Farmgate Markets has been in business for seven years and at their new facility for one-year. They celebrated this anniversary on Sat Oct 1st with facility tours, gourmet charity BBQ with proceeds to Farmtown Canada, and supplier samples.
Photos by Mark Girdauskas & Relish Elgin Farmgate Markets has been in business for seven years and at their new facility for one-year. They celebrated this anniversary on Sat Oct 1st with facility tours, gourmet charity BBQ with proceeds to Farmtown Canada, and supplier samples. Slideshow above: Butcher-Specialist and co-owner Ray Coddington (slide 1), Farmtown Staff (slide 2); food samples (slide 3-6); Co-owner Sandy Lyle gives a facility tour (slide 7); Kelly Franklin from Farmgown Canada, Tricia Herbert, Sharon Lyle & Sandy Lyle (slide 8).
The long-standing Elgin Car-A-Van Tour gives visitors opportunity to explore the Agri-food industry in Elgin County each autumn. This year’s tour included five stops in Central and East Elgin. Presented by Elgin Federation of Agriculture, the tour never fails to reveal some surprising glimpses into the work that happens on farms tucked along roads of our rural backyard. You will find a few photos from three of the stops in the slideshow below. At Sunny Acres Morgan Horse Farm, Tim and Wendy Inch have been breeding, raising, training and showing Morgan horses for 31 years. Debeckere Farms transitioned from tobacco to fruits and vegetables in the early 2000s. The Gay Lea Heritage Museum purchased Andy and Lotty vanKasteren's extensivie collection in 2010 and now operate the facility. Slideshow above: Sunny Acres Morgan Horses (photos 1-3); Tim Inch (photo 1); Debeckere Farms (photos 4-6); Dan Debeckere (photo 6); Gay Lea Heritage Museum (photos 7-11); Kim Teuscher, Museum Coordinator (photo 11)
Elgin County is within the apple-growing region that stretches in a band along the north side of Lakes Ontario and Erie. The soils, moderate temperatures and warm sunny days with cool nights provide perfect conditions for growing an abundance of apples. Baskets and bushels of apples are featured now at the Horton Farmers Market. The bounty was celebrated on Sat Sept 24 with an Autumn Apple Breakfast. Controlled atmosphere storage keeps apples fresh, firm and sweet months after harvest – they are available year-round with the exception of July. Ontario produces about 42% of the Canadian crop. Selecting Apples
Renee Saarloos from Berry Hill Fruit Farm shared some information about Honeycrisp apples in the September 24 Horton Market Newsletter. She notes that consumer enthusiasm has driven the popularity of this apple quicker than most. Crisp and juicy with a nice balance of acids and sugar Honeycrisps can be used for cooking or eaten out of hand, and tend not to brown readily. They are a bit more expensive due to their popularity and greater care needed to pick them at the right maturity. But once you try one, you will likely decide to include Honeycrisps on your list of fall flavour treats. Buying tips, storage information and apple recipes from appetizers to soups, main dishes and desserts can be found at www.foodland.gov.on.ca and www.onapples.com. Why not try a delectable-sounding Roasted Ontario Apple and Sweet Potato Soup with Spiced Walnut. Photographer Mark Girdauskas recently toured three local apple growers, taking pictures of fall and apple scenes along the way. Check them out in the slideshow below. Finding Local Apples
Some of these locations also offer apple specialties and fall family fun (check Great Lakes Farms & Talbotville Berry Farm for special activities and events.) Some farms that grow apples and have farm gate sales:
Photos by Mark Girdauskas The harvest began Tuesday at Quai du Vin Estate winery, with picking of their Aurore grapes and the start of what winemaker Jamie Quai calls Crush 2011. Juice from this particular batch may very well be destined for a special vintage, a sparkling wine to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the winery in 2015. Jamie notes, that will give enough time for the development of a great sparkling wine. The winery’s ½ ton press was being fine tuned for its first day of operation of this season. Approximately 1 ½ tons of Aurore grapes were expected to be pressed Tuesday. Fifty-two tons or so of a variety of other grapes will be processed as they ripen in upcoming weeks. Nice, typically autumn weather made it a perfect day to take in the vineyard vistas and stroll out to the ¾-acres of Aurore vines to check out the harvest. Roberto Quai and wife Lisa opened the winery in 1990. Rob was busy in the vineyard Tuesday helping with the harvest. He noted that all of the grapes used in Quai du Vin wines are hand-picked. Their wines are produced from a combination of grapes, approximately 50% from Quai du Vin vines and 50% from other Ontario growers. Check out the slide show photos below taken by Mark Girdauskas from the first day of Crush 2011 at Quai du Vin. Find out more about Quai du Vin at www.quaiduvin.com. Having