Hot Shots - January 14, 2022

Hot Shots - January 14, 2022
Severin R-B Danieli

Hello all,

Happy New Year!

Can anyone believe that it is basically halfway through January already?!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a relaxing New Year and is ready to face 2022 with a (brave) smile! The snow is slowly melting here in Metro Vancouver, and we are sliding into the warmer half of the winter - or so it seems! For me, as soon as Christmas and New Year's come and go, I am ready for spring.

Every time spring comes around in Vancouver, I am reminded how truly gorgeous our city is. The bright green buds on trees, the fresh grass, the birds singing their song after a winter of silence, and the cherry blossoms - ooh the cherry blossoms!

Alright, I am getting ahead of myself. I still do love the snow and coziness of winter, but we are currently smack dab in the middle of another 'atmospheric river event', which is regrettably becoming a regular occurrence here on our coast. Alfred Wainwright once said, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing", and boy, was he right!

Raspberries get their name from the raspise which is an Anglo-Latin term that translates to "a sweet rose-coloured wine" from the mid-15th century. Top cultivars of raspberries are Russia, Mexico and Serbia, and ours at Disco come from sunny Mexico. Available in12x6oz clams, these delicate deep red berries are always a welcome addition to any meal.

A raspberry smoothie or smoothie bowl make these berries shine, or if you are day dreaming about warmer days, a raspberry lemonade is sure to bring the sunshine.

Green beans are a staple veggie, and can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, stir-fried or baked! Available in 15# and 28/30# here at Disco. The 28/30# bulk green beans are from Rico Farms which is located in Sonora, Mexico is only a few miles from the Cortez Sea, and run by the father and son team of Mr. Francisco Tapia, and his son Francisco Tapia junior. Becoming certified organic in 2007, Rico Farm spans more than 5,000 acres, and more than 50% of that is set aside in its natural state for wildlife to enjoy.

Originally cultivated in Central and South America, the first 'stringless' bean was bred by Calvin Keeney, in 1894, while working in Le Roy in New York City. There are currently over 130 varieties of edible pod beans, so I won't even try touch that, but I will give you a nostalgic bean story from my childhood.

Back in the day, my parents and I would go to Cactus Club for lunch every once and a while, and my dad would immediately order the szechuan green beans before we even got our waters. They were the most sweet, spicy, crunchy, delicious things I had ever eaten! Since then, whenever I see those on any menu, I order them as quickly as I can.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of beets, but I do appreciate the colours and sturdiness of this root veggie. Available at Disco in a few different forms and colours: there are bulk and bunched, small, medium and jumbo, and both red and gold in colour.

Originally domesticated in the Middle East, and used primarily for the leafy greens, these beets were grown by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

Sautee the beet root greens up with some lemon, butter/olive oil and salt, or get your juicer out and combine beets, carrots, ginger and some alkaline water.

The beet is chockablock full of nutritional goodness, but I want to do a quick spotlight on the superstar that is turmeric. Originally from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, this flowering plant has 40 to 45 different species in India, and 30 to 40 in Thailand.

Found in Farmana, in Northern India, in 2600 - 2200 BCE, and in a merchant's tomb in Israel dating back to the second millennium BCE. Because of the presence of curcumin, turmeric is known in Ayurveda practices as a superfood.

At Disco, we have 37# boxes or a popular 3# repack. Both certified organic and Fair Trade, this potent Peruvian turmeric is a must-have. Founded in 2006 by three agronomist friends, Rodrigo Bedoya, Janos Kadar, and Diego Del Solar, La Grama boasts top notch quality, and their products are always a crowd pleaser.

My favourite way to consume turmeric is in a drink. I cut up chunks of ginger and turmeric, put those in a pot, add water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, cracked black pepper (that activates the turmeric) and some raw organic honey. I let this simmer on low heat for a long, long time, and then drink small amounts whenever I want a boost of energy or immune support.

What is red, egg shaped and has a green brother? Why the red d'anjou pear of course!

Available at Disco in 60ct size and grown in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State. An increase in popularity now has red d'anjou availability from late September through to the summer months.

Spotted in the 1950's in Medford Oregon, and then again in the 70's in Parkdale, Oregon. These red d'anjou's revealed themselves as 'sports' that grew on the traditional green d'anjou pear trees. A sport is a naturally occurring, but spontaneous, part of a tree that is noticeably different than the intentionally planted variety.

And that brings us to the end of the first hot shots of the year! Thank you for reading along, supporting Discovery throughout these crazy times and loving organic veggies and fruit as much as we do!

Ciao,

Severin