Jun. 28, 2021
Cooking In Season
Salad Meals to Beat the Heat
In this recipe round up, I have gathered my best and most delicious summer salad meal recipes in one post, for days when itβs too hot to cook!

I have long been a fan of Rancho products, and have stocked my pantry exclusively with their nuts and dried fruit for over ten years. Rancho Vignola is a direct mail-order company based in BC. The company owners, Sue and Richard Vignola, work directly with farmers to ensure that they buy only crops of nuts that are ethically grown and harvested, and are at the peak of freshness when they are delivered to my (or to your) door.
They also run Harvest SalesΒ all over BC and Alberta in the fall, where customers can sample all of their many products and decide what they might like to order. The Harvest Event on the Island is coming to Sidney on November 25th and 26th at Mary Winspear Centre. Less than two weeks away!!
A Harvest Sales Event isΒ a boon for those of us who want to try something, but are not sure if we can commit to a 5 lb bag. For example, I had long had my eye on the Unpasteurized Almonds in the Rancho catalog, but until I tried them at the Sidney Harvest Event three years ago, I had NO IDEA how delicious those almonds were! Seriously, once you try a fresh-harvested nut, you can never go back to the supermarket variety.
I will be at the Harvest Sales Event on Saturday (26th) doing a few cooking demos and handing out samples. I hope to see you there! Β In the meantime, please enter the giveaway to win a gift basket of Rancho Vignola products valued at $100 (rules below). You have one week!
The winner of the blog giveaway can pick up their basket at the Harvest SaleΒ on the 25th or 26th, or have it mailed to their home.
The $100 Basket Giveaway Rules:
To qualify for delivery, you must have a Canadian shipping address. Enter the draw in one of three ways:
(1) comment on this post
(2) post to myΒ facebook fanpage
(3) tweet with the hashtag #RVgiveaway2016 to @chefheidifink
Giveaway ends by midnight, Monday, November 21st, and a winner will be announced Tuesday, November 22nd. Thatβs about one week, folks!
(Non-winners will be very happy to note that Rancho Vignolaβs December Online Harvest SaleΒ is coming Dec 1st to 15th. No minimum order required! So, if this post has piqued your interest, and you canβt make it to any of the Harvest SalesΒ locations, you can order some products to try through the December online sale.)
Jun. 28, 2021
In this recipe round up, I have gathered my best and most delicious summer salad meal recipes in one post, for days when itβs too hot to cook!
Oct. 25, 2020
Quince have a wonderful flavour, but an almost impossibly hard texture. Read on for a quick kitchen tip that makes quince easy to peel and cut!
Sep. 27, 2020
Pumpkin spices scones are a perfect fall treat; not-too-sweet, fragrant with spices, with a full complement of rich pumpkin flavour.
Thanks for the chance to win, I always love trying-out new Canadian products and love that Rancho Vignola seems to put out high quality stuff!
I’ve been enjoying Rancho’s products for the last few years, thanks to your introduction. I hope I am the lucky winner this year – fingers crossed.
My stomach is grumbling already.
See you at the Harvest Sale! My RV wholesale order is being delivered this morning π
Thanks so much for doing this again, Heidi. I discovered Rancho Vignolo’s products through your blogpost!! Best nuts and dried fruit ever! Hope I am chosen the winner! What a great start to Christmas baking season it would be!
Now I’m craving some almonds! Here’s hoping π
Hi Chef Heidi:
Love your work, love your cooking classes and love that you have introduced Rancho’s products to us! I have never tried them but I can’t wait to do so! I would love to be entered into the contest….. Thanks!
I never knew that I could even have access to a fresh harvested nut!
Interesting. Will have to add this to calendar and check them out.
I would love to have a chance to try a variety of different offerings from Rancho Vignola. It’s always so difficult to choose.
I’ve been a staunch Rancho fan for many years now. Your involvement makes it even better! Thanks for inviting us!
Would love to finally try them out this year!