It was a rainy Saturday. But that didn’t stop the feast.

After an influx of customers new and old, Bowen farmer Clemencia Braraten had completely sold out of her beets and apples, with just a few beans left on the stalk. Farmer Jane Ferguson’s stand was bare, the pickled beets, tomato relish, bush cranberry preserves and shitake-mushroom logs all snapped up. Suzan Philippe and Rob Gilbert had set the table for 19, festively decked with rosehip buds, salal, ferns and cedar boughs. Their friends and neigbours had packed the counter island with roasted birds, root veggies, fresh-baked bread, and fresh salmon.

It was the first-ever “Bowfeast” and, islanders say, it definitely won’t be the last.

“Bowen may have changed, but the roots of why we love it are still here,” said Philippe. “And that is the whole philosophy of the island and how we care for one another, right down to the food we put in our mouths. It’s about celebrating the fact that we have a garden, and if we have an abundance, we share it with others. It’s about the abundance of this wonderful community we live in.”

A do-it-yourself community-wide celebration, Bowfeast marked one day when islanders attempted to eat as locally as possible, celebrate the autumn harvest and honour Bowen’s farmers. The concept was to get to know your island producers, buy local for a day and feast at your own house, in your own way.

Bowfeast was a production of OneDayBowen, the island’s sustainable living Web forum at, www.onedaybowen.ca. The event was made possible in part with a grant from the Bowen Island Municipality’s Grants-in-Aid program

“Many folks have suggested moving the date to early September, so that there will be even more fresh produce available,” said Bowfeast organizer Michelle “Elle” Pentz Glave. “It’s a great idea, and we welcome suggestions and feedback for next year.”

Jane Ferguson of Ferguson Farm called Bowfeast “a great success.”

“I met a whole lot of people and took all kinds of orders,” said Ferguson. “It was about making relationships.”

Stacey Leigh said lots of islanders stopped by her farm, including a few neighbours she hadn’t yet met. “They felt it was a wonderful excuse to come on over and say, ‘Hi,’” Leigh said.

Marion Moore, who runs Collinsia Farm with sister Jean Jamieson, said despite the downpour, a few foodies visited the farm. “We sold apples, basil, kale and squash,” Moore said. “And we took an extra bunch of produce over to the Ruddy: greens, kale, tomatoes, bush and pole beans, cucumbers and Cox’s Orange Pippin Apples.”

Plenty of islanders shopping for Bowfeast potlucks loaded up at Alderwood Farm, said employee Joy Jubenvill. “Some were doing the farm circuit and a few people even talked about starting their own gardens,” she said. “I found out things I didn’t know — like that you can order a lamb — and I’ve been here nine years.”

Braraten of Primrose Farm donated heaps of produce for the Glave feast of 14: beets, carrots, herbs and beans. Now that she knows how much public interest there is, Braraten plans to have everything picked in advance for next year.

“I’d like to teach people how to preserve their own beans, get to know them, give some tips,” she said.

Nutritionist Ellie Mackay gave plenty of tips, and talked to Bowen Island Community School students about BC agriculture and what it means to eat local and in season. She led some grade 1, 2 and 3 kids in a “crunch lunch” harvested from the school garden, then headed to Camp Bow Isle for an “Iron Chef” cook-off with Learning Centre students.

Many local businesses joined in on the fun. The Tuscany Wood Oven Pizza raided friends’ gardens for a three-course Bowfeast menu rounded off with house-made sausages using Alderwood pork, local sable fish with beet greens, sautéed kale and sorrel emulsion (from Rob and Laurel Bailey’s garden), Primrose Farm beets, Romano beans and heirloom tomatoes, purple mashed potatoes and Bowen apple tart.

