In Summary

When I first decided to delve into the topic of eating local and organic food, I expected a fairly simple topic with little variety, though I have proved myself wrong.

Eating organic and local has many beneficial aspects, but before you can do so, you must first know how to distinguish between truly local and organic from the fake.  USDA symbols assist consumers in making organic choices.  This symbol can appear on products such as beer and wine, and food.  Although local packaging symbols can be misleading, shopping at farmers markets and farms will help to distinguish the locally harvested foods.

Organic and local foods can also be very inexpensive.  And the most inexpensive source would be food grown in your own house.  Through the winter, spices, herbs and grass are the only products you may be capable of growing indoors over the season, but once spring comes your background is an excellent local and organic plot for produce.

Organic and local foods can also be very inexpensive if packaged on your own.  Hot and cold pack methods, as well as drying and freeze drying foods helps to extend your local and organic harvests into the winter season with zero pesticides and additives.  You are also capable of monitoring the amounts of salt and sugar put into the canned foods.

Pesticides and additives are also a large issue in inorganic and non-local foods.  Many chemicals have been banned in Canada, though there is still more lenience towards the use than in other countries such as Sweden. By purchasing organic foods you are supporting farmers that have passed the regulations instituted by USDA and therefore are avoiding any chemical pesticide use at all.

Eating local and organic is becoming easier because of growing popularity and awareness.  Movies such as Food Inc and news coverages by broadcast stations, such as CBC, are raising awareness.  And town restaurants are increasing the use of organic and local food into their menus to make such foods more available.

In conclusion, with all the options and resources for eating local and organic foods, it is hard not to start.  I myself have begun an herb garden in my room with wheat grass, thyme, parsley and chives. When shopping for groceries I make a conscious effort to choose USDA products and locally grown produce to support our farmers.  Although eating local and organic has its limits at times, I believe that the benefits ultimately out weigh the cons.

Local Eating in the Media

Eating local food is becoming a more common method of shopping.  Companies are catching on to these popular trends and taking advantage of their appeal.  Unfortunately,  there appears to be minimal criteria to allow companies to put “Made in Canada” labels on their food.  CBC’s Market Place covers in one episode the suggested misconceptions about food supposedly made in Canada : http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/product_of_canada_eh/

This video speaks about how fish supposedly produced in Canada is actually processed in other countries and sent back to Canada for packaging. They also cover supermarkets such as President’s Choice, and their companies’ policies about sourcing locally.  Ultimately, the video allows the consumer to make more conscious choices about product choices.

A second video to watch for is “Food Inc”, directed by Robert Kenner, that explores the processes and policies in the food industry.  The film features famous local food advocates like Michael Pollan (The Omnivores Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation).  Food Inc interivews farmers on both ends of the extremes, speaking to chicken farmers forced to use chemicals in their farming that have caused severe allergies to antibiotics, and then to farmers practicing traditional techniques, harvesting from free-range chickens and prepping their product manually.  The film does contain a lot of bothersome images, but the message is ultimately effective.  Visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php for more information.

Preserving for the Winter, Drying and Vacuum Seal

Hello All, before I get started on this weeks blog I have a quick update!  Two weeks ago I planted my own Thyme, Parsley, Chives and Pumpkin seeds in pots.  And they’ve sprouted wonderfully!  Luckily my room gets excellent light, so the pumpkin seeds I’ve planted have already started to grow leaves, and the herbs will be ready for picking in about a month.  I’m hoping to transfer the pumpkin plants outside in the spring so I can try out my very own early home made pumpkin pie.  I’m also really looking forward to using the Chives for baked potatoes this winter. Now onto drying, freeze-drying and vacuum sealing.

Freeze-Drying

Drying and freeze drying are excellent methods for preserving spices, herbs, and raw fruits and vegetables.  If you aren’t interested in packaging your fruits and vegetables in cans with liquid, freeze drying is also a great method to extend the life of your produce.  Although, you must be careful to avoid freezer burn, as it ruins the foods’ quality.  To get started:

You will need:  Freezer Bags (Ziploc, No Name brand, which ever you prefer) A pot of boiling water (for vegetable freezing),  bowl with ice and water, cookie sheet and the fruit or vegetable of your choice.

