FarmFolk CityFolk Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields Recap

Follow Me Foodie to Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields

A recap of the 19th Annual FarmFolk CityFolk’s Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields!

Sunday, September 8, 2013 was the 19th Annual Metro Vancouver’s FarmFolk CityFolk Feast of Fields at Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery in Langley, BC. From 1 – 5 pm attendees wandered around the farm wining and dining with a wine glass and cloth napkin in hand. They met with chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, winemakers, food producers, food processors and local farmers to celebrate local ingredients, products and cuisine.

I attended the event last year (see here) which was held at Golden Ears Cheesecrafters in Maple Ridge, BC. This was the second year Krause Berry Farms has hosted the event and it’s one of my favourite farms, let alone venues, for events of this nature. It is a community based event highlighting edible BC and I admire the incentives of FarmFolk CityFolk to build a sustainable and local food movement.

On the other hand I also wrote about my thoughts on the “eat local” movement (pros and cons), and I am an advocate of ethnic dining and quality products which can be found both locally and globally. I still support events promoting healthy and sustainable farming practices and Feast of Fields provides an excellent opportunity to meet the farmers and chefs using their ingredients.

Last year there was more representation from bigger restaurants and more meat and seafood options, and this year was more vegetarian and gluten free friendly. The event was open to all ages in the past, but unfortunately this year was only 19+. Due to strict BC liquor laws they decided to make it an adults only event which was bittersweet. It was rewarding to see children connecting with their food and farmers last year, but regardless the farm is still a great family attraction to visit.

Partial proceeds from the event go toward a zero-interest Micro loan program (partnered with Vancity) for food producers and food processors.

Musical performances by: Coldwater Road, Scott Perrie and Wheely Slow Cooking Tour

**My highlights at Feast of Fields 2013: Fable’s Heirlooms from Urban Digs Farm with ricotta & tomato essence, SEASONAL 56 pork belly sliders, Fairmont Waterfront’s head cheese (see recipe here), Pidgin’s duck liver parfait, Bella Gelateria’s Strawberry & Peruvian Lime Sorbetto, and Vista D’oro’s sangria.

Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery – Being the venue sponsors for the event, they went all out with their table. They featured farm fresh grilled corn on the cob, potato and corn rosti with red beet, bacon and goat cheese, and a sampling of their fruit wines from their brand new Krause Berry Farms winery.

The winery was built this year and it is an extension of the Krause Berry Farms retail store.

Forage – Home made Glorious Organics pickled vegetables

Pier 7 Restaurant – Cold smoked albacore tuna and heirloom tomatoes on crostini

Chicha Restaurant – Organic Ocean BBQ salmon sliders with red onion

The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn – It was some sort of beet gelée with goat cheese powder. See my post on The Point in Tofino, BC here.

**Fable – Heirlooms from Urban Digs Farm with ricotta & tomato essence and vodka consomme. I could have had a few of these.

ORU Cuisine at the Fairmont Pacific Rim – This had the longest line due to the self-serve smorgasbord of charcuterie and house made condiments. They had the onsite meat slicer, pistachio mortadella, Sloping Hills lardo, duck prosciutto, pancetta and guanciale. All these products are available at Giovane Cafe + Wine Bar’s “The Market” at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The specialty shop features premium imported Italian products as well as local artisan products.

Aphrodites Organic Cafe & Pie Shop – Cucumber rolled with creamy goat’s cheese and cherry tomatoes

Choices Markets – Wild Pacific Coho & Myers Farm Kale Salad on Choices Multi-grain Bun

**SEASONAL 56 – Pork belly slider, bacon-beer jam, blue cheese slaw, house challah bun and potato confit. Everything at Seasonal 56 restaurant in Langley, BC is made in house and even the flour they use is from Anita’s Organic Grain & Flour Mill from Chilliwack, BC. See my post on their Gumboot dinner here.

Prestons at the Coast Hotel – Rossdown Farms Chicken Drummettes, Maple Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Cornbread Waffles with Qualicum Blue Cheese. This was a great idea in theory, but challenging to eat.

**Pidgin Restaurant – Duck liver parfait with I think apricot chutney. A very rich bite.

Graze Restaurant – Hazelnut tuile with a garlic, tomato, kale confit (vegetarian and gluten free)

Cadeaux Bakery – Danishes and Blueberry Scones

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company – Country Harvest pizza with corn, zucchini, and nut-free Pesto

Terra Breads – S’mores made with house made pecan fruit crisps and Stout beer marshmallows

Chef Ann Kirsebom’s Gourmet Sauces/BBQ Ltd – Profiteroles with Callebaut & Grand Marnier Ganache, Canadian Hazelnut Inc. organic roasted hazelnuts, and Krause Berry Farms’ fruits.

**Fairmont Waterfront Hotel – Head cheese and pickled radish, apple, and Waterfront Stinger Beer dressing made with local honey from their honey bee farm. Another one of my favourites – I’m not sure if this or the duck liver parfait from Pidgin was the richer bite. See – Chef Dana Hauser’s head cheese recipe.

Whole Foods Market – Cured Salmon, orange juniper Bittered Sling, apple-fennel slaw on a corn pancake

Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps & Salt Spring Island Cheese

Vista D’oro Farms & Winery – Grilled cheese sandwiches with their Heirloom Tomato & Chile jam and a killer sangria made with their award winning fortified walnut wine. It sounds a bit of a waste to use their quality walnut wine for a sangria, but it was a fantastic sangria. It turns out you can order it for catered events.

**Bella Gelateria – Krause Berry Farm Strawberries & Peruvian Lime Sorbetto. A classic favourite for Vancouverites.

Gretchen’s Here and Now – Road Trip Bars made with flour, dark chocolate chips, oats, peanut butter, vegan shortening, brown sugar, sugar, free range eggs, pure vanilla, baking soda, and sea salt. They recommended wrapping a fresh mint leaf around it which was a new way to enjoy a granola bar for me. It was a play with mint and chocolate. The granola bar was similar to a soft baked cake-cookie and I really took one for the road trip home… or to my dinner after this.

Participating wineries and drink vendors: 8th Generation Vineyard, Artisan Food and Beverage Group Inc., Backyard Vineyards, Blasted Church Vineyards, Bremner Foods, Chaberton Estate Winery, Domaine de Chaberton Estate Winery, Driftwood Brewery, Fort Berens Estate Winery, Four Winds Brewing, Granville Island Brewery, Gray Monk Estate Winery, Hoyne Brewing, Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery, Left Field Cider Co., Long Table Distillery Ltd., Lotusland Vineyards, Namasthé Tea Co., Peacock & Martin Wine Merchants, Pemberton Distillery, Phillips Brewing Co., Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery and Squeezed Wines, R&B Brewing, Salt Spring Coffee, Siren’s Call Winery, Tealeaves, The Mission Springs Brewing Company, The View Winery & Wards Cidery, Township 7 Winery, Vino Allegro, Wellbrook Winery