Pssst! Ordering is still open until tonight (Wednesday) ast 8pm - order enough for 2 weeks!

This is your reminder that you should place your order before 8:00 pm WEDNESDAY October 27th for pickup on MONDAY November 1st.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Order enough for 2 weeks!

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Standard Notifications because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

Bailey's Local Foods ordering ends at 8:00 pm on WEDNESDAY, October 19th

This is your reminder that you should place your order before 8:00 pm WEDNESDAY October 27th for pickup on MONDAY November 1st.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Ordering has been extended due to server load problems over the weekend. Our next ordering window will be open from Wednesday November 3rd until Tuesday November 9th for pickup on November 15th.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on WEDNESDAY at 8:00pm. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.
***Please note - Upcoming  MONDAY pickups are Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 20, Jan. 17. Friday pickups will resume in May.

Message from Rachael:

For all you peanut butter lovers we again have 500 g jars and 1.5 kg tubs of smooth and crunchy PB. Linda roasted the peanuts and made butter last week from this year's peanut harvest. You won't get fresher peanut butter until this time next year! Maybe a taste test is in order!?

Also, we have some new sauces from Pristine Gourmet. In addition to their Soy Sauce, we now have Tamari Soy Sauce and Teryaki Marinade. Maryrose says they're really good and I believe her! I keep asking Jason to make them wheat free so that I can try them too. I guess I'll just have to enjoy their wine vinegar instead! Don;t forget to try their local Canola oil and Soya oil too. Jason may come in November to meet you and bring samples to try too!

Tomorrow is kim-chi making day at my house. Think of all the fun we'll have chopping, slicing and salting veggies in a big old 10 gallon crock (it was my grandmother's)! For all things fermented I look to Sandor Katz and his book Wild Fermentation! There are some recipes on his website at  http://www.wildfermentation.com/ too!

Here are a few items to look for while you're ordering:

• black radishes from underground organics
• oatmeal bread from Lena Horst
• tomatoes from floralane
• honey from Bauman Apiaries
• cabbage for making cabbage rolls or sauerkraut
• endive (aka escarole) for soup - recipe here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4728700_prepare-italian-escarole-bean-soup.html
• horseradish from Triple H
• bread and other treats from Golden Hearth - Tavis has agreed to bake on Mondays just for us! Enjoy!
• tea from Little City Farms!
  

Cheers!
Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Standard Notifications because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

Bailey's Buying Club - Ordering is now open for Monday November 1st + Important message

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order. Ordering closes at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 26th.
Please be sure to read the wavier on our website when you log in. It reminds you that items placed your shopping cart are automatically saved (there is no 'checkout' button).

Items you order this week are to be picked up at First United Church on Monday November 1st between 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Ordering will end on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 at 8:00 PM

***Please note - Upcoming  MONDAY pickups are Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 20, Jan. 17. Friday Pickups will resume in May.

Message from Rachael:

I have some news to share with you. Nina has decided to leave Bailey's Local Foods to find more balance and time with her family. I truly hope that she will enjoy this next phase in her life. We will still be called Bailey's Local Foods and what you see as a Member shouldn't change too much. You won't be seeing emails from Nina anymore, but you will likely continue to see her on pickup day.

Bailey's Local Foods will continue to bring you the best in local food with the help of a new partner - Maryrose Ivanco. Maryrose has been interested in Local Foods for years and has been one of our most loyal members - she hasn't missed a week of ordering since she started! Her love of local food and her business background will be an amazing asset to this business and help us in our goal of being sustainable.

There is a message to you from Nina below. When I became a member of Bailey's Local Foods in May of 2008 on a friend's suggestion, I offered to help organize and streamline processes to save Nina some time, never knowing that one day I'd be a partner in the business! This business has certainly grown on me and I am very blessed that I am a part of it today.

I thank all the volunteers that have helped so much in the past, present, and hopefully future. I thank Nina for having vision and starting this buying club and I thank Maryrose for a future of excellent local food. I thank each of you for being a member and supporting local farmers and producers.

