Good Food Box Newsletter – July 23, 2025
What's in your bags?
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!
Check out our summer abundance deals
Feature Farmers this week!
Your bags are filled with local produce this week. In fact, the sustainable and BC only are a bonanza of local deliciousness. North Star Organics is providing blueberries, basil, eggplants; Farm Folk is providing collard greens and cilantro, Michell’s is sharing Romaine, corn and carrots, Littlest Acre is providing Lacinato kale and Mason Street Farms it’s fresh picked mixed greens. Fire up the BBQ and pull out the salad bowl. What a week for delicious fresh from the hood produce!
Grilled Eggplant Salad with Plot Market Garden’s cherry tomatoes, feta and North Star Organics basil. This dish is full of flavour. If you think you don’t like eggplant, try it grilled. It changes the flavour profile.
Find the recipe from Kaln’s Kitchen here.
Blueberry Basil Bruschetta
This simple appetizer will become a summer favourite. Honey melds perfectly with goat cheese, as do blueberries and basil. If you don’t have goat cheese, substitute it with Boursin. Did you know Bourisin has a vegan alternative. I’ve seen it a few places around town but Costco has been the best bang for buck.
Find Kudos Kitchen by Renee here.
Blueberry Basil Salad Dressing
This dressing is fantastic on salad but don’t stop there, try it on grilled chicken or grilled chicken in a wrap with greens and corn kernels cut fresh off the cob.
Find Stephanies Dish recipe here.
Blushing Berries & Greens Smoothie - Using your collard greens!
You can use your collard greens or your kale in this recipe. You can mix and match your berries too in this flexible nutrition packed smoothie. Experiment and find the combination you love. The author of this recipe shares that they find collard greens have less bite to them than kale. Let us know what you decide.
Find the Vegan Atlas recipe here.
Do you follow us on social media?
Check out this video recipe for Congri collard green wraps here.
Find our social media contacts on our webpage for other recipes and news.
Let's Get Growing.
Summer Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
Get Growing Seedling Distribution
Come join us at Fernwood NRG and pick your winter garden seedlings. Seniors and those with accessibility needs start from 2-3, everyone else starts at 3 pm. We’re looking forward to seeing you.
Check out the other distribution locations and dates here: www.victoria.ca/parks-recreation/growing-city/get-growing-victoria
Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture Integrated Pest Management Workshop
Integrated Pest Management Workshop at Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture: Tuesday, July 29th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Learn how to identify different pests and beneficial insects, understand where to look and when, and distinguish between pests, disease, and environmental damage. This includes covering effective scouting techniques, providing handouts, and discussing management tools to help you protect your crops.
Lena Syrovy (MSc), of Applied Bio-nomics, will be facilitating this workshop.
Dinner is included.
Register today at the link in our bio or on Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/ipm-workshop
Connecting in Community
Wildfire Preparedness - Free Workshop
Want to learn how to prepare for a Wildfire Emergency?
Join us for a FREE workshop on Wildfire Preparedness on Wednesday July 30 at 6:00pm at the View Royal Fire Department (333 Island Highway).
Learn about what to do before, during and after a wildfire emergency.
EVENT DETAILS Wednesday July 30
6:00pm – 7:30pm
View Royal Fire Department (333 Island Highway)
Email firesmart@viewroyal.ca or call 250.479.7322 to register.
Fire Danger Rating in the South Island is currently at EXTREME. Take action today to learn how to prepare for a wildfire emergency.
For more information on the View Royal FireSmart Program and to book a free FireSmart Home Assessment visit: www.viewroyal.ca/firesmart
——————— www.viewroyal.ca/firesmart
250.479.7322
firesmart@viewroyal.ca
Spinnaker's Let's Talk
Connection starts with one conversation.
Are you looking to meet new people, share stories, and enjoy a relaxed chat in a welcoming space?
Join us for an hour of platonic conversation with new people. Whether you come solo or with a friend, this is a low-pressure way to meet others and share stories, ideas, or a good laugh.
Come by Spinnakers Brewpub any Tuesday afternoon from July 8 through August 26 between 12PM and 1PM with chats lasting until 2PM. Sit with one other person or a small group – up to 4, and chat away.
We’ll provide conversation prompts to get things flowing, but where the chat goes is totally up to you. No speeches, no networking pressure – just real people, real talk, and the potential to make a new friend (or two).
Everyone is welcome, come find your community!
Building community one conversation at a time.
Register each week here.
Save the date – The next repair café is August 2nd from 2-5pm at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association