Their tough outer rind sets them apart from their summer cousins (zucchini, patty pan and crookneck squash) which are harvested while immature and their skins are soft and tender. Because of their extended growing time, winter squash have a tough rind with a dense, sweet interior.

There are endless varieties of winter squash but those commonly found in grocery stores include:

• Butternut — This elongated, bell-shaped squash is one of the most popular. It has a small seed cavity leaving plenty of sweet orange flesh that’s equally good roasted, cubed or puréed. It also works well in soups, curries and pies.
• Kabocha — A round disc-like squash that’s most commonly dark green with light striations (there are some orange varieties). Kabocha has a sweet flavour with a dry, smooth texture. It can be roasted, puréed or used in soups, curries or desserts.
• Buttercup — A dark-green flecked squash with square edges and a distinct circular ridge or cup on the blossom end. The deep-yellow flesh is less sweet than other squash and quite dense and dry. It’s a great alternative to mashed potatoes.
• Acorn — A dark-green squash with deep ridges shaped like an acorn. While tricky to cut, this small squash is often roasted and served in halves either with a buttery sweet drizzle or stuffed with rice or other fillings. Its deep-yellow flesh is less sweet than other squash.
• Spaghetti — This cylindrical yellow, pale- yellow or striped green squash is very unique featuring long stringy strands that look like spaghetti noodles. While it does not taste like spaghetti, it is a great vehicle for sauces and toppings traditionally served with spaghetti.
• Pumpkin — The most famous of all squash, pumpkins come in all sizes. While large carving pumpkins are edible, they are less sweet and more watery than small pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins.

Despite their differences, most squash can be easily substituted for one another. That’s right, you can make butternut or kabocha pie instead of pumpkin pie. Only spaghetti squash, with its unique string- like texture is hard to replace.

Now is the perfect time to buy fresh, local winter squash. It’s very affordable and can last for over four months if stored in a cool, dry place with good air circula- tion. But be careful, squash doesn’t do well in temperatures colder than 10 C (50 F) so don’t keep it in an unheated garage or refrigerator.

Try as many different varieties as you can — they’re good for you! Squash is an excellent way to get dark-yellow and orange vegetables on your plate. They’re an excellent source of beta carotene, vita- min C, folate, potassium and fibre. Here are a few tasty recipes to get you started.

Spaghetti squash mac and cheese

A creamy, cheesy and delicious way to serve spaghetti squash. Great for lunch or a side dish. Bake in a casserole dish or directly in the squash shell. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp. butter or canola oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
• 1/4 c. Panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).

Wash and cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down on a greased baking dish.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

Once cool to the touch, use a fork to scrape the strings out of the squash halves. Set squash strands and empty shells aside.

Sauce:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened but not brown.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in flour and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in milk until sauce thickens.
6. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and mixed in.
7. Add pepper, salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust as desired.
8. Mix sauce with spaghetti squash strands.
9. Divide mix into spaghetti squash shells or place in greased baking dish.
10. In separate small bowl, mix Panko crumbs, parsley and Parmesan cheese.
11. Sprinkle on top.
12. Bake in preheated oven at

375 F (190 C) for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and top is browning. If top is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Source: www.GettyStewart.com

Butternut squash and carrot soup

A smooth and creamy soup the whole family will love. For more adventurous eaters add a little curry paste, pepitas and cilantro. Serves four.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 6 c. vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. cream, milk or coconut milk 2 tbsp. cilantro or parsley
• 4 tbsp. toasted pepitas

Instructions:

In large saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until soft. Do not brown.

Add squash, carrots and sugar and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add paprika, cumin, turmeric and coriander and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until veggies are soft. Purée soup using an immersion blender or food processor.

Add salt and pepper, lime juice to taste. Slowly add cream or milk to soup.

Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and toasted pepitas.

Source: www.GettyStewart.com

The post Squash is a winter treat appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

But that growth continues to create its own set of challenges, most significantly an ongoing shortage of raw ingredient supply.

Sourcing ingredients remains this sector’s key challenge, says Laura Telford, Manitoba’s provincial organic specialist, who is doing an in-depth analysis of Canada’s organic food-processing sector.

Prepared with funding from the federal Organic Science Cluster II, the report when completed next year will be a first-ever attempt to shine a spotlight on the Canadian organic food-processing industry specifically.

Virtually all organic research to date has been related to primary production, notes Telford who began the work in 2015.

• Read more: U.S. organic grain firm buys Saskatchewan elevators
• Read more: Film director Cameron backing Saskatchewan organic pea plant

Yet what ultimately drives production is market demand, and organic processors, like their conventional counterparts, want ingredients sourced as close to home as possible, she said.

That in turn provides the markets for existing and new farm entrants wanting alternatives to the export commodity market.

Telford said as she began this project what struck her initially were the considerable policy barriers and technical restraints facing organic processors, leading her to wonder if they were a holdback on product development. There are fewer restrictions in the U.S.

