Spring farm food tour in Wellington County

I live and work in 2 most dense places in Toronto and basically go from underground high rise buildings to large tower offices.  I don't see much green and nature these days so I jumped at the chance to go on one of Farm & Food Care's Farm Tour's organized by the lovely Jennifer from Foodworkx.  I have been on a similar bus tour once before but because I have been busy working I have missed a couple of them so this time I was determined to go.  I love these farm tours because you get to see a whole other side of life and get to meet the people making your food face to face and have the opportunity to ask them questions and find out things you never knew about the food you are eating.  Besides this it's just a really awesome day with fellow food industry people and eating great food too.  I have been very lucky because the last time and this time the weather was spectacular and I heard I missed the 2 rainy and cold days.  For once my timing was excellent.  I think more people should learn what it takes to make their food because the would appreciate it and the people who make it so much more.  The farming and agriculture industry is very hard,  it's weather sensitive and it's a LOT of hard work.  Farmer's markets where the vendor is actually the producer are great because you have a chance to thank those people for their efforts and connect to the people that you can't live without.

 

We started our tour at Elgersmas' Family Farm where the lovely young couple Andrew and Lindsay Elgersma gave us a tour of their egg production facility which is also where they live.  They have 3 children and 10,000 hens on their family farm in the Elora area.  They also have other day jobs.  And you thought you were busy! Their farm is a family business that has been in Andrew's family since the 1850's but Andrew and Lindsay are taking it into the future with some modern information on how to best produce healthy hens and eggs.  All of their eggs are Omega 3 eggs which means they are fed flax seeds.  Their facility uses what is called an enriched housing system.  It houses smaller more natural sized space with nest boxes, scratch pads and perches. They have a raised cage system so that their waste drops away under them preventing disease from contact. 

Fact 1: Did you know that a hen only lays one egg a day?

Their hens produce 330 a year and in previous years it was only 175.
The eggs go from the conveyor to your store within 4-5 days.  That includes packaging at Burnbrae Farms who distribute it for them.

Fact 2:  Eggs are harder to peel when they are fresh so use your old eggs first if you are going to hard boil them.

Fact 3.  If eggs aren't washed they can be stored at room temperature because they have a protective coating.  If they are washed which is normally how they are sold in supermarkets then they need to be stored in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.

Fact 4.  The color of the egg depends on the color of the hen.   Hens that lay eggs are not the chickens you buy in the grocery store. 

Fact 5.  In Canada their are 1000 egg farmers.

  

After our tour of the Elgersmas' Farm we headed over to the Wellington Museum & Archives in Fergus enjoy a fantastic lunch using of course the Eggs and beans that are featured on this tour.  

We started off with a fantastic Scotch Egg and amazing bread with 6 bean hummus. There was a buffet featuring Black bean chili, Quinta quinoa salad and a Goat cheese Frittata and salad with local strawberries.

The dessert was a decadent brownie made with beans.  Thanks to Chef Derek Roberts and Jackie Fraser of Fraberts Fresh Foods for the great lunch. The Museum grounds have a gorgeous garden.  While enjoying our dessert we listened to Lynn Weaver from SaskCanola talk about the Canola produced in Saskatchewan and how important it is in export to other countries.

After lunch we jumped back on the bus and our last stop was at the University of Guelph's Elora Research Station.   Dr. Peter Pauls gave us an information session about different beans and legumes and the their studies to produce different varieties of beans that will meet the demands of consummers.

Did you know that there is a Bean Research Program at the world renowned Elora Research Station?

Fact 6.  Canada exports 80-90% of our Bean/Legume crops.

One of the most fun parts of the day was seeing all the food writers, recipe developers and industry people all hop on board for a good ol' wagon ride through the Wheat and Pea fields.  Did I mention that the weather was perfect and we all enjoyed a bit of the warm sun and a fun ride too.

Fact 7.  97% of Canada's farms are family owned.

Fact 8.  According to Statistics Canada there were 193,492 farms in 2016.  That's 5.9% fewer than in 2011.

Fact 9.  The average Canadian farm is around 820 acres which has increased from previous years.

Fact 10.  The average age of a Canadian Farmer is 55 and 28.7 % of Canadian farmers are female.

I always learn many things when I have the opportunity to tours like this and it's why I always like to promote local and Canadian producers because besides producing food for us and other parts of the world they are also part of our local communities and they make a difference in everyone's life.

You can get a 360º view of the different types of hen housing on www. FarmFood360.ca

For more information:   www.FarmFoodCare.org  &  www.RealDirtonFarming.ca

St. Patrick's Day Green Eggs

I got a little creative with my breakfast this morning this St. Patrick's Day.

I was feeling Green today so I decided to make some Green eggs and ham my way.


It started with what was in my fridge. I had some leftover egg whites that I wanted to use so I decided to make scrambled eggs and then thought maybe I can make them green too.  So here's what I did so you can make it too.

