Food In The Hills - Autumn - Winter 2011

AUTUMN | WINTER 2011

Highland beef Apple pie bake-off Wonderful winter squash

Midway delights

Red Fife Renaissance

Canada’s chefs enter the quarry fray We are stardust We are golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden. woodstock, by joni mitchell

jason van bruggen

The garden, in this case, is

Canadian Chef’s Congress president Michael Stadtländer standing in a Melancthon Township potato field.

thousands of acres of prime farmland in Melancthon Township, currently under siege by a Boston-based hedge fund that plans to turn it into the second largest limestone quarry in North America.

By now you’ve probably heard the mindnumbing details: 2,316 acres, 600 million litres of water diverted daily, 300 trucks every hour, the source of five rivers. Maybe you’ve already signed a petition or written your MPP or sent a cheque. Well, now there’s something else you can do to help stop the mega-quarry: Set aside Saturday, October 16 and take the whole family to Foodstock.

The Canadian Chefs’ Congress invites everyone who cares about food and water to attend a mega food festival in Melancthon Township, a day-long event that organizers say will be to local food and water what Woodstock was to rock and roll. CCC president Michael Stadtländer, who lives and works not far from the proposed quarry lands, is hoping as many as 20,000 people will attend Foodstock and lend their support to the cause.

“We want people to taste the bounty of the land that is threatened by the quarry,” says Stadtländer, and to sample the clear, clean water that comes from the farmlands The Highland Companies plans to destroy.

As many as 70 chefs will each create a signature dish for the event. Among those contributing their culinary genius are Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Walsh (Canoe), Donna Dooher (Mildred Pierce), Chris McDonald (Cava), Anthony Rose (Drake Hotel), Paul Boehmer (Boehmer) and, of course, Stadtländer.

“The idea,” says Christian Morrison, one of Foodstock’s organizers, “is to get as many people as possible to show up.” The event is being hosted by the four farm families who held out against Highland’s offers to buy their land. Details were still being worked out at press time, but organizers hope to close Highway 124 for the day so people can move freely from farm to farm, sample some great food and lend their voices to the groundswell of opposition to the quarry.

Admission is pay-what-you-can with proceeds going to underwrite the considerable costs of fighting the proposed quarry.

“We want this to be a giant food fair,” says Morrison, “bringing together as many people as we can because it’s clear that this is a mad, mad project.”

Seems like we have to do something to ensure all that aggregate needed to pave Paradise isn’t going to come from right here in our own backyard.

For directions and details, go to canadianchefscongress.com.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this second issue of Food In The Hills, a meaty one in every way, including Brad Holden’s profi le of some very special cattle, Nicola Ross’s investigation of the plight of small abattoirs, and our pick for this season’s Best Bite, house-made charcuterie from the Hockley Valley Resort. It’s also the baking issue, and wherever possible, we have passed along recipes – for everything from Jean Denison’s prize-winning date squares to Wilma Zeggil’s apple pie – created by people a lot like yourselves: home cooks who care.

I hope you like it. Let us know.

Cecily Ross

cecily@inthehills.ca

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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a taste of our autumn|winter issue 26 | Paul Mills’ long-horned cattle attract a lot of attention, and it’s not only because of their good looks.

This grass-fed Highland breed yields beef that’s as tasty as it is lean. Brad Holden visits the farm to hear the ultimate

one fine steak 38 | The lowly squash hits new heights. Hardy, versatile and strangely beautiful, winter

trina berlo

shaggy-cow story.

an embarrassment of squashes

squash lends itself to countless uses, from spicy hummus to moist and easy quick breads.

pete paterson

Jennifer Clark reports.

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mk lynde

can she make an apple pie?

23 | Bakers beware. It takes cold hands and nerves of steel to produce a winning tart. Cecily Ross finds out the hard way that when it comes to apple pies, practice makes perfect.

more seasonal specials

always on the menu

The Meaning of Red Fife | 12 Monica Duncan follows the trail of a heritage grain from field to mill to the baker’s oven.

Off the Shelf | 9 Gadgets and goodies for those on the go.

Fall Fair Fare | 18 Nicola Ross goes to the fair – and it’s mainly because of the French fries.

The Case for Local Meat Processing | 33 In the wake of 2008’s listeria outbreak, small abattoirs face an uncertain future. Nicola Ross explains why.

Islands of Calm | 48 Cecily Ross gets a cook’s tour of Sara Bellamy’s serenely beautiful kitchen – islands and all.

The Little Project That Grew | 52 It takes a village (and a lot of hard work) to nurture a community garden.

Palgrave has what it takes.

Digest | 10 Food for thought.

Cooking With Rose | 44 Chef Rose DuPont unravels the mysteries of potato gnocchi.

Potato Index | 54 All about Solanum tuberosum.

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What’s Cooking Calendar | 56 Food events throughout the fall.

End Note | 61 A tribute to Maureen Baufeldt.

Best Bites | 62 Hockley Valley Resort’s charcuterie.

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volume 1 number 2 | autumn winter 2011

Food In The Hills is an independent, local magazine, published twice yearly in mid May and mid August. It is a sister publication to In The Hills.

10,000 copies are distributed through restaurants, inns, specialty food stores, markets and tourism locations throughout the Headwaters region. publisher Signe Ball editor Cecily Ross oper ations manager Kirsten Ball art direc tor Kim van Oosterom Wallflower Design

contributing editors Jennifer Clark Monica Duncan Rose DuPont Brad Holden Douglas G Pearce Dyanne Rivers Nicola Ross proofreading Janet Dimond

web manager Valerie Jones Echohill Inc.

photogr aphy Liz Armstrong Trina Berlo MK Lynde Pete Paterson Ann Seymour Jason van Bruggen food st yling Rose DuPont cover Red Fife wheat

by Pete Paterson

advertising sales Jennifer Payne Roberta Fracassi Julie Lockyer advertising produc tion Marion Hodgson Type & Images to advertise Jennifer Payne 519-925-1851 jennifer@inthehills.ca

published by MonoLog Communications Inc RR 1, Orangeville Ontario L9W 2Y8 519-940-3299 519-940-9266 fax info@inthehills.ca

advertising deadline The advertising deadline for the Spring|Summer issue is Friday, April 6, 2012. subscrip tions Subscriptions are $11.30 per year (includes hst).

foodinthehills.ca inthehills.ca kidsinthehills.ca

let ters Letters to the editor are welcome; email cecily@inthehills.ca.

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Meet our chef extraordinaire, Jason Reiner

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off the shelf Our roundup of fabulous quality items produced by local artisans

Pie for Dinner

photos pete paterson

Stitches of Time Diane Johnston was going through her mother-in-law’s old linens one day and she thought, “How can I re-purpose all this needlework?” In among the old tablecloths, spreads and curtains, she found fragments of cross-stitch, crochet and tatted lace. “We don’t sit around and do hand-stitching anymore, so I wanted to save what I could.”

Diane has always loved to sew and so she created these beautiful aprons as showpieces for what are becoming lost arts. Each apron is one-of-a-kind, most are made from vintage cloth and incorporate a fragment of cross-stitch, lace or crochet in their design. The pocket on the apron above is fashioned from an old crocheted potholder. “I love the old stitching,” says Diane, “but it’s also a form of recycling.” Vintage and Vogue aprons are only available at the Rosemont General Store in Rosemont for $35, or directly from Diane at 519529-1031. www.stitchesoftime.ca

Booze for Breakfast?

Pair this marmalade with home-baked scones and clotted cream for a midwinter treat that will knock your mukluks off. Wünder baker Sarah Hallett of Roseberry Farm Cakes adds a generous splash of Crown Royal Whiskey to her already superb marmalade. Be sure to stand back when you first open a jar of this heady brew of hand-cut Seville oranges that have been simmered in muscovado sugar. And since Sevilles are only available in February and March, be sure to order a jar early. While you’re at it, you might want to browse Sarah’s scrumptious website, www. roseberryfarmcakes.com. Her ginger cake with lemon icing is the stuff of local legend. Whiskey Marmalade and other Roseberry Farm goodies are available at The Bank Café in Creemore, the Creemore Farmers’ Market from May through October, or by calling Sarah to order. 705-794-8943

The competition for Headwaters’ best chicken pot pie has never been keener.

And we think the version made by Pat McArthur of Heatherlea Farm Market in Caledon is right up there with the very best examples of this ultimate comfort food. Baked from frozen, it comes out perfectly every time: golden flaky crust, chunks of hormone-free, humanely raised local chicken and lots (but not too many) of fresh local vegetables. The sauce is light and unobtrusive, yet smooth as silk. It’s the perfect no-fuss supper for a busy winter weeknight, or a pop-in-the-oven après-ski dinner. We’ve also heard that Pat’s pumpkin pie is to-die-for. Both are available, along with a huge selection of local meats and other products, at Heatherlea Farm Market, 17049 Winston Churchill Blvd. 519-927-5902. www.heatherleafarmmarket.ca 왗

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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digest

compiled by dougl as g pearce

small scale, big results “Small-scale farmers can double food production within 10 years in critical regions by using ecological methods, a new UN report shows. Based on an extensive review of the recent scientific literature, the study calls for a fundamental shift towards agroecology as a way to boost food production and improve the situation of the poorest. “‘To feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available,’ says Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report. ‘Today’s scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where the hungry live – especially in unfavourable environments.’ “‘To date, agroecological projects have shown an average crop yield increase of 80 per cent in 57 developing countries, with an average increase of 116 per cent for all African projects,’ De Schutter says. ‘Recent projects conducted in 20 African countries demonstrated a doubling of crop yields over a period of 3–10 years.’”

“Granted, the country of Cuba still imports more than half its food and is far from being food-secure. But in the capital, Havana, nearly all of the vegetables and most fruits now come from within a 30-mile radius, an accomplishment of which few cities in the world can boast.”

From Organic Farms Supply Most of Havana’s Fruits, Vegetables, by Fred Bahnson, CCPA Monitor, May/10. www.policyalternatives.ca

pumpkin lite “Pumpkins were likely developed in South America from wild plants that date back from 7000 to 5500 BC. For centuries, aboriginal peoples in North America grew pumpkins with sunflowers and beans, and later with corn and beans, in the Three Sisters gardens central to First Nations agriculture. Early European settlers to North America depended heavily upon pumpkins as a source of vitamin A and food energy. They also made pumpkin beer by fermenting the fruit with persimmons, hops and maple syrup.”

From Pumpkin Passion, by Michelle Summer Fike, in The Canadian Organic Grower, Winter/11. www.cog.ca

From a UN news release at www.srfood.org.

alphabet cereal “ADM, Bunge, Cargill, and Dreyfus, known as the ABCD Four, account for 75 to 90 per cent of the global grain trade.”

From The Guardian Weekly, Jun 10/11.

cigar for havana “‘Over the past 15 years, Cuba has become ‘the world’s largest working model of sustainable agriculture,’ according to U.S. writer and activist Bill McKibben. At least in terms of vegetable and fruit production like the kind I witnessed at Vivero Alamar, Cuba is indeed a model to emulate, demonstrating how an entire society can convert its agriculture to organic methods and thrive.

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blue hubbard “Although technically a Yankee vegetable – it originally landed in Massachusetts from South America around 1798 – this squash thrives throughout the South, and it’s even developed a reputation as an outstanding substitute for the main ingredient in sweet potato pie. If pie isn’t your thing, you can roast the flesh with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then combine it with chicken stock and cream to make a delicious winter soup.

But while it’s not hard to make good use of the Blue Hubbard, it is hard to

crack one open. Some people have been known to spike it on the driveway.

The effort will be well worth it. Just ask any cucurbitacean [squash lover].”

From Garden and Gun, Feb-Mar/11. www.gardenandgun.com

corn walking “Descendants of the Maya living in Mexico still sometimes refer to themselves as ‘the corn people.’ The phrase is not intended as a metaphor.

Rather, it’s meant to acknowledge their abiding dependence on this miraculous grass, the staple of their diet for almost nine thousand years. Forty per cent of the calories a Mexican eats in a day comes directly from corn, most of it in the form of tortillas. So when a Mexican says, ‘I am maize’ or ‘corn walking,’ it is simply a statement of fact…”

From The Omnivore’s Dilemma,

by Michael Pollan, Penguin Press, 2006.

food fight “For a reminder that the world is in the grip of a food crisis, look no further than this year’s uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Both were triggered in part by soaring prices, which are at an all-time high after extreme weather – especially last year’s heat wave in Russia – took its toll on agriculture.

“Now the wheat crop in China, the world’s biggest producer, is threatened by drought. If the crop fails, prices will rise further as China imports wheat to make up the shortfall. More plentiful harvests elsewhere might lead to lower prices later in the year, but any such respite will only be temporary as the weather becomes more unpredictable.

As the saying goes: ‘Climate trains the boxer, but weather throws the punches.’”

From New Scientist, Feb 19/11. www.newscientist.com

bye-bye blues “The bluefin [tuna] is the zenith of evolution among fish – an extraordinary creature that can swim at 40 miles per hour, accelerate faster than a Porsche, produce millions of eggs, and live for 20 years. The secret of its ability to turn on such dazzling bursts of speed is that it warms its blood through a heat exchanger.

What matters to the buyers is taste, and the bluefin – unfortunately for it – happens to be the fish equivalent of Aberdeen Angus raised on Argentine pampas. As a result of the demand for its flesh, the eastern Atlantic bluefin is now listed as an endangered species and estimated to be equivalent to the giant panda in its closeness to extinction. The western Atlantic bluefin stock is in even worse shape and is officially described as critically endangered.