But her research to date, which has identified 884 companies producing value-added products for human consumption, has revealed otherwise. The report also includes data from interviews with 38 leading firms across Canada.

Canada’s organic standard, with its strict limitations on use of things like colourants or preservatives isn’t the barrier it was believed to be, Telford said.

“We thought that it would be difficult to actually bring new processed foods to market in Canada because of rules and regs in organic,” she said. “That doesn’t seem to be the major barrier. In fact, almost everyone I interviewed said standards haven’t been that big of a deal. They said they just want to know what the rules are and they’ll make it happen… they are innovative in finding new substances to stand in for things you’d traditionally use for food processing.”

Rather, the ongoing challenge — and the signal this research ultimately aims to send to farmers — is finding steady Canadian supplies.

Canada has a relatively small land base of organically managed land — as of 2015 just 1.5 per cent of total agricultural land, according to the Canadian Organic Trade Association.

“It’s the major challenge,” she said, noting both large and small companies prefer to buy from producers as close to home as possible, she said. Transportation costs are an additional challenge, on top of the high prices they’re paying for these supplies.

The report points to multiple initiatives underway to address that challenge, from investments by major breakfast cereal companies to boost acreage to companies making farmland purchases.

The Prairie Organic Grain Initiative, supported by large organic grain buyers and the federal government, is a large collaborative initiative developed by the three Prairie provinces to enhance supply.

“Processors are sending out signals that they’re open for business and farmers are responding,” said Telford, noting other efforts such as firms’ hiring of agronomists to work with farmers on end-use quality.

“We’re also seeing some gains in yields and we’re also seeing the interventions are improving grain quality,” she said.

“Organic producers are starting to understand that they’re not growing a commodity but growing a food for a food processor.”

The report also looks at how organic processors approach marketing.

Few actually rely on the organic stamp alone, Telford said, noting many packaged organic foods will regularly carry multiple claims such as Fair Trade.

Organic processed foods are primarily consumed in British Columbia and Ontario with packaged food sales concentrating primarily in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

The final report is expected to be released in 2018 through the Canadian Organic Trade Association.

The post Organic processing sector study underway appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The province is putting nearly $95,000 towards helping groups in Gilbert Plains, Hadashville, Austin, Teulon and Winnipeg purchase products such as convection ovens, refrigerators, dough sheeters and mixers and coolers for hall kitchens.

Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler said the money is an important investment in community infrastructure to support local value-added processing.

“Many people may not realize their community centre can be a hub for food product development, helping entrepreneurs make the leap from a home-based business to a larger-scale commercial enterprise,” said Eichler.

The investment has a precedent that demonstrates how they can pay off.

MAFRD spent about $80,000 to upgrade a kitchen inside the War Veterans Hall in Swan River in 2012 to serve as a rent-a-kitchen space. Those upgrades also aided the community in feeding nearly 2,000 athletes during the Manitoba Summer Games that year.

Food companies like Smak Dab, producing a line of gourmet mustards, have since taken advantage of the fully equipped small-scale processing plant.

Provincial staff since 2014 have been developing a director of commercial community kitchens and availability to encourage more use of inspected sites for food processing.

The ‘rent-a-kitchen’ concept as a way to spur food product development has been talked about for more than a decade as a way to match small-town kitchens standing idle much of the time with would-be food product developers who can’t afford required upgrades for private sites in order to meet regulations for food sold to the public. The concept has also been touted as a way for facility owners to earn extra revenues from rentals and improve the capacity for serving large events.

Beth Hutchinson, recreation director for Teulon-Rockwood Recreation Commission, which operates the centennial centre that’s purchasing a cooler, freezer and mixer with its $10,000 share of the grant says this will allow them to attract more local bakers and to use the site.

“With the support of the grant, we hope to increase hall rentals and, more importantly, expand the services provided to the community,” she said.

Other grants made include about $12,000 to Gilbert Plains for purchase of a convection oven and two refrigerators, $10,500 to Hadashville Recreation Centre for a convection oven, freezer, dough sheeter and mixer and more than $20,000 to help Austin Community Hall buy a combi-oven and mixer.

Riverview Community Centre (Winnipeg) is getting the largest grant, at nearly $42,000, for refrigerators, freezers, convection oven, food processor, mixer, dehydrator, juicer, vacuum sealer and a pH meter.

All commercial community kitchens listed in the provincial directory are inspected and have a valid food-service establishment permit. The list is found on the Manitoba Agriculture website.

The post Province kicks in more cash for community kitchen upgrades appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Lisa Dyck, who launched Cornell Creme gourmet ice cream made from milk from her family’s Anola-area farm’s 120-cow dairy herd in 2013 is moving her production to the Notre Dame Creamery.

She’s made her popular line of ice-cream flavours until now at the University of Manitoba’s Dairy Pilot plant.

“This is leaps and bounds for us. It’s a huge step to growing our business,” Dyck said, of the co-packaging agreement she’s made with the federally inspected creamery.

