make connections with the community, share in local food, and spend time outdoors in our beautiful valley. To register as a tree owner or volunteer picker, please visit our website at https:// cowichangreencommunity. org/community-action/ fruitsave/ or contact us at fruitsave@ cowichangreencommunity. org or call 250-748-8506.

Upcoming OPEN HOUSE EVENTS 2148 LAKESIDE RD, DUNCAN 250 743-7253 sunrisewaldorfschool.org

Now accepting applications for PRE-SCHOOL - CLASS 8

The Summer Open House Events will be designed for small groups, and will feature a taste of our outdoor programming. They are an opportunity to learn more about Waldorf Education and meet our amazing teachers. RSVP to admissions@sunrisewaldorfschool.org. Space is limited, please sign up in advance.