Cape Breton: Praised by Magazines, Tourists and now Me

07/19/2011

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When we moved from Victoria B.C. to Cape Breton we had our hearts set on a different way of life. We wanted to leave the house poor and over worked vision of our future behind for a more sustainable life.

Reflecting on the past 3.75 years and counting I am happy to report that we have reached and surpassed our original goals.

I have said it before, and I will say it again- This is the new promise land!
It is a place for young families, immigrants, retirees (as long as you have someone to shovel your driveway in the winter!!) and people from all walks of life to settle.

Though there are whispers of a decline in jobs and population, from my vantage point we are actually on the verge of something very special.

The real future of this island lies in its people and it's history- Be it in experiential tourism, cultural tourism, home grown products or unique small businesses, we are poised for greatness.

All we need now are for people, pioneers if you will, to come forward and create their own future here in Cape Breton.

With surfing, golfing, skiing, bird watching, whale watching, snow-shoeing, sun bathing, cycling, kayaking, boating, sailing, hiking and so many more activities to do when the 9-5 has ended one of our biggest concerns these days is what we get to do next!
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Everything is Coming up Blueberries!

08/21/2009

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There is a time in Cape Breton when there seems to be an incredible amount of vehicles parked in random, rural, side of the road locales.
If you look closely, you may be able to see the odd person roaming around with an icecream bucket in their hands. Don't make eye contact though- it is much like coming into contact with a deer- no sudden movements or they might bolt.
The reason you ask?
Why it's blueberry season here in Cape Breton.
And much like a surfer's favourite spot, the blueberry pickers favourite spot is a secret.

There are two different types of blueberries:
High Bush- the characteristic supermarket fat berry variety
Low Bush- A potent, small, tart berry that makes all the stooping worth it

The treasure that is the low bush berry is much sought after around these parts and takes many hours of potentially back breaking work to harvest. That being said - the flavour that comes tightly packaged in each little berry seems to be worth it.

After many hours of picking (and bribing the kids to pick with me) we have collected enough low bush blueberries to produce our signature jam: Bog 'n Blue, which is a combination of wildcrafted Cape Breton cranberries and blueberries.
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Best Ever Scones
Which happened to be Wheat and Dairy Free
(Substitutions may be made to include wheat and dairy)

3 c spelt flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar (plus a bit extra for sprinkling)
1/3 c grapeseed oil (or other non gmo oil)
1 1/4 c soy or rice milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. In large bowl mix together dry ingredients
3. In med. bowl mix together wet ingredients
4. Add 1 1/2 c of blueberries to the wet ingredients.
5. Mix wet into dry- it will be clumpy- this is good (tsk tsk no overmixing now)
6. Drop into 1/4 cup size scones on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or other non stick cooking gadget
(thanks for the introduction into the world of silpat baking Sarina Ruby!!)
7. Sprinkle with sugar
8. Bake for 13 - 15 min.

Cool on a wire rack for 3-5 min and serve piping hot with butter and perhaps a smidge of bog n' blue jam.
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The Neighborly way in Cape Breton

08/17/2009

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Door Fish

My husband Stephen came home from work a few days ago and I asked him if he had ever had door fish before. He responded, with a slight head tilt and the look of crazy wife in his eyes, " Uh, no, I can't say I have."
Door fish- a phrase that I think I may have just invented- is another way of explaining the neighborly act of hanging a bag of freshly caught fish off of someones door.
Isabella, Kiyomi and I had returned from a nice walk in the woods with our two crazy dogs, only to discover a bag of fish hanging on our door handle.
It wasn't until later that we discovered who it was from. But around here finding things on your doorstep isn't actually too uncommon, so we were pretty sure it wasn't someone trying to put a curse on us or get us back for leaving our garbage out on the wrong day... so we took the bag of fresh mackerel and brought it into the kitchen. I gutted it and prepaired it for the BBQ.

Now that is what I call good old fashioned Cape Breton Hospitality.
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Door Fish: Preparation for Mackerel on the BBQ
Wash and clean mackerel thoroughly. Dry inside and outside of the fish.
Ingredients:
1 red or spanish onion
1 bunch of dill
fleur de sel or other course sea salt
cracked black pepper
olive oil
Directions:
Inside each fish arrange onion, 3 generous sprigs of dill and a sprinkle each of salt and pepper.
Drizzle olive oil on inside and outside of fish.
Marinate for 1/2 hr. to 1 hr.
Pre-heat bbq for 15 minutes.
Oil clean bbq with a high heat oil - grapeseed is a good one.
Place fish on grill. Approx cooking time is 4-6 minutes for each side depending on the size.
Serve with seasonal goodies- grilled veggies, garden fresh salad, baguette, homestyle potatoe salad, ect... creativity is the key.
(perhaps a neighbor will drop off a head of lettuce on the same day!) 
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