Summer is so sweet & so is spending some time in the great outdoors. A fabulous way to experience Salt Spring Island is by camping! Dust off the tents, sleeping bags & coolers and come check out what the island has to offer.

The itinerary provided will guide you form the Long Harbour Ferry Terminal on Salt Spring Island down to our Provincial Park in the south end of the Island.  Ruckle Provincial Park is truly what Salt Spring is about for me. When you pass through the standard yellow provinicial park gates you drive into a working farm with sheep grazing out in the field, past a beautiful farm stand full of great treats & suprises and then under these tall, ancient apple trees.

From Vancouver or Victoria: check out BC Ferries on line as they have gone paperless with their schedules. We highly recommend making reservations for these sailings.  You can borrow my mantra when travelling on BC Ferries in the summer, focus on the journey, not the desitnation by Greg Anderson.  Enjoy the view!

This 22 km. journey should take you approximatley 40 mintues in a car to accomplish.  It can certainly be done by bike as well – in fact I met an inspiring Mom and her 6 year old son last fall who biked half way & then took a taxi the other half!   There are fun stops along the way, so follow your bliss, but use this to get back on the road to camp.

 So, down to business of the directions!  For those of you who are more map savvy please follow the link to  Google Maps.

]]> http://rocksalt.us.cloudlogin.co/itineraries/summer-camp-out/feed/ 0 http://rocksalt.us.cloudlogin.co/recipes/chicken-pistachio-curry/ http://rocksalt.us.cloudlogin.co/recipes/chicken-pistachio-curry/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 02:41:18 +0000 Jill Thomas http://www.laikalab1.com/?p=140

Use fresh bright green pistachios as they give the dish a great vibrant green color.  They are a hassle to peel but it’s worth it.

4 chicken breasts

*You can use any chicken you like, legs thigh whatever. Cubed breast meat or whole breasts are fine as well.
*It is best if you have clarified butter or ghee. If you do use ghee then omit the peanut oil & use 3 Tablespoons gee).

2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
1 onion – minced
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 cup pistachios
2 large fresh jalapeno peppers – stemmed & minced (you can keep the seeds)
2 Tablespoons dry ground coriander
1 Tablespoon garam masala
2 Tablespoons dried curry leaves
1 teaspoon good quality yellow curry powder
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream

Put the pistachios in a pan, cover them with water and bring them to a boil.
Cook them for 10 minutes.
Drain and cool them.
Rub the nuts with a dry tea towel to remove the skins.
Mince them with a sharp knife (or put in a food processor).

In heavy bottom saucepan heat the butter and oil.
Add the chicken and cook it over a medium high heat to brown both sides and then remove from the pan and set aside.
Add a little more butter if necessary.
Add the onion & garlic and saute, stirring constantly until onions are ranslucent and garlic is starting to brown.
Add the ginger, pistachios and all the spices, stir constantly.
Deglaze pan with the white wine, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add chicken stock.
Add the chicken & simmer until done.
Then add the cream.  Stir well and serve.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, fresh lime, bean sprouts and roasted ground peanuts.

Every Saturday from April to October, rain or shine, Salt Spring growers, artists, artisans and bakers gather in the park in the heart of the main village to sell their products.  It’s a weekly event enjoyed by locals and visitors in equal measure.

The products for sale are as varied, eclectic and exceptional as the people selling them.  Fine jewelry, soap, pottery, woven scarves, clothing, woodworking, floor art, felt hats and organic bedding jostle for space with pickles, artisan cheese, chocolate, wood fired bread, pot stickers and fruitsicles.

The Salt Spring Saturday market is a community tradition with long and sometimes controversial roots.  It started in a dusty parking lot over two decades ago with one apple grower.  A few more vendors soon joined in selling loaves of bread and bars of soap. It wasn’t long before the parking lot was crowded.
By the early nineties competition for market stalls was fierce. People argued, tables were stolen and fights broke out.  A few local vendors, upset by the tension and concerned about the quality of goods, formed a group called the ‘Friends of the Market’ and what locals now refer to as ‘the market wars’ erupted.  In the end it was decided that to sell at the market you would have to “make it, bake it or grow it” on Salt Spring Island.