That puts it in the same bracket as the black rhino.”

Become a Guest at Your Own Party An exceptional culinary experience Specially selected, locally grown, Ontario and Canadian foods inquiries@whitfieldfarms.com | 519-925-6587

Award of Distinction FODOR’S CHOICE

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From The End of the Line, by Charles Clover, The New Press, 2006.

disappearing disease “Rinderpest, a viral disease, was once endemic across Eurasia and Africa with periodic outbreaks killing calves and devastating herders [sic].

The virus was last detected in 2001 in Kenya.” Rinderpest is the first animal disease to be eradicated.

From Science, May 20/11. www.sciencemag.org

vice “He that looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart.”

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HEADWATERS R E S TA U R A N T MILLCROFT INN & SPA 55 John St., Village of Alton - Caledon autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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the

meaning of

RedFife

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

From farm to mill, a heritage grain makes a remarkable journey back to the future by monica duncan

K

Karen Hutchinson lets a handful

photos pete paterson

of smooth reddish kernels pour through her fingers. “Red Fife wheat is Canadian slow food,” says the Caledon grower. The grains are from the first harvest of Red Fife that she and her husband Rich Miller planted in 2010 on their 100-acre farm. “It’s also a ‘low input’ crop,” she explains, farmer-speak for requiring no fungicides, pesticides or fertilizer.

Named for its ripened colour and for David Fife, the Scot who brought it from the Highlands to Ontario in the early 1800s, Red Fife is making a welcome comeback in the kitchens of artisan bakers and heritage food enthusiasts throughout the province. And farmers like Karen are excited by the heritage grain’s hardiness, its distinctive nutty flavour and its “genetic mutability,” which means the wheat actually expresses “terroir,” taking on local flavour characteristics wherever it is grown. “As specific as the Peel Plain or the Oak Ridges Moraine,” says Karen.

Once the dominant wheat in Ontario, Red Fife’s vigour gradually declined early in the 20th century as it was hybridized for a short growing season and large yields. The

Fields of gold Karen Hutchinson in a neighbour’s wheat field: “It is my goal to get conventional wheat fields turned into fife.”

resulting grain began to require fertilizer, bug spray and fungicide, turning a once hardy staple into a “high input” crop. Fortunately, the original seed had been preserved over time by a few heritage-crop farmers and seed savers who remembered the original Red Fife’s ability to adapt quickly to soil conditions, pests and climate, making it a natural choice for organic farming.

“I have so much respect for the generations before and their incredible knowledge,” says Karen, noting that organic growing has its own challenges. “It’s a completely different process,” she says. She’s contemplating mechanical “scuffl ing” for weed control and pondering the “to till or not to till” debate. While tilling helps keep weeds down, it also kills beneficial microbes and earthworms, and makes the topsoil prone to picking up and leaving in a dry windy season.

The story of Karen’s land is a microcosm of the history of the Peel Plain, a fertile tract of land in Caledon. After it was cleared in the mid-1800s, the land was depleted by a monoculture wheat boom. By the time Karen’s grandparents acquired the farm in the 1920s, the land needed replenishment.

They ran a mixed farm, rotating crops, turning their livestock’s manure back into the soil, and leaving the land fallow to bring the soil back to health. Her parents were dairy farmers and cultivated a spectrum of produce for themselves and their community.

Karen and Rich’s experimental planting of Red Fife continues in this tradition: to provide for their family, to preserve a valuable heritage crop for future generations, and to help reinvent a local agricultural economy. Karen is determined. “This clay soil once yielded up wheat. A grain like Red Fife is going to adapt.”

The couple saved last year’s grain harvest to replant and build up a seed bank. They hope to have enough in the future to send to K2 Milling in Tottenham for milling into flour. “It’s part of the circle to figure out how families can farm again,” says Karen, “and how our kids can make an honest, decent income from the farm.” 왘

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red fife

Nose to the grindstone Miller Mark Hayhoe: “We process over 30 types of grain and we custom blend.”

Miller Mark Hayhoe looks on as his helper, a local baker’s son, piles bags of freshly ground flour. The fat brown paper bags line up like buns fresh from the oven. “It’s part of a perfect circle,” says the third generation miller, echoing Karen Hutchinson. He sees the future of food as “direct links in close proximity,” from farm to mill to bakery and home. “There were once 2,500 mills in Ontario,” he says. “They were central to the life of every small town.”

The local links he espouses yield fresh, flavourful food that is alive and complex, along with thriving communities and a lowered environmental footprint because there is less gas-guzzling trucking of goods.

Grains like Red Fife are emblematic

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of those links. Mark’s inspiration came while working at his father’s huge wheat mill in Woodbridge. In the family since 1935, the old facility once processed all of York Region’s wheat. But customers were looking for something more than the standard offering, Mark says. “Food was changing. People were asking for whole grains and were interested in different types of flour and healthier options.” Mark also enjoyed the other side of the business, working with farmers and knowing the fields where the grain originated. So he started K2 Milling in Tottenham in 2007.

Today, 75 per cent of what Mark grinds is grown within 100 kilometres of his mill, and 90 per cent is organic.

“We process over 30 types of grain and we custom blend,” he says, noting his dislike of the term “all-purpose” flour. He estimates there are about 10 artisanal mills like K2 in Ontario. While several of these mills are still water powered, all use cool processing, which preserves more of the food value of the grain.

“Cool milling doesn’t rupture the fat cells of the grain and you get a longer shelf life.”

Working with whole grains requires constant vigilance. “The oil content of a grain, the humidity and heat on a given day… these factors go into grinding,” says Mark.

It’s a carefully calibrated milling process that keeps the end product light and not sticky.

While certain grains work well on their own as flour, others are custom blended for

Served at Better Cafés, Restaurants and Fine Food Retailers Tel: (519) 940-7081 Fax: (519) 938-5407

a baker’s end goal in taste and texture. Some grains yield beautiful cooking oils and fibres like bran. Mark even mills his products for makers of gourmet pet biscuits.

And the name K2? “I studied economics,” says Mark. “K2 is a symbol for exponential return on capital. There is also a mountain in the Himalayas in the K2 range, lower than Everest, but harder to summit.” That may sound like an uphill climb, but Mark is quick to add, “I believe in the Farmer’s Creed. The one that says that return on investment isn’t just about money.

It’s something you can’t calculate. Like a healthy community and environment,” and the glowing satisfaction of responsible stewardship at the journey’s end. 왘

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Tom Wilson baking in the wood-fired brick oven at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery.

Tom Wilson’s Red Fife Whole Wheat Bread The baked goods at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery feature Red Fife. The grain is a natural for Nicole Judge and Tom Wilson’s food emporium in Caledon, where the value is on handmade heritage product in the slow-food tradition. This extends to mornings at the wood-fired brick oven where Tom fashions loaves, baguettes, cider-tinged rye and more. Using a wild yeast starter, he combines Red Fife in almost half his recipes, blending in proportions ranging from 20 to 80 per cent. Soon after market testing his earliest rustic breads, Tom was gratified.

“People love them.” ingredients 1 tbsp active dry yeast 2 ½ cups lukewarm water (68°F) ½ cup honey 5 ½ cups Red Fife stone ground flour 1 cup bread flour or all-purpose 1 tbsp kosher salt prepar ation Add yeast to water and honey, stir to combine. Add flours and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until ingredients are combined in a shaggy ball.

Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 12 minutes, or until dough is soft but holds its shape. Form dough into ball and place in a large oiled bowl.

Cover bowl with damp cloth. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

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Spray 2 pans with vegetable oil. Gently transfer dough to floured work surface and divide evenly in two. Cover with a tea towel and rest 10 minutes. Uncover and shape each piece into a loaf and place in pan, seam side down. Flour tops and cover with tea towel. Let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pan rim.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place loaves in oven. Bake 5 minutes, reduce heat to 400°F and bake 20 minutes. Turn loaf pans around inside oven and bake an additional 15–20 minutes.

Loaves should be deep brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom or sides. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Makes 2 loaves.

Terms Gluten The elastic protein component of wheat which determines its efficacy with leavening agents, or suitability for different uses, from baked goods to pasta.

Hard/soft wheat Describes hardness of kernel.

Hard is best for breads and is higher in protein than soft, which is best for cakes and is higher in starch.

Winter/spring wheat

EAT LOCAL AND TASTE THE DIFFERENCE

Describes when a variety is planted. Ninety-five per cent of Ontario wheat is “soft/ winter” grain.

Heritage Transmitted from the past or handed down by tradition.

Red Fife A hard, red spring wheat suitable for bread.

• all local produce and fruit now available • harvest decor and fall plants • fresh baked pies and baked goods 905-584-9461 16930 Airport Rd, 2.5 kms north of Caledon East Open every day from April 1

Sources for Red Fife flour Ouderkirk & Taylor 3 Wyndham St N, Guelph www.ouderkirkandtaylor.com

Grassroots Organics (large bags only) 136135 Conc 8 Desboro www.saugeenspecialtygrains.ca

TH E CHOCOLATE SHOP the Sweetest Place on Earth

The Bulk Barn Orangeville and Alliston

baked goods Spirit Tree Estate Cidery Various breads 1137 Boston Mills Rd, Caledon www.spirittreecider.com

100 Mile Store 176 Mill St, Creemore Chef Michael Stadtländer’s Red Fife sourdough bread www.100milestore.ca 왗

Our handmade truffles and chocolates are created from Belgian chocolate, cream, butter, nuts and fruits.

Fudge • Candy • Custom Orders Monica Duncan is a freelance writer living in the hills.

114 Broadway, Orangeville 519-941-8968 www.thechocolateshop.ca

Ask about our Friday Night Chef’s Dinners LLBO 177 Broadway, Orangeville 519-307-1258 piasbakery.com

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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What better way to honour the bounty of a Headwaters’ harvest than with a visit to the fair?

by nicol a ross When asked what compels her to enter the garlic she grows at her Glen Williams farm in the Erin Fall Fair’s annual “homecraft” competition, comedian and playwright Sandra Shamas deadpans: “It’s for the money!” Her cumulative winnings for taking fi rst place in 2009 and 2010 added up to eight dollars. Then, in a tone fl irting with being serious, she adds, “I’m very close to wearing the red ribbons that I proudly display on my fridge.”

The homecraft competitions at agricultural fairs may be a throwback to the “olden days,” but those who enter these annual contests take pride in their entries – and in how they place. And should you be a giant-pumpkin grower, something that Debi Clare, organizer of the Erin Fair competitions, says “takes more work than having a baby,” you pay attention to the prize money too.

If the tradition of the annual agricultural fair seems to have been around forever, that’s because it pretty much has. In the Headwaters region, Erin celebrates its 161st fair this year, Orangeville its 157th, Bolton its 154th, Caledon its 151st, Shelburne its 145th and Grand Valley its 137th. All of them, except Grand Valley, began before Canada became a nation in 1867.

British settlers brought the idea with them to Canada, and these annual gatherings soon became popular social events for Canadian farmers.

Associated with agricultural societies, which were supported and fostered by the Canadian government, the fairs helped farmers learn about new techniques that would increase their prosperity. At one time, according to Guy Scott, past president of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies, there were more than 500 in the province.

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

Today, about 230 towns and cities become colourful spectacles for up to four days when their fairgrounds vibrate with Ferris wheels and bumper cars, fi ll the air with the aroma of corn on the cob, baked potatoes and sweet fudge, and wow the crowds with horse pulls, livestock competitions and homecraft contests in which participants show off their home-baking, preserving, quilting, knitting, flower-arranging, art and even photography skills.

Homecraft classes can number in the hundreds, and for most local agricultural fairs, the entries keep pouring in from long-time regulars who tend to be the prize winners, as well as from newcomers who see these competitions as a way to get involved in their communities.

In terms of food for human consumption, classes range from Sandra Shamas’s garlic category to giant pumpkins (minimum weight 250 pounds) and other fruits and vegetables, to preserves and baked goods.

At the Orangeville Fair, for example, cucumbers are judged in four categories (pickling, regular, seedless and English), and despite having eight separate classes for potatoes, Karen McClellan, the Orangeville Fair facilitator says, “Probably, we could add to those [potato classes] these days, given all of the heritage varieties that have come back.” 왘

photos liz armstrong

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fall fair fare

Jean Denison’s Date Squares This recipe for prize-winning squares was handed down to Erin resident Jean Denison by her mother Elizabeth Fisher.

Denison and her son, John Wesley, have each won with it once in the Date Square category and placed second another time at the Erin Fair. The secret ingredient is margarine. “Don’t think you can make them better by using butter,” says Jean. ingredients 2 cups rolled oats 2 cups flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda ½ lb (250 g) margarine 1 lb (500 g) chopped dates 1 cup white sugar 1 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup water (approximately) prepar ation Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and baking soda. Cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Spread half the mixture in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Combine chopped dates with white sugar and cornstarch.

Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, stirring. Cool slightly.

Spread date mixture on top of the crumble. Top dates with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden. Cool before cutting into squares.

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With so many classes to choose from, Trudy Burnside, director of the Bolton Fair’s junior division, uses the opportunity to learn to make something new. When she saw a preserved fruit cocktail class, she entered it because she’d never made one before. Trudy, who has won Bolton Fair’s high-point baking cup “at least twice,” makes the competition a family affair.

