Just because it says it's "Organic" doesn't mean it is...

I read this in City Food Magazine and it struck a cord:

"Truth: In a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid, more than half of Canadians surveyed (57 percent) said they were concerned that the organic products they purchased might not truly be organic. To address this issue, the Canadian Government recently implemented a new Organic Products Regulation which includes the Canada Organic Logo. The logo guarantees that products contain at least 95 per cent organic ingredients."

1. But what does the Canadian Organic logo really mean? It's like an onion skin the more you dig into the facts...

The Canada Organic label states that these substances or procedures are forbidden:

• All materials and products produced from genetic engineering.
• Synthetic pesticides, wood preservatives or other pesticides, except as specified in CAN/CGSB-32.31.
• Fertilizer or composted plant and animal material that contains a prohibited substance.
• Sewage sludge used as a soil amendment.
• Synthetic growth regulators.

That's all well and good, but how many farms are actually subject to surprise inspections to verify compliance? Yes, there are surprise inspections by the Certified Organic Association of BC. Unfortunately, we accept US organic products . In the US, where there are only about 15 inspectors for the whole country, the brand isn't guaranteed to be reliable. Also, with 85% of organic food in Canada being imported, it makes it even harder to judge what to buy at the bloody grocery store. Though, (if you have to and can afford it) you may as well buy organic. You can usually taste the difference.

2. Free range vs Organic labels
Well, it seems that free range, doesn't have any legal requirements. So, unless you've gone to the farm and watched them running about, the chickens could be trapped inside and have the same awful conditions as a factory farm.

Any poultry or livestock labeled 'organic' in BC have legal requirements that must be met. For example, 6 hours a day access to the outside and inspectors that actually check the facilities regularly. So, if you have a heart, go organic instead of free range for your chicken or eggs.

In the end, it all comes down to getting to know your farmers. Sorry folks, I know it's more work. It can be fun and easy though, just go down to your neighbourhood farmers market. This is where you will be guaranteed to find products labelled properly, because the community of farmers polices each other rigorously. Or, Vancouverites, if you don't mind shopping online. Try NowBC Organic Co-op, you can buy whatever you like and it's all organic and local (unless labelled otherwise on the site). List of Farmers Markets in BC.

References:
CBC article on organic regulations
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Consumers Association Article on Organics
http://liberationbc.org/issues/organic
USDA organic label info
Article on USDA organic scandal

Get involved in your community farms:
Growing Chefs - Projects in Urban Agriculture for Children
Farm Folk City Folk

Southern Okanagan Wine snuggles up to Burgundy

Here are my tasting notes for my recent Southern Okanagan wine trip. It blew me away as usual, one of my favourite wine regions in the world and cheaper than most BC wines by a few bucks. The region is similar to Burgundy in it's focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but with much more diversity due to the hot microclimates this desert region affords. Excellent merlot, pinot gris, meritgae and syrah are produced with gusto. A few stand out bottles of Gewurztraminer and a stunning sauvingnon blanc by Le Vieux Pin amazed me. Generally, I would say that they should leave the riesling to the Northern Okanagans cooler climate.

Below is a list of the shining stars of my collection from this trip. If you are going on a trip to this region (and I would recommend you do), hit these wineries for sure, especially, as you can't buy most of them anywhere except at the winery.

A note on 'facing' and soil- wineries gather grapes from different plots throughout the Okanagan, but their 'house grapes' would follow the facing I have listed. Soil types listed are general, specific sites will vary.

The Golden Mile Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - East
-Road 13-
2008 Chardonnay - Solid fruit, very fresh with a nice spicy finish from the finessed oak aging $20
2007 Jackpot Chardonnay - This is a big chardonnay, buttery as hell with balanced acidity, minerality and spice finish $35
2007 Pinot Noir - Cherry pie nose with characteristic pencil shavings, mouth full of delicate currents $23 great buy
2007 Jackson Pinot Noir - Same as above but bigger, more spicy and smooth. $35
2006 Fifth Element - Fine Bordeaux style wine, excellent value for the complexity. $36 & worth it
Syrah - generally high quality syrah with an earthy old world complexity
-Fairview Cellars- - sold out and closed, darn it