If you have any comments, questions or concerns about this transition, we'd love to hear from you.

Thank you,
Rachael

-----------------------------------------
Message from Nina:

Hello Bailey's Local Foods Members,

For months now I've been fantasizing about being one of you. I want to be a member of Bailey's Local Foods and enjoy all the good food, without juggling the details and responsibilities of running a business.  I've LOVED this crazy adventure of starting a buying club and I have learned so much about myself (like I'm not good at managing 4,000 details and it makes me irritable to do so).  Bailey's Local Foods would not exist right now if Rachael Ward had not come along and gotten things organized.  Now I have the opportunity to join you as a member as I sell my half of the business to Maryrose Ivanco, who has been our bookkeeper since June. Maryrose is the one I gave you a link to her website/blog about how her Italian grandparents grow so much food in their urban yard.  Here's the link again: http://www.loopeeeee.com/ .  Check out her Thanksgiving Dinner!

The buying club is going strong and is ready to grow to the next level.  I'm excited to see the direction Rachael and Maryrose take the buying club. One of the wonderful things about running this business was learning to trust that the right people would arrive when we needed them.  They have! Over and over people with a love of food and farmers and community would show up just when we needed a little more energy and a little more muscle to make this buying club work. 

If you want me to come talk to your club or group about local food, I'd love to share with you my vision of a relocalized food system and describe how local food saves me from being paralyzed and overwhelmed by the huge challenges we are facing (global warming, pollution, war, food shortages...). I've got a Powerpoint with lots of sexy food photos ready to go for a presentation.  I'm looking forward to hibernating this Winter with more time for my family and for myself. Maybe I can even get to yoga more than once a week!

Nina

------------------------

Hello Local Eaters,

Turnips
The purple topped turnips were a lovely surprise at our house this week. I had ordered them thinking we'd put them in soups but then Matthew served them peeled and thinly sliced as a raw vegetable and we all loved them! They were so sweet and tender. Kind of reminded us of kohlrabi. So if you're looking for a refreshing raw veggie as we head into a long winter where the selection of fresh vegetables is limited - try a turnip.

Carrots
The carrots are also a delight these days. The frost has made them sweeter and they just snap in the mouth so easily. As soon as Eva's carrots are gone, Miriam promises that she has enough rows to keep us in carrots for at least a few weeks. Then Lester and Irene and their neighbours have agreed to store a ton of carrots (literally!!) in their cooler for us to buy all winter long. I've never ordered a ton of anything. It was a bit intoxicating. I wonder what a thousand pounds of carrots looks like. Well, I guess that'd be 100 of the 10lb bags. Okay, I can begin to imagine that.

Butternut Squash Lasagne
I was inspired by recipes for Butternut Squash Lasagne online this week. Of course I couldn't stick to the recipe so I don't know what it really tastes like. Instead of using lasagne noodles I used corn tortillas and added kale and black beans which it didn't call for. My five year old loved it but the two and eight year old said they'd rather go hungry than eat it. Turns out it was a texture thing. Matthew pureed the lasagne (would never have crossed my mind) with milk and made it into a soup which they both enjoyed. Lasagne soup. Mmmm : ) Should I tell them now or later I made TWO lasagnes and put one in the freezer for next week? Next time I want to try really following the recipe. The bechemel sauce is a lovely creamy touch to it. Plus a red sauce (red sauce on top and bottom and bechemel in the middle layers).

Winter local foods
I hope that you will see local foods as a fun adventure this Winter and not as a dour limitation. You can still buy all the fresh foods you want from the supermarket! Just keep buying the staples (meat, cheese, flours, beans, peanut butter, popcorn, root crops, breads, pickles, jams, crema la vaquita - a staple at our house!) from local sources and you'll keep the local food system going strong.

