While most of our gardens have been sleeping under snow, or leaves, or other forms of mulch, industrious farmers on the Saanich Peninsula have been very busy in their greenhouses, and so has Angeline Street of Brambles Market in Courtenay, who drove all the way down island to pick up the fresh produce and put it up for sale at Brambles. We're talking first week of March, here, and I came home with a bunch of greener than green, fragrant arugula, sharp radishes, baby carrots and baby bok choy. I could also have loaded up my basket with leeks, leaf lettuce, chard and small white turnips, complete with their glorious, edible green tops.
I'm featuring Brambles in the next issue of Aqua magazine, and will post that link when it is published. But do yourself a favour and if you are anywhere near the Comox Valley, make sure you stop in at Brambles, where Angeline and her husband, Chef James Street, have stocked a bright and airy shop entirely with foods produced in British Columbia. James makes fresh sausages from locally raised meats and those are going on the barbecue tonight for dinner.
Ramona made a most excellent arugula salad last night, and we savoured every bite! I simply steamed the baby bok choy for a few minutes and added a splash of soy sauce to serve. Nom, nom, nom!
Very Very visually appealing…great presentation