Next pick-up: Wednesday, Jul 16 | Order by Saturday, Jul 19 for pick-up on Wednesday, Jul 23
Next pick-up: Wednesday, Jul 16 | Order by Saturday, Jul 19 for pick-up on Wednesday, Jul 23
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July 16, 2025 – Good Food Box Newsletter

by | Jul 15, 2025 | news | 0 comments

What's in your bag?

BC Only: *North Star Organics short cukes, blueberries, *Littlest Acre org. Lacinato kale, *Michell’s Romaine & zucchini, *Plot Market Garden org. cherry tomatoes and orange pepper
Cultural: *Michell’s zucchini and Romaine, *North Star Organics Beefsteak orange tomato and blueberries, Island West oranges, BC orange pepper, *Giving Garden org. collard greens, mint, garlic, bananas
Staples: Russet potatoes, carrots, oranges, org. pear, Cosmic apples, bananas, orange pepper, *Plot Market Garden org. cherry tomatoes
Standard Plus: Russet potato, carrots, Cosmic apple, banana, *North Star Organics cukes, Beefsteak orange tomato, *Michell’s zucchini, Island West Symphony tomatoes, *Giving Garden org. mint, collard greens, garlic, Littlest Acre org. Lacinato kale, *Mason Street Farm mixed lettuce.
Standard: carrots, Cosmic apples, oranges, *Gatton Farm org. cabbage, *Michell’s zucchini, *Island West Symphony tomatoes, cherries, *Littlest Acre org. Lacinato kale, *North Star Organics Beefsteak orange tomato
 Sustainable: *North Star Organics Rainbow carrot bunch, cucumber, Beefsteak orange tomato, org. peach & pear *Giving Garden org. garlic, collard greens, mint, *Littlest Acre org. Lacinato kale & Friese head, Mason Street Farm org. mixed lettuce
Fruit: *North Star Organics blueberries, org. peach, org. pears, cherries, mango

Wet Weather Reminder

Don’t forget to bring along your reusable grocery bags or totes to avoid the soggy demise of our paper bags if you’ll be hitting the elements on the way home. Even just getting to the car during this soggy season could be lethal for yourproduce — we want it to make it all the way home — not playing a game of 10 pin on the sidewalk!

Feature Farmers this week

Plot Market Garden

Having grown from 1/4 Acre to 2 acres over two locations, The Plot Market Garden’s goal is to produce delicious, quality produce, grown with love, using regenerative practices. This week they’re supplying the BC Only bags with cherry tomatoes.

NorthStar Organics

Northstar Organics grows certified organic fruit and vegetables on our 10 acre farm in Central Saanich. We specialize in greenhouse vegetables; tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cucumbers as well as blueberries, and year-around greens such as kale, chard, and fresh salad mixes. Seasonally available from our fields are a wide variety of vegetables such as peas, beans, squash, broccoli, zucchini, carrots and beets.

This week they’re filling our bags with orange beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, and blueberries.

Littlest Acres Organics

This small farm with a big heart is supplying bags with organic kale this week

Try Cooking Classy’s quick and easy, no cook (a joy on these hot days)refreshing salad You’ll find the recipe here.

 

Weeknight dinners just got an upgrade! Takeout-inspired recipes the whole family will love 💕

Ingredients
1. Egg Roll in a Bowl
1½ pounds ground beef
1 large onion, diced finely
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ cup carrots, peeled and finely shredded
16 ounces coleslaw mix
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ to ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
green onions, optional garnish

2. Sushi Bowl
2 cups sushi rice cooked according to package directions to yield 4 cups cooked
¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
8 ounces imitation crab chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 cup cucumber diced into ¼ inch pieces (1 small cucumber)
1 cup Haas avocados diced into ¼ inch pieces (2 small Haas avocados)
½ cup matchstick cut carrots
0.17 ounces roasted seaweed snacks or 1 nori wrap sheet, chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

3. Beef Bowl
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely diced sweet yellow onion (you can substitute yellow onion)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1 pound lean ground beef, 90/10 or 80/20
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, adjust to how ever spicy you like
½ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, optional
17.3 ounces Jasmine rice (I used Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. You can substitute boil-in-bag rice, Minute rice or Great Value instant rice. You can also use leftover takeout rice)

Optional Garnish
toasted sesame seeds
thinly sliced green onions

Find the recipes here:

Cucumber Blueberry Feta Salad: You get hydration, crunch and delicious all in one bowl, not to mention versatility. You can toss it with basil or mint, maybe even thyme.

Find the recipe here.

 

Couscous Tabouli Bowl with Whipped Feta Clouds

Ingredients:
For the Couscous Tabouli:

1 cup couscous

1 cup boiling water or vegetable broth

1 cup chopped parsley

½ cup diced cucumber

½ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt & black pepper to taste

For the Whipped Feta Clouds:

½ cup feta cheese

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon zest

Optional: 1 small garlic clove, minced

Directions:
In a bowl, combine couscous with boiling water or broth. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

Add parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and red onion to the cooled couscous.

Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

In a food processor, blend feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic (if using) until smooth and fluffy.

Spoon tabouli into serving bowls and top with dollops of whipped feta “clouds.”

Garnish with extra herbs or a drizzle of olive oil, and serve chilled or at room temp.

Recipe found here.

This gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake is dangerously good… like, “had to hide it from myself” good 😅
Recipe I used: https://healthline-store.com/gluten-free-chocolate-zucchini-cake/
Soft, rich, and secretly packed with veggies!

