I came to Newfoundland for the first time just over four years ago. I can still vividly recall taking the ferry across from Nova Scotia in the late winter, listening to the groaning sounds of the ice around the boat. Within two months of arriving I made my first trip to Bonne Bay, a remote fjord on the west coast of the island. I went to learn about the food system and fisheries in the region as part of a PhD program I was beginning at Memorial University that fall.
Maple syrup conjures up images of towering arboretums in places like Quebec or Vermont, but it’s a little known secret that the rugged and hardy maple trees of Newfoundland make darn fine maple syrup. With nothing more than a half dozen maple trees, some old salt beef containers and a handful of 25 cent metal tree taps, you’re good to go and can expect to end up with over a dozen bottles of hand made maple syrup.
Spectacular vistas, whales breaching, ice bergs floating by, and a foragers paradise. We are blessed with many wilderness areas that offer abundant edible plants. I rarely go on a hike without stopping to have a little taste of this or that. In this post, I will touch upon some of the edibles currently available in our wonderful wilderness.
Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity, I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here. Last week, I recieved by my set of samples from George, and here's what my benefactor told me about the varieties:
Red Dutch: A very dry, yellow flesh red from Holland in the 1940’s. An excellent potato. Late maturing.
Northern White: A white flesh variety, from Quebec apparently, from the early 1900’s. Very high yield. Good taste.
A little while back I experimented making pulled moose, with phenomenal results. Here's the second moose slow cooker experiment I tried and it was also a big hit with my family. I packaged and froze the leftovers for lots of warm lunches at work afterward. This recipe is inspired by my Grandma Elisabeth’s traditional Hungarian beef goulash.
The combination of increased cooking skills, knowledge about nutrition, being more aware of how to stretch your food dollar, hands-on learning, peer support, and learning about other programs in the community all contribute to success for these participants. “People had the idea that buying fresh vegetables, or healthy food, was more expensive. We do a comparison of that and then they realize that they can afford to buy healthy food" explains Bernice.
I'll let you know what I end up doing with the other roasts later. The first one I decided to make into pulled moose, basically the same thing as pulled pork. As a side dish I made a light coleslaw with blueberry vinaigrette. The moose, carrots, cabbage, and blueberries in the recipes below were all locally produced. If I'd had them I could have used local onions and garlic too.
Our family is hooked on eggnog and it's sad times round my house when the grocery store stops stocking it in January. So this year I learned how to make it from scratch and gave it to my boyfriend wrapped up as a silly Christmas present. Be warned that French toast made with homemade eggnog is going to get gobbled quick! I've made it with store-bought eggnog lots of times, and that's also super delicious