She’s purchased her own specialized ice-cream-making equipment, including freezers plus a machine to automate the packaging at the site.

It will enable her to quadruple production and that means now reaching more stores across Manitoba and possibly Saskatchewan and Alberta. It will allow her to produce a more consistent supply.

Until now, the only complaint about Cornell Creme’s lines of rich-tasting ice cream is that it sells out too quickly.

“This will be beneficial to our customers,” she said. “At the university we were doing about 200 litres per hour of product and here we’ll be doing around 800 litres per hour of finished product. It’s a lot more efficient. Our costs will come down and we’ll be able to build up inventory which is super important.”

Dyck was virtually an overnight success with her first five flavours of ice cream when her first products hit store shelves three years ago. Customers fell in love with the product, but that meant selling out as quickly as stores could stock her product with names like Raspberry White Chocolate, Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Lavender Dream.

That success has meant long hours for the food entrepreneur, spent inside the university’s dairy plant making ice cream as fast as she and students helping her could make it. But they still can’t make supply match demand.

The move to Notre Dame has been in her mind basically since the start, she added.

The federally inspected Notre Dame Creamery is Manitoba’s only privately owned creamery — and one of few left anywhere in rural Canada — making butter at its original location since St. Boniface Dairy built it in 1921. More recently the plant has diversified into organic milk and organic kefir production. It has been owned since 1980 by Guy Roch.

Dyck said being able to rent space at the creamery enables an expansion for her company that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.

“It’s a way to grow our production line and take on more stores without having to go into such heavy-duty investment with capital equipment,” she said. “If you were going to build this kind of plant from the ground up you’re looking at millions of dollars, whereas we’ve been able to keep this (expansion) under $500,000 at this point.”

Dyck said she will have milk shipped from their farm at Anola — they continue to utilize only their own production at this time — but won’t need to make the trip herself so often.

“This will allow me to focus mainly on my business and then have time for everything else in my life,” she said. She also plans to hire some help for sales and marketing.

But she’s not done experimenting with new flavours and plans to continue that work at the university plant, where she’ll also keep producing some of her existing 14 flavours.

The Dycks’ cow herd remains the only milk supply needed, despite this expansion.

“It doesn’t take that much milk to make ice cream,” she said, adding that her volumes of finished ice cream at the plant won’t be huge either.

“We may only max out at 10,000 litres a month,” she said. “This is big for us and a huge leap. But I’m still considered a small processor. This is a niche market.”

The post Manitoba ice-cream maker to share facilities at Notre Dame Creamery appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“No, I can do it,” I replied with a bit of determination in my voice.

“No, really, I can do it for you,” my daughter persisted. She definitely had a smirk on her face this time.

I squinted, squeezed my eyes together and did a “super blink.” That didn’t help.

After a few more attempts and verbal exchanges with my daughter, I finally gave up and handed her the fine needle and piece of thread. I have been teaching her how to sew, and we were working on sewing invisible hems, which requires a small needle with a nearly invisible eye, at least in my estimation.

I was wondering whether that needle had an eye at all.

My daughter had a little trouble threading the needle, too, so I had the opportunity to grin at her. Then she handed the threaded needle to me triumphantly, and I showed her how to stitch an invisible hem.

I put my pride aside and pulled out my free-standing magnifying glass for the next needle-threading attempt. Fortunately, I haven’t reached the stage where I need super-long arms to read the newspaper, but reading glasses may be in my future.

Fortunately, many vision issues can be corrected. “Low vision” is the term given to vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), 135 million people around the world have low vision, and the number is expected to grow as the population ages.

Low vision can interfere with our ability to drive, read, detect colour, see the TV, adjust to glare, see in dark areas and even recognize faces.

The main causes of low vision include macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, poor diet and aging are among the risk factors for low vision, and we can do something about most of these factors except, unfortunately, aging.

According to the NEI, about 45 per cent of low-vision cases result from age-related macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness, and scientists have found that diet can play a role in preventing this eye disease. The macula is a region close to the optic nerve at the back of our eyes that allows us to see clearly and distinguish colours. It is composed of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are pigments also found in colourful fruits and vegetables.

Some good sources of zeaxanthin are kale, collard and spinach greens, orange bell peppers and corn. Some good sources of lutein are kale, green leafy vegetables, spinach, corn, peas, and yellow and orange vegetables. Egg yolks are another excellent source of lutein.

Having difficulty seeing can make shopping for food and cooking more challenging but not impossible. Fortunately, adaptive tools such as “talking” kitchen scales, thermometers and microwave ovens are available. You can purchase measuring cups with bold print, vegetable peelers held in the palm of the hand, and brightly coloured cutting boards that contrast with your countertop.

If you or perhaps an aging family member have difficulty seeing to cook, try to limit glare in the kitchen. Shiny appliances are trendy but increase the glare. Adding gooseneck lamps to provide more light and blinds over the windows can help.