Get Growing!

We need help with our #getgrowing summer seedling giveaway!
Drinks & snacks available to volunteers, as well as first dibs on seedlings 🌱
Want to help or find out more? Reach out to jesse@fernwoodnrg.ca
Build your confidence pruning fruit trees this summer with our hands on workshop! Join Tim Fryatt on Sunday, July 27th from 10-1pm at Fernwood Neighbourhood House.
This workshop will be partly inside & partly outside in our community orchard. Please dress appropriately. Tools will be provided but if you have your own, feel free to bring them!
Pre-registration required. Signup through the link in our bio 🌳
Here are 9 crops that NEED pruning to produce more, along with why and what to prune for each:
1. Tomatoes
→ Why: Pruning improves airflow, reduces disease, and channels energy into fruit.
→ Prune: Suckers (the shoots that grow between stem and branch), lower yellowing leaves.
2. Peppers (Bell & Chili)
→ Why: Encourages branching and better fruit set.
→ Prune: Top of young plants (pinch at 6–8 inches tall) and any overcrowded inner leaves later.
3. Eggplants
→ Why: Fewer but larger fruits, better airflow.
→ Prune: Bottom leaves, side shoots, and suckers once fruits start developing.
4. Grapevines
→ Why: Heavy pruning = better quality grapes.
→ Prune: In winter, cut back 90% of old growth, leaving 1–2 main canes per vine.
5. Strawberries (June-bearing)
→ Why: Controls runner spread and strengthens crowns.
→ Prune: Runners after harvest, old leaves in fall or early spring.
6. Cucumbers (especially in small spaces or vertical)
→ Why: Promotes airflow and fruit development.
→ Prune: Lower leaves, side shoots below first 5–7 nodes.
7. Pole Beans
→ Why: Redirects energy into pods, especially in dense growth.
→ Prune: Top growth when plants reach top of trellis; thin crowded vines.
8. Fruit Trees (like peach, apple, fig)
→ Why: Shapes the tree, boosts sunlight to fruit, prevents disease.
→ Prune: In dormant season, remove crossing branches and weak stems.
9. Basil (and other herbs like mint, oregano)
→ Why: Keeps plant from flowering, promotes more leaf growth.
→ Prune: Pinch off flower buds and top few inches regularly.
Garden Success Tips found here.
The Victoria Compost Education Centre are accepting samples for heavy metal soil testing until September 30th! Check out the link for the sampling protocol below 🪱🌱🤓

Talk about keeping your ice cream local!

More delicious produce heading to @coldcomforticecreamcompany for ice cream!! 🍦🍦 Courtesy of Victoria Compost Education Centre. 

Did you know this will be the last summer Cold Comfort Ice Cream will be in Fernwood? They’re MOVING to Rock Bay, and of course, they’ll stay in Cook Street Village. All is not lost. Read more about the move here.

Like coffee? You’re going to love this free webinar!
During this talk, Bird Friendly Program Manager Kirstin Hill will describe the link between coffee and conservation, discuss what makes Bird Friendly certification the gold-standard in biodiversity protection, and share ways Bird Friendly Cities to join the movement to “Drink Bird Friendly.” Your coffee is stronger than you think!
Attendees will get a discount code for AVIA Coffee – Smithsonian Certified Bird Friendly of course.
Register for this free webinar here.

Connecting in Community

Come join in on the fun. Each week you’ll learn all the notes you’ll need for a new song. If you want to start as the weeks go along, no problem, you’ll learn everything you need to know in that class and for the song that will be covered that week. It’s a blast.

 

Learn more about what Sunflower Music School has to offer from groups to private lessons, teaching ukulele, guitar or bass at Sunflowermusicschool.ca

Join us in the First Met Courtyard at 1701 Quadra Street (right next to Vinyl Envy) for two fun, creative afternoons in July:
Marker Tie Dye
Learn an easy DIY technique using markers to create your own tie-dye masterpiece. All materials provided—just bring your own item of clothing to dye!
Sunday, July 20 | 2–4 PM
Reconciliation Theatre will be sharing the stage with a short (about 30 mins) Indigenous Production out of Victoria titled “Gold”. They will perform before The Boy in the Treehouse on Friday, July 25 and Sunday, July 27.
The Boy in the Treehouse
Simon, a Canadian kid with an Anishinaabe mom and a European dad, seeks solace in his treehouse as he navigates questions of identity, family, and cultural heritage. Drew Hayden Taylor’s signature wit and warmth make this a must-see for all ages—a story about roots, resilience, and the joy of growing up.
GOLD
This interpretive theatrical production, performed through contemporary dance in evocative pantomime, is loosely based on a true story about the infamous Giant Mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, on Dënéndeh lands of the Dene. Dene means flowing from earth and Dënéndeh means land of the people in the Dene language.
More information about these productions and tickets can be found on our website at www.langhamtheatre.ca

BC Aviation Museum Open House Hangar Fest

The British Columbia Aviation Museum is  so excited to announce that this years Open House (Hangar Fest) will be August 23 & 24 weekend! This annual admission by donation event does not just showcase the BC Aviation Museum, but our countless other community partners. Come by to see displays from other museums, community organizations, parachuters and food trucks! It is sure to be fun for the whole family. There will be more updates to come!
Special thanks to Heath Moffatt for the photograph for this years poster. This image is from the Hawaii Mars final flight on August 11th 2024.