While a little late on this, I still wanted to share with you a couple of cool new food finds found at the Saltscapes Expo.
Coastal Grove Farm - Saffron
Nova Scotia grown saffron is pretty cool. I’m not sure if Coastal Grove Farm is the only one growing it, but probably the only ones growing it commercially. They are also working on growing tea in Nova Scotia. Also, their farm is carbon negative, which is amazing. I got a chance to have a little chat with the farmers, Matthew and Cynthia, who were lovely people. They said that because their farm is so close to the water, the temperature doesn't get as cold, allowing them to grow some cool stuff in Nova Scotia. I asked them what their favourite way to use saffron was and they recommended making a compound butter out of it as you can use it in anything. I’m going to use some Nova Scotia saffron and will probably make that compound butter or maybe even bouillabaisse!
Rudi's Hot Sauce - Pepperpocalypse Super-Hot Pepper Mash
I’ve known Rudi from back in the days we used to do the Halifax Seaport Market and he has always had some tasty hot sauces. His Pepperpocalypse super-hot pepper mash is super hot and the blend is also big on the natural flavours of the peppers. Mostly you’ll probably taste the burn. The heat with this one is very strong, especially if you just eat it straight off a knife, so you can write a blog about it. And you just sit there for a minute or two, with the heat radiating through your whole mouth, riding that natural ‘high’ that you get from eating spicy stuff. The next time I make some spicy oxtail, I’m going to add this.
The Pepperpocalypse is a mash made with seven different super-hot peppers, including Trinidad Scorpion and a couple of different ghost peppers along with some lime juice.
Overall, the Saltscapes Expo was a lot of fun and busy.
Do you have a food product that you think I have to try? Let me know!
Love, Dave
PS - For the next couple of weeks we are doing a big instore demoing tour of Nova Scotia - see the tour dates here!