by Trish Kelly
EAT OUT
Thinking about autumn in July is sacrilegious; it’s the heyday of bikini weather. But the Feast of Fields always sells out by August, so tear yourself away from the beach towel and get tickets pronto. With luck, you’ll spend Sept. 9 at UBC Farm, sipping local wines and sampling creative and delicious cuisine. Urbanites will appreciate the event’s new location, and who knows, maybe the shorter trip from the restaurants will allow this year’s crop of cheffing talent—which includes C Restaurant, Aurora Bistro, and Bins 941 and 942—a little more flexibility with their recipe selections. It’s all a great way to support Farm Folk/City Folk, who’ve been encouraging local eating for more than a decade. Get your tickets for the 13th annual event at Choices Markets or ffcf.bc.ca/feast.
GET OUT
The crowd comes for the music July 13-15, but the Vancouver Folk Music Festival wants you to stay for the food—from the Ethical Bean Folk Fest Blend Fair Trade coffee to the Hardbite official chips. And with its low-footprint food court, the Festival’s commitment to reducing waste is amazing. When you pop your ceramic plate in the dishpan, you might notice someone rooting through the garbage bins—that’s the Festival’s environmental committee rescuing bottles and other recyclables. Carl Armstrong, who oversees the food area, says the Festival selects vendors “whose menus, in our opinion, reflect the music we present and the diverse communities that come together at Jericho Park for the Festival.” And it aims to be completely styrofoam-free by 2009. This year will include global cuisine from Indonesia to El Salvador and local favourites such as wild salmon and halibut fusion dishes. Shake it down. Info: thefestival.bc.ca.
BOOK OUT
Not exactly a breezy summer read, but certainly an eye-opener, What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating by Marion Nestle (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux) is a comprehensive look at what’s in the supermarket and why it’s there. The key message: when it comes to the mainstream grocery, we’re overwhelmed by choices and boondoggled by faulty information. In frank, accessible language, the nutritionist gives the produce, dairy, meat, and fish aisles a thorough going-over, and pulls apart the misleading health claims of manufacturers. From the difference between wild and farm-raised to the basics of omega-3s and trans fats, you’ll never shop the same again. Available at your favourite bookstore, or whattoeatbook.com.
Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She loves smoothies, iced coffees, and night markets. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local food-focused, non-profit organization. This month’s recipient is Farm Folk/City Folk: farm & city working together to cultivate a local, sustainable food system (ffcf.bc.ca).