opened just this past July, Kenny Iguana’s Night Club & Restaurant is still evolving to find a delicious mix of music and food which will please customers in St. Thomas and nearby. The music focus has been on Tribute Bands, although a recent venture into Friday evening dinner hour jazz brought requests for more that are being given serious consideration. Recently, Chef Jeff Ryersee and Rebekah Ryersee took on the management of the restaurant portion of Kenny Iguana’s. They are working to make Kenny’s a restaurant destination. Jeff is originally from Union, and for the past few years has been in Niagara as Chef du Partie at the Hilton Watermark Restaurant. While there, he devoted some serious time and energy to learning wines and, says Rebekah, “found his wife”. Rebekah’s background is in Hotel Management so they make a formidable restaurant management team. The past few Wednesdays have found a growing group of wine fans joining Chef Jeff for WineTastic Wednesdays from 7 to 10pm in the wine lounge. For $20 they have enjoyed select wine tastings, delicious hor deurves and wine discussion. Chef Jeff Ryersee On Wednesday August 31st, Argentine Malbecs were featured. Jeff presented a nice selection for tasting, accompanied by stuffed mushrooms, empanada and fresh salsa. The wine discussion was casual, and the atmosphere relaxed (the funky décor and big coffee-table help with that) – a nice reward for making it half-way through the work week. The Wednesday September 7th session will feature wines from Chile. WineTastic Wednesday will ramp it up on Wednesday September 28th with a Winemaker’s Dinner. Find out more at Kenny Iguana’s Facebook Group Page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/204453076263903/ KENNY IGUANA'S - RESTAURANT 668 Talbot Street St. Thomas, ON 519-207-4520 Photos by Mark Girdauskas The 3rd Annual FreshFest returned to the CASO Railway Station on Thursday August 25th and was a delicious success. Here is a sampling of scenes from the evening which featured tantalizing tasters prepared by talented local chefs, using foods grown in Elgin County and nearby. More about the event can be found at http://www.freshfest.ca/. The Ontario peach season is in full swing. The St. Thomas Horton Farmers' Market celebrated the juicy, sweet goodness with their First Annual "Just Peachy" Breakfast on August 13th. The treat consisted of homemade buttermilk waffles topped with honey-roasted peaches, vanilla ice-cream and mint & basil syrup. The Senior's Centre brought their famous peach pies. Below, find some scenes from August 13 at the Market. Some Peach Facts Peaches were first cultivated in China; they were brought to Europe from Persia. A warm, temperate climate such as the one of the Niagara Fruit Belt is best for growing peaches. They are the least cold-hearty of stone fruits, but are nurtured with delicious results in a few orchards in Elgin County. Two of these include Berry Hill Fruit Farm (see Renee's recipe for Sunshine Smoothie using frozen peaches) and Great Lakes Farms. Find Peaches Fresh Nearby Visit a farmgate, farmers' market or farm market and look for fresh local peaches. Select fruit which is fairly firm, and sweet-smelling with smooth peachy-coloured skin. The amount of red in the skin is dependent upon variety not ripeness. Green colour indicates the peach was picked too early. Semi-Freestone Peaches are available earlier in the season and are excellent for eating simply out of hand. Freestone Peaches, available mid-August to end of September are suitable for eating fresh or preserving. Keep at room temperature till ripe (do not store in a plastic bag). Store ripe peaches in a single layer in the refrigerator. Simply Sensational Rinse peaches under running water just before eating and eat just as they are. To make peeling easier, immerse briefly in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, immerse in ice water, make a v-cut in the top, then pull skin away from peach. Slice onto breakfast cereal. Toss slices into a green salad; try poached, broiled or grilled. Combine with blueberries or raspberries in a fruit salad. Simply Sensational Plus Peaches are a favourite for making jams, pies, cobblers, crisps, cakes and sauces. They pair deliciously with cream for peaches & ice-cream, peaches and cream or peaches and sour cream pie. The classic Peach Melba includes ice-cream and raspberries. Savoury dishes include salsas, and combinations with chicken, salmon or other meats as marinade or glaze. Relish Peaches All Year Peel, pit and slice peaches; sprinkle with sugar and fruit preservative according to package instructions and pack into sealed plastic containers or freezer bags. Find Out More Peach Melba http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/dessert-recipes/peach-melba-recipe/ Recipes and information from Foodland Ontario Recipes and information from The Ontario Fruit Institute Savoury & Sweet Recipes from the Food Network Peach Pie with Sour Cream Pastry from Canadian Living Grilled Tandoori Chicken & Peach Skewers Recipe by Foodland Ontario Last minute guests? Don’t worry. These skewers taste amazing and require minimal work. Tandoori paste is available at most grocery stores, but in a pinch any Indian paste can be used. The skewers are excellent with basmati rice as well. