Seasonal Market Veggies to Make This Filipino Dish

Pick Up Some LOCAL Fall Veggies at The Duncan Farmers Market To Make This Filipino Dish at Home

Pancit is a Filipino noodle dish that is easy to make and even easier to eat. This version is Filipino-ish because we are using local and seasonal vegetables. We hope you enjoy this big pot of goodness with friends and family.

Ingredients:

3 large shredded carrots 1 small head shredded cabbage 1 thinly sliced medium sized onion 1/2 cup chopped scallions for garnish 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup sesame oil 2 tbsp vegetable oil for sauteeing 1 package of thin rice noodles OR Vermicelli mung bean or green bean noodles. Note: all these noodles almost look the same. 1 cup cooked chicken/pork/ shrimp, OPTIONAL, using leftovers makes this recipe super easy, shred the chicken/ pork if using

Soak noodles in cold water until soft. In a large skillet on medium high heat, sautee onions and cabbage in vegetable oil, stirring frequently. Cook until almost soft. Add carrots and stir until all the vegetables are cooked. Turn off heat. Add cooked meat if using and combine well with veggies. Drain soaked noodles and add to pot of boiling water. Cook noodles until done to your liking. Drain noodles and add to meat and veggies. Working quickly, evenly distribute sesame oil. With cooking scissors roughly cut noodles into 1 inch pieces, shorter if you want to impress your Filipino relatives. Using two large spoons, toss noodles together with veggies and meat. Add soy sauce and fish sauce, distributing both evenly throughout noodle mixture. Add ground pepper to taste. Mix again making sure sauces coat as much of the pancit as possible. Add extra of any of the sauces to tweak the flavour if you feel it needs it. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped scallions and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Recipe by Paulina Kee, veggies provided by Ol’ MacDonald Farm. Paulina and Cam have been farming in the valley for the past 10 years and currently operate Ol’ MacDonald Farm.

locally grown, organic and delicious Ol’ MacDonald Farm Asian greens, parsley, carrots, beets, cabbage, leeks, potatoes, free range eggs and more!

delicious local food grown with love Visit us on Saturdays at the downtown Duncan Farmers Market.

What is the white stuff on the outside of my salami, and dried cured meats?

So, you may ask yourself “What is the white stuff on the outside of my salami, and dried cured meats?”

The Good, The Bad and The Mouldy Mould on your Cured Meats

The salami’s casing is covered in a powdery dusting of benign white mold, this is a “good” type of mold, which helps in the curing process of salamis and other dried cured meats. This white mould like the white mould on the outside of a brie or camembert cheese is put there by the charcutier or cheese maker, and it helps and fend off nasty bacteria.

So what about green mould? The typical white mould that we see on salami is Penicillium nalgiovense. However, in recent years, scientists found a different strain of mould from the Penicillium family, Penicillium salamii. Like the common white mould, this particular mould has a green color and does not produce mycotoxins, toxic substances that can have harmful effects on human health. In fact, this green mould is found on salami all over the world.

Now that all being said I am not saying there is all good moulds out there in some cases studies show that some mould fungus species that are connected with cured meat

Come taste local and imported products every Saturday 12- 4pm for the month of November

Flown in from Italy! Fresh Burrata and Italian Mozzarella di Bufala

250 929-CURE (2873) curemeatandcheese@gmail.com Valley View Centre 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd products are members of the Penicillium, Aspergillus and Eurotium families. Some of the species can be toxic. They can create mycotoxins that can make food products both inedible and hazardous to health. So, knowing the difference and leaving the mold work to the experts maybe just what you want to do. Buy your meat from a reputable source, if you are going to make your own dry cured meats at home do your research as well as consult your local charcuterie butcher for help.

250 929-2873 Lower level Valley View Centre, 1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cobble Hill

Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

5 Course Dinner in support of Warmland arts

Warmland Foundation for the Arts remains committed to their mission to support access to youth and adult arts training opportunities through our scholarship programs, and providing grant funding for arts productions on Vancouver Island. We invite you to a unique culinary experience to help support our foundation. At the Donor Dinner you will be served 5 sumptuous courses prepared by guest Executive Chef Joel Peck, paired with local wines and world-class arts entertainment. This is a black tie event. All artists involved in the production of the WFA Donor Dinners are properly compensated for their important contributions. Socially distanced, limited space. The next Donor Dinner dinner is on November 29 at Brunch on Third restaurant. Book your private table today at warmlandfoundation@ gmail.com

Handmade stoneware soup bowls set. Black glaze with earth. Hilary Huntley.