Keep enjoying the goodness of this land. I'll see you in the check-out line,
Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Nina's Messages because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

If you do not wish to receive Nina's Messages in the future, please uncheck the Nina's Messages box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Bailey's Local Foods ordering ends at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 19th

This is your reminder that you should place your order before 8:00 pm Tuesday, October 19th for pickup on Friday, October 22nd.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on Tuesday at 8:00pm. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.
***Please note - Upcoming  MONDAY pickups are Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 20, Jan. 17. Friday pickups will resume in May.

Message from Rachael:

We're on our way to buy some spring bulbs to plant while this lovely weather lasts! I'd love to hear your tips for buyuing and planting bulbs - both for flowers and food like garlic, onions and others!

Ein Prosit!
Rachael
Bailey's Local Foodsbaileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Standard Notifications because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

Bailey's Buying Club - Ordering is now open for Friday, October 22nd 2010 + Next pickup is Monday November 1st!

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order. Ordering closes at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 19th.
Please be sure to read the wavier on our website when you log in. It reminds you that items placed your shopping cart are automatically saved (there is no 'checkout' button).

Items you order this week are to be picked up at First United Church on Friday, October 22nd between 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Ordering will end on Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 at 8:00 PM

***Please note - Upcoming  MONDAY pickups are Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec. 20, Jan. 17. Friday Pickups will resume in until May.

Message from Rachael:

I hope that you have eaten through any Thanksgiving leftovers by now and your fridge is emptier than mine was last weekend! Tonight we had turkey enchiladas with some leftover turkey, corn tortillas from McKechnie, some red bell peppers and the last of the tomatillos from the garden! It was so tasty served with Creme Fraiche and Asparagus Salsa!

Nina mentions Napa/Chinese cabbage below. I'll be buying some to make a year's worth of Kimchi. It's a Korean staple - think sauerkraut, but with garlic and ginger and usually quite hot too!. Unfortunately there is a Korean shortage of cabbage this year causing prices to rise to as much as $14 per head (they were about $2.50 last year)! The Government is even stepping in with subsidies and bringing in Cabbage from China! Read more at http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Westerners-Puzzle-Over-Korean-Kimchi-Crisis--5409

The highlight of my week was the first of this year's chestnuts! Thursday morning I roasted them and sat on the couch enjoying them nice and warm with a friend and my kids. These chestnuts are smaller than those you'll get in the store, but they are so much sweeter and fresher! All our nuts come from Grimo Nut Nursery in Niagara-on-the Lake. Isn't that amazing? Thanks to Aura for letting me know about an article on Ernie Grimo from Edible Toronto. Read it at http://www.ediblecommunities.com/toronto/fall-2010/ernie-grimo.htm.

Now for some tips on getting to the meat of these nuts:

How to crack a Heartnut: See http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/files/heartnut.JPG

How to prepare and eat Sweet Chestnuts:

1. Eat fresh using a paring knife to cut off the skin and fibrous covering
2. Boil - Place sweet chestnuts into a pot with cool tap water. Cover pot while boiling and stir occasionally on medium high for:
• medium size - 10-12 min
• large size 15-20 min
  Using a slotted spoon scoop out a few nuts at a time and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, but still hot, cut them in half and pop them out of their skins.
  
3. Roast - First pierce the skin to allow hot air to escape while cooking. Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slash or an "X" through the skin, but not the nut meat. The larger the cut the easier it will be to peel.
• Chestnut Pan - Roast them by shaking the pan over medium heat for 20 minutes.
  
• Microwave oven - place a dozen chestnuts around a microwave plate and cook on high for 4 minutes
• Oven -  Place chestnuts on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with water. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Place one uncut chestnut on the sheet with the others. When it "pops" they are ready to eat.
4. Enjoy!

