【大纪元2015年01月13日讯】
图/文：宁姨 （Judith Lane）
成长期间，不管对孩子或大人来说，新年除夕总是最让人兴奋的时刻之一。那个晚上，我的军人父亲会穿上一身帅气的军装：肩甲上有闪烁徽章的猩红色外套和两侧各有一条黄色线带的蓝色海军裤子，擦亮的黑色长靴子上是一对银色的马刺。美丽的母亲则精心打理秀发和妆容，穿上最漂亮的晚礼服，和父亲一起去军人会所，享用晚餐然后跳舞。不管我们搬到哪儿，我家新年除夕的习惯始终如一。
有一年爸妈为我和姐妹们增加了一个有趣的除夕传统。睡觉前，我们把鞋子放在台阶上，有一只叫“黑麦”的神秘熊，会趁我们入睡的时候，在我们的鞋子里装满派对帽、会发出各种声音的小玩具、包在金色锡箔纸里的巧克力，还有父母新年聚会时得到的纪念品。我们很喜欢这个小小的传统，并引以为傲，因为“黑麦”从没有拜访过其他小孩们的家。
如今庆祝新年总包括挚友、佳肴和午夜时分杯中的香槟美酒。我们也会找个优雅的餐厅，在辞旧迎新的时刻，毫不吝惜地选择最好的食物，因为这将成为新年美好的开始。
大多数人的新年计划表是不可或缺的。我们列出一系列的目标、立下决心，对自己承诺在新的一年活得更好。饮食总是榜上有名，有些人想节食、吃更健康的食物，也有人立志采购烹吃本地的出品以辅助社区。
想要了解本地食物并非难事，可以一家人到附近的农场市集，与农民、酒商们聊聊天（这些酒商很乐意让你浅尝本地贩售的葡萄酒）。对于孩儿们来说，跟农场主人的交流、认识新鲜出产的蔬果，全是开心的事。
夏天和秋天，可以直接探访农场，例如Westham岛上的Emma Lea农场，在那儿采摘莓子；或去菲沙河谷亲自选购各种各样的水果、玉米或南瓜等新鲜农产品。
再不然，到Agassiz全年开放的天然芝士农场(Farm House Natural Cheeses (http://www.farmhousecheeses.com) )，看看他们怎么做芝士，有机会可还见到可爱的小山羊和奶牛，它们的奶可是制作芝士的原料呢。查看有关BC农场的网页（http://www.bcfarmfresh.com），可以找到所有欢迎人们参观的农场的名称，和有关农作物，养了些什么动物等资料，还有你极可能需要的地图等。
菲沙河谷有几家供参观的葡萄园，不时举办合家欢活动、音乐会和跺葡萄比赛。我的心水推荐包括Township 7，可爱的Vista D’oro Farms & Winery，还有Domaine de Chaberton葡萄园，你还可以考虑在这园里的Bacchus Bistro吃午餐。请浏览http://www.winebc.com/discover-bc/fraser-valley/wineries?wRegion=langley.
参观季节性农场是不一样的社区饮食活动，可别漏掉在温哥华市区Nat Bailey Stadium举办的冬季农产市场喔，每周六开放，直到4月25日为止。或者到Granville Island的公众市场去闲逛。就是在社区当地的超市或路边摊档逗留一下，都有机会发现和品尝到那儿出产的美味食物。 ◇
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Canadian Food Lane：A New Year Resolution of Eating
Growing up, New Year’s Eve was always a time of excitement for both kids and adults. My army officer Dad would don his smart dress uniform ¬– scarlet jacket with chain mail epaulets, navy trousers with a yellow stripe on each leg, and shiny black boots with silver spurs while our glamorous mother, hair and makeup perfect, would put on her finest ball gown and off they would go to the dinner dance at the Officers’ Mess. It didn’t matter where in the country we were living in; each New Year’s Eve followed the same pattern.
One year they started a fun New Year’s Eve tradition for my sisters and me. Before going to bed, we would leave our shoes on the stairs and in the night when we were sleeping, a mysterious bear called Pumpernickel would fill our shoes with party hats, noisemakers, and gold-wrapped chocolate, mementoes from our parents’ New Year’s party celebrations. It was a simple thing and we loved it. We felt special because Pumpernickel never visited any of our friends’ homes.
Today, New Year’s is celebrated with good friends, a fine meal and good wines, with Champagne at midnight. We dine at home with friends or out at a fine restaurant. Being a time of celebration, all stops are pulled out when it comes to the quality of food and wine, appropriate because it is thought that how you see the old year out and welcome the new influences the year ahead.
One thing that many of us do is prepare a list of resolutions – things we promise ourselves to do that will improve our lives. Food is usually involved. We may try to eat less but better for health reasons, or perhaps consider choosing “eat local foods for the betterment of our communities”.
Learning about local food is easy to do. Take the family to one of our many Farmers’ Markets to meet the people who grow our food and make BC wines (happily wineries are beginning to offer samples of wines they can now sell at markets). It’s fun for kids to interact with the farmers, ask them questions and learn about new vegetables and fruit. In the summer and fall, trips to farms like Emma Lea Farms on Westham Island where you can pick your own berries, or to the Fraser Valley to pick fruit of all sorts, corn, pumpkins and more. Visit Farm House Natural Cheeses (http://www.farmhousecheeses.com) in Agassiz at any time of the year and see how cheese is made. You’ll also see the cute little goats and beautiful cows who supply the milk for the cheeses. Visit http://www.bcfarmfresh.com/ to find out all about the farms that you can visit, learn what they grow, find out the animals that they raise, and there are helpful maps.
There are several wineries in the Fraser Valley that offer vineyard tours and some have family events including music theatre in the vineyard and grape stomping competitions. Favourites include Township 7 for family-friendly events, lovely Vista D’oro Farms & Winery, and Domaine de Chaberton where you can have lunch at Bacchus Bistro. See more at http://www.winebc.com/discover-bc/fraser-valley/wineries?wRegion=langley.
If you’re travelling around the country, visiting both seasonal farmers’ markets (don’t miss the Winter Farmers Market at Nat Bailey Stadium, Saturdays until April 25, 2015) and year round markets like Vancouver’s Granville Island Public Market or Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, are delicious ways to discover a region’s food. Stopping at a local market or a roadside stand will give you a taste of the area.
责任编辑：邓林