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 cup of fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp oil
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
1 green onion
Prosciutto

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender add the cup of spinach the garlic clove, salt, pepper and the olive oil. Add half of the green onion and reserve the other half for garnish.  Blend until it breaks down into a liquid.  You can add water or oil if it doesn't blend.  Add the egg and blend to combine.

In a frying pan on medium heat add a tsp of oil coat the pan and add prosciutto and cook until crisp.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Before adding the eggs put your bread into the toaster so that it's ready when the eggs are ready.

Pour the spinach and egg mixture into the frying pan using residual oil and stir with a spatula and cook until curds form it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.

You can get fancy with your plating but I just went basic to show you what I did.

Sprinkle the rest of the green onions on top of the eggs for garnish.

Since it's breakfast I made some Green Tea to go with it.  But if breakfast starts at noon for you feel free to have some Green Beer if you like.  This Breakfast can be eaten at any time of the day.

A&W goes back for the FUTURE

 

A&W has given their menu an overhaul after receiving a lot of customer response about what's in their food and requesting better environmentally friendly food products.

A&W is the first and only fast food restaurant to give Canadians what they really want: 

 Almost three-quarters (73%) of Canadians prefer to consume beef raised without the use of hormones or steroids 

 A full 75% of Canadians prefer to consume chicken raised without the use of antibiotics 

A&W are the first fast food chain to bring their food back to the way it was first made at the inception of fast food.  It's real food made without antibiotics and produced with ethical practices the way food was made over 30 years ago.  

At the beginning of the fast food generation there was a hamburger patty that was put into a hamburger bun and topped with real lettuce and tomatoes and condiments.   The french fries were cut fresh on site and fried from a raw state and all of the vegetables were free from pesticides and other things that didn't belong in them.   Fast forward to the industrial generation where food is produced in a lab warehouse and shipped thousands of miles to sit in freezers and on shelves for months on end.

In September 2013 they introduced beef raised without the use of hormones or steroids and this September they introduced eggs from chickens fed only a vegetarian diet without animal by-products and this October they are introducing chicken that is raised without the use of antibiotics.

They are rolling this old is new style of better food in all of their 819 Canadian locations.

It doesn't sound that groundbreaking does it?  But it really is in our bottom line the faster, cheaper the better generation where profits and efficiency came before taste and the health of the consumers and the planet.  

As one of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Ambassadors I know that Jamie fought hard to get "Pink Slime" taken out of the processed beef that was made in America.  In Canada our Beef processors do not use "pink slime" a by product washed in ammonia product used to kill bacteria and stretch the meat products.   But because of Jamie's efforts people started asking restaurants and food processors what's in their food.   A&W listened to their consumers and have gone out of their way to bring the most ethically treated food that they can get.  It's a win win for consumers and the planet.

Some of the big changes include:

BURGERS

100% pure beef, raised without the use of hormones or steroids, with no additives, preservatives or fillers. 

CHICKEN

Chubby Chicken®” burgers, wraps, strips and dinners.  All feature chicken raised without the use of antibiotics. Plus, A&W chicken strips and sandwiches feature 100% real seasoned white chicken breast. 

A&W chicken comes from Canadian farms where the chickens are raised using the best farming practices in large barns where they are free to roam with constant access to fresh water, feed and fresh air. 

EGGS

Canadian Grade A eggs, gathered from hens who are fed a fully vegetarian diet without animal by-products 

ONION RINGS

Classic onion rings are made in A&W restaurants daily with fresh onions from Gills Onions – one of A&W’s key produce suppliers. Gills is the first operation in the world to produce ultra-clean, renewable electricity from onion waste left behind from the fresh-cut process. 

SWEET POTATO FRIES  

The delicious A&W sweet potato fries are orange, but they are also green. A&W suppliers preserve and protect natural resources by controlling energy and water usage and by reducing waste and pollution. Their sweet potato processing facility is the first frozen food manufacturing plant worldwide to earn LEED Platinum certification, the highest distinction available to green buildings. 

TOMATOES

A&W works with farmers who use greenhouses to grow tomatoes. They can grow 25 times more tomatoes than on traditional farm fields – all while conserving land, heat and water and allowing the tomatoes to ripen on the vine longer. This process provides efficiency and sustainability 

NEW PACKAGING

A&W has also changed to more environmentally friendly packaging including compostable paper bags for burgers and steel trays and serving baskets for fries and onion rings in restaurants. And they have brought back the famous A&W frosty mugs which is a more responsible way of packaging it's products. 

What does all of this mean for you the consumer of the food?  Well I can tell you it tastes a whole lot better than the chemical laden fast food people have become used to.  I tried their Chicken Fingers, Teen Burger and the Onion Rings.

The Chicken Fingers were real white meat that was juicy and not greasy or over salted like many fast food chains serve.  I would go back for these anytime I am craving a quick chicken fix.  I also like the crunchy Onion Rings that had a light breadcrumb coating on them.  I tried the Teen Burger and liked that the vegetables were freshly cut and the burger was very tasty.  