I'd like to share with you a note from Debbie of Kingwood Farms:

To our valued customers,

I would take this opportunity to say "thanks" to you for your continued support of purchasing fresh, local, organic vegetables again this summer.  Here at Kingwood Farm we take pride in what we grow.  Farming has its challenges at times, but it also has it rewards. Challenges can be not knowing if it will rain, or if it will be too wet a summer, or too cold, too hot, things we cannot control.  But as a farmer another season means another opportunity.  Even though I was disappointed in losing most of our tomato crop to blight, especially after watching and nurturing the little seedlings grow into mature plants and produce fruit (you become attached to them) we have been thankful for the bounty of other produce.  These are the rewards, especially our squash and pie pumpkins have done well.  You, our customers are our reward! As I help to package the orders it gives me a good feeling that we are able to produce food and be able to share it with others in our community.  We hope you have been enjoying the fresh produce as much as we are, butternut squash soup has already been made, and last night I cooked up Kabocha squash, I want to make soup with it like Nina shared in an earlier email, it sounds so yummy!

So as the days get shorter and weather cooler, another season is upon us.  I am looking forward to soon harvesting our baby spinach and lettuce greens (we have had some little taste testers) growing in the greenhouses, you should be seeing it on the order form in the coming weeks.

We look forward to continue growing organically for you!
Mike and Debbie Loepp and family.
Kingwood Farm
Some highlights for this week:

• Baked goods from Magnolia are now available from Green Table Foods! Congratulations to Eleanor and Josh on working together to make great food!
  
• 
  Chestnuts, Heartnuts, Persian Walnuts and shelled Black Walnuts from Niagara will be available again this Friday!
  
• Russet apples from Martin's and Northern Spy and Golden Delicious from Apple Creek Farms!
• Ingredients for your own crock of kimchi including Napa Cabbage, carrots, green onions and so much more!
• Did I mention Carrots?
• Even more new baked goods from Lena Horst!
  

I want to remind you that there are less than 10 days until the municipal elections on October 25th! Get informed and get out and vote in the Advance Polls or on Voting Day!

Have a lovely week!
Rachael

------------------------
Message from Nina:

Hello Local Eaters, Movers and Shakers,
With my belly still full of leftover dutch apple pie, I sit down to write a letter to you for the order form for the Friday Oct 22 pick up.  Our last Friday pick up before we switch to Monday pickups for the "winter."  It's not really winter, we know. We need to switch pick up days so that the church can use the church on Fridays for the Out of the Cold program. Some members love Monday pick ups instead of Fridays. We hope that you'll mark your calendars and shift with us to a different schedule. We'll be printing winter calendars again for you that you can request with your order (look in the 'other' section). Right now mark Oct 22 as the last Friday pick up and November 1 as the first Monday pick up.  The ordering window for the winter will continue to end on Tuesdays, but we hope to open it a bit earlier also!

Thanksgiving Feast Outdoors
Sigh. What a Thanksgiving weekend.  It feels like we need another ritual just to give thanks for such a balmy and beautiful Thanksgiving weekend.  I know I sounded like I was making small talk as I exclaimed and gushed over the weather but it was sincere awe and gratitude coming out - not a lack of other things to talk about.  We actually ate our Thanksgiving supper outdoors on Sunday! We set up three long tables in a row in the driveway and dined in bliss.  Long outdoor tables laden with good food reminds me of Babette's Feast. I should watch that again.  Our turkey from Snyder's was delish and the two pitchers of gravy made everyone happy.  Gravy is so easy to make! I should make it more often. 

Frosted Spinach
Today we were eating spinach from Paul and Saloma Bowman and noticing how sweet it was. It must've had a touch of frost to taste so sweet. Many people don't think of Fall as a green salad season but our clever farmers know that if they start their lettuce and spinach at just the right time in the summer and protect it from too much heat, both will happily grow into the late Fall.  Lettuce and spinach love the shorter days of fall and do not bolt or go bitter like they easily do in the spring and early summer.  So when you're thinking of supper menus and lunches for work/school, think of chef salads, taco salads, and spinach salads.

