Just back from another whirlwind weekend trip to the Coast! I am the co-organizer of Garagiste North- a wine festival and wine club that specializes in BC small lot (under 2000 case production) wines. Saturday afternoon we held our 2nd Garagiste North Wine Festival at WISE Hall in East Van. Our inaugural festival was held last year at Meyer Family Vineyards in OK Falls. Our foray into Vancouver was a great success and we are looking forward to our next event this year at The Laurel in Kelowna on September 27th. G aragiste North - Small Guys Festival

Besides the Festival, I had two final photo appointments scheduled for the cookbook – one of Chef Andrea Jefferson’s delicious Quince Cake (that I also got to eat - AH-MAZING!) and one of award-winning cheesemaker Debra Amrein-Boyes at her beautiful farm and cheese shop in Agassiz, Farm House Cheese . The farm is located in the District of Kent in the Upper Fraser Valley of BC’s southwest coastal region. This part Fraser Valley’s dynamic farm community offers spectacular views of the green fields and surrounding mountains. Located close to the natural hot springs resort of Harrison Hot Springs, the region boasts: “Steep canyon-like walls along the Harrison River, the heights and crags of Mt. Woodside and Green Mountain and spectacular views of the Cheam Mountain range along the south side of the Fraser River offer spectacular vistas and topographic relief from the vast expanses of our productive farmlands.” (from The District of Kent website).

This is a world-class cheesemaking operation. Debra is one of only 12 people in Western Canada and the US who has been inducted into the prestigious French Cheese Guild, the “Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon” , which recognizes those who protect and continue the tradition of cheesemaking around the world. She has also written a book for home cheesemakers called “200 Easy Homemade Cheeses recipes-From Cheddar and Brie to Butter and Yogurt”. Congratulations are in order as well as she just won Best Aged Cheddar Cheese for the 2nd year in a row!!

Chef Andrea Jefferson owns Quince, a bright café and cooking school in Vancouver’s beautiful Kits area. With lunch offerings on the menu, all home made and using the best ingredients, she also offers a freezer section with delicious take home dinner options called “Quince Express”. Chef Andrea’s cooking classes are fun and unpretentious, which is why she won a Georgia Straight Best of Vancouver award for Top Places for Casual Cooking Classes. She also offers a delicious mini gourmet shop with supplies for your home kitchen.

Andrea gave me the most delicious sandwich to go – smoked wild sockeye salmon with capers, marinated red onion, cucumber and mayo on house made flax bread. YOM! Can’t wait to go back for another!