The Black Sage Bench
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West
-Burrowing Owl-
2008 Pinot Gris - Light patio sipper with full fruit flavours; apple, pear with honeysuckle to boot. $25
2007 Merlot - A mouthful of earth and spice balanced on a handful of blackberries, caramel finish and light spice makes this one ready to drink. $30
-Le Vieux Pin-
2008 Sauvignon Blanc - Stunningly bold lychee & rose petal nose is reminiscent of a gewurtztraminer. Palette displays a balanced acidity delivering tropical fruit and a surprising minerality. Definitely stood apart from the rest in the valley. $35
2008 Petit Sigma Syrah Rose - A truly unique rose. Strawberries and spice dominates this lovely dry wine. $20

Osoyoos Lake Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West, except for LaStella which is East facing
-Twisted Tree-
One of the most interesting South Okanagan Wineries, they edge their wines towards Spain and the Rhone Valley in France.
2008 Viognier Roussanne - Floral nose followed by a mineral grapefruit finish, really well done Rhone style wine. $20
Syrah - Bouquet of cinnamon, mild pepper, spice and a distinctive Okanagan sage note. Very buttery palette of current, spice and bitter lemon. Tannins are greenish and present, body is medium.
2007 Six Vines - Cassis, blackberry, cherry and dried herb aromas. The palate is broad and sweet showing cherry and cocoa flavors. The tannins are well integrated and fairly soft. The finish is long and smooth.
-Nk Mip- (pronounced Inkimip)
Very affordable, good quality wines in general, lacked the finish of the other wineries in the region.
2007 Pinot Noir - Black pepper, current and earth on the nose. Palette finds light cedar and cherry. Short finish, med+ acid. Amazing value. $20
2006 Merlot - Big fruity wine. Caramel, white pepper and strawberry nose. Green med+ tannins coat the mouth with a cedar brush. Plum and bitter lemon finish.
2006 Syrah - Full red berry, plum and jam notes with cedar box and cracked pepper to create an intriguing balance. Chewy tannins linger on the palate and harmonize with a soft, vanilla finish.
-La Stella-
This was a new find (only a year old) and the sister winery to Le Vieux Pin, showcasing more Italian style wines. They were bit high price straight out of the gate, but good quality and worth a try.
2008 Vivace, Pinot Grigio - Full nose of grapefruit and lychee; apple, flinty, lemon on the palette. A fine wine, but not worth $25
2008 Lastellina Merlot Rosato - Strawberries with a nice mineral bite to the finish. Again, a fine wine, but should be a few dollars cheaper. $25
2006 Allegreto Merlot - Smooth vanilla, blackberry and a dash of cloves on the nose. Mouth of current, cedar and a calming vanilla finish. Slightly green tannins give the wine a nice edge. $38 and worth it

Okanagan Falls Region - I think I'm in love.
Soil - underlain primarily by glacial lake silt
Slope Facing - Mostly West
-Blue Mountain-
This is the pinnacle winery of the Southern Okanagan in my book, and they are very affordable for the quality level. They baby their grapes from start to finish; all vines are solely from their own property. If you love French style wines; gorgeous pinot noir, lovely traditional method sparkling wine, make an appointment and go for a tasting at Blue Mountain.
Brut - Finessed, characteristic pear, almond nose, slight brioche. Palette is tart and refreshing with a lovely toasty finish. $24 !!! This is an amazing price.
2007 Pinot Gris - Light nose of pear followed by a subtle palette of pears and lemons. Lovely minerality, great patio wine. $21
2007 Pinot Noir - This is a classic Pinot. Berry fruit like currents and new strawberries are balanced wisely with notes like pencil shavings, vanilla and a good bout of earth. Excellent value Pinot Noir at $25
-Wild Goose-
If you want a good, dry riesling in the Southern Okanagan, this is your place. This winery is solid across the board, pinot gris to merlot to port style.
2008 Autumn gold - Great fresh and fruity sip some on their licensed patio.$19
2008 Gewurztraminer - Classic dry gewurztraminer with its intense lychee nose with a honeysuckle, apple palette. $19
2008 Pinot Gris - Fruit forward peach, great summer wine. $19
2007 Merlot - Nose of light spice and full berries with an interesting nutty note. Take a sip and you are met with black currents and vanilla, balanced acidity. Loved it at $20
2007 Merlot Reserve - Same as above merlot but more finessed and more plum like fruit. $25
2008 Black Brant - Mouthful of cassis, deep chocolate nose and a smokey finish. We have a WINNER! Especially at $20
-Noble Ridge-
Another favourite winery, you couldn't go wrong with buying any of their wines.
2007 Chardonnay - Siver medal winner in Burgundy, France for the Chardonnay du Monde competition, and rightly so. Crisp and fine with a strong minerality. Amazingly priced at $21
Kings Ransom - This one gave my head a shake; it was almost Spanish in style. Earth and spice dominated with lovely cherry, plum fruit. Smokey, tobacco, current finish, med+ tannins. Outstanding and very age worthy (5yrs min). $65