Taking care of our eyes is important all of our life, and nutrition can play a role in maintaining our precious vision. Consider your eyes when you peruse a farmers’ market, make your grocery list or choose foods at a restaurant. Be sure to see your eye-care professional annually for a vision screening.

For more information and a variety of vision-related resources, visit the North Dakota State University website.

Here’s a delicious eye-healthy recipe that you can serve with your favourite dressing or the recipe provided.

Asian-Style Cobb Salad

• 5 c. chopped romaine lettuce (or spinach)
• 1 (11-oz.) can mandarin oranges in light syrup or juice, drained
• 1/3 c. cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/3 c. grated carrots
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
• 1/4 c. green onions, sliced

Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

1. Broil, bake or grill chicken.
2. Cook eggs. Place eggs in a small saucepan with cold water. Heat water just until boiling. Remove from heat and cover; let stand for 12 minutes. Drain water and eggs into a colander. Rinse eggs with cold water to stop cooking. Use immediately.
3. Prepare the dressing by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Assemble salad by placing greens in a large bowl; top with mandarin oranges, chicken, carrots, avocado, eggs and green onion.
5. Serve immediately.

Makes four servings.

Avocado Egg Cups

Here’s another yummy egg-based recipe perfect for serving as summer starts.

• 2 large avocados, peeled
• 6 eggs, hard cooked
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground dried chili peppers
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Lettuce cups

Combine first three ingredients and whirl briefly in a blender, food processor, or chop very fine; mixture should be relatively smooth, but not mushy. Add remaining ingredients except lettuce and mix well. Serve in lettuce cups or lettuce rolls.

Makes 6-12 servings.

Recipe source: Manitoba Egg Farmers

The post Foods that help you take care of your eyes appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Unfortunately, food prepared or stored unsafely can cause illness or even death. You may have read about a recent potluck held at a church in Ohio where numerous people were stricken and one person died of botulism. According to recent reports, the food linked to the fatal outbreak was potato salad.

When potato salad and foodborne illness are mentioned in the same sentence, most people think mayonnaise was the culprit.

Commercial mayonnaise is a safe food that is acidic enough to deter the growth of many types of bacteria. Usually unwashed hands or another ingredient is the issue.

In the Ohio incident, home-canned potatoes have been implicated as the cause of the botulism outbreak. The potatoes most likely were not pressure canned following current research-tested guidance. All low-acid vegetables must be pressure canned to be safe.

This food-processing technique increases the temperature to a level (240 F) that kills bacteria and their spores (inactive forms of bacteria).

Usually my columns about home canning appear during the summer months to coincide with harvesting gardens. However, sometimes home-canned goods from last summer are served as “special treats” during potlucks and family celebrations, as may have happened in the fatal incident.

The botulism toxin is colourless, odourless and tasteless. You might not experience symptoms until two days after you eat the food. A tiny amount can make you ill. The symptoms of botulism include weakness, dizziness, double vision, difficulty swallowing and later, difficulty breathing. Without prompt treatment, botulism may be fatal.

Fortunately, botulism cases are fairly rare. About 30 botulism cases are reported yearly in the U.S. and most of those cases are associated with food canned improperly at home.

How does the toxin get in the jar of food? The spores are all around us. They are found in soils, bottom of lakes and in the intestinal tracts of animals and fish. The spores usually are harmless. However, when vegetables are cooked and placed in a sealed canning jar, the spores can “come to life” and, at that point, can produce the neurotoxin (poison that affects the nervous system).

Low-acid foods are linked with botulism because the toxin does not form in acidic foods. This is why you can process green bean pickles in a water-bath canner safely, but you can’t process plain green beans in a water-bath canner. The pickles are acidic.

Low-acid foods include vegetables, meats and most mixtures of foods. Tomatoes are a special case. All tomatoes canned at home must have added lemon juice or citric acid to be considered safe. Visit the Food and Nutrition section on the NDSU website for current recommendations and safe equipment to use when home preserving foods.

Personally, I’ve never been considered a “finicky eater.” However, I am quite picky when it comes to home-canned food. The risk of losing my ability to breathe is a real deterrent to me.

Be sure the food that you canned or the home-canned food you taste was made and processed using the most current canning techniques from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, from universities or from reputable food-processing companies such as Ball.

If someone offers you some home-canned food, ask some questions. Did the person use a research-tested recipe or did the person “invent” the recipe? If the person is a food scientist with a commercial-grade pH meter and extensive experience as a food-processing authority, I probably would take a bite. I would watch the food scientist taste the food first, though, just to be sure. I also might wait a couple of days to see if the food scientist was still healthy.

However, if the person found the recipe on a website with no credible backing, I would steer clear. Although you might not win a popularity contest by questioning the safety of the food, your health is more important, right?

When made with safe ingredients, potato salad can be flavourful and colourful, and it makes a delicious addition to a potluck buffet. Be sure to keep it cold by nesting bowls of potato salad in bowls of ice on your buffet line.

