May • 2022
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Spring into Greenhouse Freshness Ontario Greenhouse grown cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes are in stores now.
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FOOD HEROES & FEEL GOOD RECIPES
Dig Into the Colours of Spring Get ready for a fresh start to spring with this colourful bowl adapted from a recipe by Chef Rahil Rathod, Executive Chef from Cactus Club and Team Captain for Culinary Team Canada. It features the bright colours and flavours of Ontario Greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, which are sustainably grown, using stateof-the-art climate control systems, natural pollination and pest control, and many renewable, energyefficient processes. Chefs and home cooks alike rely on the local greenhouse industry in Ontario to provide consistent, fresh vegetables throughout every season. Take a virtual tour of a local greenhouse to learn more at ogvg.com/ogvg-vr-360. GREENHOUSE GROWN SUNSHINE BOWL SERVES 4
Ingredients VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
• Skin of 1 preserved lemon (can be store-bought) • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
CHEF RAHIL RATHOD
SUNSHINE BOWL © PHOTOS COURTESY OF ONTARIO GREENHOUSE VEGETABLE GROWERS
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) liquid honey • 2 tbsp (30 mL) Champagne vinegar • ¼ cup + 2 tsp (70 mL) water • 3 tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice • 1/3 cup (85 mL) Extra Virgin Olive oil • 1/3 cup (85 mL) Canola oil BOWL INGREDIENTS
• 1 Ontario Greenhouse Grown Yellow Bell Pepper • 1 Ontario Greenhouse Grown Red Bell Pepper • 1 Fennel Bulb • 1 bunch Broccolini • 2 tbsp (30 mL) neutral oil • Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Ontario Greenhouse Grown Heirloom Tomatoes • 1 Ontario Greenhouse Grown Mini Cucumber • 1 Orange • Garnish • 3 tbsp each of fresh mint and baby watercress • 1/3 cup (60 g) Feta cheese Directions 1 Begin by preparing the dressing. Trim the lemon skin to remove all of the white parts. For this recipe, you will only need the yellow skin. Wash it under running water to remove excess salt.
2 Using a blender, combine all ingredients except oils and blend until smooth. Slowly add oils to emulsify. Set dressing aside. 3 Wash vegetables. Let the vegetables dry on a kitchen towel. 4 Roast the red and yellow bell peppers. When cool, peel the skin and cut it into bitesized pieces. 5 Shave fennel as thin as possible with the help of a mandolin and reserve it in ice water so it becomes very crunchy. 6 Char the broccolini florets. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the broccolini in a medium bowl; drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Grill for approx. 6 minutes or until charred, turning once. Allow to cool. 7 Dice tomatoes and cucumber. 8 Peel orange and remove any seeds. Cut into bite-sized pieces. 9 Combine prepared cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, orange, broccolini and fennel in a large bowl. 10 Toss with dressing until
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all of the ingredients are evenly coated. 11 Transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes to allow it to marinade. 12 Transfer to a serving bowl and top with mint, watercress and crumbled feta cheese. COOKING TIP: HOW TO ROAST PEPPERS 1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 2 Halve Greenhouse Grown peppers, remove the seeds and arrange them on the baking sheet cut-side down. 3 Roast for 30-35 mins until the skin is blackened, shrivelled, and lightly blistered. 4 Set aside to cool completely before peeling. Then, gently rub off the blistered skin. 5 If you are in a hurry, you can also place the hot roasted peppers into a sealed food bag, where they will steam, and the skins will come off more quickly. 6 Enjoy roasted peppers in salads, pasta dishes, sauces, dips, sandwiches, and pizza.
More Than Three Million Meals Served as Chefs For Ukraine Relief Effort Grows ALLIE MURRAY
Within hours of the initial invasion of Ukraine, World Central Kitchen (WCK) began serving hot meals to those fleeing. The team quickly set up at the eight border crossings between Ukraine and Poland and did what they knew best: served meals. World Central Kitchen began in 2010 when founder José Andrés and his wife Patricia heard the news of the earthquake in Haiti that devastated the country. José was cooking alongside displaced Haitians in a camp when he and his wife came up with the idea: when people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today. Since then, they have been on the ground serving meals amid disasters in Puerto Rico, Texas, Indonesia, and now in Ukraine. WCK’s Chefs for Ukraine response grew rapidly, and they began distributing food and fresh meals across the region, including in Poland, Hungary,
© IMAGES COURTESY OF WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
Moldova, and Romania. They are also working with local restaurants, caterers, and food trucks to provide fresh meals at border crossings, shelters, and other locations. The relief kitchen is based in Przemyśl—a Polish city just a few miles from the border of Ukraine. From this kitchen, the team has the capacity to cook 100,000 meals per day.
