Grapes of Wrath

We are very lucky to have two grape vines in our back yard. They are growing like weeds this year….completely covering the little arbor as well as half the fence.

We do not use the grapes…making wine or jelly sounds like too much effort, at least for me. Instead…we enjoy the late night visits from the raccoons….they have a feast.

However we do pick and use the leaves. July is the best month to pick grape leaves, at least in Fredericton. I have been told they taste bitter if you pick them later. I stuff them with a mixture of meat, rice, mint and tomatoes.

The leaves also freeze very well. I have packaged and frozen 100 leaves this year. They use very little room in the freeze….and require no preparation. Just pop them in freezer bags…about 25 leaves per bag. When you are ready to use them…just place the freezer bag in warm water, and in minutes they are ready to use. Very easy.

The Country Pumpkin

We visited a local vegetable stand this weekend…the 'Country Pumpkin'. It is one of my favorite places to visit for local produce….and boy…they did not disappoint.

Here is a list of the local fruit and vegetables now available:

Raspberries, strawberries, lettuce, corn, zucchini, broccoli, beans, peas, onions and potatoes.

This is the second time this year I have found NB potatoes. Usually, I can only find ones from PEI.

Plus, from Quebec- carrots…. and Ontario- peaches and plums.

Wow….what a feast. I guess if one was going to try the 100 mile diet in NB...mid July is a time to start. I will note when local produce reduces again…. I am guessing around mid-October

Strawberry and feta salad

I love this salad. I have made it a few times using berries and greens from our garden. Delicious.

Toss mixed greens using a plain oil and vinegar dressing. Add sliced strawberries....gently mix...and top with crumbled feta cheese.

My deck on April 02/08...and July 08/08

I dunno the same things you dunno....

The title is one of my favorite expressions...it is a line taken from a Corner Gas song.

I dunno....

-Why I can find NB potatoes in Saint John, but only PEI ones in Fredericton.

-Why strawberries are cheaper in Saint John then they are in Fredericton.

-Why gas is cheaper in Saint John then in Fredericton'

(That is how I saw things this week)

Yes, I have been to Saint John ...actually Kevin and I went to St.Martins. We left Fredericton on the day the humidex was to reach 43 degrees. I dressed in a lightweight top and skirt....took my straw hat and lots of sunscreen. On the off chance there would be a cool breeze on the coast....I took my jean jacket.

It was a lovely drive to St.Martins. When we arrived it was cooler....and foggy. Very foggy. I put on my jean jacket and we went to explore the caves. After about 30 minutes, I returned to the car while Kevin continued to explore and take pictures. I was freezing. I have no idea what the temperature was ...but we stopped at the mall and I bought a pair of pants to wear for the rest of the trip.

I love Saint John.....I always have. It totally amazes me that you can leave a hot humid Fredericton, drive an hour or so ...and arrive to such a different climate. It is always a nice surprise.

Quote time

These are a few quotes taken from the Daily Gleaner regarding the strawberry season. (July 5, 2008):

"There are only two local strawberries growers who supply to Fredericton area supermarkets."

"The cost of growing strawberries is about $2 per quart. Knowing it doesn't pay to grow them, many producers have gotten out of the strawberry business."

"Canada has a cheap food policy and we've literally beat the growers right out of business. This applies to all foods grown in Atlantic Canada, where between 97 and 100 percent of foods that are eaten here are grown elsewhere."

Well...that is not good news. We need more local produce.

Local is here

I can’t believe it’s almost the second week of July. The weather has been great….lots of rain, lots of sun, lots of heat. Our little garden is thriving. We are eating swiss chard, lettuce and strawberries. Still to come......beans and tomatoes.

We drove to Maugerville the other day to check the vegetable stands….both are back in action. They have lots of vegetables…but not a lot of local produce (yet). We bought local carrots, beet greens, and strawberries.

I am finally eating carrots again.

We are not producing enough berries to freeze, so we have to purchase them. At Sobeys, they are selling berries from Nova Scotia for $3.98 a box. A bit steep. The local berries in Maugerville were $4.50 a box. Steep, steep, but I do buy local whenever possible.

This morning the market is open, so we purchased more local berries. $3.50 a box.

I could say the price of gas has increased the price of the berries…but local berries cost as much if not more then imports.