Her daughter Jeanette, 15, has won the junior baking cup three years in a row, and her son Carter, 12, is intent on dethroning his big sis.

Erin’s Denison clan also has multiple entries. John submits his smoky rich maple syrup, and wins prizes sometimes. For years, Jean Denison was the “carrot cake queen.” But when she lost her title, she switched to date squares made from a recipe she borrowed from her mother. “The trick,” says Jean, “is to use margarine.” One year, Jean recalls finding her then 20-year-old son John Wesley making chilli sauce in the middle of the night to top up his entries.

Agricultural fairs were helped along by John Graves Simcoe, Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor. In 1792, he helped organize the Agricultural Society of Upper Canada because he believed Canada would be an agricultural nation. These organizations used a variety of means to educate farmers, but, as Guy Scott wrote, “Industrial exhibitions and festivals came and went, but fairs just carried on.” In the 1930s, the Erin Fair, long considered to be the “preview to

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

The Royal [Winter Fair]” because of its size, age and late date on Thanksgiving weekend, boasted attendance records that exceeded the township’s total population. And it did that even though, in respect for the Sabbath, it shut down on Thanksgiving Sunday.

These days, fairs remain open on Sundays, and have made other concessions to modern times. At some fairs, tractor pulls and demolition derbies have replaced the traditional heavy-horse pull. The Caledon Fair moved to a weekend in June because its small size made it unable to attract a midway on its traditional September weekend. At the Bolton Fair, bread made in a bread-making machine is one of the most popular classes these days, and it’s popular with men as well as women.

Getting kids involved is an ongoing challenge. Junior classes that appeal to children are meant to teach them about food and farming. Orangeville Fair hands out prizes for three cookies or a cake baked in an Easy Bake oven, and toddlers under four can enter a necklace made from edible material.

There’s even a peanut butter sandwich class for Erin kids. But juniors beware: one young girl who entered her cornbread on the urging of a fellow contestant, received second prize despite being the only entrant in her class.

June Switzer, a grand dame of the Erin Fair, is a long-time judge (and regular winner, best known for her cinnamon buns).

She explains it’s not uncommon for a single

The food served at agricultural fairs may not be the healthiest, but you won’t find any golden arches on the fairgrounds. Lions Club burgers, Optimist Club French fries and United Church cherry pies are the order of the day. And like me, just about everyone who attends one of these annual events has a favourite fair food – or two.

My annual trip to the Erin Fair isn’t complete until I’ve eaten a batch of French fries sold by the Optimist Club. In their yellow cardboard container, fresh from the fryer, these finger-width fries are too hot to eat right away, though I often can’t resist. With tiny beads of still-sizzling oil dotting the surface of the crispy brown potato skin, they absorb the salt that I liberally sprinkle over my obsession. As with all good French fries, I put malt vinegar on them too. Just salt and vinegar, and a warm spot to eat them as I watch the heavy-horse pull. That’s the combo that makes my day at the fair.

Here are the favourites of some other fairgoers:

entrant, such as the young cornbread baker, to place second. Sometimes, they don’t place at all since entries have to meet a certain standard to get a ribbon. Baked goods usually make the grade, says June, but preserves can be a problem if they aren’t sealed properly. When asked if she has ever had to spit things out, June says not often, explaining that her nose usually warns her off first.

In addition to being palatable, one of the key rules in the baking classes is that mixes are not to be used unless the class specifically calls for one. “It’s not easy to tell if people are using one,” June admits, adding, “It’s amazing how people can ruin a mix.”

Wayne Parkinson, who farms just outside Erin, has a different reason for getting involved in the competition.

In order to encourage more entries, Parkinson recently donated $100 for the Fully Decorated Cherry Pie class, but he made his donation contingent on his getting to keep (and eat) all of the entries.

Proving that everyone loves homebaked goods, the Erin Fair added what is formally referred to as The Café at The General Store, but is best known as “where the ladies make the apple dumplings.” It was June’s sister, Carol Reid, who came up with the idea one year when the Erin Fair theme was apples. Now, over the four-day fair, the ladies sell more than 2,000 apple dumplings, many of them slathered in hot caramel sauce.

“The night is not long enough to tell you how many things I’ve entered in the Erin Fair,” says Jean Denison.

And yet, despite 40 years of competition, she’s still considered a “junior” in comparison to people like June Switzer. But these “rules” don’t apply to Jessica Lacombe.

Only 29 years old, Jessica says she’s been entering baking contests at the Erin Fair for over 20 of them. 왘

Sandra Shamas also starts her visit the Erin Fair with fries at the Optimist booth, but she follows up with an apple dumpling, slathered in caramel sauce. “I’m a sauce person,” she explains. Shamas is also a fudge addict, and her favourite is the pumpkin pie fudge from Debora’s Chocolates.

Karen McClellan likes to dive into a bison burger at the Orangeville Fair, courtesy of Deer Valley Farm. Then she picks up a steaming baked potato loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon bits, green onions and cheese.

Jean Denison finds the Erin Fair’s Optimist fries hard to resist, but she can’t resist the church pies either. “Doesn’t matter what kind,” says Jean.

For Jeannette Mason, it’s bacon on a bun and a baked potato at the Bolton Fair.

At the Caledon Fair, Betty Brander makes her way to the Presbyterian Church booth for a homemade egg salad sandwich and a piece of raisin pie.

Wayne Parkinson, like his daughter Sara, is partial to the apple dumplings.

“It’s not the Erin Fair without an apple dumpling, or hopefully two or three.”

A loaded baked potato is the favourite for Donna Blackwell at the Grand Valley Fair, but, she admits, “I try to patronize all of the booths.”

Though she spends endless hours making apple dumplings at the Erin Fair, June Switzer doesn’t eat them very often. “I like the chocolate milk in the Agricultural Awareness tent, served by the Wellington Dairy Farmers.”

The Burnside family has to cover a lot of ground at the Bolton Fair. Carter says he liked the crêpes they had one year, but a stop for ice cream is on the agenda, as is a cob of hot, buttery corn.

A concession booth at the local agricultural fair is a hot commodity, since it is a major fundraising opportunity for service groups. Paul Kolb, who looks after the concession booths for the Bolton Fair, says, “You get about 500 people calling. We always look after the service groups first [e.g., Lions, Optimists, Rotary, etc…] and we try not to get too many of the same things.”

For a complete listing of fall fairs in Headwaters, see page 59.

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fall fair fare

And when she says she enters, Jessica isn’t kidding. This Hillsburgh resident takes three days off work each fall so she can enter all 42 baking categories. When asked what her best result is, she hesitates and then explains, “I generally judge my success by what I don’t place in.” Her skill has been passed down from her grandmother to her

mother to her. “I love to bake,” says Jessica who works full time as, you guessed it, a baker. 왗 Nicola Ross is author of the books, Caledon and Dufferin. She is editor-inchief of Alternatives Journal, Canada’s national environmental magazine.

pete paterson

Jessica Lacombe’s Chocolate Cake

chocol ate cake 2 cups brown sugar 1 ¾ cups flour ¾ cup cocoa powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ½ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk or soured milk 1 cup strong coffee prepar ation Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix together with your hands until all the lumps are out of the sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside. In another bowl mix eggs and oil well. Add the buttermilk, then slowly add the strong coffee. When combined, add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 10" springform pan.

Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Jessica has been using this recipe for the Erin Fair since 2005, taking first prize three times and third prize once in the Chocolate Layer Cake with Icing competition. She uses the same recipe to enter the Chocolate Cake with Date Filling and Chocolate Icing competition, which she has also won three times, as well as coming in second and third on two other occasions. Jessica started entering the Erin Fair baking contests when she was 10 years old. Now, as an adult baker, she wins 25 to 30 ribbons each year. In 2010, she won the Gladys Keeler Silver Platter for best baker, and has won the Gladys Keeler Queen of the Fair bakers’ plaque for seven years running.

chocol ate but ter cream ½ cup butter, softened 4 cups icing sugar 1 ⁄ 3 cup half-and-half cream 2 ⁄ 3 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla prepar ation In a mixer, cream butter, then add 2 cups of the icing sugar, combine until well mixed and smooth. Add half the cream and blend. Sift the cocoa powder with the remaining 2 cups of icing sugar and add to the mixer. Once combined add the rest of the cream and 1 tsp of vanilla. If you want it a little thinner, add a bit more cream.

Ca n phot os mk lynd e

pie? ple

k a e a m n e a h p s

Not really, but the author gives it a good try anyway and enters her dubious effort in the local baking contest | by cecily ross Sara Hershoff licked her plastic fork, sighed and plunged it into another apple pie. Before her on the gingham-covered table, 16 golden tarts shimmered in the October sunshine. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. Sara, publisher of the town’s newspaper, was one of four judges at the fourth annual Creemore Heritage Apple Society’s apple-pie contest, held last Thanksgiving weekend at the local farmers’ market. 왘

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apple pie

P

“Pie judging is really complex,” Sara said as she and fellow judge, Bill Mann, a retired executive, sampled a forkful of pie No. 2. (This is a small, highly competitive community, so blind judging was a must.)

Each pie was scored out of 25 points (5 for appearance, 5 for crust, 5 for texture and 10 for flavour).

“Mmm. Very subtle,” said Bill smacking his lips and closing his eyes. The crowd of onlookers gathered around the pie table included many of the pie-makers themselves.

And as the judges nibbled and made notes, you could cut the tension with a fork.

I was there covering the event for this magazine, but unbeknownst to the organizers, judges and other competitors, I had an ulterior motive: Pie No. 8 was made by none other than me. What better way to capture the edge and suspense of a rural apple-pie contest than by experiencing it first-hand?

“What,” I asked Pat Prime, an area realtor, “are your qualifications to be a judge?”

“I’ve always had an interest in pies,” said Pat. “I come from a background of great baking. I’m not a pie-baker, I’m a pie-eater.”

“And you?” I queried Sara.

“I like pie,” was all she said.

But would she like mine? I wasn’t hopeful. At home, it had seemed like a credible effort, even appetizing, but here lined up beside pies that would have given Martha Stewart pause, it looked amateurish and, well, pathetic.

The judges didn’t seem to notice however, dazzled as they were with pie No. 4, a masterpiece adorned with tiny perfect pastry leaves. I decided to interview my fellow competitors while I waited. Perhaps I might learn something.

Catherine Morrissey, who lives just outside the village, said she has entered the applepie contest every year since the event started.

She has never won first prize. Her friend, Brian Koturbash, a weekender, took home the red ribbon two years ago and the intensity of their rivalry has blossomed ever since.

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Four judges, sixteen apple pies at the Creemore Heritage Apple Society’s 2010 pie contest: “It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.”

“Brian Koturbash and I are rivals,” Catherine told me. “I taught him how to bake pies. Now, whenever I go to his house, he puts on his red ribbon.”

“My secret ingredient is vodka,” Brian said, explaining his theory that the alcohol keeps the pastry ingredients cooler longer.

“Catherine is my mentor,” he added with the graciousness of a natural winner, “but she gave away all her best tips.” Brian boasted that his pie contained a combination of Ida Red, Cortland and Royal Gala apples. Still, he was not optimistic about his chances in this event. “I used Smirnoff; it was all I had,” he said. “I made my winning pie with Grey Goose.”

“I think the vodka made the judges a little high,” snarled Catherine.

Back at the pie table, judge Bill Mann

was taking a tentative bite out of pie No. 8.

“What did you think of that one?” I asked.

“Hmmm,” he frowned and licked a pastry flake from his lips. “Disappointing,” he finally said.

Sara Hershoff, perhaps sensing it was my pie, tasted it and, a note of apology in her voice, offered this crumb of consolation: “But I kind of like these burned bits at the edges.”

It wasn’t my fault.

Flashback 24 hours. I blame my new gas oven. That and the fact the only thing I know about pastry is it takes practice, which I haven’t had. My sister Nicola is the pastry-maker in the family. Lately she’d been raving about using a food processor.

“Foolproof,” she said.

Apparently not.

Wilma’s Winning Apple Pie I decided to use butter and lard instead of shortening because they’re supposed to be easier to work with. Then all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and some ice water. I pulsed the machine until the ingredients came together in a ball (sort of). The first batch, a crumbly mess that defied rolling, ended up in the garbage. The second batch (practice, practice) was marginally better. After patching the tattered-looking disk around the edges, I managed to get it from board to pie pan more or less intact.

I tossed the apple slices (Northern Spy) with a little sugar, layered them in the pastry-lined pan, rolled out a second round of pastry (getting better all the time) to cover the apples, and finally I cut an appleshaped hole in the top.

Now for my secret ingredient: While I was wrestling with the dough, I let the apple parings and a cinnamon stick simmer in a small saucepan on the back of the stove.

I poured the resulting liquid, an applecheeked pink loaded with pectin, through the hole in the top of my pie, the theory being it would turn the fi lling a lovely rosecoloured hue and improve the flavour and texture of the apples.

Then I brushed the top with a little milk and baked it for an hour in my new gas oven, whose temperature idiosyncrasies I am still, a year after buying it, only just beginning to understand. The result was definitely a pie, an ugly one, but a pie nonetheless.

Needless to say, it didn’t win, didn’t even place in the top five. And I never did get to taste it. I was too embarrassed to claim ownership of my rustic burnt offering. Still, I’m secretly hoping this year they’ll ask me to be a judge.

The winner was veteran pie-maker Wilma Zeggil from Singhampton, who told me she’s been making pies for 50 years.

