Hot Shots - April 1, 2022

Hot Shots - April 1, 2022
Severin R-B Danieli

Hello all,

Happy April! I don't know about you, but March absolutely flew by.

The long awaited arrival of the first greens from BC farmers has come to an end, and we have some beautiful local items in stock. Longview farms and Olera are supplying us with early season beauties, such as: green kale sprouted raab, collard greens sprout tops, green cabbage sprout tops and bunched spinach!

There is something very restorative and reviving about spring, as everything that lay dormant during the dark, long winter months, start to come alive again. Fresh green shoots break through the cold surface of soil, and stretch towards the spring sunshine, birds chirping become your alarm clock as the sun rises earlier every day, and, specifically for Vancouver, cherry blossoms abound.

Last night, in North Vancouver, it started to rain. Now, this is not uncommon, but it was the first time in many months that the smell of spring rain filled my nose. The temperature reached 15 degrees earlier in the day, and that rain fell onto warm soil. Ahh, spring.

Here on the coast we have had a few sunny days throughout the week and everyone here at Disco is basking in the glow. Taking walks through Strathcona park on their lunch, bringing tables outside on break, or just simply spending as much time on the dock and by windows as possible.

Green Kale Sprouted Raab.

These are the true sign of spring in the Pacific Northwest. As soon as the weather begins to warm, these brassica family plants send flowery stalks straight up to the sky - these are called raabs.

Tender and sweet, raabs can be lightly steamed, sautéed, eaten raw, the possibilities are endless! Brassica plants produce sugar as their form of 'anti-freeze' throughout the winter.

Try this pasta recipe with some fresh BC raab from Longview farms. Available at Disco in 24ct bunches.

Don't sleep on these delicious greens! They won't last long (literally, they are only around for a short amount of time)

Another sprouting beauty is the collar green tops!

Also available from Longview Farms, the sprouting collard greens have a young, sweet taste, and can be flavour matched with fresh cabbage.

Collard greens became the official vegetable of the state of South Carolina in 2011, and are a great source of vitamin A, K, folate and the antioxidant beta-carotene. Often used to infuse oils, marinades and vinegars, collard green tops are best suited to savory dishes, both hot and cold.

One last item from Longview Farms is the green cabbage tops!

Another brassica plant waking up to some new spring sun, there is a recipe I came across that looks absolutely delicious - Sprint Cabbage Tops with Sesame Vinaigrette.

Spinach.

This leafy greens origin has been traced back to ancient Persia, about 2,000 years ago, and was introduced to India and ancient China via Nepal in 647 AD. In 827 AD, spinach was introduced to Sicily. In the 14th century, England and France had spinach arrive on the scene, and it became popular as an early spring green. China is the biggest producer of spinach, accounting for 90% of the global total of 26.3 million tonnes in 2018.

Spinach is a very common item here at Disco, in all its forms (packaged or loose), and we are overjoyed to have a local grower supplying Disco as the spring season gets started.

Olera Organic Farm is located in Abbotsford, began in 1987, grows exclusively organic produce, and produces more than 40 different varieties of fruits and veg. In addition to fresh produce from Olera, Disco also stocks their frozen raspberries which are some of the most gorgeous raspberries I have ever seen.

Yellow bell peppers.

Sweet, crunchy & versatile.

Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A, C fiber, calcium, iron and potassium, and are used in a wide variety of cooking. First introduced to Asia and Europe via Spanish and Portuguese explorers around the year 1493, these peppers are now cultivated worldwide and can be found in almost any grocery store.

We have red and yellow peppers here at Disco from local farm Origin-O, and are ready to get cooking. There are literally endless recipes for bell peppers, so just hit that Google search and you'll be inspired.

I planted a few bell pepper seeds and was convinced they wouldn't sprout, but a few days ago the cutest, most delicate little green sprouts emerged. Spring. New life!

The final hot shots item of the week is stinging nettle.

These nettles literally just came through the door, accompanied by fiddleheads, from West Coast Wild Foods which are under the designation of wildcrafted.

Stinging nettles, though they can cause irritation and you've probably been cautioned against touching them while on walks in the forest, are an interesting and beneficial plant. Not only are they rich in vitamin A, B2, C, K,potassium, folate, calcium and iron, but are also very high in chlorophyll.

Within Europe, stinging nettle has been used as a pain remedy and woven material for centuries. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, had 60 recorded uses of stinging nettles, and the fabric was woven into very durable linen in 17th century Scotland.

A few common recipe ideas are a nettle soup, sautéed greens or tea.

Because of their 'stinging' properties, blanching the leaves in boiling water, rinsing them and then drying them.

I was on a neighborhood WALK with my pup a few days ago, and we happened upon what I thought was one of those 'Take One, Leave One' library stands. Roma wanted a sniff so we meandered over, and the colour of the items inside the stand caught my eye. I'm not sure of all the items in that stand, but on the lower shelf there are little packets of seeds! 

I've got to go back and take a better look, but I think this could catch on. A seed library, anyone? Yes, please!

Have a great weekend all.

Big love,
Severin R-B Danieli