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Beet and Garden Sorrel Soup
By Sherry Milford
2 lbs small beets*
1 tbsp oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups shredded garden sorrel or wood sorrel
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup stock or reserved beet juice
salt, pepper to taste
Wash beets and trim, leaving 1 inch of the ends attached.
In large saucepan, cover beets with water and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
Remove beets from saucepan, reserving cooking liquid.
When beets are cool enough to handle slip off skins and stems. Cut beets in half.
In large saucepan, cook onion in oil until tender.
Add 3 cups reserved cooking liquids**, beets, sorrel, lemon juice, carrots and stock.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
In blender or food processor, puree mixture in batches and return heat to low.
*I cook my beets in advance so they are not so hot to handle; then the only hot thing in the food processor is the onion and carrot mixture.
** I have also found that adding the stock or water after everything’s been processed saves a mess. Only add enough water to the processor to get things moving.
Photo by Yan Roberts
Piebird Bed and Breakfast takes the natural approach to lunch, life and the art of travel.
By Sarah Ryeland
Piebird is a happy place.
Head to its website or gorgeous property in Nipissing Village and that’s the first message you’ll receive. Stepping through the front door on a blustery day is like a warm embrace. With a fire burning, the house is cozy and dry, smelling faintly of wood smoke and vegetable soup. There’s tea in the pot, smiles all around and a big handsome cat at your feet. Welcome home.
But the happiest places on earth don’t just magically appear – they take a lot of hard work to create. Sherry Milford and Yan Roberts are examples of what a lot of hard work – and love – can do to transform a house, a vision, and two lives.
The pair that now owns Piebird Bed and Breakfast– a vegetarian B&B that focuses on homegrown food and healthy, back-to-nature living – met in British Columbia. Roberts and his family had always spent summers in Nipissing at their cottage, and when he and Milford began dating, he brought her along with him.
Five years ago, the couple was in the area and noticed that the old house they’d always loved was up for sale. They jumped at the chance to own the grand old place, moved to Ontario and never looked back.
“We were living in Vancouver, just waiting for something to happen,” says Milford. “And this just kind of happened. As soon as we saw the place we knew it needed an amazing amount of work, which is why I guess no one else would buy it.”
She and Roberts were up for the challenge though, and immediately began work on their new home.
The Piebird house has a long history. Built in 1902 by a wealthy Toronto businessman, the house was an exact replica of his elegant home in the city and was eventually lost in a card game, so the rumour goes, in 1919. As time went by, it was sold and housed various businesses, becoming a landmark in the area. Locals knew the house well, but by the time Milford and Roberts came along, it was on its last legs.
“When we first moved here it was fun to have the locals come by and tell us what the house meant to them,” says Roberts. “Because it means a lot to a lot of people. They were so appreciative of a young couple coming in and saving it from falling down. All the locals knew what was wrong with it.”
“Apparently the foundation had been crumbling for decades,” adds Milford “and it looked like the roof was, too. The foundation guy we hired said one more year and it would have been irreparable. It almost made me cry because the whole thought of that is such a shame.”
But with a lot of hard work, the couple restored the house to its former glory. The original embossed copper walls and tin ceilings, antiques and beautiful creative details make guests feel like they’ve stepped back in time, to an era when simple living was king.
“We earned the respect of the community by fixing up something that belongs to everyone, really,” says Roberts. “Earning that respect allowed us to do what we’re doing, which is definitely different for the area.”
What Roberts is referring to is the Piebird way of life. Not only is Piebird a haven of fresh, vegetarian and vegan food, it’s also an educational resource. People come from far and wide to spend time with Milford and Roberts who are pioneers when it comes to healthy eating, sustainable farming and loving the earth. They educate the public on nutrition, growing your own food and living in a way that is respectful of the environment.
Aside from the concerts and events they host at Piebird, Milford and Roberts teach workshops on healthy food preparation, healing with herbs and canning and preserving. Farm stays are another big draw, giving guests the chance to learn about sustainable farming through hard work in the Piebird fields.
That educational aspect is very important to the couple, as they strive to raise awareness about giving back to the earth.
“The combination of everything we do is pretty unique because this whole area has been based on extraction tourism for so long,” says Milford. “So many types of tourism are not sustainable at all. So we’re kind of a part of this new wave of ‘hey, let’s just grow some food and not mistreat animals or fish the lakes dry.’”
“Not being based on resource extraction is a big part of what we try to educate the whole industry about,” adds Roberts.
Milford and Roberts are respected in the community for their knowledge and expertise. Their opinions are sought after in Nipissing and beyond, and that’s part of what draws visitors to the B&B.
With a beautifully detailed website (Roberts uses his background in advertising and marketing to make it pop) and comprehensive skill sets (Milford is a nutritional consultant specializing in helping people suffering with diseases like cancer and diabetes), Roberts and Milford end up attracting exactly the kind of people they want to stay at Piebird.
One look at any of their flyers or sites, and people know exactly what they’re getting into. They often feel like they know Roberts and Milford before they even arrive.
“Our first year was more just traditional tourists traveling through the area and stumbling upon us for whatever reason,” says Roberts. “Now, pretty much everybody comes to us for this experience.”
“I usually ask people why they come here,” says Milford “and they say ‘oh, just coming to see Piebird,’ and that’s pretty cool. We’re a draw for people, which is amazing, but also a bit of pressure.”
The pressure doesn’t seem to get to them, though. That could be because of the positive attitude the couple share. They embrace individuality and goofiness – something that makes every guest feel welcome in their midst.
Inside the main house live Milford, Roberts and their two cats Chapeau – referred to as the French wild man – and Pinky, the kitten. Outside, there are four other special members of the family.
Billy, Ginger, Sunshine and Sadie are the family of goats that make up the rest of the Piebird gang. Billy and Ginger are the oldest, with kids Sunshine and Sadie adopted last spring. The foursome has a loving home at the farm, with a warm shelter, lots of food and playtime to fill their days.
“They’re hilarious and they’re our friends,” says Milford. “We have them mostly for comic relief and companionship. We’re reluctant to call them pets because they’re not our pets. We don’t have them for milk or anything, their purpose in life is just to be happy and make us laugh, which they do readily.”
“Everyone wants to know what their purpose is,” adds Roberts. “We just want to remind people that you can offer animals love and expect nothing but love in return.”
It might sound like a simple philosophy, but it’s one that many lose sight of. Coming to Piebird can be an eye-opening experience for those travellers who are unaccustomed to the simpler aspects of life, such as working the land, eating from the garden and loving animals.
Milford and Roberts take extra care to show their guests how rewarding it can be to live a life that’s full of simple pleasures. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy job. The pair puts in a lot of hard work to ensure their guests have a rich and varied stay at Piebird. They take the time to get to know their visitors and tailor the experience to their individual needs.
So what keeps them going? Call it mutual inspiration.
“In this business there’s a lot of energy output,” says Roberts. “But the folks that come through here are doing wonderful things in their lives and that inspires us. Then we teach them about food and gardening and they leave with a glowing heart.”
Although Milford and Roberts stay put in Nipissing Village, they feel like the traveller’s spirit lives inside the house. Instead of heading abroad to experience different cultures, travelers bring that culture to Piebird and fresh perspectives on life are a part of that, too.
“We’re continually impressed and bewildered by the good people that come along,” says Roberts. “It gives you a good sense of humanity. Very encouraging.”