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Marinating Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1/4 cup (50 mL) plain yogurt 4 tsp (20 mL) bottled tandoori paste 1 lemon 1 lb (500 g) boneless skinless Ontario Chicken Breasts or Thighs 3 firm but ripe Ontario Peaches or Nectarines 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil 3 tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped fresh coriander Salt 4 small naan bread (optional) Raita (homemade or store bought), optional Preparation Instructions: In medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, with tandoori paste and 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice. Cut chicken into bite-size chunks; add to yogurt mixture and stir. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or covered overnight. Cut unpeeled peaches into 4 wedges each. In bowl, toss together peaches, 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice, oil and 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the coriander.. Thread chicken onto 4 skewers; thread peaches onto remaining skewers. Sprinkle both with salt to taste. Place chicken on greased grill over medium heat; grill, turning occasionally for 7 minutes. Add peach skewers; grill until juices run clear when chicken is pierced and peaches are warm, 2 to 4 minutes. During last minute of cooking, grill naan if using. To serve, top each naan with 1 peach skewer, 1 chicken skewer and dollop of raita. Sprinkle with remaining coriander. Tip: To prevent peaches from spinning when grilling, thread skewer through top and bottom of each wedge. West Elgin has a bounty of blueberries, with three pick your own / already picked locations in close proximity. We visited all three recently and found the busy blueberry season in full swing and bushes abundant with a mixture of intensely blue ripe berries and lovely purplish pre-ripe ones. Blue Groves Blueberries Blue Groves is owned by Bob & Marianne Hatch. They are in their 33rd year notes Marianne, with a smile that suggests she finds that this hardly seems possible. Their 15 acres of blueberries includes several varieties. Although the spring was a bit rough with bees reluctant to pollinate in the damp weather, the crop has turned out well. Blue Groves U-Pick Fruit Farm 25503 Talbot Line (near Eagle on Hwy 3) 519-768-3276 Above, at Blue Groves Blueberries: Sarah with daughters Jenny and Lizzy (left) & Anika, Lizzy & Jilli (right). Above, at Blue Groves Blueberries: Susan, Zorka and Boris Pertout. Susan and husband Boris grew up nearby and have been returning for the last twenty years with Boris's Mom Zorka to pick their supply of blueberries to freeze for winter. Blueberry Hill Farm Irene Puddester fell in love with Blueberry Hill when she discovered it 17 years ago, and hasn't looked back. Planting of bushes there started 35 years ago. Irene offers berries that are grown without chemicals, and rely on the naturally-occurring bee population for pollination. Nine acres of berries produce about 1,000 bushels per acre on varieties with intriguing names like Blue Crop, Blue Ray, Berkeley, Patriot and Blue Jay. Blueberry Hill Farm 22039 Hoskins Line, Rodney 519-785-2217 Above, Irene Puddester and some scenes from her Blueberry Hill Farm. Beary Blue Acres Twenty-seven years ago, Dennis and Sandra Fishcher wanted to try planting something new as part of their farm. They chose blueberries and today the field across from their home is a well-established 5-acre patch. Sandra's favourite way to eat blueberries is in smoothies – you'll find a recipe on the Beary Blue website (with an option of adding peach schnapps, mmmm!) They also carry dehydrated berries – they're little bursts of flavour that I look forward to trying as a replacement in recipes calling for raisins. Beary Blue Acres 23301 Queens Line, Rodney 519-785-0450 www.bearyblueacres.com Above Sandra Fishcher and some scenes from Beary Blue Acres & Andrew and Lana who come from London to pick blueberries. All three locations are pleasant, peaceful places to visit and pick-your-own. Pails and cute little picking stools are provided. Or you can just stop in and purchase ready-picked or frozen as available. Bird cannons deter some of the birds, not all, but there seem to be ample supplies of berries for birds and humans. The berries should be available for another two or three weeks, till around the third week in August. Blueberry Facts
Visit a farmgate, farmers' market or farm market and look for fresh local blueberries. Select firm sweet-smelling berries. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator. Simply Sensational
Blueberries freeze well for use when this year's season is over.
