New West Farmers Market

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We wanted to take a minute to say thank you for the overwhelming support at our 5th annual fundraiser. We raised more than $3500, (about $1200 more than last year) and set a new record. We’ve heard such great feedback from people who came, and we want to take a moment to say some thank yous to those who supported our fundraiser.

The view from the silent auction table

First, we want to say a heartfelt thanks to the staff at Wild Rice. They took our idea to offer dishes made with our vendors’ local products and ran with it, creating three special menu choices to choose from, and went over and above to offer a great cocktail menu and inventive dinner service.

Sous Chef Caroline and Head Chef Todd Bright prepare the meals

Thank you goes to Re-up BBQ, the New Veganminster Project, and market vendor Rockweld Farm for being our menu sponsors to help offset the costs of the dishes so that we could keep the ticket price low. These people stepped up without question and really supported what we were trying to do.

Of Desks did a fabulous job of designing a ticket with an awful lot of info on it, and we appreciate their donation to help us offset the costs of printing, and letting us skip using the “big guys” for the ticket handling.

Thank you so much to our silent auction donors – these businesses were so generous and many of them were not only happy to donate, but also bought tickets and attended our event. They deserve all sorts of recognition for supporting us and we urge you to support their businesses if you can.

And finally, thank you to those of you who bought tickets, came out, bid often and bid well, and made our event the best yet. We can’t wait to see you all this season, and hope you can join us Thursday June 7 from 3-7pm for our opening market!

 

 

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Volunteering may be low on the totem pole for some students during the summer season, but at closer inspection it should actually be near the top of their checklists. This is a good time of year when volunteer hours are aplenty in organizations, like RCFM’s summer market that spans from June 7-October 4.

The required 30 volunteer or community hours for high school can sometimes be daunting, but joining the RCFM volunteer team at Tipperary Park in New Westminster (next to City Hall) on Thursday from 3pm to 7pm is a fun, interactive way to spend afternoons outdoors.

Hours can be flexible, as volunteers are needed for set up and tear down. Volunteers would be helping out by organizing and setting up tables before the market starts as well as taking them down at the end of the day, helping vendors display their produce or products, putting up signs for passersby and simply making sure that visitors will have an easy, hassle-free time when they come visit.

The perks to volunteering at the RCFM are that volunteers get to be outside with musicians and painters alike, handmade arts and crafts, delicious foods and great company. What’s more, they will be given perks to being an RCFM volunteer and will be supporting their local community.

It’s a good, fun time all around and students can fill their volunteer hours without it feeling like work.

Regardless if you are or aren’t a student but would like to help out your community, volunteering is as easy as filling out this form, saving your application and attaching it in your email to volunteer@newwestfarmers.ca.

Visit our Become a Volunteer! page for more information on what could be in store for your summer!

 

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I made a trip to the River Market at the New Westminster Quay on a rainy Tuesday afternoon with a couple friends. It was a definite change from the many vendors that lined the hallway of the main area during our winter market but it was great to see locals wandering around to see the new  permanent shops were still open for business.

We wandered into Donald’s Market and I picked up fresh carrots, ginger and a lemon for my recipe, A Tiny Finery, where I purchased a cute handmade card, and Pamola Bakery and Deli, where I couldn’t resist getting a Peanut Butter Honeycomb and an Apple Gallete Tartlet for dessert.

 

 

I made a slight variation to allrecipes’ Honey Ginger Carrots Recipe. They suggest the following ingredients:

1 pound of carrots, sliced
1/4 cup of butter
2 1/2 tablespoons of honey
1 pinch of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

To caramelize the carrots a bit more, I added 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. I also used fresh chopped ginger for this recipe.

 

Directions:

1. Peel, wash and slice your carrots into coins.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add carrots and let boil for 5 minutes, or until tender.

3. In a large pan, combine butter, honey and brown sugar over medium heat. After the brown sugar is completely dissolved, add the freshly chopped ginger and lemon juice.

4. Drain the carrots from the pot and add them to the pan.

5. Pan fry the carrots.
I like my carrots caramelized more, so I turned the heat on high
for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.

6. Serve with your meal!

To complete my dinner, I had a bed of jasmine rice with herbed chicken cubes. It was simple, quick and delicious!

As for my dessert, I had Pamola to thank for satisfying my sweet tooth…

Apple Gallete Tartlet

Peanut Butter Honeycomb

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Whoever says you can’t have the best of both worlds hasn’t been to the new Wild Rice restaurant in New Westminster’s River Market. Imagine traditional-tasting Chinese food infused with delicacies from other countries and prepared with modern cooking techniques; you have Wild Rice. One of the most appealing aspects there, aside from the friendly, attentive staff, spic and span, wide open kitchen where you can watch chefs make your meal, and the chic, modern look and feel of the lounge and dining area, is the fact that you know where your food is coming from and how it’s being processed.