Linda Quiring, owner of Salt Spring Soapworks and one of the original vendors, says, “The market grew like a child.  It took a long time and was an organic process.  The vendors are neighbours, their kids are friends, and many of them have spent every summer Saturday together for last twenty-five years. Nobody could artificially recreate that.  That is what makes this market so special.”

Kerry Lee, who the locals fondly refer to as ‘the pickle lady’ has been selling at the market for 17 years, agrees that the intangibly festive atmosphere is created by the camaraderie among the vendors.  She says, “We don’t compete.  We support each other.”

The Salt Spring Saturday market is widely regarded as the best in Canada. The quality of goods is truly astonishing.  Linda says this is because everyone knows each other so they know “who is making and baking it and who is faking it.”  This is how we are able to maintain our high standards and local authenticity.”  Exceptional quality and an ephemeral festive feeling make the Salt Spring market a unique and special experience not to be missed.

We here at the Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe don’t want you to forget your Mother for Mother’s day!  We all love our Mother’s, and in fact, many of us are mother’s, so we consider ourselves professionals in this department!

On Sunday May 13^th we will be hosting an extra special Mother’s day brunch.  It will include specials such as a wild mushroom omlette with Salt Spring Island goat cheese & fresh herbs,  smoked salmon bennies with fresh lemony hollandaise & fresh asparagus plus steak topped with sauted wild mushrooms & eggs.   Drink specials will consist of our new “Sugar Daddy” hibiscus cocktail and Rum Runner Sea Cider for two.

With any luck it will be a beautiful day and the patio will be open for basking in the sunshine.  To help make your brunch even more special we will have Leigh Cook of Red Roots Rising Integrative Therapy offering chair massage in the alcove!

Leigh has dedicated much of time to her studies in hatha yoga, therapeutic yoga, & phoenix rising yoga therapy. Leigh has also completed trainings in sit-taj chair massage through Saje Natural Wellness in Vancouver, level two Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Pranic Energy work as well as Chakra psychology.   Leigh is enjoying her new life on Salt Spring Island which her & dogs fell in love with for it’s year round hiking trails which she enjoys every day!  Chair massage will be available at a cost of $1/minute.  Please sign up with the Kathleen, the manager.

If you are the type to plan ahead, we encourage you to make a reservation so you will entered in the draw; the lucky table who wins the draw will receive a free chair massage & a Rock Salt Gift card!  It’s our way of saying Happy Mother’s Day!!

Classic Shirley Temple

Here is a fun recipe that I recently found on Chow which has quickly become one of my favorite websites for food.  This is a great “mocktail” to serve at a summer bbq or for your children’s birthday party.

What you’ll need:
1 1/4 oz grenadine
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 fresh sqeezed lime juice
ice
3 oz club soda
2 maraschino cherries

How to:
Place the grenadine, lemon juice & lime juice in a tall glass & stril with a cocktail spoon.  Fill your glass with ice & top with club soda.  Stir gently to combine.  Garnish with maraschino cherries & serve immediatley.  If you try it, let us know how you liked it!

Be sure to check out our July facebook contest.  By posting your favorite drink recipe on our wall & having your freinds “like” your post, you can win mocktails or cocktails for 2 out on our patio while the sun is shining and the weather is sweet!

This itinerary was submitted by Candice Cole, Front Manager at Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe who commutes to work in the south end of Salt Spring on her fancy little red scooter.

My itinerary begins right in Fulford Harbour.   Although some might disagree, you don’t have to go all the way into Ganges to enjoy a day on Salt Spring especially if you’re pressed for time! You won’t even need to fuel up.  I recommend a small map for ease, but South Enders are super friendly!

Stop #1- Rock Salt Restaurant and Cafe
Pop into this super friendly joint for a latte & one of their homemade sweet and sticky cinnamon buns or chocolate chip cookies! Get their early, as they go quickly.  It’s a great way to start your day.