That’s where practice gets you. Here’s how she does it:

The 2011 Creemore Heritage Apple Society apple pie contest takes place on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Creemore Farmers’ Market.

For information about how to enter, go to www.creemoreheritageapples.ca.

For the pastry, Wilma follows the recipe on the Tenderflake lard box, but she adds 2 teaspoons of baking powder. This makes enough dough for three 9-inch, double-crust pies.

Divide dough into six balls and use two for a single pie. Freeze the rest. ingredients ½ cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 ⁄ 8 tsp nutmeg 1 ⁄ 8 tsp cinnamon ¼ cup ClearJel* (or 1⁄8 cup cornstarch) 1 tbsp lemon juice 4 Spy apples, peeled, cored and sliced 4 Cortland apples, peeled, cored and sliced prepar ation

161ST Continuing the Tradition with our

ERIN FALL FAIR

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND OCTOBER 7.8.9.10 The theme of this year’s fair is

BARNS “Ontario’s Preview to the Royal” www.erinfair.ca

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place sugars, spices, ClearJel (or cornstarch) and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well. Add apple slices and toss until coated.

Take two balls of dough. Roll out the first on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer to pie plate. Fill with apple mixture. Roll out the second and fit over top. Trim and crimp.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 1 double-crust pie. *ClearJel is a modified cornstarch used by commercial bakers as a thickener. It makes a clear (not cloudy) fruit pie filling.

Wilma learned about it from the Mennonite women in Grey County. She buys hers in bulk at the general store in Badjeros or the Loblaws in Mount Forest. You can substitute half the amount of corn starch or tapioca if you like. 왗

Fresh, local seasonal produce and freezer meats from your neighbourhood farm gate market.

716 Victoria St, Shelburne

519-306-0307 Find us at the

MARKET ON BROADWAY Orangeville Join our group on facebook for “just picked” updates!

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Och, laddie!

That is one fine steak

Paul Mills’ Highland cattle are tough enough to endure the worst kind of weather, but their beef is tender, delicious and low in fat | brad holden

There are days when, driving through the hills of Mulmur in the deep cold of winter, it seems that no living thing could possibly survive if left to the elements.

But travel north from Honeywood to the very top of the township, to the flat and windswept land at the brow of the Niagara Escarpment, and chances are you’ll see some very

That’s where Paul Mills has established a herd (or a fold, as they say in the old country) of an ancient breed of cattle, one that has turned its majestic horns into the wind, rain and snow of the Scottish Highlands since the sixth century, whose auburn shag kept it warm when the Vikings fi rst brought it over sea to the land of the Scots, and that originated on the northern steppes of Mongolia, in far bleaker conditions than this, more than 6,000 years ago.

It’s also the breed that, as Paul was once told and has now come to believe, produces the purest, leanest, most flavourful and – this is the kicker – healthiest steak of all.

Paul didn’t always raise Highland cattle.

This is, in fact, one of those “What should I do now that I’m retired?” things. Three years after he established the herd, he became the mayor of Mulmur Township, which is another one of those things, but that’s another story. This story is about how

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Paul was looking for a more natural way of farming, after a career that had him caught up in the more industrial way.

“I owned and operated a dairy cattle exporting and consulting business,” explained Mills on an early spring day, sitting with Linda, his wife of 42 years, in their cozy den. Outside the window, the Highlanders braved the elements. “I flew cattle – it was literally me and the cattle on the planes – to Europe, Mexico, South America, Central America, Mexico and the United States. I flew cattle everywhere.”

Back then, trends in dairy cattle farming would come and go. For years the cows were pastured, eating grass as they had evolved to do. Then, for a while, they were fed grain and corn, for which they hadn’t. Then pasturing was in vogue again. Then all of a sudden, farmers were feeding their cows corn and grain again, this time indoors, on concrete slabs. Nowadays, many cattle on big dairy operations never see the light of day. 왘

photos trina berlo

impressive animals that are surviving just fine.

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highl and c at tle

Linda and Paul Mills Official members of the local ‘foodie’ movement.

“Back then, nobody thought anything of it,” said Paul. “I really didn’t, either.”

But as his career wound down and he started to think about something pastoral to do on his own 40 acres (dubbed Quiet Pine Farm) in the Mulmur hills, his son Wade came to him with a bit of research he’d done on the Highland breed. Originally brought to North America by cattlemen in North and South Dakota in response to the cold and harsh weather there, Highland cattle were first imported to Canada from Scotland in the 1880s, and have been a “closed herd” (meaning only purebreds can be registered) since 1964.

With a significantly thicker hide than

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other breeds, and not one but two coats (one downy and close to the skin and one long, thick and well oiled to shed rain and snow), the breed can withstand blizzard conditions and temperatures as low as -40 º C. Highlanders are also extremely efficient foragers and will browse happily on vegetation that other breeds would spurn, making them well suited to pasturing. As do their wide, sharp horns and long hair which have traditionally excluded them from the feedlot, unlike almost all beef steers today, which are force-fed corn in close quarters as a fattening up measure to get them to the supermarket quickly.

All this, Wade told his father, makes

for a steak like no other. Because Highland cattle get most of their warmth from their hide and coat instead of fatty deposits, and because steers that are started and finished on pasture take longer to mature and are brought to market at a lighter weight than their corn-fed counterparts, their meat is amazingly lean, and chock full of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and iron.

After hearing all this, Paul made the leap in 2007, buying seven head that year and eight more the next. His first bull was named Muldonoch; the second, a Reserve Grand Champion at the Royal Winter Fair, was named Thunder (“must have been born in a thunderstorm,” guessed Paul).

How to cook Highland beef Because it is so lean, Highland beef should be seared first in a little olive oil and then roasted at a low temperature for a longer time than regular beef. “I usually roast it at 175ºF until the meat is cooked to the desired internal temperature,” says Linda Mills.

Sometimes she wraps the seared roast in foil first which keeps it moist and yields lots of “jus” for serving. “Always take the meat out of the oven a little before it has finished roasting and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.”

Steaks, she says, should be patted dry, brushed with a little oil and seared on both sides over very hot coals. Once they’re seared, she lowers the heat way down.

“Low and slow is the best way to cook such lean meat.”

Linda uses the touch method to test for doneness. “I started out using my index finger, touching the soft area between my thumb and finger to see what rare should feel like; the pad below my thumb for medium; the tip of my nose for well done.”

For steaks or pot roasts, treat Highland beef as you would any other type of beef.

As billed, the cattle were independent and gentle, and thrived in a small herd. As a rule, Paul has them out in the pasture about 90 per cent of the time and feeds them nothing but grass and hay in the winter. He also makes sure to have them in the fields closest to the road on weekends, as their rugged and unusual appearance makes for good advertising.

The first two steers he brought to Metheral Meats, a family-owned, farmbased processing plant in Dunedin, were 22 and 24 months old, and weighed in at just over 1,000 pounds. By contrast, steers finished in feedlots are slaughtered at 15 months, by which time their diet of corn 왘

EDENCREST FARMS

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Top 500 in Canada 150 Mill Street in Creemore www.chezmichel.ca 705.466.3331 Wednesday to Sunday lunch and dinner Private catering for small groups

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Division of Stayner Meat Packers Ltd.

Eat Fresh. Buy Local.

Twelve Farms Butcher Shop offers local products of superior quality.

Custom cut and affordably priced.

We buy from local farmers to ensure that you get the best in freshness, quality and value.

Stayner Meat Packers Ltd. is one of a few remaining abattoirs providing custom services to meat producers in the Headwaters region.

705.428.3006 • 1.877.206.1139 twelvefarms.ca 352 Warrington Rd, Stayner Mon-Thurs to 5pm, Fri to 6pm, Sat to 3pm

Bert Nieuwenhuis Lamb & Wool Producer Amaranth Township 519-941-0479 bertslamb@bell.net Find us on Facebook

Served at some of the best restaurants in Headwaters

Preferred by award-winning chefs

Available at these local farmers’ markets

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Wednesday Inglewood Thursday Bolton Friday Sherway Gardens Saturday Orangeville

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Also available at the farm by appointment.

No Sunday calls, please.

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

(and antibiotics, necessary because cattle’s rumens are not built to digest corn and because cattle living in close quarters tend to get sick) has brought them up to 1,500 pounds or more.

The steaks from those steers, as well as the roasts, ground chuck and stewing beef, were sold at the 100 Mile Store in Creemore and at the Mills’ farm gate starting in the spring of 2009.

“They were good, real good,” said Paul, describing the steaks in the understated way that farmers tend to speak around here.

Customers agreed, and the beef flew off the shelves. Jackie Durnford, co-owner of the 100 Mile Store, is amazed at how people rave about them. “We have other grass-fed beef,” she said, “but Paul’s tastes different.

There’s something really special about it.”

Linda was another quick convert, and has since become the leading authority on how to cook her husband’s product. “Sear it fast, and cook it low and slow,” she says with a glint in her eye. “This beef has turned me into a rare-meat eater.”

At the start of this year, Paul had 37 head of Highland cattle and six ready to go to market, the most he’s had available since he started operating. The meat is currently available at three places – his farm, the 100 Mile Store, and the Creemore Farmers’ Market, where Paul and Linda opened a booth in 2010.

Now that the couple are official members of the local “foodie” movement, they’ve been giving a lot more thought to the differences between the pastoral way they’re raising their livestock and the industrial way 왘

Lavender Highland Beef Stew ingredients 2 lbs (1 kg) Highland stewing beef, cubed 1 ½ cups good red wine 2 tbsp flour Salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 slices bacon, diced 1 cup beef stock 2 large carrots, cut in chunks Bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf) prepar ation Preheat oven to 300ºF. Place beef in a bowl and cover with red wine to marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.

Reserve marinade. Pat beef dry and dredge with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

Sauté onions, garlic and bacon in oil in a heavy casserole. Add beef and brown on all sides.

Pour in reserved marinade and stock. Bring to a boil and be sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add carrots and bouquet garni. Cover casserole and place in oven. Cook for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves 3 to 4 people.

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17049 Winston Churchill Blvd, Caledon 519.927.5902 www.heatherleafarmmarket.ca

307388 Hockley Rd • Orangeville 519 938 2333 autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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Where to buy local beef

Steps from Broadway the taste of Italy comes to you

Broadway Farms Market 12506 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon 905-843-9225 www.broadwayfarms.com

Harmony Whole Foods 163 First St, Orangeville 519-941-8961 www.harmonymarket.com

In A Field Farms Caledon 519-927-9915 www.inafieldfarms.com

Creemore 100 Mile Store 176 Mill St, Creemore 705-466-3514 www.100milestore.ca

Heatherlea Farm Market 17049 Winston Churchill Blvd Caledon 519-927-5902 www.heatherleafarmmarket.ca

Quiet Pine Farm 598702 2nd Line West Mulmur RR 3, Shelburne 705-466-3429 paul@mills4mulmur.com

Howard The Butcher 15980 Airport Rd Caledon East 905-584-2934

Speers Farms Amaranth 245199 5 Sdrd Amaranth 519-941-2708 www.speersfarmsamaranth.ca

Hereward Farms Amaranth and East Garafraxa 519-843-2983 herewardfarms@hotmail.ca

Twelve Farms Butcher Shop 352 Warrington Rd, Stayner 1-877-206-1139 www.twelvefarms.ca

Dave’s Butcher Shop 75 Alder St, Unit 4, Orangeville 519-415-6328 www.davesbutchershop.ca Edencrest Farms 2904 Rainbow Valley Rd W Minesing 705-737-2491 www.edencrestfarms.com

fine dining . special occasions . take-out 20 Dawson Rd, Orangeville 519.941.1009 www.ilcorsoristorante.ca

왘 if you are a beef producer in the headwaters region who sells farm gate, let us know and we will add you to the updated list on our website, w w w.foodinthehills.ca

that’s dominated the agricultural industry since the rise of fertilizer and the spread of corn across the land, a tale well-told in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. That book, written by Michael Pollan in 2006, was at the vanguard of the recent flood of food-related literature.

An avid reader, Paul read The Omnivore’s Dilemma soon after he established his herd, and marvelled at the way the author drew a straight line from fertilizers, created using hydrogen from natural gas, to North America’s vast surplus of cheap corn, to cattle being crammed into vast industrial feedlots and fed corn and antibiotics, to humans, evolutionally designed to be omnivores and instead eating a diet dominated by corn (seeing as it’s also fed to chicken and pigs, and elements of it show up in the contents of all processed foods).

“For my money, grass is nature’s great free lunch,” the author also pointed out in an interview about the book on Salon.com.

“When you eat animals at the end of a grassbased food chain, you’re eating food that comes straight from the sun and not from fossil fuel.”

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Paul was even more pleased when he came across Steak: One Man’s Search for the World’s Tastiest Beef, a book that came out last year by Globe and Mail columnist and steak-lover Mark Schatzker. The author is told near the start of the book the “perfect steak” no longer exists, and after travelling all over the world, tasting Kobe beef in Japan, grass-fed Argentinean beef, Limousin beef in France and many others, he’s ready to agree. That is, until he visits a farmer named Angus McKay in the Highlands of Scotland, and sits down to a rib-eye that’s, admittedly, cooked in aged pan fat.

“Minutes later,” writes Schatzker, “the three of us sat there in the satisfied quiet that follows bouts of extreme physical pleasure. PJ leaned back in his chair and sipped his wine. Charlotte lit a cigarette.