Poached Turkey Salad with Fennel, Kale and Cashews

There’s nothing better than a fresh, modern salad to serve for your Mother’s Day luncheon. Dress your table with spring flowers, fresh linens and lots of love to make an impression on your special guests. Skinless turkey breast meat is also extra lean, so poaching a turkey breast and adding it to this salad will be so tasty as well as impressively nutritious. More recipe ideas for Mother’s Day and every day of the year can be found at www.tastyturkey.ca/recipes.

Poached Turkey Breasts:

• 4 c. water
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 4 star anise
• 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 4 to 6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 large skinless turkey breasts

Salad:

• 4 celery stalks, diced thinly
• 1/2 c. celery leaves, minced
• 1 small fennel bulb, diced thinly
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
• 2 c. Tuscan kale, sliced into thin strips
• 2 small-medium apples (something tart like Honey Crisp or Granny Smith), diced (skin on)
• 1 c. seedless red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 c. roasted, unsalted cashews

Dressing:

• 1 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 c. lightly packed fresh tarragon
• 1/4 c. flat-leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring the water, olive oil and white wine to a boil and add in the cloves, peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves and turkey breasts. Bring water down to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through (165 F). Remove from the poaching liquid and let cool. While the turkey cools, toss all the salad ingredients together until everything is well combined. Place all the dressing ingredients in the food processor or blender, and process until all the herbs are incorporated in the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon if needed. Slice or cube the turkey breast and toss it with the greens and one cup of the dressing. Add more dressing or serve on the side when you’re ready to eat.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Courtesy of Kelly Brisson of The Gouda Life and Manitoba Turkey Producers

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Amy and Donald Nikkel, Interlake school teachers, set out five years ago to start farming at a pace and scale that made sense for their own busy lives.

Today they are marketing Adagio Acres Rolled Naked Oats, produced from crops they’ve grown on their farm near Lundar, rolled into large flakes in a mill they built themselves and packaged in attractive 900-gram brown paper bags.

A fifth generation of Nikkels to farm in this part of Manitoba, Donald, 30, said he and his wife started mapping out the business idea while still living and teaching in Montreal. Farm life beckoned as they contemplated starting a family. But they knew they couldn’t do exactly as their predecessors had done if they came back.

“I’ve had lots of family involved in farming around here, and over the years they’ve all had to find different ways to make farming work for them,” he said.

Natural fit

Oats was a natural fit. The Nikkels have grown oats and raised horses out this way for generations. But as teachers and with a much smaller farm in mind, they needed a different vision.

“We started to think about what we could do with a crop I know something about and grows well in this area,” said Donald.

To map out a plan for Adagio Acres, they visited small mills across Canada learning how each was built and operated. They read up on naked oats, learning how the oat variety could be processed without heat and was better suited to a small-scale mill, as well as its excellent nutritional benefits. Naked oats are higher in protein and fibre and have a greater proportion of soluble beta-glucan fibre. They also taste especially good, with a slightly nutty flavour and fuller texture, making them highly appealing to those on a raw food diet.

• ‘Naked oats’ arrive in Campbell’s meal-in-a-can program

“Naked oats really stood out,” he said. “It has a number of attributes, one being they mainly lose their hulls when combined, that makes milling a lot easier than the conventional hulled oat. And they also have lots of health benefits.”

Their plans to develop a small-scale mill and sell a made-in-Manitoba product were built around consumer trends, including a growing desire to eat healthy, wholesome, unprocessed food grown as close to home and connected to a farmer as possible.

Local niche

This had nothing to do with establishing a product to go head to head with other big-name oat brands, says Amy.

“We were looking at what makes sense for local consumers and local agriculture,” she said.

The couple’s easygoing demeanour and intentionally slower-paced lifestyle belies their ambitious project, and the intense legwork put into getting their rolled naked oats onto store shelves.

They transitioned their 80 acres to organic and contracted with two other farmers in Manitoba for additional production for the oats, which are rolled into large flakes in the mill they built.

Housed inside a farm building on his parents’ farm, Donald describes it as “a bit of an eclectic mix.” Some parts are new, while others are museum pieces bought at auction, he said. It’s built in such a way that they can move oats right through from bin to the mill and into a packaged retail-ready product.

“It’s made from a variety of machines we cobbled together from a number of different sources and it has been an evolution,” he said. “There’s no rule book when it comes to small mills.

“In a larger mill you hire engineers and ask them to design it for you. At our scale it’s been a lot of trial and error,” then adds, with a laugh “a lot of error.”

Food processor

Now fully operational as a permitted food-processing facility by MAFRD, the Nikkels are able to certify their oats wheat free because their hand-built mill was built to handle oats exclusively. The oats are also tested, using an approved enzyme test for gluten-free food manufacturers. It’s proved helpful with their marketing, says Amy.

They needed a niche as a smaller-scale cereal product, and the wheat-free claim has been beneficial alongside their made-in-Manitoba attribute.

“It certainly helped us to gain a lot of momentum quickly,” she said.