Todd Bright

Todd Bright, Australian-born head chef of Wild Rice, plunged his hands quite literally into the world of cooking. He started off with washing dishes with onion bag scrubbers at a local Chinese restaurant in Australia and worked his way up to cooking woks of fried rice and deep frying food. He then shifted his studies from business software and development to a culinary apprenticeship with the Technical and Further Education colleges, a four year process that gained him experience in the field. He then took time to travel for a few years and finally landed in Canada in 2007 where he started his career as a line cook with Wild Rice in Vancouver.

All About Food

Since Todd became head chef, he decided to make a positive influence on the way Wild Rice affects the environment and local community. “What I try and do is take traditional elements and traditional dishes and turn them on their heads and incorporate as much local and sustainable produce as possible. We change our menu four times a year to be seasonal so we can use the best of the local produce.” Aside from buying from local companies such as Two Rivers and Serving House, Wild Rice is also a member of Ocean Wise, Green Table Society, Shark Truth and Recycling Alternative. As much as these decisions may cost him a little bit more, Todd affirms that supporting local farmers is “something I believe in.”

Wild Rice also caters to a wide variety of people. The menu is dairy-free, gluten-free and focuses on vegan-friendly dishes. “The food we do here is unlike any other food around… it’s creative and it’s uniquely west coast. 52% of our menu is vegan.” Todd’s mantra: “eat more vegetables; eat less, better quality meat.” One dish that he is exceptionally proud of is the Grilled King Oyster Mushroom dinner plate complete with cashews, caramelized ricotta and scallion polenta fries. “It hits all the buttons: texture and fat from the cashews, meatiness from the mushroom and crispiness from the fries. It can satisfy a meat eater and fully satisfy a vegan.”

New Westminster to Call Home

When asked why he decided to set up Wild Rice at the River Market, he simply said, “It is such a unique community out here. What better place to start a new Wild Rice to engage a community that is up-and-coming and growing where there is longevity and to be attached to a market we believe in.”

Fundraiser Night

This is Wild Rice’s first year teaming up with RCFM for their 5th annual fundraiser. “I’m looking forward to making that one-on-one bond with the farmers [at RCFM]. That’s really exciting. It’s just going to be great at the fundraiser to show the vendors what we are all about.” The dishes at the fundraiser night vary from chicken to pork to vegan. His inspiration for the set dishes was “using the farmers’ market suppliers with [his] twist on things. [He tried] to make it as simple and enjoyable as possible.”

Todd recommends the House Made Chinese BBQ Pork that is served on a bed of jasmine rice with steamed broccoli and bok choy. I highly suggest picking this dish on fundraiser night if you like or can eat pork. I took a lunch box to go and couldn’t put it down! And as for the seasonally inspired cocktails that will be served with dinner, a “floral and berry infused gin complete with muddled strawberries will take centre stage, as well as traditional sangrias.

House Made Chinese BBQ Pork takeout

When asked what he was expecting from his first RCFM fundraiser event, Todd simply said, “The whole thing about the fundraiser is getting people engaged. I’m just looking forward to interacting with the community and the farmers market and just speaking to people who are as passionate with what they do as I am.” The night promises to be one filled with new experiences, new friendships and Chinese take-out boxes.

Teach Me How to Cook!

Chef Todd Bright hosting a cooking demonstration

Wild Rice also hosts an interactive cooking demonstration every Monday night at the River Market location You can sit at the chef’s table, look into the kitchen as Todd runs through a few different cooking techniques then sit in the dining room for a four-course meal. He cooks up something new each month, with poultry, seafood and shellfish already covered this year. This month is all about pork, while June is focused on Vegan dishes, and July (which Todd is especially looking forward to) is BBQ on the patio. Take a look here for more information on cooking demos!

We hope to see you at RCFM’s 5th Annual Fundraiser! Tickets are still available here.

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It’s spring cleaning time and, lo and behold, your freezer is in demand for some serious de-icing. I was scrounging through mine when I came across a bag of of frozen blueberries from last season: perfect for an afternoon snack… Or some afternoon baking. This modified recipe from Simply Recipes is quick and delicious. It was a definite hit in my household!

Ingredients (makes 18 regular sized muffins)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup of butter, soft
3 tablespoons bran (optional)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup yogurt (for added flavour, I used vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

2. In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients except for the sugar together and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.

4. Add eggs and lemon peel and mix thoroughly.

5. Add half of the dry ingredients, then half of the
yogurt, then the rest of the dry ingredients and
the rest of the yogurt to the wet ingredients.

6. Add blueberries.

7. Spoon into greased muffin pan (or muffin cups, as I’ve done).

8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

These muffins turn out light, moist and super flavourful. I could definitely taste the vanilla and lemon, adding a nice change up to traditional blueberry muffins. Enjoy your afternoon snack!

 

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Land Acknowledgement

Our market is grateful to operate on the unceded land of the Qayqayt, Kwikwetlem, and other Halkomelem speaking Peoples. We acknowledge that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land. We acknowledge the incredible gift this land is to our market and BC Agriculture. We commit to the ongoing work of decolonization and allyship.