Making it Better

FROM LOCAL PRODUCE TO OUR LOCAL SHELVES

BY JOEL FOURNIER

hen many of us think about supporting our local Albertan W food and beverage producers, our minds turn to perusing the local farmers' market to pick out the freshest fruits and vegetables, buying our meat ethically raised from local ranches, and dining at our favourite locally owned restaurants. Another way to support our local culinary economy is to support these growers by using locally sourced ingredients to make value-added products. What is a value-added product? It’s one that modifies and enhances its raw ingredients into a completely different, more valuable item. This can include turning fruits and berries into jams and marmalades, making cooking oil from crops such as canola or sunflower oil, distilling and brewing grains into alcoholic beverages, or smoking and dehydrating meat to make jerky – the list goes on.

There is no shortage of local producers across the province creating all sorts of delectable value-added offerings, and many of them source their ingredients

directly from Alberta farmers, ranchers, and growers. Because these goods are made with local ingredients, they travel shorter distances, are higher in quality, far more delicious, and way healthier than their mass-produced grocery store counterparts. Additionally, when you buy products from locally owned and operated crafters, not only are you supporting a single business, but you’re also supporting the local growers that supply the raw materials needed.

One local business that continues to do an impressive job of showing off the wide variety of produce grown in Alberta, is Preserved Foods Boutique in Bragg Creek. Since 2018, Preserved has taken some of the best produce our province has to offer and made it available year-round through canning. According to owner and chef, Vanessa Rundell, “I found myself wondering why there wasn’t Alberta grown produce in added value products on grocery store shelves. I was looking for a way to step aside from restaurants but still work directly with farmers and show off all of their amazing hard work and a way for Albertans to have access to Alberta grown produce year-round.” Because harvest season only takes place during a limited time each year, canning ensures that the food remains fresh, delicious, and ready to eat all year long.

Preserved makes and sells a diverse range of products year round; for a sweeter palate they have an assortment of jams, including their Haskap Jam, Saskatoon Gin Jam, Raspberry Vanilla Jam, and Carrot Cake Jam. On the savoury side, Rundell makes Bread & Butter Pickles, Sweet Garlic & Chili Ketchup, Dilled Carrots, Candied Chilies, and Salsa Roja. She also makes some seasonal products, including Pickled Asparagus, Maple Rhubarb Jam, Wild Rose Lemonade Jelly, and Garlic Scape Relish.

It’s not just the local ingredients that make the food from Preserved stand out. Rundell has over ten years of experience as a chef alongside a lifelong passion for cooking, and brings that experience to her foods. With a background in fine dining, having worked at The Ranche and at Rouge – both in Calgary, Rundell was able to build relationships with local producers and work with the food they grow. She explains, “Between those two restaurants I learned first hand that the closer you are located to the ingredients you use, the better your food will taste. Food loses its nutrients the longer it has been off the plant, and at the end of the day it’s the nutrients in those foods that taste so good. It's why a fresh garden strawberry is exponentially tastier than a strawberry shipped across the continent. Our farmers work hard and it shows in their quality.”

Another Alberta business showing off the province's culinary culture, is Andys Beef Jerky in Edmonton. Of course we’re renowned for our high quality beef, and for over ten years Andys has been using that beef to craft delicious, artisanal jerky. In addition to their original beef jerky, Andys also boasts a wide variety of flavoured jerky, including peppered, teriyaki, maple, sweet & spicy, honey garlic, lava, and BBQ maple.

Initially, owner Heidi Mirander was not fond of beef jerky, finding the average store-bought variety to be too greasy, too salty, and too tough. However, Andy, a butcher friend, convinced Mirander to

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try some jerky that he had made in his backyard smoker. “After a little coaxing, I sampled his peppered flavour, and it was outstanding! It was soft and easy to chew, not salty and had an awesome flavour. I told Andy that he should sell this and make a business out of it.”

What sets artisanal jerky apart from the store-bought varieties? According to Mirander, it’s the quality of the local beef, and the freshness of the jerky itself. As she says, “We proudly source local, certified and inspected beef, eye of round only, and we never freeze the beef, either before production or after; and no unpronounceable ingredients are used even though we are shelf stable.”

Many of the common grocery store varieties of jerky are made up to six months prior to even seeing a grocery store shelf, whereas Andys prides itself on preparing fresh jerky on a weekly basis. “We handcraft our jerky fresh, each and every week and feel that this, and having the luxury of being able to source local beef and ingredients, enables our artisan jerky to rise above the others,” says Mirander.

Calgary’s Cian’s Mustard, has been using the diversity of local Alberta produce to create handcrafted and artisanal mustards. Using their grandfather’s recipe, the folks at Cian’s Mustard were able to create a family business using not just locallysourced mustard grains, but other local ingredients, including yogurt, honey, spices, and even locally crafted beer.

“We are different to traditional mustards, going beyond ordinary mustard and vinegar. We use a variety of ingredients to maximize flavour to create a more nutritiously impactful, flavourful mustard,” says Cian’s Mustard’s Colina Clark. Using Greek yogurt as a base to cook the mustard in order to create a more savoury taste, additional ingredients are used to create a variety of flavour profiles, from their original recipe to other flavours like beer, honey, maple, medium, and hot.

According to Clark, using locallysourced ingredients not only makes for a more marvelous mustard, but also contributes to the overall integrity of their products. “There is a person behind every product, not a machine. We are very fortunate to have cultivated relationships among our suppliers, farmers’ markets, and customers over the years, it is about community for us. That is what sets us apart from larger production companies; it is about the people.”

Now we’re able to safely run our pairing dinners again, many evenings are selling out with waiting lists, so don’t delay in reserving your places.

Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens World Taste & Tour Saturday September 4 It’s a fun, full and rewarding day of food and exploration at our World Taste Tour, with more than 15 different cuisines to discover - and there are spots for only nine teams of two open now!

Joel is a freelance writer and a self-described food-lover and home cooking enthusiast. He has a passion for travel, food, film, music, and culture.

Vine & Dine at Fonda Fora Friday September 3, Saturday 11, and Thursday September 30 We’re delighted to be in the private dining room of this superb, authentic, new Yucatan restaurant inside the brand new, boutique, Westley Hotel, for three super delicious, 6-course pairing dinners in September!

Vine & Dine at Yakima Saturday October 16, Friday October 22, and Saturday October 30 We’re back at Yakima for three delicious pairing evenings in October. One of our favourite chefs has now taken over the helm in the kitchen, and we’re excited for his new pairing menu!

Restaurants and menus are added regularly, so check out culinairemagazine.ca/events for details.

Contact Linda Garson, linda@cuiairemagazine.ca, 403-870-9802 to book upcoming evenings, to host a private event for your business or family, and to request to join the exclusive list of people who hear about these very popular events before the rest of the city!

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Or visit our website to find other retailers & restaurant locations across Canada. brantlakewagyu.ca