They were careful about their launch of Adagio Acres Rolled Naked Oats, putting it on a limited number of store shelves in March of 2013, and doing in-store demos to familiarize consumers with the nutritional value and flavour of naked oats. Just two other mills in Canada produce naked oat flakes.

Adagio Acres oats are now found in more than 20 stores around Manitoba and sales now exceed supply. They could get a lot busier, says the couple, but they’re committed to pacing Adagio Acres’ growth to its underlying philosophy — food and life at a slower tempo.

“We’ve seen a lot of situations where people overestimate demand and how easy it is to get that customer base,” said Donald. “We’re trying to go at this slowly.”

Amy was a guest speaker at the recent Western Canadian Functional Food Ingredients: Strategies to Manage Costs and Enhance Products conference held at the Richardson Centre for Functional Food in Winnipeg last month and spoke about the milling advantages and nutritional advantages of naked oats.

She hopes their minimally processed cereal can take the definition of functional food beyond merely nutrition and convenience, to be part of a food-centred gentler-paced lifestyle.

“Functional food should be something that fits into your routines and your lifestyle, but also enriches it,” said Amy.

They hope their cereal is a reminder and an excuse to slow down, she said. The ‘adagio tempo’ for eating, she adds, is taking five minutes in the morning and realizing you do, in fact, have the time for it.

website: adagioacres.com

The post Oats at a slower pace appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Gnarly Manitoba maple trees are gurgling and gushing with sap as they wake up to increasing warmth and sunlight of an ever-so-slowly advancing spring.

I’m actually quite surprised how many still don’t know our native maple tree (Acer negundo) is a prolific sugar-maker, much like its eastern cousin, the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

In fact, many Manitobans tap their trees in spring for their abundant sap, which produces one of the sweetest syrups going. Many do it as a hobby. A few produce enough that they sell their maple syrup products.

Maple tapping is so popular around McCreary that an emerging cottage industry has developed, complete with a spring festival to celebrate the sugaring season.

On Saturday, April 13 McCreary hopes visitors will drop in to learn more about their early-spring harvest in full swing, and the delicious, locally made sweet treats being produced from it. If you go, you can take a wagon ride tour through a maple bush and learn more about syrup-producing woodlots from producers such as Bob Gas and Albert Thompson.

There are treasure hunts and taffy on snow to enjoy, and you can learn to dance a traditional Métis dance form in a workshop with the Manitoba dance troupe, the Asham Stompers. There’s even a maple-themed art exhibit hosted by the Burrows Trail Arts Council. If you’d like more information please call ahead to the McCreary Recreation Office (204 835-2673).

McCreary’s festival is actually a second regional festival built around the delectable maple sugar in Manitoba.

For years, St. Pierre-Jolys has also celebrated local production of maple syrup with its own ‘Sugaring Off’ festival. Theirs flows over two days April 13 and 14. You can learn more about it online at www.museestpierrejolys.ca/sugaringoff.html.

You can visit a sugar shack at both locations to see how sap is boiled down to syrup.

So, if you’re wondering — does Manitoba maple syrup taste different, or sweeter, or better than syrup of Ontario or Quebec? You be the judge. I’ll just say, as a sign that spring, at last, is surely arriving, that first lick of Manitoba maple syrup is a very sweet treat indeed.

Here are three recipes courtesy of Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec. You can find many more recipes from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers at http://ilovem aple.ca/recipes/types-of-dishes.

Maple Energy Squares

These squares make an excellent snack, whether in the afternoon in preparation for an end-of-day workout, after you’ve finished your workout, or to pack for a long hike or bike ride. They provide complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals — all vital nutrients for an active person!

• 1/2 c. quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 c. skim milk powder
• 1/2 c. roasted sunflower seeds
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c. pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. In a food processor, combine the oatmeal, skim milk, sunflower seeds, flour, maple syrup and eggs. Process until the mixture is almost smooth, about 10 seconds. Stir in cranberries, apricots and almonds. Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centre is set.

Makes 16 squares.

Source: Federation des producteurs acericoles du Quebec

Corn and Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Syrup

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 celery stalks, cubed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 4 c. chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 c. frozen corn
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• Chives, to taste

In a large saucepan over high heat, sauté the squash, onion, celery, garlic, ginger and maple syrup for about six minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer five minutes. Purée the soup in a blender until creamy. (If the mixture is too thick, add some broth or water.) Return to the pot. Add the corn, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat five minutes.

To serve, garnish with sour cream and chives.

Source: Federation des producteurs acericoles du Quebec

Green Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

• 2 endives
• 1 lettuce (loose leaf or romaine)
• 1 apple
• 1 red onion, sliced in rings
• 1 or 2 mandarin oranges
• 1/2 c. yellow or red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. cashew nuts, whole
• 3 tbsp. raisins
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Vinaigrette:

• 4 tsp. cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and dry lettuce. Removes endive leaves and set aside. Halve the apple, remove the core and slice. Mix the apple slices with raisins and lemon juice. Add segments of the peeled mandarin oranges, lettuce, endive leaves, onion rings, yellow or red pepper and cashew nuts. Sprinkle with the maple vinaigrette and serve.

