August is Wild Blueberry Month at Evergreen Brick Works
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- With the sunny days of late summer come the season of a truly Canadian staple—the wild blueberry. To celebrate, Evergreen Brick Works is hosting a Wild Blueberry Month throughout August, rounding off with the 4th annual Wild Blueberry Festival on August 25.
Sponsored by GE Café, the wild blueberry festivities throughout the month will have visitors of all ages celebrating what is also known as Canada’s unofficial national fruit. With wild blueberries donated by The Wild Blueberry Association of North America, hands-on cooking workshops and demonstrations from local chefs, wild blueberry cocktails and dinners, cultivating and gardening workshops, and a wild blueberry-inspired farmers’ market will have visitors taste, cook, grow and meet the chefs and producers that bring us this delicious morsel.
"The versatility of wild blueberries can make any dish say summer,” says Chef Rocco Agostino of Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto, who will be celebrating by adding the small and flavourful berry on a pizza with a smooth, sweet mascarpone topped with lemon sugar in Evergreen’s wood-fired oven, as part of Family Pizza Night on August 14.
Attracting more than 4,000 people last year, the Wild Blueberry Festival on August 25 will host wild blueberry treats, a beer and wine garden, live music, and the Wild Blueberry Bake Off, where top bakers from across the city prepare samples of their best wild blueberry pie for visitors to taste, and vote in the People’s Choice Award.
“Wild blueberries are nutritious, delicious and versatile,” says Marina Queirolo, food program manager at Evergreen Brick Works. “You can put them in a sweet or savory dish, preserve them or eat them fresh or frozen. What’s best is they offer us the opportunity to enjoy their nutritional benefits during harvest season, and throughout the year.”
“The Wild Blueberry Month and GE Café Chefs Series are intended to inspire people to translate ideas and experiences into sustainable food actions at home,” says Philippe Meyersohn, GM marketing and training, GE Appliances. “We are proud to be part of a program that brings community and nature together in a unique way.”
The wild blueberry harvest usually starts during the first week of August and lasts about four weeks. One can make the most of the season by boosting one’s blueberry knowledge and cooking skills, and sampling the variety of treats and drink that Wild Blueberry Month has to offer.
Wild Blueberry Month line-up:
Saturday, August 3| Cooking at the Farmers’ Market| 10am-noon
Explore the wild side of blueberries at this demonstration-style drop-in class.
Thursday, August 8 & 22, September 5 & 19 |Hands On Cooking Workshops |6pm-9pm
Learn traditional and gluten-free wild blueberry baking or try your hand at canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freezing and infusing to make your wild blueberries last well past summer.
Tuesday, August 13 |GE Café Chefs Series | 6pm-9pm
Chef Michael Cavallo from Edulis restaurant in Toronto hosts an intimate and interactive cooking demonstration with a special blueberry treat.
Wednesday, August 14 | Pizzeria Libretto Family Pizza Night| 5:30pm-8pm
Wild blueberry pizza made in Evergreen’s outdoor wood-fired oven by Pizzeria Libretto. $3 for a slice and salad.
Saturday, August 24| Wild Blueberry Farmers’ Market | 8am-1pm
An assortment of wild blueberry products will be for sale, plus local chefs get creative with wild blueberry inspired menus. Evergreen’s Garden Market will also show you how to plant and cultivate wild blueberries.
Sunday, August 25| Wild Blueberry Festival | 11am–3pm
Activities for all ages include face painting, a beer and wine garden, live music, blueberry treats, and the opportunity to taste and vote in the Wild Blueberry Bake Off.
About Evergreen: Evergreen is a national not-for-profit organization that makes cities more livable. By deepening the connection between people and nature, and empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments, Evergreen is improving the health of our cities—now and for the future. In 2012, Evergreen, with the support of its various donors and sponsors, will be providing more than $905,000 in grants to community and school greening projects. For more information visit http://www.evergreen.ca.
About GE Café: GE Café celebrates the fact that the kitchen is the heart and soul of the home. By combining the look and feel of a modern stainless steel restaurant kitchen with the latest cooking advantages enjoyed by top chefs, the GE Café collection gives Canadians another reason to take food further and entertain around food. GE Café has the perfect collection of re-imagined appliances with features to take food further while delivering perfect performance and bringing added ease to every type of event - http://www.gecafe.ca.
About WBANA: The Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) is an international trade association of growers and processors dedicated to bringing the wild blueberry health story and unique wild advantages to consumers and the trade worldwide. For additional recipes and to learn more about wild blueberries visit http://www.wildblueberries.com.
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Media: For more information, recipes or to arrange pre-event or on-site interviews with facilitators or chefs, please contact:
Leigh Morgan at Evergreen.
Tel: 416-596-1495 x252 (cell: 647-524-1483)
E-mail: lmorgan(at)evergreen(dot)ca
Susan Willemsen, Renee Lalonde or Ashleigh Mair at The Siren Group Inc. Tel: (416) 461-5270. Fax: (416) 778-9047. E-mail: info(at)thesirengroup(dot)com, visit http://www.thesirengroup.com or follow us on Twitter @thesirengroup.
Twitter: @EvergreenCanada #WildBlueberryMonth
GE Café on Twitter: @GE_Appliances
WBANA Twitter: @wildBBerries4U
Leigh Morgan, Evergreen, http://www.evergreen.ca, 416-596-1495 252, [email protected]
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