Blue Eyed Marys served a grilled Berkshire pork chop (from Salmon Arm), apple wine compote, warm Borlotti bean salad, yellow and purple string beans, goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts with cranberry wine vinaigrette and spiced plum Pavlova with first-press honey custard and second-press dark honey caramel. Stephen Biddiscombe, who owns the restaurant with wife/chef Carol Wallace, said all beans, some plums, rosemary, eggs, apples and honey came from Bowen; goat cheese, hazelnuts, garlic, onions and all dairy from the Fraser valley.

At The Ruddy Potato-sponsored Bowfeast farmers’ market, “Customers loved buying direct from farmers and their neighbours,” said Sandra Campden, Ruddy H&B Buyer/Marketing, The Ruddy Potato. “We had lots of positive feedback.
A few turned up to sell their backyard apples and plums, and reps were on hand from Happy Isle coffee and Naked Soaps.

“It became a little bit of a buying frenzy as people picked up the last of the Bowen beans,” Campden said. “We were out of a lot of Bowen produce when we had a last-minute delivery from one of the farms, which saved the day! There was lots of chatter over what everyone was going to eat that night.”

And eat they did.

“We had a fabulous dinner hosted by Elena and David Verlee,” said Chris Wilson. “David cooked a fresh salmon outside on the barbeque to perfection, despite the
raging storm that night. He had caught the salmon recently just off Bowen’s
southeast shore. Mushroom soup, 2004 Wild Goose Pinot Gris
followed by the 2005 Blue Mountain Striped Label Pinot Noir (both from
the Okanagan Valley), and (my wife) Anne’s local blackberry pie rounded off the
delightful meal.”

At the Philippe/Gilbert home, neighbours gathered and the table filled. Susanne and David Koeplin brought three types of homemade bread, using rosemary and other herbs from their garden. Stacey and Alan Leigh supplied three of their chickens. Peter and Claire brought BC wine, while Philippe pulled her own potatoes, beets and carrots from the ground. Catherine Epps added a Cocoa West Chocolatier chocolate ganache and local greens. Philippe’s sister Lynn Ned, whose husband is a fisherman, brought BC salmon. Off-islander Lucienne Ancyzkowski imported tomatoes and greens from her back yard. Marc W., a friend from Indonesia, picked fresh apples from the orchard next door and bought Philippe’s Bowen apple pies from the Village Baker.

Philippe’s bed-and-breakfast guest, a doctor named Carolyn, joined the feast. She picked some flowers from the garden for the table.

“Carolyn was enthralled,” Philippe recalled. “After dinner, we all sat around the fire and swapped old Bowen stories. She said it was a Thanksgiving of friends.”

Do you have a Bowfeast story?
Post your Bowfeast stories, recipes and photos here.
—Elle Glave, Bowfeast organizer

Recipe from The Ruddy Potato
“We have these squash, which are locally grown, in our store now.” —Sandra Campden

Averaging from 4 to 8 pounds, the cylinder shaped spaghetti squash is generally available year-round with a peak season from early fall through winter. While a true spaghetti squash is pale ivory to pale yellow in color, in the early 1990’s, an orange spaghetti squash, known as “Orangetti” was developed and this is what is frequently found in today’s supermarkets. Higher in beta carotene, the orange variety is also bit sweeter than its paler counterpart, although both have a mild flavor that is easily enhanced by the food served with or on it. A dieter’s dream, a four-ounce serving of spaghetti squash has only 37

Buying & Storing
When buying spaghetti squash, look for hard fruit that is heavy for its size, about eight to nine inches in length and four to five inches in diameter and with a pale even color. Avoid any squash with soft spots and green color is a sign of immaturity. The average four-pound spaghetti squash will yield about five cups.

Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well. Pack cooked squash into freezer bags, seal, label and freeze. Partially thaw before re-using, then steam until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes.

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

• Bake It — Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375°F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender.
• Boil It — Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.
• Microwave It — Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork “comb” out the strands.
• Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes so it will be easier to handle, before cutting in half (if it wasn’t already) and removing the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands. You can do these steps ahead of time, then prepare any of the spaghetti squash recipes whenever the mood strikes.
(from fabulous foods website)