Hot Shots - November 11, 2022
Hot Shots - November 11, 2022
Severin R-B Danieli
Hello all,
Here on the West Coast we have had quite the range of weather. Over the weekend there was a big rain and wind storm, and most of Metro Vancouver lost their power. Saturday morning was hectic in North Van as there were a lot of fallen trees and electrical lines. It was gorgeous and sunny though!
On Sunday, there was rain and snow, and we had family and our friend who is visiting over to our place for some wine, cheese, and then a bit later, sushi. A perfect Sunday. Monday rolled around, cold temperatures but bright blue sky, and then Tuesday morning we woke up to snow! What a whirlwind!
Also, does anyone else feel like this is half produce talk and half weather reporting every week? I think if I hadn't made the move into the food industry, I would have had a go at meteorology. So, a weekly right up where I can talk about veg, fruit and the weather? Sign me up.
Mandarins!
A classic winter treat, shipped to us by sea freight, all the way from China.
4lb boxes from Earthborne Organics, a certified organic citrus orchard in China, have arrived at Disco and are ready to be eaten! The quickest and best bite sized snack for the holiday season.
Usually eaten raw, thanks to the easy peeling peel, added into a salad for some citrus zest, or if you want to incorporate chocolate... some chocolate coated peel is also a delicious sweet treat.
Collards.
Not the most popular of the leafy greens, but a very versatile one.
With their peak season in late winter, collards are historically linked to the Southern USA States, Asian, Greek and Roman cooking. The dates of first cultivation of collards travel back to 5000 BCE in Asia Minor, and by the 1600s were globally cultivated.
Recipe ideas: used as a wrap, the greens in a soup, sautéed in a stir fry, pureed into pesto, raw in salads and slaws! Basically anywhere you want to add a leafy green, try out collards!
Sugarbee Apples.
This specific breed of apple is an American variety, and belongs to the Rosaceae family. By chance, this apple was selected at an orchard in Worthington, Minnesota for its sweet flavour, crisp crunch and brightly coloured skin.
The name sugarbee comes from its open cross pollination, with pollination from bees, and takes many of its attributes from the honeycrisp apple, that is its parent.
This variety is managed by the Chelan Fresh Growing Group, based in Washington State, and by Chuck Nystrom who was the original breeder of sugarbee apples.
These apples, with their crunch and sweetness, are great for baking and roasting. Try an apple crumble, an apple pie, or an apple cinnamon muffin.
Savoy cabbage.
A co-worker of mine, after seeing the savoy cabbage, now has weekend plans of making cabbage rolls. This brought back a memory of mine, from back in University.
After high school, I started studying classical music at Capilano University. I play cello, but you also need to take piano lessons. I started with a lovely teacher in North Van, and she would always be baking and cooking the most delicious foods right before I came to class.
I took theory and piano with her, and when I was in a theory class, we would sit in her kitchen. There would always be tea and fresh baked cookies, but also the occasional savoury dish would appear. One of these most memorable: cabbage rolls.
In the traditional recipe, there is both pork and beef, along with veggies for stuffing the cabbage rolls. But as a vegetarian, you can substitute with rice, more veggies, or imitation meat.
Sunchokes!
These root veggies are unique, and are proving to be a bit controversial in the warehouse at Disco. Some people love them, some dislike them and some have no idea what they are.
I would say I am in the "I like them" camp, as I do have great memories of being in Italy and harvesting hundreds of sunchokes on a sunny and cold November day in the Universities didactic gardens.
Known by many names, including Jerusalem artichoke, sunroot, wild sunflower and earth apple, the typical way of eating them would be roasting. However, another coworker of mine, besides showing me some good sunchoke memes, thinly sliced them and roasted them in our toaster oven at work. They were so thin once they were baked that you could almost see through them, and she sprinkled them with some salt, pepper and paprika.
The sunchokes we have here are from Coke Farms down in California in 10# bags.
Staff appreciation: Alyssa!
I'm sure most of you reading this weeks hot shots know Alyssa, or at least know her by voice as she is a long term member of our Sales team, and has been for almost five years.
On top of her Sales team role, Alyssa is also Disco's bonafide party planner and event organizer. She is currently planning our company's holiday party and we are all anxiously awaiting it!
Her veg of choice: garlic.
Her recipe of choice: Oh She Glows Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad! She makes this salad at least once a week, and is sent daily garlic memes from her nearest and dearest friends and family.
Today, November 11th, marks Remembrance Day among the Common Wealth countries. November 11th is a day of remembrance that was first observed when World War I ended, and is to honour and remember all those who have served and lost their lives in the line of duty.
I remember learning about Remembrance Day in elementary school, and can still recite In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. These are my favourite lines:
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
My paternal grandpa flew Spitfire planes in World War II, and lived to tell the tale.
Thanks for reading along, and we will chat next week!
Big love,
Severin R-B Danieli