After a time, I broke the silence and made a pronouncement that [I had been told] was impossible. “‘That steak,’ I said, ‘was an A-plus.’” 왗 Brad Holden is editor of the Creemore Echo.

photos trina berlo

The Case for Local Meat Processing Linda Pease, president of Stayner Meat Packers: “People want to be safe.

We understand that.”

In ten years, the number of small- and medium-sized abattoirs in Ontario has plummeted from 500 to fewer than 150. Still, for Headwaters farmers and consumers, the news is not all bad. | by nicol a ross

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

왘

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abat toirs

(right) Rick Metheral of Metheral Meats: “We take pride in our shop.” (left) Rick’s son Dane prepares lamb, the abattoir’s primary product.

In the comfortable office of Metheral Meats, located on a rural road near Dunedin, worn chairs sit slightly offkilter and a well-used coffee pot perches among stacks of mismatched mugs. Rick Metheral’s son, 25-year-old Dane – the eighth generation of Metherals to work the family farm – serves customers at the small retail counter, where lamb is the primary product for sale.

But step next door to Metheral’s processing plant, and the contrast is startling. Gone is the impression of casual coziness that pervades the office. The plant, stock pens and hide room are immaculate. The floor is spotless, stainless-steel surfaces gleam and the cutting machines and other tools of the trade are squeaky clean and ready to go.

Metheral Meats, founded in 1991, is one of the provincially licensed abattoirs that survived an Ontario government push to beef up meat safety standards in the wake of the 2003 mad cow disease scare and the 2008 listeria crisis, in which more than 20 people died.

Sarah Petrevan, senior communications

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

adviser to Carol Mitchell, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, said the ministry is trying to achieve two goals: make food safe and ensure that local processors survive so people who want to eat local meat can do so.

For consumers, improved meat safety sounds encouraging – but the transition to a more strictly regulated system has not been without casualties.

In Ontario, all meat intended for sale must be slaughtered in an abattoir that is licensed and inspected by either the federal or provincial government. Federally licensed abattoirs are generally large facilities that mass-produce meat, buying and processing animals in huge batches and often exporting their products to other provinces and countries.

Provincially licensed abattoirs such as Metheral Meats can sell their products only within Ontario. This usually means they are smaller, slaughtering and processing fewer animals at a time. They serve small-scale livestock producers who can’t meet – or aren’t interested in meeting – the highvolume demands of most federally licensed

abattoirs. Their products are often sold to consumers, restaurants and retail outlets interested in buying locally produced meat.

But for many provincial abattoirs, the increased emphasis on meat safety became something of a death knell. At the same time as the local food movement was increasing demand for locally produced meat, the Ontario agriculture ministry was clamping down on the way slaughterhouses operate. Many abattoir operators decided the cost of making the changes necessary to meet the standards was prohibitive. So they chose to close their doors.

And the numbers are sobering. Ten years ago, about 500 small- and medium-sized abattoirs dotted the Ontario countryside.

Today, this number has plummeted to fewer than 150.

Even Rick Metheral, whose family business has successfully weathered the storm of changing rules, concedes he has felt irritated by the red tape and rules that are sometimes interpreted differently by individual, and sometimes inexperienced, provincial inspectors.

“They are always wanting something,” he said. But he also acknowledged: “We’ve always kept up on everything. We’re a newer plant and we take pride in our shop.”

As a result, Metheral Meats is going strong, slaughtering, cutting and wrapping about 600 cattle and 3,000 lambs a year.

In fact, business is brisk enough that the Metherals plan to shift their focus toward the abattoir end of their farm operation.

“Metheral Meats is by far the best of anyone I’ve ever used, and I’ve had a lot of experience slaughtering lambs,” said Bert Nieuwenhuis, who farms near Orangeville.

“They do a bang-up job.”

The outlook is less rosy elsewhere in the province. In some areas, the sharp decline in the number of provincial abattoirs has reduced the options for many small-scale livestock producers. At the very least, they must transport their animals farther, incurring the extra costs that stem from driving longer distances.

The issue has caught the attention of various groups, including the National Farmers Union and the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario, which are actively working with the agriculture ministry to find ways to help small abattoirs meet safety standards without drowning them in red tape.

And Sustain Ontario, an alliance of groups that promotes local food, is approaching the issue from a different angle. Concerned that a shortage of abattoirs is impeding people’s ability to buy locally produced meat, the organization has dedicated a section of its website to encouraging consumers to speak out to help curb the loss of these small businesses.

In response to concerns, the Ontario agriculture ministry recently awarded $5.9 million in grants to help small- and medium-sized abattoirs upgrade to meet the changed rules.

But the outlook for these abattoirs is not all doom and gloom. Laurie Nicol, who has headed the Ontario Independent Meat Processors Association for 26 years, believes the closing of older provincial abattoirs that hadn’t kept up with new equipment and procedures may prove to be a boon to the sector. Those that remain open will have a larger client base and a better chance of surviving and thriving. 왘

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abat toirs

Stayner Meat Packers, a provincially licensed abattoir, is an example. The company also operates a retail outlet, Twelve Farms Butcher Shop, on the outskirts of the town.

When Stayner Meat Packers’ previous owners planned to retire three years ago, 12 operators, mostly farms, became alarmed. They didn’t want to lose their local abattoir, so they joined forces and bought the business. Since then, the new owners have invested about $25,000 to meet the ministry’s safety demands. Most of the renovations involved replacing wooden surfaces, which can harbour pathogens, with stainless steel or aluminum.

“It has been expensive,” said company president Linda Pease, “but people want to be safe, and we understand that.”

The business expects to break even this year, but Pease added it will take longer to recoup the cost of the upgrades. Still, the investment was worth it, she said, because it ensures local livestock producers have a processing plant nearby.

In line with the owners’ beliefs, Stayner Meat Packers processes only livestock raised without growth hormones or antibiotics.

Most of the animals are grass fed with a grain supplement. These animals cost more to raise, so retail prices are higher than those found in the meat departments of big supermarket chains that can offer deals like strip-loin steaks for as little as $4.99 a pound.

“We can’t compete with that,” said Don Forget, Stayner’s meat cutter.

But the company can compete for the loyalty of consumers who are concerned about where their meat comes from, what drugs and hormones it contains, whether an animal was force-fed on a feedlot and whether it was batch slaughtered in a huge facility where dozens of minimum-wage employees run a plant that operates 24 hours a day.

The stiffer provincial rules mean consumers can be certain that safety practices in small- and medium-sized abattoirs are as strict as those that govern larger facilities. Provincial inspectors are always on hand to oversee slaughters, and between slaughters, equipment is knocked

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Pease in Stayner Meat Packer’s retail outlet, Twelve Farms Butcher Shop.

down completely and cleaned thoroughly.

Still, a shortage of local abattoirs is just one of several trends that have persuaded some farmers to abandon producing livestock. Ministry statistics show the number of cattle on Ontario farms has dropped by 19 per cent since 2000, while the number of hogs is down by 15 per cent.

Prices have also dropped, and fewer animals are being slaughtered. Only lamb is an exception to this trend, but lamb is not as popular with Canadians as beef and pork.

Small abattoirs are also feeling the effects of changes in consumers’ buying habits. Families used to purchase a side of beef and put it in their freezer. Now places like Metheral Meats and Twelve Farms tend to sell meat in smaller batches – a few steaks or a leg of lamb – often to weekenders passing by on their way to a country home, cottage or ski chalet.

Despite the difficulties, abattoirs and farmers in the Headwaters area seem to be bucking the trend that has been raising alarm bells in other areas of the province.

Gord McArthur, for example, is a Caledon

farmer who sells his beef at his farm-gate store, Heatherlea Farm Market. McArthur transports his cattle to an abattoir near Drayton, about an hour away, and though he complains about the expense of the long drive, he also said he continues to use the abattoir because he likes the quality of the work.

Broadway Market on Heart Lake Road north of Brampton uses two abattoirs: one near London and Holly Park Meat Packers near Bolton. Janine Livingston, Broadway’s store manager, said the business now has fewer options, but their abattoirs do a good job.

The transition to new ways of doing things may have been bumpy at times, but abattoirs in the Headwaters area have survived – and are upbeat about their prospects.

“We’re probably doing better as farmers than if we hadn’t bought Stayner Meats,” said Pease.

For consumers interested in supporting the local food movement, a strong local farming system can only be good news. 왗

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An Embarrassment of

Squashes

The humble squash has as many culinary uses as it has sizes, shapes and varieties | by jennifer cl ark

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

Buttercup, Butternut, Delicious, Hercules, Sweet Dumpling, Pumpkin, Golden Nugget – if this is starting to seem like a string of endearing pet names, then you don’t know your winter squash! And that’s not the half of it. There’s Spaghetti, Royal Acorn, Blue Hubbard, White Hubbard, Boston Marrow, and on and on. And just like the wonderful assortment of names, the shapes, sizes and colours of winter squash are varied and plentiful.

There is mild confusion as to the fruit/vegetable status of squash. As it turns out, it is both. In culinary terms, it is a vegetable, but in botanical terms it is a fruit because it contains seeds. Squash is loosely divided into two categories: summer squash and winter squash. Summer squash, such as zucchini and patty

1 1

4

5

3

3 2

2

4 6

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photos pete paterson

pan, are ready to be eaten soon after they develop, and are tastiest when their skins are young and tender. Anyone who has ever experienced the opposite – a giant, tough-skinned zucchini at the end of the season – will wholeheartedly agree.

Winter squash, on the other hand, are meant to be tough-skinned. They mature on the vine throughout the cool days of autumn, lying on the ground for weeks before they are mature and ready for harvesting. There are four main species of winter squash: cucurbita pepo, cucurbita moschata, cucurbita mixta and cucurbita maxima. Winter squash are fittingly named because they are ready just in time for winter storage in a cool, dark and dry place, where they should be fine for about two to three months. 왘

golden pumpkin buttercup turban green hubbard butternut acorn

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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squashes

Follow The Butter Tart Trail™ to our doorstep in beautiful Hillsburgh.

Enjoy lunch or afternoon tea in the living room of our historic century home.

Then cross the hall to our bakery for a collection of homemade treats to take home to the family, like our famous butter tarts and tourtière.

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I’ve grown squash in my garden with easy success these past few years. Although I reserve a section for squash, I can be sure the vines will carry them to unexpected places, which makes for something of a treasure hunt. Squash seeds need bright sun and warm, well-drained soil. Your best bet is to gather soil into a small hill, about six inches high and one foot wide, and plant a few squash seeds on the top of the mound, at equal distances apart. The mound ensures good drainage. Make sure you leave some space for the spreading vines. Once they start growing, you can direct the vines as you see fit.

You can also try the traditional Three Sisters method. It was used by Native Americans and capitalizes on a symbiotic relationship between corn, squash and beans. The cornstalk offers support for the climbing beans, the squash vines provide

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ground cover to minimize the weeds and conserve soil moisture, and the beans supply nitrogen to the soil for the benefit of all three.

One bonus about growing squash is that the plant offers an array of edible options beyond just the flesh of the fruit. I thought I had covered the bases, having had my share of roasted squash seeds, and even tried my hand at battered and fried squash blossoms.

Yet while I was on a visit to the African country of Zambia this past spring, I was won over by sautéed squash greens, which I had never before even considered harvesting.

Yet another boon of this versatile food.

With its diversity, heartiness and nutritional properties, squash can indeed be considered one of fall’s local superfoods. 왘 Jennifer Clark is co-ordinator of Eat Local Caledon and operates a small catering business.

Pumpkin Hummus The pumpkin gives otherwise ordinary hummus a smoother texture and richer flavour. It is excellent as an hors d’œuvre with vegetable crudités or crackers, or used as a hearty sandwich spread.

And, yes, a pumpkin is a squash. ingredients 15 oz (450 ml) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained well 2 cups fresh pumpkin purée 2 to 3 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp sea salt 2 tsp ground cumin ¼ to ½ cup water Juice of one lemon or two limes prepar ation In food processor, add all ingredients except water. Purée and add water as needed to make light and smooth. Refrigerate until cold. Makes about 3 ½ cups. Keeps well for 3 days.

Local and organic produce • Fresh baked pies and bread Preserves, farm fresh eggs and honey from our own beehives Open 7 days a week May to Oct, Mon to Fri 9:30-7, Sat and Sun 9:30-6. Weekends only in Nov and Dec.

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Squash Purée There are so many things you can do with a squash purée: Add it to your batter to make your muffins or cake more moist and nutritious, mix in some broth and simmer up some crowd-pleasing squash soup, or make the squash hummus recipe included below. Squash purée also freezes well for later use.

Simply cut your squash of choice in half and scoop out the seeds.

Place the halves face down on a baking tray in a 400ºF pre-heated oven until the flesh is completely soft, usually about 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

Once it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork. For a smoother purée, blend in a food processor.

Local Bistro | Local Flair Live Entertainment | Garden Patio Revolving Blackboard Menu Family owned and operated since 1966 OPEN TUES to SAT - 9am to close | 1475 Queen Street, Alton | 519-941-6121 autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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squashes

Squash Pecan Bread Moist and spicy, this easy quick bread was created by Food In The Hills’ consulting chef Rose DuPont. The recipe makes two large loaves.

It freezes beautifully, so make both and put one in the freezer for later.

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

ingredients

prepar ation

for the streusel 2 tbsp granulated sugar 1 ¼ cups brown sugar ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp cinnamon 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, stir sugars, flour and cinnamon together.

Add butter and stir with a fork until butter is distributed.

