Here you will find news and updates about what’s new at Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts!
Customer Appreciation Day!
Join us for Customer Appreciation Day on November 15th from 10am to 7pm. Come and enjoy a cup of hot mulled cider and lots of tasty samples.
Receive 15% off all day long on all Snowdon House Products
Thank you for supporting Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts
“When Unique Really Matters”
Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts Ltd. 1890 Mills Road North Saanich
Granville Island Public Market – September 2016
Unfortunately we will not be at the Granville Island Public Market this month. Check back soon for news regarding our scheduling for the coming months or like us on Facebook for up-to-date information regarding all of the markets that we attend.
CFAX Interview with Adam Stirling
August 16, 2016
We had the pleasure of being a part of an interview with Adam Stirling on CFAX this morning- take a listen from 8:20 onwards to learn more about the farm and the North Saanich Flavour Trail which is happening this weekend!
Flavour Trail Video
August 14, 2016
Check out this video explaining more about Snowdon House as well as what to look forward to this weekend at the North Saanich Flavour Trail!
Island Entrepreneur Creates New Line of Vinegar Products from Douglas Fir Trees
June 21, 2016
Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts was recently featured on Chek News – here is a link to the article:
Laura Waters of Snowdon House Farm in North Saanich brings an age old idea into the 21st century. Waters is producing fir-essence infused vinegars ideal for salads blended with flavours like apricot, Arctic kiwi, blackberry and many others. Also Douglas Firessence, a sparkling, effervescent, non-alcoholic beverage made from locally grown Douglas Fir trees with a shot of vinegar. …
Source: Island entrepreneur creates new line of vinegar products from Douglas fir trees
CBC Interview
June 15, 2016
We are excited to announce that Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts has been featured on CBC’s North by Northwest, hosted by Sheryl MacKay. To listen to the interview, which originally aired on June 11, 2016, see the link below:
Events During June
June 15, 2016
Come join us at the following events during June – they are all rain or shine and we will be handing out samples for everyone to enjoy:
THURSDAYS: Sidney Street Market
Beacon Avenue, Sidney BC
SATURDAYS: James Bay Community Market
On the corner of Menzies and Superior, Downtown Victoria
SUNDAYS: Breakwater Market
At the Breakwater at Ogden Point
Saturday, April 23, 2016 10-5pm
If you are a foodie on the hunt for something original and local, come gather at the farm and celebrate the Douglas Fir Harvest. We will be sampling our unique Douglas Fir collection of farm-made products using our own Douglas Fir. Enjoy the delicacies of the Fir Harvest featuring samples such as Douglas Fir Bread with Cream Cheese, Gossip Fir Chutney – Strawberry & Fir Infused Vinegar reduction with cream puffs – Sparkling Douglas Fir
April 12, 2016
Douglas Fir Harvest Celebration
Saturday, April 23, 2016 10-5pm
If you are a foodie on the hunt for something original and local, come gather at the farm and celebrate the Douglas Fir Harvest. We will be sampling our unique Douglas Fir collection of farm-made products using our own Douglas Fir. Enjoy the delicacies of the Fir Harvest featuring samples such as Douglas Fir Bread with Cream Cheese, Gossip Fir Chutney – Strawberry & Fir Infused Vinegar reduction with cream puffs – Sparkling Douglas Fir Essence- Douglas Fir Sorbet & so much more.!
Follow the Pat Bay highway signs to the Farm 1890 Mills Road North Saanich
Complimentary Cooking Explorations for April 20th and 27th are Full
Complimentary Cooking Explorations Wednesday, May 18th 2016 1-2:30pm.
Come to the farmhouse for the fourth in our series of complimentary cooking explorations featuring our dips and Westcoast Bread.
- Popeye’s Passions, Yam & Curry and Onion & Garlic Dip with Westcoast Bread
- Sweet Potatoes topped with Yam & Curry dip with ground pork, lettuce and cilantro.
- Roasted beet Sandwiches (Westcoast Bread) & Onion & Garlic goat cheese.
