HAPPY EASTER everyone. I hope you made the most of this day and celebrated it in a meaningful manner. We were fortunate to share Easter dinner with our friends and neighbours last night, and to celebrate the return of our middle daughter. She had been away in Europe for two weeks on a school trip . She came home loaded down with Austrian chocolate. The Easter Bunny came early for us! As always, the turkey was brined in onion, garlic, chili, cumin and KICS. If you have never brined your turkey, I highly recommend it. You can find the recipe on the website.

KICS is growing! Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionary has picked us up to sell and serve in their delightful new soda shop. You can find them at 4090 Hastings Street in Burnaby, BC. I am headed out to the valley on Friday to try and find some new vendors for us. I am really looking forward to exploring. So if you are reading this and live out Abbotsford way, let me know of any likely spots to sell KICS.

So that's all for now.  I hope you don't get too many pranks played on you tomorrow!

Its market day tomorrow and it looks like its going to be lovely. As we get closer to spring there is more to choose from all the vendors. Spring greens are starting to appear! Its also time to get to work on your garden. If you are a Port Moody resident, the City has partnered with the police department and the Coquitlam Farmer's Market Society and begun a community garden. Check out the front page story in the Tri City News. http://www.tricitynews.com/community/199436771.html

Hope to see you tomorrow :)

Fresh from the Market Cooking Class

Fresh From the Farmer’s Mkt

Fresh From the Farmer’s Market in April!

Karen Curtis is back and many of you already know her as the Kics Lemonade lady at the Coquitlam Farmer’s Market! Winter is over and as much as I love squash and root vegetables, I can’t wait to sample spring’s delights! Slowly these are coming in season and tonight we’ll feature all that is available. Please join us as Karen shows us some great recipes this evening including:

• Spiced Spring Pea Soup finished with Market Fresh Cheese Curds
Quinoa Cups with Little Qualicum Cheese & Spring Vegetables
• KICS Lemony Shrimp and Asparagus Ricotta Tart
• Slow Roasted Beef Carbonnade featuring Redl’s Beef and fresh herbs from Greendale Herb Farms
• Butterscotch Apple Galette featuring Snowy Mountain Organic Apples

We’re so lucky here in B.C. with all of our agriculture – come and learn what’s in season!

Cost: $55.00 plus HST

Thursday April 25, 2013 * 6:30 – 9:30

Instructor: Karen Curtis

My How Time Flies!

As we gear up for the new market season I have committed myself to keeping this blog current. Of course, it has taken me an hour to figure out how to do that again! Google keeps changing things and when one does not keep up, well...you get the drift :). My other commitment is to figure out (or have my hubby show me) how to link all this social media stuff together so that my tweets and posts and things are all linked. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I am really excited about this upcoming week. I am teaching a new class at Cooks 'n Corks in Coquitlam. This month's menu features Forstbaur Farms grilled beet and quinoa salad, Little Qualicum Cheese baked onion cheese dip, Redl's jambalaya, Port Hardy Seafoods hazelnut crusted sole and Snowy Mountain Organics maple pear parfaits. Most of my ingredients will come from the Port Moody Winter market this sunday. I am temporarily working as the assistant market manager and loving every minute of it.

This new market season will hopefully find me spreading KICS wings and heading out to Abbotsford and into Vancouver to spread KICS joy. In the meantime, you can find me at the Port Moody Rec Centre every other Sunday. And since kale is starting to show up at market, here is a recipe that makes use of it, and KICS of course!

PASTA WITH FRESH KALE AND LEMON

3 Cups                       kale, ribbed and chopped into ribbons

½                                onion, finely chopped

2                                  cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp                                    olive oil

½ c                             KICS Lemonade Syrup

1 cup                          ricotta cheese

8 oz                            pasta

                                    Fresh ground pepper, salt to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl, reserving 2 cups pasta water. While pasta is cooking, sauté  kale, onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until kale is wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Add kale mixture to bowl of pasta. Add KICS  syrup to frying pan, and heat through. Add to pasta, thinning sauce with pasta water as necessary. Season with salt and LOTS of fresh ground pepper.

Serves 4-6