The United Nations estimates that more than 3.5 million people have fled the country, with that number to continue to grow. Similarly, many Ukrainian people are staying in the country, sheltering in place and sticking with their country. In addition to their work on the borders, WCK also delivered prepared meals to 50 locations in Lviv alone, with many more
across the country. “From our WCK warehouses in Lviv, we are also helping fill gaps in the country’s strained food supply chain by sending meat, fresh produce, and dry goods like rice and bulgur to our restaurant partners,” the team shared. “Multiple trucks have already gone to Odesa, Mykolayiv, Zolochiv and soon to Kyiv. We are working with
the mayor’s office in Odesa to deliver bulk food to the city’s humanitarian warehouse.” While working, the team has met countless people, amazed by their stories and bravery amid constant fear. They’ve heard stories of women and children, refugees who fled to Ukraine from other war-torn countries, and families fearing for their loved ones that are staying back to fight for their country—each story more heartbreaking and heartwarming than the last. WCK remains on the ground in Ukraine and surrounding areas, working day and night to feed people in need. “We’ve seen incredible courage from Ukrainians showing up every day to cook in cities under siege,” they said. “It’s our honour to be able to support these teams in ensuring that everyone is met with a warm, nourishing meal, and we are so thankful to all of our supporters who have come together to show the power that a plate of food can hold in even the darkest times.” ADVERTORIAL
Ontario Honey for Every Season
© JAMES MCALPINE
honey is perfect for tea or drizzled on yogurt; creamed or churned honey is ideal for toast or serving with cheese and crackers; and just as the bees made it, in the comb, makes a stunning addition to a charcuterie platter.
THE EFFECT OF TERROIR The taste and colour of honey varies from place to place, season to season. Small, local beekeepers offer unique honey based on the flowers growing in their area at the time. Spring honey is lighter in flavour and colour than autumn honey. Dry summers produce thicker, bolder-tasting honey than wet summers. Locally produced honey takes less energy to make than other sweeteners and travels the least distance to get to consumers. So, take advantage of markets and farm stands to pick up local honey and host your own Ontario honey tasting party! WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH CRYSTALLIZED HONEY? There is a misconception that crystallized honey is spoiled or adulterated—but nothing could be further from the truth. Depending on the nectar source, honey will have different ratios of glucose and fructose. Glucose is less soluble than fructose, so honey with more glucose will crystallize faster (canola and dandelion honey are two examples).
All honey will eventually crystallize, though—and honey from different regions and floral sources will crystallize at different rates and to different textures. So what should you do with crystallized honey? Enjoy it, and savour the different flavours, colours, and textures of Ontario honey. (You can liquify your crystallized honey by gently heating it in a warm water bath.)
one quarter. For example: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup milk = 1 cup honey + 3/4 cup milk. Or replace sugar with three-quarters the amount of honey. For example: 1 cup sugar = 3/4 cup honey. Honey will slide out of measuring cups or spoons if oil is measured first or if the measures are rinsed with hot water.
BAKING WITH HONEY Mild flavoured honey is best for baking and cooking—or you can take advantage of the bold taste of a fall or buckwheat honey to liven up your recipe. Add honey to the batter in a fine stream, beating constantly. Baked goods containing honey will brown more quickly, so reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning and flavour change. Baked goods will also remain fresh and moist for a longer period when honey is used.
STORING HONEY Store honey at room temperature in a dark, dry place. Always keep honey covered tightly to retain its distinct flavour and aroma and protect it from moisture absorption. Creamed and churned honey will retain its texture better if refrigerated. When storing honey for long periods, it’s best to keep it in the freezer—if well sealed, you shouldn’t find any change in flavour or texture.
SUBSTITUTING HONEY FOR SUGAR Use the same amount of honey and cut the amount of liquid by
For more information about honey, great honey recipes, and where to find your neighbourhood beekeeper, visit ontariohoney.ca.
TASTE THE SWEET GOODNESS OF ONTARIO HONEY WWW.ONTARIOHONEY.CA
© COLETTE MESHER
Ontario is home to a host of delightful honeys. The distinctive palate of flavours and aromas derives from floral sources such as clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, goldenrod, and basswood. Honey is available in a delectable array of formats—liquid