- Tomato & Zucchini Stacks with spinach, veggies & Ricotta Cheese.
Please register by emailing: info@snowdonhouse.ca or call 250-658-3419 by May 15th.
Max 12 people.
Come Cook With Us!
Date: Wednesday, February 24 Time: 1 to 2 pm
Come gather at the farmhouse for the first in our series of complimentary cooking explorations featuring Snowdon House products.
Discover how to make Hummus and Calzone using our Curried Lentil Soup and Tomato Basil Beer Bread mixes.
Register by emailing info@snowdonhouse.ca or call 250-658-3419
Maximum 15
Happy New Year!
December 29, 2015
Perfect for a New Years toast!
Our Douglas FirEssence is a sparkling, effervescent, non-alcoholic beverage made from Douglas Fir Trees. It exhibits floral aromas, with pepper notes and a hint of lemon. It is wonderful in cocktails!
To make a cocktail, mix 1-2 oz of your choice of spirits, Vodka or gin, with our Douglas FirEssence. Add a dash of your favourite bitters to take it up a notch
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2015
Hope you’re enjoying your family and friends this evening
Stocking Stuffer Ideas
December 22, 2015
Stocking Stuffer Ideas from $2.50 – $6.50
Gourmet delights, bath, and stationary products
We’re open today and Wednesday from 10am – 5pm, and closing at 2pm on Thursday. We’re reopening on December 29th 10am – 5pm.
Product Sampling at Red Barn
December 19, 2015
Sunday December 20: Red Barn West Saanich 11am – 3pm or Visit the Farm 10am-5pm
We will be sampling our soups, vinegars, and breads at Red Barn Market’s West Saanich location. Stop by 5550 West Saanich Road tomorrow between 11am and 3pm to try our soups, breads, and vinegars. Or come stop by for a visit at the farm. We’ll be sampling vinegars, soups, breads, brie toppers, our dips, cheese pate, and mulling spice in our shop. We are located at 1890 Mills Rd., North Saanich.
Samples at the Farm & Gift Ideas
December 18, 2015
Reminder: Saturday and Sunday we’re open 10am-5pm and we will be sampling both days
Cheese Pate Hors-d’oeuvre Platter: Our Cheese Pate Hors-d’oeuvre Platter makes entertaining a breeze. Simply combine Snowdon House Cheese Pate Mix with cream cheese and butter to make a delectable cheese pate, and serve with crackers or baguette on our appetizer board. This appetizer board is handmade in Victoria, B.C. with Western Red Cedar. Western Red Cedar is found along the northwest coast of Oregon, British Columbia, and into Alaska.
- Gift wrapped with cheese pate mix, knife, and board. $20.
- Also available in sets of four 4/$28
Life-Saver Gift Set
December 17, 2015
The perfect hostess gift for a holiday party. Pull this out of your cupboard and you have a variety of scrumptious, easy-to-make appetizers. Each gift package contains beautifully boxed Cheese Pate Mix, Onion Garlic Dip, Salsa Anytime, Seafood Rub, and Mulling Spices.
Gift Wrapped Vinegar Sets
Available in Cranberry & Rosemary Infused Vinegar and Douglas Fir Infused Vinegar in 100mL bottles. Perfect for travelling. You can take them in your hand luggage. Special Pricing 2 for $15. Regularly $10 each.
This coming weekend, visit the farm shop for Sampling Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the regular Saturday opening, the shop at the farm will be open on Sunday, December 20th from 10 am to 5 pm.
Come join us for a hot drink and sample our delicious soups, breads, dips, vinegars, brie toppers and sparkling firessence.
We’re Ready for Christmas
December 16, 2015
Birch branches were gathered after the massive storm covered the lawn and were fashioned into a unique, wispy wreath. Decorated with Cardoons, Norway Spruce Cones and a simple bow. Visit us at the farm shop 1890 Mills Rd. We’re open Tuesday – Saturday, with a special opening on Sunday December 20th, 10am – 5pm.
