Silk Road Teas

June weekends became work shop weekends.  The first one was a kayaking course on June 12, then two workshops with Silk Roads Tea.  The first tea workshop I attended with my friend Paula to learn how to make tea sodas.  These are like Italian sodas only made with tea syrups rather than flavoured syrups.  The variations are endless, plus one can add rum, vodka or gin. Even white wine with green tea and some sparkling water makes for a refreshing drink with the added benefits of the tea.  All the workshops take place at Silk Roads Teas, are reasonably priced and you get to sit back, relax and taste.  Each workshop you get a print out of the recipes and tea suggestions.  Plus a discount on the purchase of tea to take home to make the recipes.

I've made two syrups since the workshop.  Ginger and Ginseng was the first one. This was a nice ginger syrup that I liked a lot with just club soda.  The second one I made is Vanilla Potion.  Although I used soda water with this one I might try it with a mineral water next time.  Some of the syrups do go better with sparkling mineral water instead.  I like the tea soda rather than the tea sparkler as I like more flavour.  In the tea sparkler less syrup is used. 

The second workshop I attended by myself to learn how to make tea slushies.  These are especially refreshing and were very welcome the past few days during our heat wave. The recipes for the tea slushies are online at the Silk Road Tea website.

I made the Mango slushie with Mango Shade, frozen mango slices, ice and rice milk I had coconut milk but I was saving it for tropical pancakes (another post).

My next tea recipes to try are the tea popsicles. I just received the recipes in my email box this week.

The Salt of Life

Food TV did a reality show of the 100 Mile Diet, the popular book by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon as a challenge to a group of people living in BC.  In one episode I watched as one family boiled sea water to obtain salt.  Not being one to cook with salt I still do like to have it on a ripe organic tomato or in my tomato/cucumber salad and it intrigued me that in accordance with the 100 Mile Diet this family actually boiled the seawater to get some salt.  I wondered if anyone would normally go to such lengths and how much water does it take to get the salt.

It does not really matter.

 Those of us living on Vancouver Island can now have salt as part of the 100 Mile Diet. 

http://www.visaltco.com/

Vancouver Island Salt Co. is located in Cobble Hill, BC, nestled in the beautiful Cowichan Valley. The company was established in January 2010 by Andrew Shepherd. Mr. Shepherd spent more than a decade as a chef, working in top restaurants and catering companies across Canada, South Australia, and an award winning run in New Zealand at Sage Cafe. Vancouver Island Salt Company is excited to be able to add something unique to BC's thriving local food scene, while at the same time offering products that are all natural and sustainable.

I first saw this product at the Centennial Square Farmers Market but now it is carried in several stores.  Just click on the link above to find a list of suppliers.

Jamie Oliver Speaks Out

It is frightening that the next generation will live 10 years less than we will. Why?  Our food, North Americans live in the richest country and yet we are the unhealthiest people.  We should be demanding better food be stocked on the grocery store shelves and we should stop eating and buying the junk.  We are being blind to the so called healthy choices being made for us.  Think Subway is healthy?  Think again, they use High Fructose Corn Syrup in their breads.  Here is Jamie Oliver speaking out against the American diet.