Use hands to thoroughly mix until crumbly. Set aside. for the bread 3 cups all-purpose flour ¾ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¾ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup vegetable oil 2 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs 2 cups squash purée 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Butter and flour two 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk oil, sugar and eggs to blend. Add squash purée and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Stir flour mix into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions, blending well after each addition. Mix in pecans.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Divide streusel mixture evenly on top of batter and press down lightly. Bake about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Transfer to racks and cool 20 minutes. Using knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely. Can be wrapped and frozen for 3 months.

Belfountain Blue One local community places so much value on squash they have made it into a mascot. Every October, the Belfountain community hosts a Squash Growing Contest as part of their annual Salamander Festival. The contest’s categories range from oddest shaped to doggone cutest to most animal-looking.

However, the most coveted prize is for The Belfountain Blue category, because each year the winning squash becomes the festival mascot, crown and all.

When the contest began a few years ago, the Belfountain Community Organization ordered rare heritage blue squash seeds online. Shortly thereafter, the likes of Queensland Blue, Guatemalan Blue Banana, Marina di Chioggi and Sibley varieties were growing in gardens throughout Belfountain, and continue to be planted each year. These varieties are all part of the cucurbita maxima species, which has a high chance of cross-pollination when one or more types are planted in the same garden. Through such innocent genetic manipulation, the Belfountain Community Organization is hoping to develop its very own unique breed of blue squash named, of course, The Belfountain Blue. 왗

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by rose dupont

Potato Gnocchi My friend Albina Mastrangelo learned the secrets to making light and

Gnocchi made with love Chef Rose DuPont and her friend Albina Mastrangelo

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delicate gnocchi when she was a child growing up in a small town in the Calabria region of Italy. Albina’s grandmother, Nonna Maria, owned a popular trattoria in San Teodoro, where she prepared simple rustic dishes, such as freshly made pasta with beans, arancini (risotto balls fi lled with wild mushrooms and cheese) and meat-fi lled calzone.

Maria’s menu contained ingredients that she found as close as her own garden, or delivered by local merchants who supplied her with the cured meats, cheeses and sausages featured on her ever-changing menu. She did not post a menu; this very social woman liked the excuse to step out of the kitchen to greet her customers, gossip a bit, and talk about what was simmering on her back stoves. Local residents stopped by daily for their lunch, happily consuming whatever Maria cooked. Albina remembers that Nonna was famous for two things: her fabulous cooking and her great legs. ě™˜

photos pete paterson

cooking with Rose

A few tips before you start 1

Cook unpeeled potatoes in salted water. Strain potatoes and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel and mash potatoes by hand or put them through a ricer. Let cool about 5 minutes.

3

Form dough into 2 or 3 balls, and with lightly floured hands knead each ball on very lightly floured surface for 3 to 4 minutes using extra flour as needed.

Starchy potatoes, such as Russets, will produce a fluffy gnocchi. • Cook the potatoes in their skins, then peel afterwards. This produces a “drier” potato and increases the fluffiness of the gnocchi. • To test potatoes for doneness, stab with a thin paring knife. The potato should fall off the knife when pulled up from the water.

• Do not poke the potatoes too much as they are cooking or they will become too watery. • Nonna Maria’s secret: Always cook with love and passion!

Potato Gnocchi ingredients for 4 to 5 portions

2

Add the egg and salt and pepper, and stir well. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth, sticky dough is formed.

1 lb (500 g) potatoes (not new potatoes) 1 egg, beaten Salt and pepper ½ cup all-purpose flour (approximately)

4

Cut each ball into smaller pieces and roll these into sausage shapes about 1-inch thick and 10 to 12 inches long. Cut the sausages into ¾- to 1-inch pieces.

5

Roll each piece along the back of a floured fork to create a marked gnocchi. Or form into 1-inch balls and press with a floured thumb. Place the gnocchi on lightly floured baking sheets and cover with a clean tea towel. Chill for 3 hours before cooking. 왘

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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cooking with rose

FULL SERVICE CATERING U P C O U N T RY W E D D I N G S D I N N E R PA RT I E S F I N E P R E PA R E D M E A L S

THE SHOP A RT I S A N A L C H E E S E , B E LG I A N C H O C O L AT E , LO C A L & I M P O RT E D G O U R M E T D E L I C AC I E S

For the shy Albina, Nonna Maria’s kitchen was an inspiration centred around her cooking techniques and her secrets for a happy life. When it was time for the young Albina to make her first gnocchi dough, she recalls struggling with it, unsure about the consistency. Nonna Maria would stand beside her and reassure her: “Life is like that piece of dough; you need to work it until it becomes familiar to you. Just like in life, you will go through mistakes until you know what to do, then you will learn to trust yourself.”

Gnocchi, the Italian version of a dumpling, has been around since the 13th century.

Today, it remains one of Italy’s all-time favourite comfort foods. The word gnocchi (pronounced neo-key) means “lump” in Italian, and is created with just a few ingredients found in most household kitchens. If they are prepared correctly, gnocchi will be delicate, toothsome dumplings. At their worst they can be thick and gummy tasting.

One day not long ago, I paid Albina a

6

visit at her Brampton home. “My Canadian friends all love to eat potato gnocchi,” Albina told me over a lunch featuring freshly made gnocchi with tomato sauce made from tomatoes grown by a neighbour, “but they are so frightened to make it.”

Here are Albina’s secrets “to creating light and delicate gnocchi, just as my own Nonna taught me all of those years ago in Italy,” along with her recipes for potato and spinach gnocchi, and a quick, delicious tomato sauce. Most Italians serve gnocchi with a fresh tomato sauce or sauté the dumplings in a little olive oil and fresh herbs. The sauce should be as light and delicate as the gnocchi themselves, so they continue to be the star attraction of the dish. 왗

Rose DuPont is a professional chef based in Caledon. She has cooked at the Windsor Arms, Oliver’s Bistro and Scaramouche in Toronto, and at Ottawa’s Château Laurier.

She is also a food stylist, a wedding coordinator and owner of Real Love Weddings.

7

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

Preheat oven to 200ºF. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time (do not crowd) and bring the water to a boil again. The gnocchi are cooked al dente when they have floated to the top.

Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon, drain well, place on a serving platter and keep warm in the preheated oven. Cook the remaining gnocchi in batches. To serve, top with tomato sauce (recipe at right).

Fresh Tomato Sauce 70

ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 ¼ cups fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped Fresh basil and parsley, chopped prepar ation Heat olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and about 4 tablespoons of water. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with basil and parsley. Cook for about 30 minutes.

If desired, purée in a food processor and cook for another 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Spinach Gnocchi ingredients 1 cup ricotta 2 eggs, beaten ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan 2 tbsp soft unsalted butter Sprinkle of salt and pepper 12 oz (375 g) fresh spinach 3 to 4 tbsp all-purpose flour prepar ation Place ricotta in a medium bowl and mash until smooth. Add egg, cheese, butter and salt and pepper, mix and set aside.

Cook spinach in a small amount of lightly salted water for 1 minute. Drain and cool.

Squeeze small handfuls of spinach until all liquid is removed. Finely chop by hand or in a food processor. Add to ricotta mixture. Mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well. If mixture seems too wet to handle, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Prepare in the same manner as potato gnocchi. Omit the first part of step 5. Spinach gnocchi is not rolled on the back of a fork. Makes 4 to 5 portions.

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Islands

A Mulmur country kitchen embodies order and serenity in the midst of a young family’s busy life | by cecily ross

Room to entertain Two kitchen islands in Sara Bellamy’s open-concept kitchen keep food prep and cleanup separate.

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Because her weekends are precious, Sara Bellamy wanted the kitchen at her Mulmur Hills country retreat to more or less take care of itself. The mother of three children, aged 10, 8 and 5, and owner of a spunky Australian terrier named Raffi, would rather be out playing or working in the garden than clearing the breakfast debris left by the friends and family who visit often.

But the grand stone house she and her husband completed in 2009, set high on a hill with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, presented more than a few challenges when it came to kitchen design.

“I wanted everything to be open-concept,” says Sara, who designed the space herself, “but you run into the problem of what to do to hide the kitchen mess.”

Living room, dining area and kitchen in the light-fi lled house co-exist in one long continuous space with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace at one end, a trestle table and chairs in the middle, and Sara’s dream kitchen at the other end. In most openconcept plans, dinner guests are subjected to the inevitable disorder created by the preparation, serving and cleaning up of a special meal. Sara solved the problem by creating not one, but two kitchen islands.

Sara refers to the centre island nearest the stove as her “prep area.” Covered in Carrara marble that has been pre-treated to give it a distressed or antiqued finish, the 8 ½-foot by 4 ½-foot prep island features a single stainless-steel sink for washing produce. “This is where I do my cooking,”

photos mk lynde

of Calm Sara says. Behind her, in a well-lit alcove that is a nod to the walk-in cooking areas of pioneer farm kitchens, is a six-burner Wolf gas stove with a built-in griddle and two – one large and one small – lower ovens.

“Another challenge,” says Sara, “is that because the space is so open the kitchen has no walls, no place for mechanicals or storage.” But the builder, John Gordon (JW Gordon Custom Builders, Creemore), solved the problem by adding generous cabinets flanking the stove for storing dishes and pantry. To the right of the centre island is a large side-by-side Thermador refrigerator disguised as more cabinetry.

The second island, this one covered in Cambrian black granite that has been honed and antiqued, is Sara’s “wash-up area.” 왘

A busy family Sara with her daughter, Fiona, 5, and Raffi: “This is the country, so we’re always casual.”

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isl ands in the dre am

Storage solutions Builder John Gordon added generous cabinets flanking the stove as a pantry and for storing dishes. A large side-by-side Thermador refrigerator is disguised as more cabinetry.

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

Here, hidden by a raised counter facing the dining area, Sara can stack dirty dishes out of sight and out of mind until the party is over. The wash-up island boasts a porcelain under-mounted double farm sink and a built-in dishwasher.

In the backside of the prep island, she installed a “dishwasher drawer” for all those extra glasses that need washing when there are lots of people around.

Both islands boast generous drawer and cupboard space so everything is concealed but close at hand.

“When we entertain, it’s fabulous,” she says of the innovative design. “This is the country so we’re always casual. I usually put a buffet out on the centre island and let everyone help themselves.”

And because her guests and family all seem to get up at different times in the morning, Sara has added a small morning coffee pantry just off the main kitchen. “I set up the coffee maker and put out some juice. On the centre island, there’s a toaster, fruit, bread and yogurt.”

For summer entertaining there is another kitchen outside on the wide veranda. It boasts a gas barbecue, built-in cabinets and more Cambrian black granite countertops. The al fresco cooking area is protected from the considerable winds characteristic of this hilltop aerie by glass panels mounted on substantial stone walls.

“Because this is a John Gordon kitchen,” says Sara of the interior’s high ceilings, “we wanted beams.”

John Gordon, who is known for his beam work, sourced the beams from a London, Ontario barn. “John has really good taste,” says Sara, who has worked with the Creemore-based builder on other kitchen projects in the area. With its clean lines, Shaker-style cabinetry and soothing palette (the cabinets are Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Grey – “My secret colour,” says Sara), the kitchen might be described as country contemporary.

“It just works,” Sara says. “It’s functional and fun. Without fail everyone ends up jammed in here. I’ve got those two couches out there,” she says, pointing to the living room, “but they’re usually empty.” 왗

Casual dining Early rising guests can help themselves to coffee in the small morning coffee pantry (above left) and enjoy it in the light-filled breakfast room (top).

An under-mounted “farm” sink (above right) makes cleanup a breeze.

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The little project that

photos pete paterson

grew

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autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

‘The Farm’ in Albion Hills is more than just a vegetable garden. In the words of one intrepid gardener, ‘It’s community, activity, therapy and food’ | by nicol a ross

If you plant it, they will come.

And come they did, in droves. Forty-five dedicated green volunteers dressed to till showed up on a mild and overcast Saturday morning in early May to help launch the new Albion Hills Community Farm near Palgrave.

Men, women and children armed with rakes, hoes and spades dug into the 20 personal plots and four large ones that make up what is known simply as The Farm. Add this to the town’s Community Kitchen, located in the basement of the United Church, and Palgrave stands out in the region as a local-food Mecca.

The Farm, a non-profit, 37-hectare farm and learning centre, is run by Deanna Coop, who describes the venture as “a destination for local food and farming in Caledon, showcasing innovation in sustainable nearurban agriculture.” She adds, “Our farm will be a working landscape of farmers, community members, educators and youth who demonstrate and learn new ways of producing food using ecological and organic growing methods.”

The Farm is the brainchild of two local foodies: Karen Hutchinson, executive director of the Caledon Countryside Alliance, an organization that promotes local food through Eat Local Caledon, and Barb Imrie, who made Palgrave’s community kitchen a reality.

“The number one thing is having people understand their connection to dirt and their food,” says Barb. “Maybe even more, I want them to understand how much work is involved in farming. People don’t realize how cheap food is.”

That message was brought home at the May launch as volunteers rolled up their sleeves and sowed early crops of potatoes

and peas. They were also able to celebrate the news that the project had received a $300,000, four-year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, enough to cover Deanna’s salary, pay for some farm equipment, and hire a farmer to help tend the vegetable patch over the summer.

Seven of the 20 individual plots have been rented for $25 each by area residents who want fresh vegetables but can’t or don’t want to garden in their own backyards.

