Delicious Food Made to Order Right to Your Home

Sheila Badman, happy wife and mother of two, loves experiencing the treasures of Cowichan, both indoors and out.

In our household going out for a meal is a big deal. As foodies, our home cooked dishes always incorporate the best of local bounty so eating at home is already pretty darn good. Until… Barnes and Maracle, the newest game changer for delicious simplicity in the Cowichan Valley. Take out food is one thing - but delivery too? When deadlines loom, shortening the list of responsibilities becomes the norm, though we rarely sacrifice good food for more time. For this busy production week Barnes and Maracle fit the bill.

A bit about Barnes and Maracle

BARNES & MARACLE Delicious Food Made to Order Delivered Right to Your Home

Sarah and Star met while working at Vinoteca. They became fast friends and realized over glasses of wine and cookbooks that they shared similar passions and dreams. Their kitchen was inspired by a shared dream to make and serve delicious food from scratch. Many of the menu items stem from Italian and French influence from Star’s time in Europe where she learned traditional methods from raising livestock, to butchering, to cheesemaking. This, combined with farming experience and horticulture studies enables her to complete the circle. Everything is made to order - just as if you were in their restaurant only your “table” is your home or office. Sarah’s Dad gave them the opportunity to transform the Barnes family shop space into a commercial kitchen and Barnes and Maracle Catering was born. Lucky for us, the pandemic shifted their original vision of event catering to adding weekly food delivery and now we don’t have to wait for a party to enjoy their incredible food.

How it works

Order your meal from Sunday to Wednesday and choose Friday or Saturday for delivery dinner drop off. Deliciously simple.

Our Saturday Night Meal

We are anticipating a very busy weekend. Kids are not looking forward to eggs for dinner, again. I eagerly type in their website barnesandmaracle.com. The menu is offered in five courses from starter to dessert. Create a fabulous multi course meal or opt for a family size main. On this occasion, Mum decided that full tilt was the way to go. We always eat family style so it felt good to choose a variety that everyone would enjoy.

The meal began with their infamous crispy spring rolls served with a chili garlic-lime sauce. Full of minced pork, ginger, garlic, carrot, and water chestnuts, these spring rolls are twice the size that you usually see in restaurants and there are four in an order, not two. Based on a traditional Laos recipe these Spring Rolls have been a part of special occasions in Sarah’s family for as long as she can remember.

Potato Skins come next as the Saturday party snack! We couldn’t resist ordering them for the kids and the thought of all that prep work coming straight to our home sealed the deal. Topped with bacon, green onions and fresh grated aged cheddar these stuffed taters pop into the oven to bake and come out golden and hot. Smooth, cheesy and delicious. Perfect finger food for watching sports. These potatoes come boxed in two layers so you may even have a few leftovers for lunch the next day.

I love citrus anything year round but especially in sunny weather. Our palette cleanser before the main was a shared Citrus Salad. Organic garden greens with shaved fennel, blood orange, goat cheese, and roasted peanuts with preserved lemon vinaigrette. This unique and refreshing salad has quickly become a favourite. Each forkful bursts with the juice of fresh peeled orange, the smooth luxury of goat cheese and the crunch of roasted nuts. We tossed ours with the fresh blended dressing and voila! a wonderful restaurant salad served fresh in the comfort of home.

The piece de resistance. Sarah’s signature Five Spice Hoisin Ribs was our main which heated up while we enjoyed our starters. After a few minutes the beautiful aroma of simmering ribs filled our kitchen and drifted to the

dining area. Eating with Barnes and Maracle is a multi sensory experience. One of the bonuses in sight is that there is none of the usual ‘made from scratch mess’ around but you still get all the comforting and warm cooking smells. “Are they ready yet?” the children ask as the fragrant dish beckons. I pop open a bottle of their suggested Pinot Noir to breathe. “This dish was inspired by Chef Fatima DaSilva’s (Bistro 161 and Vinoteca) amazing pork and beans.” shares Sarah “I had the privilege of taste testing hers for many years. Star Anise and pork are a beautiful marriage. I put a lot of everything in this recipe- garlic, ginger, 5 spice and hoisin.”

After a quick broil to finish them off to crisp, I carry this piping hot pan of ribs, mashed potato and roasted vegetables to the dining room of eager mouths. Richard loves the juicy, garlicky flavour of this popular Asian spice combination. “These ribs are so tasty right from the first bite” he adds. Scoops of creamy potatoes are plated as a bed for the tender, fall off the bone ribs. Crunchy carrots and bok choy add colour and roughage to our plates. Extra ladles of delicious sauce are spooned from the pan over everything on our plates. All four of us enjoy these in silence, eating to our hearts content and still there are a few leftovers to enjoy for a tomorrow snack.

In case you haven’t already guessed, EVERYTHING you order at Barnes and Maracle is prepared fresh the day its delivered so the heating up of your menu takes place quickly with all the freshest flavours intact.

We pause for tea before we serve dessert. Two vegan Chocolate Coconut Pot de Creme chill in the fridge. Decadent, chocolatey and creamy this indulgence is just the right size to enjoy after our big supper. Also on the menu is a family favourite Caramel Apple Cake. A lovely comforting cake moist with butter and apples and superbly sticky with the rich caramel drizzle. Two perfect endings to a gorgeous meal. Don’t take our word for it, try them in your home. As I write this I am already planning my next order! Barnes and Maracle Food Specialists barnesandmaracle. com