Stop #2- Morningside Organic Bakery – 107 Morningside Road
Delicious breads made with organic goodness! Maybe even find a new book to dive into?

Stop #3- The Wardrobe, Jambalaya Hat and Bead Shop, Knotty Threads & Stuff and Nonsense
These south end shops are must sees!  Make sure you have something to carry home all your new found treasures.

Stop #4- Farm Stands!!
No shortage of these on the South End! Make sure you have some small change on hand!

Stop #5- Rachel Vadeboncoeur Art Glass- 401 Beaver Point Road
Beautiful art created with recycled glass!

Stop #6- Salt Spring Island Cheese- 285 Reynolds Road
This is where your bread will come in handy! Hidden a little ways up Reynolds Rd Salt Spring Island Cheese is well known around these parts! Recently featured on Top Chef, this stop is well worth the trip to SSI alone!

Stop #7- Tony’s Tarts- 284 Forest Ridge Road
You’re not going to want to share these delicious treats! They are THAT good

Stop #8- Ruckle Park
Stop and enjoy the view! Now’s the perfect time to enjoy the delicious treats you’ve picked up along the way.

Stop #9- Solace Organic Spa- 111 Saltair Lane
Who doesn’t love spas?? Aromatherapy, teas, skincare & spa. Come and relax!

Stop #10- Moonstruck Organic Cheese- 1306 Beddis Road
More cheese, yes!!! You will want to take some home too, right??

Stop #11- The Farmhouse Gallery- 1298 Beddis Road
Metal and glass creations, of the insect variety.

Stop #12- Beddis Beach
Another place to stop and relax, maybe read a book or go for a quick dip! Now a quick pop over to the West side of the Island via Cusheon Lake Road!

Stop #13- Burgoyne Bay- Best seen at sunset, maybe this could be your last stop before going home??

Stop #14- Salt Spring Island Vineyards- 151 Lee Road
Gotta have something to go with all that cheese! Just remember to save it till you get home! It’s well worth it

Stop #15- Monster Lab- 2210 Fulford Ganges Road
The kid in all of us will love this unique shop! Truly one of a kind!

Well, that’s probably enough for one day!  Off to the ferry?

One Day Cycling Trip on Salt Spring Island to Saturday Market in the Park

Bring a bathing suit, towel and change of clothes so you can swim in our beautiful local lakes along the way!

It is approximately 15km from Ganges to Fulford and approximately 1 hour to travel by bike – without stops at a leisurely pace.

7:00am Travel to Salt Spring via BC Ferries from the Swartz Bay ( near Victoria) to Fulford Harbour (on Salt Spring Island) .

The Saturday Market is best enjoyed in the morning so try to catch the earliest ferry possible.  However, if you aren’t a morning person the 9am or 11am sailings are also options. Confirm schedules and fares at BC Ferries before you leave.

When you load the ferry park your bike at the bow of the ship (that’s the front for you land lovers).  This will ensure you unload first and that you have the best possible view on the way there.  Stand-by for the blast of the ship’s horn, despite the Captain’s warning it will startle you every time.  While on the ferry enjoy the wind in your face and the great view as you travel into Fulford Harbour.  When you see the red walls of Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe looming on shore you’re almost there.

7:40am Arrive in Fulford Harbour.

Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe will be on your right hand side almost immediately after you peddle off the boat. Stop in for a decadent breakfast (eggs bennie on a house made yam scone) or grab a latte and a baked treat from our cafe. We also have South Salt Spring maps and activity guides so grab one for your trip.

Warning Salt Spring isn’t flat.  As you head out of Fulford Village a big hill will immediately get your leg muscles warmed up.

8:00am Start peddling up Fulford Ganges Road (the one leading directly out of the ferry terminal).

This road intersects the island and connects Fulford Harbour to the main village of Ganges.  The road winds slightly to the left as you go up hill.  When you reach the summit (about 3 minutes) you will see a fork with Fulford Ganges winding to the left towards to end of the Bay & Beaver Point Road heading to the right.  Beaver Point Road leads to Ruckle Provincial Park.