Palgrave resident Carol Good says she has planted about 40 potato plants in her plot.

She wanted to keep them separate from her backyard tomatoes because growing the crops together can make the potatoes more susceptible to blight. “The Farm,” she says, “is community, therapy, activity and food.”

The five large plots are being used by organizations: the Peel 4H Garden Club, Seeds of Diversity, Etobicoke Outdoor Learning Centre/Albion Hills Field Centre, World Crop Learning Garden and the Palgrave Community Kitchen. The Community Kitchen, says Barb, is planning to use much of its harvest in a community dinner in the fall.

On the May long weekend, a “potato mob” returned to the site and planted an additional 10,000 potatoes (Yukon, red, blue and purple). Three thousand pounds of these spuds will be sold at farmers’ markets in Inglewood and Bolton, as well as at an onfarm market. Sunflowers, greens, beans, peas, carrots, beets and several varieties of squash, including more than 2,000 pumpkins, will also be for sale. In addition, the produce will be used by Albion Hills Conservation Area to feed groups using its facilities.

Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian volunteer organization that conserves biodiversity

and traditional knowledge of food crops and garden plants. Its plot is sewn with 24 varieties of potatoes supplied by the Reid family in the Town of Mono. Similarly, The Farm has planted “open-pollinated” (that is, not hybrid) corn (aka maize) that will not only make good eating but will provide seeds for next year’s crop. There will also be a maze where kids visiting The Farm can play while their parents garden.

Of course, all that work deserves a party.

On Saturday, September 10, from 1 to 4 pm, The Farm will celebrate its grand opening, dubbed the “A’maizing Harvest Party.”

There will be music, refreshments and prizes for the best and biggest veggies. Barb says everyone is welcome and she promises an “a’maizing” time. 왗

To learn more about The Farm, volunteer or rent one of the plots, contact Deanna Coop at the Albion Hills Community Farm, deanna@albionhillscommunityfarm.org.

You can also hook up with The Farm on LinkedIn or Facebook, or stay in touch through Twitter.

The Farm is located at 16555 Humber Station Rd, Caledon, in the Albion Hills Conservation Area. Enter from Humber Station Road only.

left to right : Barb Imrie, Karen Hutchinson, Gail Grant of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and MPP Sylvia Jones.

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the potato index

Potato n. a starchy plant tuber which is one of the most important food crops, cooked and eaten as a vegetable Oxford English Dictionary

tuberous

nutritious

The potato, a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), produces tubers on underground runners.

Potatoes contain potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins, folate, fibre and carbohydrates.

They are also fat- and cholesterol-free and low in sodium. In fact, they are an excellent diet food, just don’t add butter and sour cream.

perennial The plants are perennial; left in the ground they will come up year after year. However, because they must be dug up to be harvested, they are usually treated as annual.

various Worldwide, there are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes. Ontario potatoes are classified as long, round whites, round reds or sweet.

plentiful 왗

Solanum tuberosum Norland, Bauer Grün Rote Auge, Pugh’s Purple, Matsuyama, Belgium and Papa Negra.

Seeds of Diversity’s heritage plant database (seeds.ca) contains 160 potato cultivars, among them Wee MacGregor, Peruvian Blue and Mom’s Old White. Skin and flesh colours range from red, pink, yellow and white to purple, blue and black.

widespread Potatoes are the world’s fourth largest food crop. They are the largest vegetable crop in Ontario.

Solanum jusepczukii is the highest food plant in the world, growing at over 14,500 feet in the Andes.

essential Because of a low number of varieties, the European potato suffered from a lack of genetic diversity leaving it vulnerable to diseases like the potato blight in Ireland, from 1845 to 1849, that turned newly harvested potatoes into putrid mush in minutes, leading to a famine that resulted in over a million deaths.

toxic Potatoes contain a toxin called solanine which develops when they are subjected to light, or very cold or warm temperatures giving the tuber a green tinge. Ingestion of large amounts of green potatoes can cause vomiting, headaches, diarrhea and cramps. Potatoes, not mayonnaise, are the culprit that can cause foodborne illness from unrefrigerated potato salad. Commercial mayonnaise is pasteurized and has a high acid content that actually slows bacterial growth. Homemade mayonnaise, made with raw eggs, should be avoided.

well travelled Potatoes were the first vegetable grown in space in 1995. NASA hoped the nutritious and versatile vegetable would feed astronauts on long space voyages.

local

photo pete paterson

In 2009 there were 5,430 acres of potatoes in Dufferin County, yielding 15,200 pounds per acre.

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south american Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru, and were introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers in the second half of the 16th century. autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

crunchy The potato chip was invented in 1853 by chef George Crum in a Saratoga Springs restaurant. Crum fried thin slices in oil and added salt after railway magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt sent his dinner back to the kitchen claiming the spuds were too thick.

Potato chips account for more than half the salty, packaged snacks consumed in North America. 왗

Reid’s Farm Market & Potatoes

DUFFERIN TOWN & COUNTRY FARM TOUR Saturday, October 1

ˆ”‡•Š Ž‘…ƒŽ ’”‘†—…‡ Čˆ ‡‰‰• Â•Â‡ÂŽÂˆÇŚÂ•Â‡Â”Â˜Â‡ Â?ƒ”Â?‡– ŠƒÂ?†Â?ƒ†‡ “—‹Ž–• ’‹‡• Čˆ ’‹…Â?Ž‡• Čˆ ’”‡•‡”˜‡• ͺ;;ͳ͡; ‘—”–Š ‹Â?‡ ‹Â? ‘Â?‘ Œ—•– ‡ƒ•– ‘ˆ ”ƒÂ?‰‡˜‹ŽŽ‡ Â?‘”–Š ‘ˆˆ ™›͝ ”‡‹†•’‘–ƒ–‘‡•Ǥ…‘Â? ˆƒÂ?‹Ž› ‘™Â?‡† ˆƒ”Â? •‹Â?…‡ ͡͞ͺ͝

SEE FARMING AS IT HAPPENS! Your passport takes you on a self-guided tour to working farms in East Luther and Amaranth Townships.

Along the way you’ll visit beef, dairy, horse, sheep and alpaca farms, as well as the Luther Marsh.

See farm animals, educational displays, demonstrations and talk to farmers.

On location - food booths and local produce for sale

The tour takes place from 9 am to 4 pm - rain or shine Pick up your passport from 9 am to 2 pm at HILLS OF HEADWATERS TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRE Hwy 10 & Buena Vista Dr, Orangeville Admission: a non-perishable food bank donation Tour Information: www.thehillsofheadwaters.com/farmtour

1-800-332-9744

519-942-0984

GROW LOCAL • BUY LOCAL • EAT LOCAL autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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what’s cooking in thec ahills lendar of food happenings fundraisers

community

august 28 The McVean Farm Harvest Table Celebrate the harvest and help support FarmStart with a locally inspired fourcourse dinner prepared by eight area chefs from produce grown by 21 new farmers at the McVean Farm near Brampton.

FarmStart is a non-profit organization that provides infrastructure, land and equipment to a new generation of young farmers from all over the world. The event kicks off with an appetizer tour of the farm, followed by a family-style sit-down dinner. 3 to 8pm.

Tickets are $100 per person, farmers $50.

Children under 12 are free. For information and tickets, visit www.harvesttable.ca or email alex@farmstart.ca.

september Eat Local Month in Caledon This month-long initiative is dedicated to celebrating, supporting and strengthening Caledon’s local-food and farming system. Events are taking place across Caledon to promote eating, cooking and savouring the local harvest. For event listings and more details, visit eatlocalcaledon.org, or contact 905584-6221; eatlocal@eatlocalcaledon.org.

oc tober 16 Foodstock Join 70 Canadian chefs, among them Michael Stadtländer, Jamie Kennedy and Anthony Walsh, as well as an expected 20,000 fellow lovers of the land to support the fight against the proposed megaquarry in Melancthon Township. The event, held on the four farms near Honeywood that refused to sell out to The Highland Companies, will feature a taste of the area’s bounty and fresh, clean water.

Admission is pay-what-you-can to help defray the cost of stopping the quarry. www.canadianchefscongress.com; www. citizensalliance.ca

november 4 An Evening in Paris Join host journalist Tom Hayes and chef Michael Smith for an evening of fine food and great entertainment in support of the surgical program at the Brampton Civic Hospital. There will be live entertainment, dancing, silent and live auctions. This is a limited seating, black-tie event. The Garden Banquet and Convention Centre, 8 Clipper Court, Brampton. $500 per person. To reserve, 905-494-6556. www. oslerfoundation.org

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september 10 A’maizing Harvest Party Drop in to The Farm from 1 to 4pm to partake in Albion Hills Community Farm’s first official harvest. There will be music, refreshments, games and prizes for the best veggies.

Located at the Albion Hills Conservation Area, 16555 Humber Station Rd. Admission is free. For more information, email deanna@albionhillscommunityfarm.org.

september 11 Salsa Canning Bee Wondering what to do with all those tomatoes? Learn to make and preserve spicy tomato salsa in a fun group setting.

Novice and experienced canners welcome.

Take home six jars of salsa when you’re finished. 1:30 to 5:30pm. Palgrave Community Kitchen, 34 Pine St. $30.

To reserve, contact 905-584-6221; eatlocal@eatlocalcaledon.org.

september 16 – september 22 Seven-Day Eat Local Challenge Register for the Challenge and use your Challenge Scorecard to keep track of how many of the meals you eat during this week include local food. Submit your completed scorecard to Eat Local Caledon for a chance to win prizes and dinners at Caledon restaurants. To register, eatlocal@ eatlocalcaledon.org.

oc tober 6 Palgrave Turkey Dinner Everyone is invited to the Palgrave Community Kitchen’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner to enjoy local turkey, potatoes, peas, corn, rutabaga, coleslaw, rolls, stuffing and Palgrave’s famous pies. Palgrave United Church, 34 Pine Ave, Palgrave.

Adults $20, seniors $15, takeout $17, family rate (2 adults, 2 children) $50. Advance tickets $50 each ($40 charitable receipt plus reserve your pie and no waiting to eat).

905-880-0303; info@palgravekitchen.org

oc tober 8 Creemore Heritage Apple Society Apple Pie Contest Put your baking skills to the test and enter your flaky best in the 5th annual apple pie contest held Thanksgiving Saturday at the Creemore Farmers’ Market. For details, visit www.creemoreheritageapples.ca and click on “pie contest.”

november 5 Mansfield Turkey Supper Join in on a 100-year-old village tradition: turkey with all the trimmings, homemade pies. Eat in or take out, 4:30 to 8pm. $15, children $5. Mansfield Community hall, Airport Road. 705-435-6409; garebrown@ sympatico.ca

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what’s cooking in thec ahills lendar of food happenings festivals Celebrating local food & farming Inglewood Farmers’ Market This charming market features local foods, music, cooking demos, more!

Wednesdays, 3:30-7pm, next to Inglewood General Store, to Oct. 5.

Who’s Servin’ Local?

A program that recognizes the Caledon restaurants, shops, on-farm markets, cafés, and caterers who include local foods on their menus and shelves.

Eat Local Dinner Series Caledon chefs develop 3-course dinners featuring local ingredients.

At rotating restaurants, last Thursday each month. Fixed price, $30-35.

Cook Like a (Local) Chef Series Local chefs teach local-food inspired, hands-on classes. First Monday each month, 6:30-9pm, Palgrave Community Kitchen. $35.

Eat Local Month, September This month-long celebration of local food and farming includes workshops, canning bees, wine tastings, dinner events, and more!

Canning Bees/Workshops Learn to how to preserve the local harvest and to stock your pantry with your own jams, chutneys, pickles and sauces.

2011 Farm to Table Directory Find local farmers, producers, and micro-processors who are interested in selling locally.

For more information, visit www.eatlocalcaledon.org, find us on facebook & twitter, or contact us at eatlocal@eatlocal caledon.org, or 905-584-6221.

Supported by

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august 16 – september 4 Summerfeast For 19 mouthwatering days, the finest restaurants in the Headwaters region will offer special menus at affordable prices.

Three-course prix fixe menus are $15 – $20 for lunch and $25 – $30 for dinner. Diners also have a chance to win a $100 certificate to any Summerfeast restaurant of their choice. For information on participating restaurants, call 519-942-0314 or visit www. thehillsofheadwaters.com. Stay tuned for Winterfeast, February 15 to March 4.

september 11 Feast of Fields The ultimate organic experience celebrates its 22nd year with celebrity chef Michael Smith. He joins some of Ontario’s top chefs, vintners, brewers and organic farmers in an effort to raise awareness about the environmental and human benefits of organic agriculture. Taste fabulous food, talk to farmers, learn about solar energy and sample local wines in a beautiful outdoor setting. Cold Creek Conservation Area, King Township. 1 to 5pm. Tickets $100 ($90 each for groups of 10 or more).

To order, 905-859-3609. www.feastoffields. org, feastoffields@gmail.com

september 17 The New Farm Harvest Festival Kitchenband Productions presents Petrichor, a play by Erin Brandenburg that tells the story of group of Mennonite migrant labourers from Mexico working on a farm in southern Ontario. Ticket price includes a delicious local, organic dinner prepared by area chefs and the New Farm staff. After dinner and the play, enjoy a rousing concert featuring the Sunparlor Players. Tickets $55 (concert only, $25). Available at ticketscene. ca, the Creemore Echo, Curiosity House and Creemore’s 100 Mile Store. Proceeds to Grow for the Stop. 705-466-9906; sara@ creemore.com

september 25 Carrot Fest!