Small Town Canadian Food makes me Angry

Introducing... the Canuck Puck


WHAT IS WRONG WITH US??? Travel through any small town in Canada, let's say you are starving, you drive down the main strip and choose a restaurant. Unless, maybe, if you are in Quebec with the lovely French Foodies, Nelson or Cowichan Bay(BC) where many hippies live, you are guaranteed, 99% of the time to get this menu..

1. The puck Burger - the patties come in a big frozen box, they are perfectly round and flat as all food should be. Sizzle that grey loaf on the grill, slide one of those gorgeous puppies between a pillowy soft, nutritionally vacant burger bun from Wonderbread and slap on some condiments. Voila - 9 bucks worth of slippery goodness to stick in your throat.
2. Shit pie - Any self respecting diner has a carefully selected assortment of Safeway pies and cakes for your enjoyment. The lardy, soggy crust can be disguised by a dollop of ice cream and the filling is so thick and gelatinous... again with the throat problems.
3. Grill Cheese sandwich - this is the only safe, nostalgic bet you can count on almost anywhere.
4. Clubhouse Sandwich - Another safe bet, but as uninspired as an energy bar.
5. Beef Dip - Our crappy answer to the common Steak Frites in France, possibly.
5. 10 gazillion other menu choices will, I'm sure, be available including; souvlaki, pizza, spaghetti bolognese, hot wings, zucchini strips, onion rings, some include mexi options like quesadillas & fajitas even. More does not = better.

Of course, as a side to any main meal, you have the option of a 'green salad' or french fries. The 'green salad' is strangely, always, head lettuce with brown spots, 3 thin slices of radish, a few shreds of purple cabbage and one 1/4 slice of a mealy field tomato, dressed with your choice of Kraft dressings. Then, enjoy some soggy previously freezer packed french fries that taste like compact sawdust, coat liberally with ketchup to drown your sorrows.

Why am I so mad? On a recent kayaking trip, we ended up staying a night in Powell River which is an old and dying logging town up the coast of British Columbia, we ate at Granada's Greek Restaurant among others. I was fuming; the rice was undercooked pellets, the fish was over battered, the fries were soggy. The portions were huge and the price... nearing $20 for a meal, INSANE! Give me a teaspoon of goodness vs a bucket of slop, please, it'll keep our country out of the US diabetes spiral. If you have taste buds, it is possible to understand how to make truly satisfying if not great food. Why don't our small towns know good from shite? Walk into most Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican villages, even the poorest farmer out in the sticks knows how to cook simply and most of the time stunningly. We all have historical roots in places that have long heritages of understanding what makes the palette sing. It calms the mind and soul to eat good food. I have been forced to eat(cause you can't call it dining) in many of these types of restaurants in my travels through BC and across Canada. It seems, we have lost our adoration, and therefore, understanding of the simple and frequent pleasure of eating.

Okay here comes the preachy, crazed hippy part...I believe, that the industrialized, corporate food system has been mostly to blame. They've brainwashed our whole country into thinking that food should be cheap, fast and hit, not the flavour bell, but the salty, sugary, fatty basics of human craving... GONG. We all have decided that cars & Ikea(to name a few) are worthy of spending our big cash on. The wonders of fresh salsa, homemade bread and slow cooked lamb don't grace our thoughts anymore. Unfortunately, our health and our farmers are paying for our misguided judgement.

There may be a light in the tunnel of our ovens across the country. The move of many big grocery store chains(even in non-central cities like Kelowna, BC) to organic , local products is huge. I'm praying the trickle down effect will influence the surrounding smaller towns with time. Other than that, I have two small pieces of advice for Canada...

1. If you have the cash, pay more for good food at the grocery store, buy local or organic and you will taste the difference. Buy less meat to offset the cost, you don't need to eat it everyday! Keep the trend moving, talk about it.

2. If you move to a small town and are a foodie... open a good restaurant! You'll make a mint and save me from the loonie bin.

Check out the film, Food Inc. if you are interested in knowing more about the North American food system. It's a great movie.