Then there are those frosty A&W mugs that they serve their Root Beer in.  Wouldn't you prefer to drink your soft drinks from an Ice Cold Frosty mug than a paper cup?  Yup, I thought so.   While I am not a big soda pop drinker I appreciated that they brought these back to their stores.  It keeps the drinks colder longer and just think of all the cups they keep out of the landfills.   I have visited a landfill where I saw a whole lot of Tim Horton cups.  

While there aren't as many A&W locations as there are other fast food chains I hope that the changes they have made will sway the rest of the industry to change their practices as well.  

They are moving in the direction of local and more sustainability which is a good thing.

The key to changing the planet is for A&W's changes to become successful and for other restaurants to follow suit.

One burger at a time.

Disclaimer:  The tasting of the items I sampled and the key information was provided by A&W but the opinions of the taste and quality of the food are my sincere opinions.

Father's Day Favourite Foods

Today is Father's Day

My dad passed away when I was 22 and he was 65.  He had many different health issues his last few years but he ultimately passed because of Cancer.  Although I mostly learned how to cook from my mom, my dad loved to make his favourite breakfasts on the weekends.  My mother wasn't a big breakfast person.  She would be happy with a piece of cheese slapped on a piece of bread.  My dad on the other hand was a big bacon and eggs lover.

This morning I made some fried eggs and had some leftover bacon.  I wasn't even thinking about Father's Day but I guess it was appropriate.




I thought it might be interesting to show some of my dad's favourite dishes in honour of father's day today.  He also loved to make scrambled eggs with cheddar and pressed cottage cheese.
















My Dad was born in Greece but left when he was 10 years old but his one sister that also lived here would sometimes make certain foods from their childhood.
One of my dad's favourites was Spanakopita.  My aunt would make her own dough which I never learned how to make so my version was a bit different because I used puff pasty which was easier and I like to mix a bunch of different cheeses like feta, parmesan and mozzarella for melty creamy flavour.   My dad didn't make this but he loved it when I made it for him and me.  

My dad also loved Corned Beef.  But he used to by the Shopsy's sealed in plastic packs corned beef that you would stick into boiling water.  Not like this Caplansky's Ultimate Classic Corned Beef Sandwich.  He would have liked this.  He didn't live long enough to see Food Trucks.

Another thing my dad used to buy was beef pies.  My dad did all the grocery shopping.  That's how I learned how to shop.  There were a few things that only him and I liked.  Meat pies and cabbage rolls.  My mom wouldn't touch them.   Recently a new savoury pie shop called Kanga, pies that are native to Australia.  They started off at small Toronto Underground Markets and recently opened a tiny pie shop on Duncan Street.  I tried the Kiwi Classic and the Chicken Pot Pie last week.   My dad used to work downtown and I bet if this place was around then he would have been a regular.

And of course the reason I am a chocoholic is because of my Dad who used to buy chocolate and then hide it.   Not too well I might add.   He only had a few hiding places that we knew.  We had a huge buffet and he would hide it under things in the drawers.  Maybe he thought out of sight out of mind and we wouldn't eat it.  That didn't work because my brother was a bloodhound for chocolate and could find it anywhere.   I don't have to hide chocolate now but I have to admit that if it's in front of me I am more inclined to eat it.  I wasn't one of those kids that would sneak cigarettes or alcohol.  I just wanted chocolate and still do.   Some things never change I guess.    I still like all of these foods but I know most aren't so good for me.  My dad didn't know back then how unhealthy they were, he just knew that he liked them.   I know but I can't resist them either.  Must be in my DNA.    Food has certainly changed in Toronto since my dad was alive.  I wonder what he would think about the whole Food Truck phenomenon.   I bet he would like most of the foods on the new food trucks.   My dad only had the opportunity to get hotdogs and when I was a kid he also loved to pick up hot chestnuts in the winter.  Something you don't see anymore that i wish someone would bring back.

Food Trends come and go but there are always classic foods that never go out of style.  My dad liked most of these classic foods but I bet he would have loved to try some of the new ones too.  He loved to explore new things in the grocery store and I do the same thing too.  

These are my memories of my dad's favourite foods.   What are your dad's favourites?

Do you think of your dad every time you have them?

No egg wasted

One of my New Years Resolutions is to try and use up all the food I buy and waste a lot less.

In an effort to try and do this I am trying to find creative ways to use up the food that can be leftover from other recipes.   Case in point: Eggs Benedict,   I had a craving for a breakfast Benny and was then left with egg whites.   I didn't want to waste them so I made meringues.   I made a lot more than I planned on and now want to find another recipe to turn them into like a Fool maybe.

I needed more egg whites to be able to whip it in the mixer so I separated more eggs and then was left with more egg yolks. And then had to figure out what to do with those so I made Aioli.

Well I ended up using the rest of the carton of eggs to do all this stuff and then was left with a blender, a mixer , pot, pan , cookie sheet and plate to wash up.

So the motto of this story is either go out for brunch if you are only one or plan your cooking a whole lot better than I did.  Or you can invite all your friends over for brunch and have them help.   I wish I had done the last one.

Here are the pictures of the spoils of my labour.