Plenty Epicurean Pantry

I have the pleasure of ordering for the store and everything has been a favourite of mine at one time or another. Yesterday, local artist Gillian Gravenor brought in vintage aprons that she’s collected and amazing curio boxes that she’s created. As I write this those are what first come to mind as my favourite things. We currently have a window display of some of our favourite things, here is a partial list.

Linda Jane:

- Similkameen Valley Honey, because of it’s dense, complex flavour.
- Bonnie Bea’s Oatcakes, because of their pure oaty sweetness, the fact that they are freshly made and local, and their versatility - good with cheese, jams & jellies, or just butter.
- OrganicFair Canadiana Bar, because of the lovely combination and balance of smooth, rich dark chocolate, slightly chewy dried apple, the tang of sea salt, and the added dimension of warm sweetness provided by maple syrup.
- Harumi Ota’s ceramic pitchers, because of their delightful and masterful blend of whimsicality, elegance, funkiness, and sophistication.
- Other favourites include, Gort’s Smoked Organic Gouda, Prometeo Emmer Wheat Penne Pasta, and the magnificently named Iron Goddess of Mercy tea, which is referred to as an oolong, but to me tastes more like a particularly rich and flavourful green, from Two Hills Tea. Oh, a new favourite tea is the Marrakesh Medley from Hasu Teas, which combines mint and green teas in a very satisfying blend, and apparently this is how mint tea is enjoyed in Morrocco, where more green tea is consumed than anywhere else in the world!

Mary-Lou:

- Ferris bran bread mix: Love this bread, it’s dense, moist and SO tasty, and it’s easy to make (just add buttermilk or whatever liquid suits you) and pop it into the oven. It’s a great treat Saturday or Sunday mornings, especially when you have family visiting. Thumbs up to Sandy Ferris for making the BEST bread mix ever.
- Pomodoro sun dried tomatoes: Mmmmmm… these are best eaten straight from the jar! Sweet, tart and juicy, these tomatoes are packed in extra virgin olive oil and they are packed! Good value despite the seemingly higher price and definitely worth it. Beautiful!
- Karakadis: Be warned: a bag of these crispy chickpea noodles from The Great Escape restaurant are so easy to eat they’ll be gone in one sitting. Lightly spiced, crunchy and golden brown, they are so habit forming you’ll want to trace their source to the picturesque town of Cumberland on Vancouver Island. Worth the trip.
- Truffles tea: The scent is so lovely I could wear it around my neck in a tea ball! With just the right amount of cacao and vanilla essences this tea is swoonfully delicious. Alas, it must be hidden from a husband who actually prefers it to the morning cup of joe!

Bobbie:

- I have many, many loves at the shop of Plenty, but at this time I shall choose just one - hard as this is… I have selected this ‘make or break my day’ local product as one of my favorite things! Coffee of course!! I do not ask for much in life, however to embrace my day to day routines I do require a little ‘morning motivation’ to make me want to rise and shine. No matter how early the hour, I am ready willing and able ….AS LONG as I have my favorite morning coffee…or as we say “my favorite thing’ to wake up to! Moziro is the name and delicious is their game! Locally based in Shawnigan and freshly roasted just for Plenty customers. You won’t find these beans in any other location in Victoria, so it’s very special to have this product for you! I love having friends over to my ‘home coffee house’ to treat them to a lovingly prepared cuppa - it’s fun to impress them (they always are). Amazing flavour (never bitter) with enough ooomph and smoothness to win over any tough coffee customer, like myself. I challenge you! Oh and to top it off, I cannot tell the difference when drinking the Moziro decaf - trust me! If that’s not a sure sign of a superior product I don’t know what is. Yours truly in the love of great coffee and believer that life is too short to drink the bad stuff.