Article & Photos by Mark Girdauskas On the first day of summer vacation in 1984, James Meadow's Dad came into his room and informed him that he had a job interview at Cowison's Butcher Shop in Toronto at 11am. The was offered a job stripping chickens and washing dishes. After watching the cook make meat pies all summer, James declared that he could do it better, and was promptly told to prove it. He did. That weekend the cooks were off and James was in charge of making all the meat pies for the store. Over the next three years he went on to make scotch eggs, chicken Kiev, and cheese bread. He began to chart the path that would allow him to develop his cooking talents into a career. After receiving his culinary training at George Brown, James opened a café at Yonge and Lawrence, which he owned and operated until an opportunity came up in El Paso Texas. He worked as a demo chef there before returning to Toronto. Working at the Royal York, Senses, Kit Kat and Urban Restaurant and Event Catering, James sharpened his culinary skills. He then came to London to work as head chef at the Grosvenor Club. He also began to teach classes at Loblaws locations around London. When the position of Cooking School Co-ordinator came up in St. Thomas, James applied and was offered the job. James became well known in the community through teaching both adult and children's classes, the weekly What's For Dinner demonstration and through his involvement in the donation program at the Real Canadian Superstore.
James and wife Mary were was so impressed with St. Thomas's friendliness and sense of community that they sold their home in London and chose to raise their daughter in St. Thomas. After forging relationships within the community for two years, and with his expanding reputation for outstanding cuisine, James was encouraged by others to open his own restaurant in St. Thomas. He had long dreamed of operating a catering business. With tremendous support from friends, family and the community, Catering by James Meadows opened on April 11, 2011 in the heart of St. Thomas. James describes his cooking style as "simple fresh" and quips "I am inspired by the President of Catering by James Meadows, as I continually endeavour to impress her. The president also happens to be my wife!" While Mary works behind the scenes, James is the face of the business. James particularly enjoys making soups, noting that "it requires knowledge of a great many aspects, such as making stocks, cooking meats, vegetables and starch properly. When soup is done well, it is heavenly. Soup allows a chef to really play with flavours and flavour combinations." The partners are committed to excellence, driven by passion and the desire to make catering affordable to everyone. James notes that they customize the menu to each individual's preferences. They don't have lists to choose from, don't have minimum orders and cater to all budgets. "When you hire James Meadows to cook your food, James Meadows will be cooking your food." James and Mary are happy to have made their home and work in St. Thomas and, in turn are deeply commited to the community, supporting local charities and community events. James provides this quick and easy recipe for a traditional Salsa – perfect for enjoyment on the summer patio. Pico de Gallo (A more traditional Salsa) Yield 2 cups Ingredients: 5 plum tomatoes, small dice 1/2 small red onion, minced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds and white rib for a milder version) 1 lime, juiced 1 tbsp cilantro, minced 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste Method: Combine ingredients in a bowl, adjust seasoning to taste. To contact James and Mary at Catering by James Meadows, call 226-448-8466 or visit www.cateringbyjamesmeadows.com |
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