To make Vinaigrette:

Mix salt, pepper and mustard. Add vinegar and mix well to dissolve the salt. Add oil and maple syrup. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serves 4.

Source: Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec

The post Recipe Swap: Sugaring season begins in Manitoba appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Everyone loves a great story and it’s even better when the one telling it also lives it.

That’s what you’ll hear and see in the ‘Be Well’ Stories told by Manitobans now found online at http://canolarecipes.com.

The three inspiring video stories are those of Doug Chorney, East Selkirk farmer and Keystone Agricultural Producer’s president, Getty Stewart, a Winnipeg home economist who started a ‘fruit rescue’ program, and Mary-Jane Feeke, best known as MJ, a red seal chef and owner of Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods in Selkirk.

They tell them via the latest instalment of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association on its online ‘Be Well’ newsletter, blog and magazine.

The ‘Be Well’ site is a link on the MCGA’s website where you’ll find lots of recipes — many have been included on these pages — as well as lots of stories and information about healthy eating and healthy living.

The idea to create video stories was inspired after tremendous feedback about ‘Being Bruce,’ a story posted to the site after Newdale farmer Bruce Dalgarno retired as a director with MCG.

These stories aim to build those partnerships and meaningful connections between farmers and the broader community, said Ed Rempel, MCGA president at a special ‘Be Well’ video launch in Winnipeg last month where Doug, Getty and MJ were special guests.

“Farmers know that today’s consumers want to get to know us better,” said Rempel. “We want that too.”

The story Doug shares is of his family’s 100-year tie to their farm and how, in the 1960s, his mom began a roadside vegetable stand that remains a key part of their family farm’s business. Getty’s story is about starting Fruit Share, and how and why she mobilized hundreds of volunteers to pick and share what would otherwise have been thousands of pounds of wasted homegrown fruit in Winnipeg’s backyards. MJ’s story is of her lifelong love of great food and how her restaurant — perhaps best known for her sumptuous pizzas — has become the place to share that love and loads of great food.

The next part involves you. The MCG is looking to create more video stories in the future and is holding a contest, that includes a $5,000 prize package, in a search for new stories.

So after you’ve been inspired by what you hear and see from Doug, Getty and MJ please nominate someone who you think would be the perfect next ‘Be Well’ storyteller. The contest began February 15 and lasts until April 5.

They’re simply looking for stories about living well, eating well and being well while living passionate lives, says Ellen Pruden, MCG’s education and promotion manager.

“Doug, MJ and Getty are everyday people doing great things,” she said.

“Our intention now is to find that next ‘Be Well’ story. We’re looking to our community to suggest that person.”

To see the ‘Be Well’ stories and find out more about the MCGA’s contest in its search for future stories please log on to at http://canolarecipes.com.

Here are two recipes selected from one of the complimentary magazines available through the MCGA’s Live Well, Eat Well… Be Well site.

Cool Canola Pastry

This pastry makes a dough that’s easy to roll out for a sweet pie or a savoury dish like a tourtiere.

• 1/2 c. slivered almonds (skin on)
• 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. wheat germ
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. frozen canola oil, chilled in the freezer for two hours*
• 1/4 c. ice water
• 1/4 c. low-fat milk
• 1 egg, beaten slightly
• 1 tbsp. vinegar

In a food processor, add almonds and pulse once or twice for a coarsely ground consistency. Add flours, wheat germ, baking powder and salt. Pulse once or twice to combine ingredients. Add cold/frozen canola oil. Pulse again once or twice. In a small bowl, combine water, milk, egg and vinegar. With food processor running, pour liquid ingredients through the chute. Turn machine off as soon as ingredients are mixed, about 10 seconds. Turn dough onto floured board. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough on floured surface.

Makes 2 pie crusts or 24 individual tart shells.

You can freeze unused dough.

Nutritional analysis: Based on 1 tart shell

• Calories 130
• Protein 3 g
• Total fat 8 g
• Saturated fat 0.5 g
• Cholesterol 10 mg
• Carbohydrate 14 g
• Fibre 1 g
• Sodium 85 mg

*Measure out your canola oil in a container and freeze it. Canola oil will freeze solid overnight. In its frozen state, it mimics a solid fat for baking, giving the light, flaky texture with better health properties.

Jenn’s Chewy Granola Bar

Jennifer Dyck is the education and promotion co-ordinator at Manitoba Canola Growers. She created this recipe when she needed nut-free granola bars to send to school. You can make up a batch with these easy-to-find ingredients.

• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. honey
• 2/3 c. smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 c. coconut flakes
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds, skin on
• 1/2 c. sunflower seeds
• 1/3 c. wheat bran
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 3 c. large-flake oats

Preheat oven to 325 F. In an extra-large bowl, mix brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, canola oil, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Add coconut, raisins, chocolate chips, almonds, sunflower seeds, bran, sesame seeds and oats. Stir until blended. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with canola oil. Press mixture into pan, making sure it is even. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into individual bars. Can be stored in the freezer.

