Nostalgia meets nutrition

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Monique Buckmaster opened the General Store a couple of months ago, in a century-old building near Lockport. (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Red River General Store (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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A variety of the wares for sale at the Red River General Store. (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

There is a photo on the Red River General Store's Facebook page of owner Monique Buckmaster's 16-month-old son, Rhys, diving into a serving of pasta e fagioli. The dish was prepared by Buckmaster using ingredients from her store, which, despite looking as if it just stepped out of It's a Wonderful Life, has only been around since April 19.

"Or was it April 20?" Buckmaster wonders aloud, admitting that she has the same predicament when it comes to birthdays, anniversaries, garbage pick-ups...

"How about we make a rule? No questions about dates."

Fair enough. But riddle me this: how do you get a toddler to finish every last crumb of a meal containing, among other things, kale, basil and kidney beans?

"There isn't a vegetable he'll say no to," his mother brags. "He eats with the enthusiasm of a billy goat."

Today's story actually begins nine months ago, around the time when Rhys was just starting to tackle solid food.

One Sunday morning last January, Buckmaster and her family were heading to Lockport for breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, Buckmaster spotted a "For Lease" sign in the window at 5700 Henderson Hwy. -- a log cabin-style building that used to house the historic M. Stern General Store, but was now home to a not-so-quaint used-car dealership.

Buckmaster, 38, is the owner of Vintage Veruca Antiques on Main Street. Has been for 20 years. So when she poked her husband in the ribs and said, "I love it; what do you think?" his first reaction was "What have you got in mind, exactly?"

The answer turned out to be a second venture -- one that catered to Buckmaster's foodie side. (When the self-confessed workaholic isn't busy appraising parlour tables and Royal Albert dinnerware, she maintains two organic gardens on her in-laws' property, near St. Andrews. During the summer months, Buckmaster sells the fruits of her labour at farmers' markets in Pine Ridge Hollow and Lockport.)

Long story short: Buckmaster contacted her real estate agent from the breakfast table. She gave the 1,100-square-foot locale the once-over a couple of hours later. By the next afternoon, the mother of three was picking out paint colours, and entertaining names for her new "home."

The Red River General Store stocks a mish-mash of antiques, homemade soaps, jams, and loose-leaf teas, as well as locally made crafts, like birdhouses and weather vanes. But organic produce and dry goods will always be its bread and butter, Buckmaster says.

A couple of years ago, Buckmaster went to a conference featuring Joel Salatin, an American farmer and environmental activist. Buckmaster refers to Salatin as "a god to organic foodies" such as herself. Hearing the Heinz Award winner speak in person was life-altering, she says.

"I'm really concerned about where my food comes from. I've done my research and I'm not interested in eating genetically modified food." she explains. "Food has become a mine field and people don't understand that they're being poisoned by the grocery store. So now I can sit here on my soapbox and help spread 'the word.'

"I don't think I've scared too many customers away," she adds with a chuckle. "Most seem to come back."

Speaking of returnees, much of what Buckmaster knows about her surroundings comes from locals who grew up shopping at Stern's.

"A lot of people in the area have really fond memories of this place," Buckmaster says, noting that the flooring and the store's centerpiece -- a three-metre-long wooden counter -- are original to the premises. "Some used to come here for their penny candy. Others remember a pot-belly stove in the corner, or a group of older guys who'd sit around all day, swapping stories."

That sense of community is precisely what Buckmaster is hoping to recreate. She's currently laying the groundwork for a variety of classes, which she intends to stage on-site.

"I'm hoping to teach everything we can teach here," she says. "Canning, container gardening, you name it. And I'd love to find somebody who can teach crochet; I want to learn how, too; so you can bet I'll be in the audience with my needles."

Buckmaster will also be inviting chefs in to explain how to prepare many of the heirloom vegetables the store sells.

"Of course, I get it if this sort of place isn't your bag," Buckmaster says, offering a visitor a cinnamon scone. "But I think if you walk around and have a look, you'll find something you'll like. I enjoy when people come in and take their time, and dig it a little bit."

The Red River General Store is open 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. For more info visit www.redrivergeneralstore.com.

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca

Pasta e Fagioli, Red River Style

Here is the recipe for 16-month-old Rhys's favourite meal, courtesy his mom.

One bag of Nature's Pasta (lemon garlic) cooked al dente (about 7 minutes) in lightly salted boiling water.

Sauce:

60 ml (1/4 cup) of olive oil

One chopped medium cooking onion

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 large sweet pepper, seeded and chopped

6 to 8 kale leaves, torn into pieces

4 large, fresh tomatoes, blanched and crushed

1 handful of fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

250 ml (1 cup) of kidney beans (pre-soaked & cooked)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the pan (medium to medium high) and add the olive oil. When the oil is heated through, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and peppers and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes and lower the heat to medium or medium low. Add the kale and kidney beans. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the salt and pepper. Turn it off and add the basil. Serve over the pasta.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 22, 2012 E2