Food Tastes Better When Served In Pottery

Originally a Science major, local potter Hilary Huntley found her way into the clay department while attending Mount Royal College. A few years later, her husband seeing her love for the art gifted her an old Estrin wheel for Christmas. She later found her first kiln through a very sweet captain and the fire department where she was a firefighter. Shift work gave her plenty of time to practice clay work and develop the studio skills of glaze making, kiln loading and firing that would launch her career.

In 2006, Hilary quit her career as a firefighter, handed in her uniforms and duty gear for a one way ticket to Vancouver Island with her husband David. Now the proud mother of three children in sunny Cowichan Bay, the family have erected a unique farm stand style mini store that is open on Saturdays and by appointment. Online purchases can also be picked up without any contact. Her work is also found at Imagine That! Artisans gallery in downtown Duncan.

Hilary’s Trial by Fire Annual Show and Sale is a mainstay for gift buyers in the Cowichan Valley and after much discussion readers will be delighted to hear that she will host a Covid friendly Open Studio Show. All the favourites will be available for purchase including mugs, bowls, jars, soap dishes, baking vessel, ramekins and more in a variety of glazes, styles and sizes. Masks will be required to enter and hand washing with soap and warm water as well as before touching pots. Only one group at a time will be permitted entry. If protocols restrict indoor visits Hilary will also have a tiny outdoor show under an event tent beside the farm stand. Saturday November 28 and 29 9am to 6pm, 4695 George Road, Cowichan Bay www.trialbyfirepottery.ca

Chris Turyk - I love wine, a lot. I’m a Certified Sommelier, WSET Diploma graduate, and get in everyones way at unsworthvineyards.

Imagine being trapped in a 750ml glass bottle for any length of time. Wouldn’t you need to take a deep breath upon release? I know wine does. I bet, at least once in your life, you have poured the last glass from a bottle and said, “Wow! This wine tastes way better now compared to when I first opened it.” I want every sip you take to taste like that.

Generally accepted are two reasons for decanting a bottle of wine. First is to remove an older wine from any potential sediment that has formed and deposited itself on the side or bottom of the bottle during aging. Consistent with much of the wine industry of today, the line is blurred and many younger wines are made in such a way that sediment can be found at a younger age post bottling. Not to worry, the same method for carefully removing said sediment can be employed. The second reason is to allow a young wine to breath so it can smell and taste to its full potential, and yes, this applies to white wines.

As red wines age the compounds responsible for the colour and tannin slowly start forming larger and larger molecules, which eventually fall out of the wine forming a sediment; gravity then deposits this sediment on the lowest part of the bottle. The enjoyment from cellaring age-worthy reds is well worth the patience. They become more supple, nuanced, and soft compared to their youth. When decanting, care should be taken not to disturb the sediment by slowly pouring the wine into a decanter or suitable substitute. A well lit environment aides in one’s ability to see where the clear wine ends and the sediment begins. Bear in mind is that especially old wines can start to fall apart aromatically when exposed to too much air, thus choosing a narrower decanter would be advisable for those birth year wines.

Aeration of young wine is the prominent reason for decanting in my house. 95% of the wine I drink gets decanted for precisely this reason; wine needs to breathe. Some contact with air can simultaneously allow certain undesirable aromatic compounds to blow off whilst allowing delicious aromas to reveal themselves and for nuance to express itself. One can get fairly aggressive when decanting for this reason. Literally dumping a bottle into a decanter and allowing it to splash around while doing so is not only fun, but usually in the best interest of the wine. Young white Burgundy is the prime example of the reward of decanting young white wines. Many top end cool climate whites are more coy in their aromatic expression, but some time in contact with air allows them to exhibit their extraordinary complexity and depth of aromas and flavour. Fact - most people drink their white wine too cold and red too warm. Far be it from me to tell you at what temperature you should enjoy your wine, but for sake of argument let us assume we are playing by the indoctrinated rules of the wine cognoscente. Decanting a white wine will also raise its temperature ever so slightly this can be a total game changer in the perceived aromas and flavours, especially in the aforementioned white Burgundy example.