Sampling Saturdays
December 8, 2015
Just in time for Christmas, we’ll be offering free samples of our delicious fruit infused vinegars, soups, breads, dips and sparking “firessence”.
Bountiful Harvest
September 6, 2015
Pounds of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and lemon verbena.
2015 Flavour Trail
August 29, 2015
What a wonderful weekend for the 2015 North Saanich Flavour Trail!
Between 500 and 600 people came to the farm from far and wide. They enjoyed samples, tours of our gardens, and a visit in our shop. Laura toured our guests through the gardens and described the variety of edible flowers in the gardens, and how to use them to cook and decorate food with. We had samples of our Garden Vegetable & Barley Soup, Split Pea, Ginger Coconut Dahl, Mulligatawny, Quinoa & Sweet Potato, and Curried Lentil Soup. Our cider breads and beer breads were baked and we sampled our brie toppers in wonton wrappers with brie. Many people were first time visitors.
Thank you from Laura and the Snowdon House team we look forward to seeing you again.
Visit http://www.nuttycake.com/Vault/Events/Flavour-Trails-Aug-2015/Snowdon-House/ to view a collection of photos from the weekend taken by Nuttycake Photography.
Tomato Sauce to die for!
August 19, 2015
A combination of cherry, beef steak, roma, marzano tomatoes, purple basil, red onions, zucchini, parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, and garlic, all fresh from the garden. Roasted in olive oil and infused with thyme vinegar and slow roasted for 6 hours at 200 degrees. Homemade pizzas were made with this yummy sauce and the rest was frozen.
The Fruits of our Labour
August 14, 2015
After hours of dedication to the flowers and gardens, the bees have rewarded us with a bountiful crop of honey. Yesterday ten frames of honey were harvested. Soon to be extracted, bottled, and available for sale. And more to be harvested later!
Our West Coast Bread is ready to enjoy!
August 8, 2015
The Douglas Fir Tips used in this bread paired with our FirEssence or soda is a truly West Coast original. The Douglas Fir tips are packed with vitamin C and electrolytes.
To make the West Coast Bread, simply add a 341 mL bottle of our FirEssence or soda, mix, and bake at 375 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes. Serve Warm!
Coming this Summer: Salsa Anytime
July 22, 2015
A convenient blend of dried garden vegetables. Easy to make, just add water and vinegar, and it rehydrates in two hours. The longer it sits, the better it gets. Salsa Anytime has a bit of a bite to provide a flavourful addition to any dish. Makes a simple spaghetti sauce when camping.
Lavender Vinegar
June 30, 2015
Lavandula angustifolia
“The gauzy gray-green foliage, graceful violet spikes, and above all, unequalled perfume make lavender a shameless seducer. Its fragrance is both invigorating and sedating and one of the great pleasures of the herb garden.”
The most common variety of lavender is English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, which grows to between two and three feet, with one-and-a-half-inch flower spikes on eight-inch stems.
Come try our breathtaking vinegar! Soon to be added to our Essence Collection. A non-alcoholic champagne style bubble.
Quote and information retrieved from the Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld.
Kale Crop
June 24, 2015
Our Kale crop is so bountiful that anyone who visits the house goes home with some! The germination rate and crop yield of the 4 Kale Mix from Salt Spring Seeds has been exceptional!
“A mix of our 4 favourite kales: Red Russian, White Russian, Laurel’s Frilly and Rainbow Lacinato. Easy to care for and extremely winter hardy. Delicious and nutritious in winter salads or steamed.”
Retrieved from: http://www.saltspringseeds.com/products/4-kale-mix-b-oleracea-napus
Kale Salad Recipe:
½ cup of coarsely chopped toasted pecans
2 bunches of chopped kale
4-5 thinly sliced radishes
½ cup of coarsely chopped cranberries
1 chopped Granny Smith apple
2 ounces of soft goat cheese
Dressing: 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 ½ Tablespoons of Snowdon House Fruit Infused Vinegar
Vinegar: 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoon of honey
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Toss kale, radishes, cranberries, pecans and apple in a large bowl. Crumble goat cheese over the top. In a small bowl, whisk Snowdon House Fruit Infused Vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey & salt and pepper. Drizzle over kale mixture and serve. Serves 4-6.