Everdale Farm’s 5th annual fall harvest celebration features lots of local food, farm tours, an artisan marketplace, live music, workshops on local food (including how to make your own soda pop) and a culinary carrot contest. 11am to 5pm at Everdale, an environmental learning centre and organic farm near Hillsburgh. Adults $5, kids are free. For details, 519-855-4859 x101; www.everdale.org. verdale.org.

september 30 Caledon Crunch unch Tune into Radio dio Caledon (Bolton 105.5 5 FM) at 11am and hear the sound of schoolchildren from Caledon elementary schools bite into a locally grown apple simultaneously. Last year 8,500 students and staff at 17 schools participated. The annual Caledon Crunch is part of an effort to raise food literacy in Ontario. You can also listen live on the internet at www.radiocaledon.com.

oc tober 1 Belfountain Salamander Festival Lend your support to the plight of the Jefferson salamander, an endangered species found in the Belfountain area and other parts of the Niagara Escarpment.

From 10am to 3pm there will be live music by blues singer Randy Benson, nature demonstrations, a silent auction, dog agility trials, bake sale, breakfast, a barbecue lunch featuring squash soup and locally sourced beef, bison and boar burgers, and a squash and pumpkin growing contest.

The event takes place in the village at the Belfountain Village Church and the Conservation Area. For information, visit www.belfountain.ca or www.creditvalley.ca.

I N S U P P O RT O F T H E S U R G I C A L P R O G R A M AT B R A M P T O N C I V I C H O S P I TA L

fall fairs From cotton candy to giant pumpkins, food is what the area’s fall fairs are all about. (See story, page 18.)

september 2 – 5 Orangeville Fall Fair www.orangevillefairgrounds.ca september 16 – 18 Shelburne Fall Fair www.shelburnefair.ca

F R I D AY, N O V E M B E R 4 T H , 2 0 1 1 THE GARDEN BANQUET & CONVENTION CENTRE 8 C L I P P E R C O U R T, B R A M P T O N

t YOUR HOST FOR THE

EVENING: AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST TOM HAYES

t EXCEPTIONAL CUISINE

PREPARED BY CHEF CHRISTOPHER WOODS AND HIS SKILLED TEAM

t GOURMET CHEESES

PRESENTED BY AFRIM PRISTINE, CHEESE BOUTIQUE

$500 A PERSON SEATING IS LIMITED, PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT RESERVE TODAY AT 905.494.6556

A Peel Health certified kitchen operated by the Palgrave United Church Rent the kitchen for canning, preserving, baking or hosting events

O R O N L I N E AT

O SLER FO U N D ATIO N .O R G

t LIVE ENTERTAINMENT t DANCING t ELECTRONIC SILENT

september 23 – 25 Bolton Fall Fair www.boltonfair.ca Grand Valley Fall Fair 519-928-5754 oc tober 7 – 10 Erin Fall Fair www.erinfair.ca

AUCTION

t LIVE AUCTION t RAFFLE

THIS IS A LIMITED SEATING BLACK-TIE E XPERIENCE

november 1 – 13 The Royal Winter Fair Exhibition Place, Toronto; www.royalfair.org PALGRAVE FAMOUS PIES PIE MAKING BEE Tues, Oct 4, 9:30am - 12:30pm

tours oc tober 1 Dufferin Town and Country Farm Tour The best way to learn about where your food comes from is to see agriculture as it happens. This year’s self-guided tour will visit dairy, beef, sheep, horse and alpaca farms in East Luther and Amaranth Townships. The Luther Marsh is also on the tour. You’ll see lots of animals, educational displays and demonstrations. Passports can be picked up the day of the tour at the Hills of Headwaters Information Centre, Hwy 10 and Buena Vista Dr in Orangeville, and at BluWood Canada, Shelburne.

Refreshments are available at two farm sites. Admission is free, however organizers are accepting donations of non-perishable food or cash for a local food bank. 9am to 4pm, rain or shine. For information, www. thehillsofheadwaters.com/farmtour.

The Globe Restaurant Fine dining in 19th century surroundings

***** Lunches • Teas Dinners

***** Reservations (705) 435-6981 Closed Tuesdays In Rosemont, Hwy. 89, east of Airport Rd.

Learn to make a perfect pie from scratch with local ingredients from crust to fillings

PALGRAVE’S FAMOUS THANKSGIVING TURKEY DINNER Thurs, Oct 6, 4pm Featuring local food and farms Tickets at the door starting at 3:30pm Eat in or take out

Cooking Creating Community Caring for Creation Palgrave Community Kitchen Palgrave United Church 34 Pine Ave, Palgrave 905-880-0303 info@palgravekitchen.org palgravekitchen.org

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Thanks to the many readers who let us know how much they’re enjoying Food In The Hills!

We hope this new issue will give you lots of ideas to make the most of the local harvest.

And we’ll be back next May to celebrate the new sowing season.

.`_ you don’t have to

wait for the spring issue.

For more news about local food, just visit us at foodinthehills.ca

At our online home you’ll ďŹ nd recipes, more recipes, details of local food happenings, and plenty of tips from our foodie bloggers on cooking, growing and eating local.

There are also links to other food and farming resources, and any of the restaurants, producers and other advertisers in these pages.

While you’re there, don’t forget to nominate your candidate for Best Bites in the hills (page 62).

Or just send us a note. We love to hear from you.

foodinthehills NL 60

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what’s cooking in thec ahills lendar of food happenings markets

classes

Local farmers’ markets are overowing with good things from the garden this time of year. Check individual websites for details about special events at each venue throughout the harvest season.

august 22 Cook Like Maria Durso This month, Durso, who owns Flapjack Restaurant in Caledon, will teach participants how to prepare delicious brunch dishes from crĂŞpes to frittatas made with good things from the garden.

At the end of the class, everyone gets to sit down and enjoy the feast. Palgrave Community Kitchen, 34 Pine Ave, Palgrave.

6:30 to 9pm. $35. To register, eatlocal@ eatlocalcaledon.org.

saturdays Market on B Broadway d Weekly until October 6. Second Street and Broadway. 8am to 1pm. Orangeville BIA, 519-942-0087; www.marketonbroadway.ca Creemore Farmers’ Market Weekly until October 6. Station on the Green parking lot. 8:30am to 12:30pm.

705-466-3591; www. creemorefarmersmarket.ca

sundays Hockley Valley Farmers’ Market Weekly at Hockley Valley Resort, 3rd Line Mono and Hockley Road. 10am to 3pm.

519-942-0754; www.hockley.com wednesdays Inglewood Farmers’ Market Weekly at the Inglewood General Store, McLaughlin Rd. 3:30 to 7pm. 905-584-6221; www.eatlocalcaledon.org Amaranth Farmers’ Market Weekly at the Township Municipal Building, 6th Line Amaranth and 10 Sdrd, across from Laurelwoods School. 5 to 8pm. 519941-1007; www.amaranth.ca

thursdays Caledon Farmers’ Market Weekly at the Albion-Bolton Community Centre, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905584-2272; www.caledon.ca/farmersmarket

september 15 Cooking Local Italian Style Warren Gelinas of the Village Bistro in Caledon will give a hands-on lesson on how to turn your tomato harvest into an Italian feast. An ideal chance to perfect your bruschetta. $35. To register, eatlocal@eatlocalcaledon.org. oc tober 13 Making Bread the Old-Fashioned Way Everdale’s Erika Longman shows you how to make a basic white bread that can be easily customized to individual tastes. You’ll learn the basic principles of bread-making and the inďŹ nite ways to adapt them. You’ll also explore alternatives to baking with yeast, including sourdough. Take home your freshly made bread and sourdough, plus all the recipes. 6 to 9pm at Everdale Farm, near Hillsburgh. $45 plus tax. www. workshops.everdale.org oc tober 16 Winterizing Your Organic Vegetable Garden Find out the importance of winterizing your garden, and how and when to clear beds, mulching, cover cropping and overwintering root vegetables in your garden. There will be plenty of hands-on action, including planting a cover crop and potting out sensitive herbs. Bring your questions and share successes and failures from your own garden. 1 to 4pm at Everdale Farm, near Hillsburgh. $45 plus tax. www.workshops.everdale.org ě™—

end note

I first met Maureen Baufeldt in 1993. I was launching a new magazine called In The Hills, and I timidly spread out the prototype on a table in her already iconic restaurant, Mrs. Mitchell’s, to see if she might be interested in buying an ad. Maureen looked through it all coolly as I waited nervously, well aware of her reputation as an astute business woman.

Finally she looked up, and her eyes twinkled into a smile: “I’m in,” she said.

And in she was, every issue for the next 18 years. But through them all, I knew never to take her support for granted. Her business loyalty would be based on her objective assessment of whether the magazine continued to meet her standards. Her vote of confidence was a kind of bellwether: if Maureen was satisfied, we were on the right track.

Her loyalty as a friend was another matter. Once established, it was unshakable.

Our friendship grew entirely within the cozy walls of the restaurant. I would drop off magazines during the afternoon lull, and we’d sit down for an inevitable smoke and a good long gossip. And over the years, I came to understand how it was that Maureen had come to create this perfect world-away-fromthe-world in the tiny hamlet of Violet Hill.

It was a world represented not only by her restaurant, but by her store, Granny Taught Us How, and her own home down the road, all in historic buildings superbly renovated by her husband Jim, a master millworker, and all surrounded by splendid, impeccable gardens.

Maureen Baufeldt 1 942 – 201 1 She had grown up as an “air-force brat,” relocating many times in her childhood.

Bright, but shy and diminutive, she invariably felt like a misfit. She entered university early, but her youth isolated her again. She dropped out, made an unfortunate marriage, and was soon fending alone for herself and her young daughter.

It was after she met and married Jim Baufeldt, and was pregnant with her second daughter, Heidi, that Maureen seized control of her own fate – and never let go.

She started a home-based business making calico toys and kitchenware. In the backto-roots mood of the seventies, the business took off. The family relocated from Toronto to Violet Hill to raise the girls in the country air, and soon enough, they were operating several businesses, including Canadian Country Folk Art, which manufactured pine decor accents, painted by local artists, and sold nationwide.

The couple opened Mrs. Mitchell’s in 1980 in the former schoolhouse (naming it for the school’s last teacher) as a complement to the store, solidifying Violet Hill’s reputation as a destination for day-trippers and locals alike. Like the store, the décor and fare in the restaurant were solidly rooted in tradition, grace, warmth and dependability. No detail was too small for

Maureen’s attention. She set the standards high for her staff, but higher still for herself.

Apparently indefatigable, she was in the restaurant ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week. Even when she stared down breast cancer ten years ago, she scheduled her treatments in Toronto for the wee hours of the morning so as not to miss a day of work.

On first encounter, that uncompromising work ethic and fierce perfectionism could be, well, scary. But it was all rooted in her simple passion for creating a sanctuary where people could relax and be happy.

And that’s exactly what the restaurant has been – a place where over three decades literally thousands of guests have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and other special occasions – imbuing the very walls with the comforting beat of life’s passages.

Maureen died on June 27 from complications related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Her daughter, Heidi, who has worked by her mother’s side since she was a child and who, to Maureen’s immense pride, had taken over much of the day-to-day management in recent years, will carry on the restaurant as well as the store.

And so, my friend Maureen, your work is done. May your tireless spirit at last take its well earned rest. 왗

publisher, food in the hills

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

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photo pete paterson

best bites

John Paul Adamo’s Charcuterie Old world meets new at Hockley Valley Resort’s Salumi Cellar, where we sampled a platter of amazing locally sourced – and in some cases, house-cured – charcuterie, cheeses and homemade bread. For $27 you can mix and match four items (three for $21) from a selection that includes prosciutto, capicola (both cured inhouse), salami (from Salumeria Il Tagliere in Caledon), sopressata and pancetta (from Pingue Prosciutto in Niagara), chunks of aged Parmesan and cheeses from Ontario and Quebec. The platter even features a generous dollop of Hockley Valley Honey, which pairs brilliantly with the Parmesan. “It’s very Italian; it’s what I grew up with,” says president and general manager John Paul Adamo. “Every European country has cured meat. We wanted to do the same thing in-house and to showcase local producers who are doing phenomenal stuff.” Adamo boasts the resort’s wild-boar prosciutto (the wild boar comes from Big Tusk near Alliston) is better than Parma prosciutto from Italy. Defi nitely the best bar snack in the hills. 왗

Platter (clockwise from top left): Salami Feliho from Salumeria Il Tagliere, Lonza di Maiale (pork loin) from Salumeria Il Tagliere, pancetta from Pingue Prosciutto, prosciutto from Pingue Prosciutto, Niagara Gold cheese, smoked salami from Salumeria Il Tagliere.

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Hockley Valley Resort

Salumeria Il Tagliere

Pingue Prosciutto

793522 3rd Line Mono RR1 Orangeville 1-866-462-5539 www.hockley.com

16880 Centreville Creek Rd Caledon 905-584-7458

6893 Oakwood Dr Niagara Falls 1-800-324-2998 www.pingueprosciutto.com

autumn winter 2011 | food in the hill s

Whether it’s veal sandwiches in Bolton, butter tarts in Erin, wings at your local pub or chocolate sundaes at the diner down the street, we want to hear about the Headwater region’s best kept food secrets. You tell us and if we agree, we’ll post them on our website at www.foodinthehills.ca.

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