The Art of Local Squash
Last January and February I talked to many of our farmers on the phone asking them to grow certain crops for us.  Because we ran out of local winter squash so early last year, we asked  several farmers to grow winter squash for our members.  It's been a good year for squash so we have a nice long list of varieties and quantities to offer you.  If you are interested in the idea of storing food and like how it increases food security and strengthens the local food system (for example, if all households stored 6-8 weeks of food we'd increase our resiliency significantly and be able to better handle surprises that come our way), but you don't have a root cellar, you can still adeptly store winter squash and garlic.  You can experiment with where squash keep longest in your house: under the bed, in a closet on an outside wall, on top of a shelf...  Just keep an eye on the squash and if you see a spot of rot on one, use it right away (cutting off the little rotten spot, of course).

Recipe idea
Miriam is really hoping that you'll buy lots of her Chinese/Napa cabbage this fall.  My family loves to make slaws with Chinese cabbage.  My five and three year old eat it enthusiastically while they seem to have trouble chewing regular cabbage.  We like it with a sweet vinaigrette on it (cider vinegar, lots of maple syrup, soy sauce and oil) and toasted sunflower seeds or nuts on top.  It is so simple to make but very satisfying. Add cooked turkey breast to it or goat cheese and it is a meal.

It's sometimes hard to remember that local foods are not too expensive, imported foods are too cheap. Thank you local eaters for putting your money where your mouth is and supporting local farmers and food processors.  Now I need to go make turkey vegetable soup.

In love with local food and the joys and connections it brings,
Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Nina's Messages because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

If you do not wish to receive Nina's Messages in the future, please uncheck the Nina's Messages box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Bailey's Local Foods - Local Events of interest to you!

***Please note - the last Friday pickup is October 22. After that we will be changing the pickup day to MONDAYS until May.

There is no pickup this week, but there are a few timely events that I wanted to tell you about.

• Fresh!  followed by a Panel Discussion at the Princess Cinema, 6 Princess St, Waterloo â–ª TODAY - Wednesday, October 13 6:45pm-8:45pm â–ª $10. See www.freshthemovie.com.
  

• Monthly Community Potluck Friday, October 15th, 6:00pm at St. John's Kitchen (97 Victoria Street North) Plates and cutlery will be available. Please RSVP by email to info@transitionkw.ca

• Waterloo Kitchen Table Talk & Organic Soup Serving Fri Oct 15, 2010 at First United Church (16 William St W, Waterloo) - 5:00-7:30pm Email info@wpirg.org by October 13 to RSVP. More at: http://www.communityevents.ca/instance.php?id=7102

• An 11-year-old schools us on what’s wrong with the current food system (article + video) at http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-09-24-11-year-old-schools-us/

Thanks to all the great people who pass these on to us! It's much appreciated.
Ordering for October 22 will be open on Friday!

Cheers,
Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.
You are receiving Standard Notifications because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

Bailey's Local Foods ordering ends at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 5th + No pickup on October 15th!

This is your reminder that you should place your order before 8:00 pm Tuesday, October 5th for pickup on Friday, October 8th.

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on Tuesday at 8:00pm. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.

***Please note - the last Friday pickup is October 22. After that we will be changing the pickup day to MONDAYS until May. Be sure to order for 2 weeks!

Message from Rachael:

Are you gearing up for Thanksgiving? I'm not.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to enjoy at least three meals with various family groups, but I'm not in charge of planning or cooking! I see what has been ordered (including a big turkey for dinner with my husband's whole family) and I'm very excited! Andrew, his brothers and his mom are in charge of the meal. Right now I'm thinking of chairs and how to get enough for everyone. I'll definitely help out with the non traditional (read: shellfish) meal with my Dad and sisters. We'll also bring something to my Aunt's house, but haven't decided on what we're bringing yet.

I don't cook dinner often, but last night I had lots of fun cooking with my three year old. I had finally boiled and skinned three bunches of neglected beets (they were great with a little sugar and Apple Cider Vinegar - Sweet and sour style) and planned on cooking some little potatoes for dinner. They were already boiled when my youngest came over with an onion he was peeling and asked to have it with dinner. We pulled out the frying pan and fried a couple small onions in some oil and butter. I suggested that we could add some cabbage too and he agreed. We added some shredded cabbage and then squished the potatoes in - easier than cutting. Last came the apples. He loves apples. The kid could eat four a day - and I'm not talking small ones. You've seen the Honey Crisps and Crispin/Mutsu apples from Martin's. They are sometimes as big as a child's head! We sliced one up and added it in too - it stayed nice and crisp. What a tasty side dish to go with BBQ'd sausage.