Makes 36 bars.

Nutritional analysis:Based on 1 bar or 1/36th of recipe

• Calories 240
• Protein 5 g
• Total fat 13 g
• Saturated fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg
• Carbohydrates 30 mg
• Fibre 3 g
• Sodium 40 mg

The post Recipe Swap: Live well? Eat well? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

My husband decided to put a really hot cardboard pizza box on my brand new solid wood table. I removed the thin tablecloth off of the table to shake out the crumbs and found a white square imprint. After trying to figure out what it was and using some Pledge with natural orange oil, I soon remembered the wonderful pizza we had a few days prior and figured out that this is a heat spot on my table. Help! Is there anything I can do to fix this? Sincerely, Christine

Dear Christine,

Place a tea towel onto the area and press with a warm iron over the pizza box spot. The warmth of the iron should draw out the mark.

Dear Reena,

I have the most embarrassing situation; my kids came home from school with lice! I feel like a terrible housewife and mother and now I am taking on the dubious task of getting rid of it. If I freeze all of the clothes and pillows and teddy bears will that kill all of the lice? Signed, Elaine

Dear Elaine,

First of all rest assured, it is a myth that lice only attach to dirty areas. They can make their homes on very clean heads. Although lice are a pain, there are much worse challenges in life. However, be prepared for an in-depth cleaning of your house. Vacuum everything and when you are finished, discard the vacuum bag outside of your home. Be sure to vacuum mattresses, vents, and all crevices in furniture, as well as your vehicles. You can purchase sprays to kill lice but they are expensive and carry a strong odour. Sprays do come in handy for non-washable textiles.

Myth No. 2, freezing kills lice. When you put lice outside, they go into a hibernating state and wake up when they are back at room temperature. Therefore, instead of carrying items outside, place teddy bears, jackets, blankets etc. into large plastic bags, close tightly and leave at room temperature for two weeks. Wash everything that can be washed in your washing machine each day until the problem is gone. Throw pillows and blankets into the dryer daily; the heat of the dryer kills lice.

Use lice shampoo according to directions and on all members living in the house, not just the kids. Check with your physician about shampooing babies. By shampooing everyone, you will save yourself a lot of headache for future outbreaks. Check all heads every day for two weeks near a window or under fluorescent lights.

Put all hair utensils in the dishwasher every day. Wash all tuques, scarves, mitts, area rugs, towels. Do not reuse towels and do not hang towels beside other towels.

Soon this problem will be gone. Neem shampoo is a great deterrent of lice. Hairspray in the hair, length of hair and cleanliness of hair do not make a difference. However, for young boys if you shave their head, lice are easier to see. Lice are non-transferable to pets.

Hello Reena,

I have a tall, clear, single-stem glass vase and I have been unable to remove etched cloudy water marks on the inside. I have tried everything from baking soda, salt, vinegar, denture tablets, with no success. Any ideas? Eunice

Dear Eunice,

When you used vinegar, did you heat the vinegar first? Soaking the vase with hot vinegar and then gently rubbing the surface with fine 000 sandpaper is a good solution for slightly etched glass. You can also soak the vase in hot water and citric acid (available at your local pharmacy, you may need to order it in). If the etching remains, the condition is permanent. Also see tip below.

Fabulous tips of the week:

• Hi Reena,

I thought I would take a minute and send you a tip that my daughter learned while working in the restaurant business. If you want to “refresh” seldom-used glassware or crystal which has developed a slight film while sitting in the cupboard, but is not dirty, just hold the piece over the mouth of a steaming kettle, and polish quickly and easily with a paper coffee filter. Your glassware will sparkle again! Love your column, Reena! Frances

•   When I was newly married and preparing to decorate cakes, I often beat whipping cream too long and noticed that after a while it turned into a lumpy mess. Not knowing that I had made butter I threw out the mess and started again. After a few years I learned that overwhipping the cream transforms it into a delicious bowl of homemade butter. Now when I have guests over I love to serve homemade butter. For anyone with the same desire, here’s how to make butter from scratch: Purchase whipping cream and add a pinch of salt so that it tastes less bland. Pour the cream into your food processor and let it run for a while until it thickens. It will then break into liquid buttermilk and butter. From here, you are able to separate the butter from the milk and use the fresh butter to spread. Reena
• Make fancy butter shapes just like restaurants! Using soft butter, fill up chocolate moulds or silicone moulds. Make sure that the top is smooth and even. Place butter into the freezer for one hour. Pop butter out of the mould and store in fridge until guests arrive. Serve on a silver platter. Flower shapes such as roses are very popular.

I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming! Missed a column? Can’t remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Interested in grocery coupons? Check out my brand new blog/website: reena.ca.

The post More questions for Reena appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.