Turn right onto Beaver Point Road.

Avoid the traffic & take the scenic route.  As you head up the hill on Beaver Point Road, you will pass an old orchard & Dancing Bear Studio (very cool hemp clothing) on your left hand side.  In approximately 12 minutes you will see a small lake on your right with a beach access area blocked off with cement road barricades. This is a very popular family swimming hole called Stowell Lake.  In the summer it’s a busy place so watch for dashing kids.  If it’s hot jump off your bike, bypass the families on the shore and swim out to the dock in the middle of the lake for a beautiful south end view.

Travel along Beaver Point Road until you see Stewart Road (15 -20 minutes) and turn left.  Stewart dead ends at Beaver Point road so you will only see it on your left.

You will know when to turn left when you see the sign for “Studio 28″, then you will climb a big hill on Stewart.  You will pass the sign for Solace Organic Spa but keep on going.  When you reach the summitt (10-20 minutes) stop to enjoy the view and then roll down hill until Stewart dead ends at Cusheon Lake Road.  If you seek some shelter you will see a funky little bus shelter on your right.

As you travel watch for ‘honour stands’.   These are farm stands where you can purchase goods ranging from eggs, vegetables, flowers to cookies by depositing money in an honour box.

Turn right at Cusheon Lake Road and travel until it dead ends at Beddis Road (3-5 minutes).

Follow Beddis Road until it dead ends at Fulford-Ganges Road (10-15 minutes).

This is a very nice section of your ride.  Rolling hills will take you past Laughing Apple Farm, a big beautiful barn and a section of road that is totally shaded by trees.

Turn right onto Fulford Ganges and cruise down ‘the Ganges Hill’ into the main village.

In the summer parked cars will line the hill on both sides as you get closer to down.  Proceed with caution. When you enter town you will see Embe Bakery on your right and Island Escapes on your left.  Just past Island Escapades there will be a gas station on your left.  Just past the gas station is Centennial Park – home of the Salt Spring Saturday Market.

Credit for above photo:  John Cameron

8:30am-1:00pm Find a good spot to lock up your bike and start exploring our Saturday Market & the village of Ganges.

The market takes place every Saturday from April to October, rain or shine. It’s a weekly event enjoyed by locals and visitors in equal measure.  The products for sale are as varied, eclectic and exceptional as the people selling them.  Fine jewelry, soap, pottery, woven scarves, clothing, woodworking, floor art, felt hats and organic bedding jostle for space with pickles, artisan cheese, chocolate, wood fired bread, pot stickers and fruitsicles.  There will be also be musicians and of course interesting island characters. Take your time, fill your senses and strike up conversation with some of the local vendors. Take a rest on the cool grass in the park and listen the sounds of Saturday on Salt Spring.  Then get up again and explore the galleries, shops and cafes in Ganges.

1:00opm – 4:00pm Travel back to Fulford Harbour taking time to enjoy the sites along the way.

Head south back out of town up Fulford-Ganges Road.

You guessed it – you must ride up Ganges Hill to exit town.  Just rest assured that what goes up must come down. You can stay on this main road for the entire return trip to Fulford Harbour.

Just before you enter the beautiful Fulford Valley you will see Salt Spring Vineyard on your right.  Stop and sample some wine and enjoy a rest on their beautiful picnic grounds.  My favorite is their Blackberry Port made from local blackberries of course.  Two driveways past Salt Spring Vineyards on your right is the Gary Oaks Winery certainly worth another stop.

After you exit the wineries coast down ‘Lee’s Hill’ (the steepest hill on the island to ride up).  At the bottom of the hill the main road winds to your left and you will see a dirt road jetting strait ahead.  Ride down this very beautiful road into Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park.  When the road ends you will see a government dock.  Sit and enjoy the view from the base of Mt. Maxwell and Maple Bay.  There is an easy and scenic hiking trail -access just to left as you near the government dock.  Follow it along the ocean’s edge to a beach at the head of the bay.