Would you be interested in sharing some of your own writing with our members? I'd love to have some guest writers to make our emails more interesting! If you would like to write, please let me know! You could talk about what you love to eat and cook, your gardening or preserving or what you have learned from eating more locally. Maybe tell others about your chickens or bees or goats! I'd love to know what you love the most about this area - share some of the gems that would otherwise go unnoticed. Other suggestions are welcome too!

Here are some things to look for on this week's order form: 

• Lena Horst has new pie flavours (mostly with organic fillings from her farm!) as well as new cakes and loaves
• Salad Greens from Under Ground Organics (Mibuna, Mizuna and Mustard) as well as Rapini (aka broccoli Raab)
• Brussels Sprouts from Soiled Reputation
• Tortilla chips are back on the form - sorry for the inconvenience!
• Daikon Radishes and Napa cabbage and all the other great ingredients for making your own Kim Chi!
• Enough yogurt, cheese, eggs and everything else for 2 weeks!
• A turkey - available frozen and naturally raised or organic.
• Bread for stuffing and eating
• Gourmet or Bistro greens from Soiled Reputation for the easiest and yummiest salad you've ever served. Just add dressing and toppings
• Prepared foods from for next week in case there aren't any leftovers!!
  

Remember to order for 2 weeks!

Until Friday,
Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.
You are receiving Standard Notifications because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

Bailey's Buying Club - Ordering is now open for Friday, October 8th 2010 + No pickup on October 15th!

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order. Ordering closes at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, September 28th.
Please be sure to read the wavier on our website when you log in. It reminds you that items placed your shopping cart are automatically saved (there is no 'checkout' button).

Items you order this week are to be picked up at First United Church on Friday, October 8th between 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Ordering will end on Tuesday, October 28th, 2010 at 8:00 PM

***Please note - Upcoming Friday pickups are Oct 8 and October 22. After that we will be changing the pickup day to MONDAYS until May.

Message from Rachael:

Last week we bought two Naked Seed pumpkins from Ivan and Elmeda Brubacher. The other night I cut into the tops (jack-o-lantern style) and removed the seeds. There were lots of seeds and not too much flesh to pick out. Also, the seeds were really green instead of white (i.e. naked). While I washed the seeds in the colander and roasted them on a pan in the oven with some sunflower oil and salt, the kids got to carve! If we continue getting these pumpkins, they will be carving pros by the end of October! There was one downside. Since the shells did not need to be peeled or spit out, they went fast - really fast! Oh, and if you forget about them in the oven, they will pop like popcorn, but messier!

There are a few local events I'd like to draw your attention to:

• The Harvest Celebration at Martin's Family Fruit Farm begins tomorrow! Details at http://www.martinsapples.com/news.cfm#157
  
• Waterloo Kitchen Table Talk and Organic Soup Serving on October 15th at the First United Church - "What do you want your food system to look like?" Come discuss your dreams for a local food system over a bowl of organic soup. Details at http://www.communityevents.ca/instance.php?id=7102 
• The First Ever Bi-annual Clothing Swap: Tit for Tat will be held Wednesday, October 6th, 2010, 7pm at First United Church. How it works: Bring your clean preloved clothing and exchange them for some new favorites! Admission: at least 1 article of clothing or suggested donation of $2 Contact tit.for.tat.swap@gmail.com for more info
  

Some highlights for this week:

• Diakon (direct translation is BIG) radishes from Brenda Knechtel
• Frozen Turkey - Naturally raised from Snyder Heritage Farms or Organic pastured from Vibrant Farms
  
• New pie flavours from Lena Horst
• Elderberry and Grape
• Cherry
• Blueberry
• Raspberry
• Chestnuts, Heartnuts, Persian Walnuts and shelled Black Walnuts from Niagara will be available this Friday! Get them while you can!
  