 

Boiling To Blanch

 

 

Freezing fruit is the easiest, because you don’t have to blanch the pieces.  I recommend freezing berries because fruits such as apples and oranges with most likely spoil with freezing.  All you need to do is spread the berries out on the cookie sheet and pop in the freezer.  In a couple of hours, remove the berries from the cookie sheet and seal in freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as possible.  Pre-freezing on the cookie sheet avoids freezing the berries in one large chunk. Another good fruit to freeze is bananas that are very ripe.  By freezing them you can save until you have time to cook banana bread.  Bananas will go to mush after you’ve thawed them, but that’s an ideal consistency for banana bread, but not necessarily for eating raw.

As for vegetables, you will need to blanch them to denature the enzymes that cause rotting.  Blanching in a simple process that starts by boiling a large amount of water in a pot.  Once the water has reached this temperature, drop in the vegetable.  If you’re blanching broccoli, you’ll want to chop up the head into bite size pieces, but snow peas are already small enough. Allow the vegetables to boil in the water for a short period of time, or until slightly soft. For snow peas, this could be about 1 minutes.  Once cooked to the desired amount, immediately drop the strained vegetables in the ice bath to stop the vegetables from cooking.  Once the temperature of the produce is cool, pat the veggies dry and spread on the cookie sheet to freeze.  Once frozen, pour into freezer bag to preserve.

Drying

 

Hanging Herbs

You’ll need to purchase paper bags and string.

 

Drying is best for herbs and spices to allow usage for future recipes.  There are multiple methods and equipment to help in the process, but I’m going cover the least expensive technique.  Harvest your herbs from the plant, choosing the hearty stalks.  Make sure to pick off dead leaves and any critters that may be hanging out in the plant.  Make sure the herbs are not wet, because they will rot when you try to dry them.  Bundle together the bunches and tie together tightly.  As they’re drying the bundle with shrink, so you need to tighten the string.  Take your paper bags and cut holes throughout to allow air flow.  Place the bundle of herbs upside down in the bag and tie the top closed. Lastly, hang the bag upside down in a warm, airy room.  In approximately two weeks check your herbs, though it may take more weeks to dry completely. Although this is an inexpensive method, it is time consuming, so if you’re looking for time efficient methods, try drying in a low heat oven.  You will compromise flavour, but have dried herbs within hours.

Vacuum Sealing

This is the most expensive procedure, but is a safe option for preserving meat, poultry and fish.  You will have to purchase a vacuum sealer at your local hardware store and follow the methods stated.  Once frozen, pop into the freezer to lengthen life.

Vacuum Sealer

 

 

Preserving for Winter

It’s getting close to that chilly chilly time of year, and most of our fresh produce has diminished.  Pumpkins and garlic are the last to go, and that isn’t giving us high hopes for eating fresh this winter.  I really great way to keep up with your organic-local diet this winter is by preserving your savings from the recent harvest.  If you can eat it, then you can probably preserve it through canning, freeze drying, drying or the more expensive method of vacuum sealing. Over the next few blogs I am going to cover in detail the methods by which to can, dry, freeze dry, or vacuum seal your food.

Canning

Canning is most popularly used for the creation of jams, tomato sauces, soups, etc.  Purchasing canned products from your local super-market means greatly increasing your sodium intake.  By canning your own fruits and vegetables, you can control the amount of substances and preservatives contained in your food. Also, you can easily continue eating local or organic fruits and vegetables into the winter. Here’s how to start:

First and foremost, it’s important to dis-infect all your equipment before beginning the canning process.  Any little microbes that make their way into your mix can easily infect that cans and become very unsafe.

To get started, you’ll need to purchase canning jars with snap lids and glasscontainers.  These can be purchased at local Canadian Tires, grocery and most other food-related stores.  You can sterilize the whole can by boiling the parts in water for 15 minutes.

Choose a recipe to follow (I’ll include some links below) in order to specify the technique used.