Summer Salad Recipe
June 23, 2015
Amaranth & Mango Salad
1/2 cup of yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of Amaranth grain
1 1/2 cups of water
2 chopped mangos
1/2 cup of diced red pepper
1 tablespoon of parsley
1 tablespoon of diced jalapeno
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
Mix the yogurt, ginger, curry, salt, and jalapeno. Bring the water to a boil and add the Amaranth, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the water. Cool the Amaranth. Toss the cooked Amaranth with mangos, red pepper, jalapeno, yogurt, and herbs. Serve your salad right away or when chilled.
Look at That Quinoa!
June 18, 2015
Black Quinoa Seed purchased from Salt Spring Seeds is 3 feet tall and the first of the seeds have started to appear in pink and green, as shown in the photo above.
With about 100 days of maturity, it will continue to grow until 6 feet tall in late August. Once the seeds have matured, we will pick the stems and bring them inside to harvest, stripping the seeds with our thumb and forefinger. Several pictures to follow.
“Variable coloured flower-heads produce copious amounts of vibrant black seeds. Original accession from Peru via the late David Cusack. Resisted sprouting on the plant in rainy conditions better than other quinoa strains in 2013. A bit earthier, sweeter, and more crunchy than white quinoa.”
Quote retrieved from: http://www.saltspringseeds.com/products/black-quinoa
Here’s What’s Happening at the Farm:
June 17, 2015
The 26 baby chicks have arrived! We have Ameraucana chicks and Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks. Ameraucanas lay bluish-green eggs and Silver Laced Wyandottes lay large brown eggs.
Egg availability pending, stay tuned for updates!
Guess What’s Fresh this Week? Rhubarb!
June 16,2015
Rhubarb Crunch Recipe
1 cup of flour
3/4 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of melted butter
4 cups of sliced rhubarb
Topping ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
In a bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix ingredients in a bowl until crumbly. press half of your mixture into an ungreased square baking pan. Cover with rhubarb. For the topping, add sugar and cornstarch to a small saucepan and add 1 cup of water. Cook and stir until thickened. Then cook for an additional two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pour over rhubarb. Top with extra crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
This recipe was retrieved from http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/cobbler Visit the Rhubarb Compendium for more recipes!
Fresh from Our Garden!
June 11, 2015
Look what’s fresh this week! We’re freezing rhubarb and making rhubarb vinegar.
Curried Lentils with Rhubarb & Sweet Potatoes Recipe
1 cup of dry orange lentils
1 peeled and sliced sweet potato
1 tablespoon of oil
1 cup of diced rhubarb
2 tablespoons of our rhubarb vinegar
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 teaspoon of grated ginger root
1/4 cup of shredded coconut
First, add lentils to a pot, and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, and add sliced sweet potato. Simmer until the lentils are soft. Remove from heat, drain the water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the rhubarb. Lower heat, cook rhubarb until it is tender. Add vinegar, curry powder, and chilli powder. Mix with the cooked lentils and sweet potato. Pour into a dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with coconut.
This recipe was retrieved from http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/stuff Visit The Rhubarb Compendium for more recipes!
Guess What’s Happening?!
June 9, 2015
Our toteable potatoes are already up and growing, and are soon to come through the third layer of dirt. We cut holes in a used polyester grocery bag, we used two polyester woven rice sacks, and one Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts canvas bag. Stay tuned for updates and more pictures!
Toteable Potatoes
June 2, 2015
Inspired after touring a friend’s garden – a new way to grow potatoes! Place 6 litres of soil in the bottom of a bag – make sure it is porous. Add 6 – 8 cut potatoes with eyes. Cover with soil – add additional soil as potatoes grow. When ready to harvest, empty the bag into your wheelbarrow. No more digging potatoes!
P.S. This is a great way to recycle different bags.