Once back on the tarmac you will only have about 15 minutes of riding time to remaining through the Fulford Valley.

4:00pm Arrive back in Fulford Village just at the 3:50 ferry departs and you will have the village all to yourself.  Explore the one of kind shops including Stuff & Nonsense and Knotty Threads and then join us at 5pm at Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe for Mexican night specials or the best burger in BC (maybe the world).

Get back on the ferry at 5:50 or sit back, relax and soak in the beauty & flavours of your day until the last sailing of the day at 7:50.

The best burger ever now comes with fries.

Well, it happened.  After all of these years of holding out on the installation of a deep fryer, the owners of the Rock Salt gave in & bought the dam thing!  This is going to be good.  Delicious in fact.

Think of all of those freezing cold, wet soccer players all winter long that can now warm up in our café with a bag of hot, fresh French fries drenched in malt vinegar & bright red ketchup!   It almost seems like French fries have gotten healthier.   It makes one want to say yum.

The word on the restaurant scene is that “ ½ inch, skin on, fresh Kennebecs” are the best choice for fries.  What exactly is a Kennebec potato?

“The Kennebec potato is making quite an imprint on the culinary world… potato-wise. The days of ‘just use any old potato’ for french fries are gone, and finer restaurants are switching over to the Kennebec for a variety of reasons and for many kinds of dishes. Why?   As with all basic food items, the qualities of that particular food are important to how it is cooked by itself and how it is used with other ingredients in recipes. The Kennebec has great potato qualities and, although this strain of potato has been around for over 50 years, it’s just beginning to get its due by being noticed by restauranteurs.    The Kennebec is a large potato, and it looks very pretty with its light tan skin, nice uniform appearance and attractive white fleshy insides. The skin is thin so it peels quickly (and is fine to use even unpeeled), and it’s a nice oval potato so it is more attractive on the plate than some other irregularly-shaped ones.” (http://www.kennebecpotato.com)

So there we have it folks, fresh cut, delicious,  ½ inch, skin on, Kennebec fries.  Come try ‘em & let us know how you like them.

And if that wasn’t enough, we got really inspired by our staff with Frech-Canadian roots and started POUTINE!  The food almost deserves its own cheer leading squad.  “A melange of warm, fresh, hand-cut french fries, topped with cheese curds & smothered in gravy”.    You’ll have to get in onthe debate on whether the cheese curds should traditional go under the fries or on top.

Last but certainly not least, yam fries in all of their popularity made thier way into our hearts and onto our menu.  Chipolte mayo to boot.

The perfect match for those awesome home cut fries is one of our burgers.  My personal favourite is the cranberry chicken burger but we have got options!  Check out the blog post written by Hummingbird, who made this fairly serious accusation, “I have discovered what I think are perhaps the best burgers in all of British Columbia.”  Here is the recipe for our “best burger ever” as declared by our customers.

Beef Burger

Combine:
2 large eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4  cup minced onion (really really small or burgers will fall apart)
1  Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1  teaspoon pepper

Then add and mix well:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 kilogram hamburger meat

Form into balls and then press firmly into patties.  Burgers are always best if cooked over a flame.  Be careful to ensure that they are done all the way through but not over done.  When the juice runs clear they are done.

We wanted to share this simple recipe for our “killer margarita”, of which we served up on New Year’s eve for the Mexican Festivities.  You haven’t missed your chance as we will continue to serve them up throughout the month on Saturday nights for Mexican Night when serve authentic Mexican cuisine!

Ingredients for Killer Margaritas:
1 oz. tequilla
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. sweet lime juice or mix

The how to for Killer Margaritas:
Rub a lime on the rim of your short glass, and then salt.  Toss 3 lime slices into the bottom of the cup and muddle them up.  Pour all 4 ingredients into the martini shaker with a friendly scoop of ice and shake it up!  Pour into your glass and serve with a lime wedge.  Yum!

We love to hear from our customers & opening the comment box is a great source of fun & entertainment!   WE do take your comments into consideration.  I hope you enjoy reading over them!