Similarly to wine glasses, decanters come in all shapes and sizes. For the most part the shape of decanter is not particularly important to the wine but the exception proving the rule is an extremely old bottle which could certainly be ruined if it is exposed to too much air. In this case choosing a more narrow decanter with less surface area will slow this affect. My main consideration when choosing a decanter is picking one that is easy to pour from. I’m not particularly compelled by intricate and ornate decanters, I’d rather spend the money on the wine instead of the service vessel. Arguably a young, structured, fuller red like Cab or Syrah could use a good splash in a wide bottomed decanter

Let It Breathe

to give it as much possible surface area. Most whites I will put in a more narrow decanter for no other reason than they are easier to put in a chiller or fridge if they need to be taken down in temperature.

Any clean watertight vessel that can pour adequately and has the ability to hold 750ml of liquid can be a decanter. Glass is certainly classiest but is by no means compulsory. I recall using milk jugs, mason jars and one particularly shapely flower vase in my tenure as a wine snob and they were all good enough to be perfect. All jokes aside, an actual wine decanter worth recommending is the simple, yet effective Riedel Merlot decanter. I have no idea why they call it the Merlot decanter, probably simple marketing. Regardless it works for everything and will only set you back about $40 at most home stores and can certainly be found online.

Local Hikes For Everyone

1. Maple Grove Park

situated just north of Cowichan Bay offers an easy stroll along the man-made dike. Here you can enjoy the ocean smells and watch the abundance of birds in the marsh. Perfect for families with little ones and for those who enjoy a more level walk. A favourite when the sun is shining in the winter months. Access this park near the South Cowichan Lawn Tennis Club in Cowichan Bay. Limited parking.

2. Eves Park in Crofton is a hidden gem. The park itself is 18 hectares and a relatively easy walk park. Some reviews from visitors have said it is a place of peace and tranquility and offers plenty to look at with some quick elevation changes. There is also a picnic shelter. Located at 8109 Little Mountain Road in Crofton.

3. Chemainus Lake Park is mostly flat with a little bit of ups and downs on a fairly easy loop. Great place to enjoy especially in the fall with the turning of the leaves. Popular comments from locals and visitors is that it is a great place for children and pets. Look for signs off of Rivers Road in Chemainus.

4. Kinsol Trestle is one of our more popular destinations. Easily accessible via Renfrew Road in Shawnigan Lake. It is a short walk from the parking lot to the trestle which is one of the tallest wooden trestles n the world. This is part of the Great Trail and offers not only walking and hiking but biking accessibility for those who want to wander further. Path to the trestles is hard packed and easier for those pushing a stroller or walking with a walker.

5. Stoney Hill Trail is a bit more challenging then those mentioned above but still very easily done with more climbing. This is a 3.4-kilometre trail which takes you about 90 minutes to do because you are stopping to look and take pictures of the incredible views. Watch the sailboats below you sailing through Sansum Narrows and look over at Saltspring Island. Very steep cliffs so caution is needed with young children and pets. Take Maple Bay Road to Genoa Bay Road and follow signs to Stoney Hill. There is limited parking.

6. Mt. Tzouhalem is suitable all year round and offers many different options from hiking and walking to horse back riding and the ever so popular mountain biking. The most popular destination is to hike up to the cross. We recommend two different trails for this. The first one being the View Point which offers you many views of Duncan and Cowichan Bay and the other one being the Danalyzer that takes you more into the forest where you can enjoy moss covered rocks and trees. Access via Kaspa Road in the Properties. Large parking area.

For more info reach us at: Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre, 250.746.4636 2896 Drinkwater Road Duncan

Submitted by Kirsty Grant & Patty Abbott, Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre. Image of Stoney Hill courtesy Patty Abbott.

Introducing our 3 course Fall menu! Changing weekly and available with wine pairings.

Contact us to enquire about hosti ng your holiday events at Unsworth Restaurant. Call(250) 929-2292 ext 1 restaurant@unsworthvineyards.com