• New deli meats from Stemmler's - Roast Chicken and Roast Turkey - look for them in the 'meat' section
• Apple Bread from Golden Hearth! Aura says it's good!
  

Thankfully,
Rachael

------------------------
Message from Nina:

Thanksgiving!
I don't mean to sound the alarm but this is your last chance to get the local food you love for Thanksgiving feasts next weekend. Ah, Thanksgiving. Such a delicious holiday. But there IS more to Thanksgiving than eating. There's celebrating the harvest. What better way to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for a bountiful season than to visit a farm and say "thank you." In last week's email I suggested several farm events that are happening in the area. My family was invited to a tour of a new high-tech dairy farm last Sunday. It was certainly impressive. I milked cows for two winters so I know, intimately, the pleasures and pains of milking cows. If I can set aside my questioning of why humans are still drinking milk from mammals as adults, I am able to marvel at the amazing ways humans have figured out how to get maximum litres of milk out of bovines. Ethical questions aside, we all enjoyed learning about how modern farms extract milk and I enjoyed the smell of the alfalfa fields surrounding the barn. My kids were also darn cute in their rubber boots as they earnestly kicked the silage into the trough for the cows.

Thanksgiving weekend we plan to visit a very different kind of farm. At least I assume it is quite different. We are visiting Mapleton's. I don't think we'll catch an official tour again but will instead enjoy their petting barn, run the gigantic maze and savour the absolute BEST ice cream in Ontario. We'll give thanks not only to the hard work and commitment of the farmers but also to the way they recognize that we need to get out and run around in a field and touch a few animals in order to feel balanced and happy. Thank you for the good fun, Mapleton's.

Kabocha Soup
It's squash soup season again at our house. Matthew made a creamy soup out of a few Kabocha squash that was just divine. The kids and I have requested that he start making it once a week again. He admits that his secret ingredient was sugar but we can pretend that it was maple syurp. I think it tasted so good because of the Kabocha's great flavour and smooth texture.

Kabocha Style
I put a few orange Kabocha squash and five Sweet Keeper squash on our front steps. They look lovely against the red brick wall and the brown steps. I added a millet plant from Selema (she's sold out but will have more next year) and was careful to make the squash look randomly placed. Within 12 hours they'd been reorganized into an alternating pattern of orange/blue/orange/blue. I haven't figured out who the artists/meddler it is but I'm guessing it is the eight year old. If you're walking past, stop in and see the lovely combination.

Cranberries
We know that they have lovely cranberry bogs near Lake Muskoka but we have not found a way to ship them down here that allows us to sell them at an affordable price. Through the mail is too expensive. If you have an idea for getting ALMOST 100 mile cranberries into Waterloo Region for next year. Let us know.

This week look for:

• garlic (stock up while you can, we don't know how long the farmers' supplies will last)
• sparkling cider for the festive meal - buy 3 and save!
  
• turkey - can't forget the turkey
• ham - perhaps you prefer a ham
• cheese - variety of cheeses for the appetizers
• crackers for the appetizers
• hot jam - goes on top of the cheese and crackers
• dip - yep another appetizer
• squash for "pumpkin" pies
• apples for apple pies
• pie - or just buy a pie from Lena that is ready to serve
• celeriac for the turkey vegetable soup you'll make a few days after the feast.

Blessings on your feast preparation and feasting. May your preparations be as enjoyable as the eating. It's a ritual - all that peeling and mashing and chopping and baking.

Thank you farmers for hanging in there and growing food even though you're paid less than minimum wage for your labour. Thank you local cheesemakers for bucking the trend and following your passion to make cheese. Thank you local miller for milling local organic flour even when it's easier to buy it milled in a large facility and resell it. Thank you local bakers for choosing your career for the love of it and not the income. We honour you and your knowledge and skills and commitment.

Bon appetit,
Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca

P.S. We can use your fruit boxes, baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.

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