#1 It would be so fun for the kids of the picture on the back of the kids menu changed every once in awhile. I agree, so on our next menu re-print we will change it up! Unfortnatley we have about 1000 kids menu’s to get thru first……thanks for your great suggestion.

#2 Time to change the dessert menu. You can look forward to a fresh desert menu in the spring!

#3 Maybe relocate the clock where people can see it better. As long as they promise not panic any more then they already do for the ferry!!

#4 Sticky chickey too drippy (less sauce please), needs moer chickey.   We love sauce and more often than not so do our customers but we will watch how much goes on to the sticky chickey cause it has to be stickey!!

#5 Cool place, yummy fries & great chicken burrito! from Seattle. Hey Seattle, thanks for signing!

#6 Thank you kindly for your recent inclusion of music that plays to the soul instead of the desire to get out quickly with remaining soul intact. Signed sincerely your jazzy customers.

#7 It is a relief to have changed the station from the coffee house to more broader horizons. The thing with the music is that what one person loves another loathes. Common ground can be hard to attain! We hope you try out our live music Monday’s!!

#8 Really tasty curry – lots of mussels & prawns, always delish! Great service with a smile:) Sue.   Thank you Sue for your wonderful compliment – it means alot! Positivity goes a loooong way.

#9 This place ROCKS!! Thanks Nehala!! Happy New Year 2012. I have to admit that some days we have got it going on!!! Happy New Year to you too.

#10 Best food & drink in a long time. thanks

#11 The crispy noodles in the Kung Pow are not a plus – they are tasteless, too hard and difficult to eat. Nice peanut sauce! Thank you for some feedback on the crispy noodles.In an attempt to offer consistent goodness we felt that getting ride of bean sprouts was a good choice & these seemed like a fun alternative. I wish I knew who you were so I could get you to try them one more time…..

#12 Very tasty food, keep up the good work. Happy new years to you all & thanks for the food. Love Francesca:) We appreciate your sweetness!

#13 Dear Rock Salt Chef: I am a delivery girl on your beautiful island each Tuesday. My highlight of my day would be enjoying your “chicken salad with apricot chutney”. I miss it so much, please bring it back!! Love your food Brenda. Dear Brenda, I am so sorry to disappoint you, but we no longer use the apricot chutney in anything else!! If you called ahead we could make you a chicken salad sandwich with mango chutney…let us know.

#14 For many years my wife and I have come down for coffee at 8:30am. We have coffee and a cheese stick. For over a month now no cheese sticks, why? Stan. Hi Stan, the real reason is that we have had our bakers starting between 5:30 & 6am rather than 4:30am. Sorry to have caused a cheese stick delay!

#15 I had a great time here, good food & service. Extra thanks to Emma for being so helpful & kind to me. Melody Harrison. We love Emma and wish her great times in her travels through India. Thanks for you happy comments, it makes us feel truly successful.

#16 U r the best. STICKY CHICKY ROCKS!! Victoria. Hey Victoria, TY, and we too love the sticky chicky for its tongue twister capabilitiles.

#17 We miss the tuna burger. It was sooo good! Honestly that was my favorite new item on our menu but the cost was increasing & we really didn’t want to raise the price so in all fairness it had to go. I could send you the recipe if I knew who you were!

#18 Have a sharky day, the coffee was delicious! Service & food is way above average!! Rock Salt: 4 stars, Hastings House: 5 stars Wow!! What a comment – thank you.

#19 There are more and more of us who don’t eat wheat. Would you consider making a gluten free option for a lunch take out? Why yes, we would. At times we have offerd salads with a protein but we will develop some better options for our glu-tards (as Lauren calls herself!)

#20 Best place in BC to wait for a ferry:) This comment I have to say that I 100% agree with. We do a slamming job for a ferry terminal restaurant – proof that we are more:)

#21 Time for a NEW toilet seat in the men’s bathroom. Doesn’t fit with the new fixtures. Just a suggestion. Okay, we will talk to our handy man about this, as I personally do not use the men’s, I hope you don’t all off the toilet in the mean time.