Richmond has a bounty of fresh foods gathered and grown locally, from berry farms and wineries to free-range chickens and eggs.
By Sheliza Mitha Cora Breakfast and Lunch – or Chez Cora (as it’s known in Quebec) – could be described as nothing short of a Cinderella story. This colourful eatery first opened its doors more than 30 years ago in Montreal’s lively Saint Laurent district as a modest diner by Cora Mussely Tsouflidou, a single mother of three. With uncanny prescience, Cora saw the need for a particular type of eatery and shifted the focus of her new diner just a few short months after opening. Now, three decades later, Metro Vancouver is also home to five Cora locations. Cora’s fruitful decision led to successful Cora restaurants specializing in breakfasts and lunches – bringing together fruit, cheese, crepes, French toast, egg dishes (think omelettes, eggs Benedict and much more) in new and creative ways. Since opening the first restaurant in May 1987, Cora the restaurateur has moved westward – bringing…
By Lenée Son Across the street from a busy road and tucked away behind a tall hedge fence is one of Surrey’s best hidden gems, Zaklan Heritage Farm. The 8-acre urban farm was founded in the 1920’s by Dragan and Marta Zaklan who immigrated to Canada from Europe. Continuing his great grandparent’s legacy, Doug Zaklan is leading the farm through a revitalization project along with his partner, Gemma McNeill. The pair met at UBC Farm in Vancouver and share a passion for sustainable and organic farming. At the farm you’ll find a variety of fruits of vegetables but you won’t find any pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. “We fertilize with compost,” said Zaklan. “For pests we cover with a Reemay cloth and mostly just make sure things are healthy.” Pick up fresh seasonal produce from Zaklan Heritage Farm on Saturdays from June to October. They also offer a community supported…
By Joanne Sasvari Photos by Joanne Sasvari As long as Steve Easterbrook can remember, he’s been fascinated by birds and, in particular, chickens. “It’s been a lifelong passion for me,” he says, remembering that when he was a young boy, he and a friend would visit a neighbor who raised chickens and game birds. “My friend and I became enchanted with poultry.” It’s not surprising, then, that Easterbrook became an egg farmer. Perhaps the only surprising thing is it took him until he was in his 30s to do so. That’s when he founded Rabbit River Farms, an organic egg producer in Richmond BC. (The company name is a play on his surname: Easter = rabbit; brook = river.) When Easterbrook started the farm in 1993, Rabbit River was the first certified organic egg producer in Canada – in fact, he had to write the country’s original guidelines for organic…