There are two main techniques, the HOT PACK method, for instance, would involve cooking your own apple sauce and adding it the the jar for sealing.  The COLD PACK method involves adding fruits or vegetables uncooked to the jar then pouring a boiled liquid of your preference to the jar.  The amount of space you leave between the top of the jar and the top of the liquid is also dependent on the recipe.  If you don’t leave enough room then you risk the top popping off, though if you leave too much room, there’s an increased risk for contamination with microbes in the air.  It’s a tricky technique that will take some time to master.

Once you have added the mix to your jar seal with the lid, but not so tight that no air will be able to release from the jar.  The boiling water method is the most inexpensive technique.  You must purchase a large pot and fill it half way with water.  Let this boil, then carefully drop in your cans.  Add more water to cover the canned items and bring the water to a boil again.  Once the water is boiling, start your timer for the specified amount of time.  Recipes can take from 5-90 minutes of boiling in the pot in order to seal properly and ensure it’s free of microbes.

Once the water has boiled for the alloted period of time, you can take them out with tongs (they’re hot!) and set them on an appropriate counter away from direct sunlight.  They’ll take a while to cool so leave them out for enough time.  If after time you will hear a pop, then that means the lid is properly sealed, so congratulations!  But if the seal does close, you’ll have to put the food away in the fridge and use it before it spoils.

A couple of simple recipes for canning foods and visual steps of canning are listed below:

Apple Sauce- http://canning.falbepublishing.com/applesauce_canning_recipe.html (in this recipe they mention a “bath canner” which is equivalent to a large pot of boiling water.

Tomato Sauce- http://www.bigoven.com/149664-Canning-Tomato-Sauce-recipe.html (this recipe is a simple delicious tomato sauce that’s easy for days when dinner is simple)

 

Let’s Talk Pesticides

To allow a company to use the “certified organic” labeling they are required to follow strict rules.  Production of organic foods do not allow the use of ANY; synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetic modification, ionizing radiation, or growth hormones for animals used for the production of food.  A broad overview of the types of pesticides used on your non-organic foods include: herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.  These control the growth of weeds and other unwanted plants, the invasion of insects, and the growth of moulds and fungus, respectively.  Although these may be beneficial in the efficient production of our food, residues are still left over on the fresh food we consume everyday, non-organic that is. That means your body is carrying pesticide residues right now!

Pesticides have been proven to have many links to the increased risk of cancer development, developmental effects (such as autism), reproductive damages, organ damages, and hormone disturbances within your body.  Although some countries such as Sweden and Denmark are working to diminish pesticide use, Canada is falling behind in such regulations.  Sweden and Denmark have put policies into place that are attempting to completely eliminate pesticides, or severely reduce the use.  Canada has taken to lowering the amount of pesticide used, though, only to the highest level that begins to show adverse effects on our health.

Foodnews.org provides statistics on the produce we find in our every day grocery stores that contains high amounts of contaminants.  As for fruits; nectarines, peaches, apples and strawberries were found to have the highest percentage of pesticides or the most variations. Vegetables also contain high levels of contaminants, specifically celery, bell peppers, carrots, lettuce, and kale.  And most importantly, the research consisted of samples that had been washed, rinsed or peeled and then tested for pesticides.

If you wish to decrease your intake of fruits and vegetables coated with pesticides, an easier alternative if Organic eating.  Since regulations have stated that certified organic foods are not allowed to use any synthetic pesticides ( meaning non-natural, chemically created) they’re a true safer bet that you’re going to lessen the level of contamination.  Good sites to visit for extra information on pesticides in our foods are as follows:

http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/health/food/

http://www.organiccouncil.ca/standards.sz

An Organic Night Out

Local Breweries and Wineries

So here’s the predicament.  So far, you’re following your organic and local diet almost to the T, but now that the midterm rush is almost over, it’s time to celebrate!  Whether it be at a bar, club, restaurant or in house dinner, drinks are usually involved.  But do not fret!  You can still keep up with the organic diet,  or support your local breweries and wineries.

Guelph’s microbial science society has helped to sustain the many local breweries.  The well-known Sleeman brewery offers 12 varieties of beer, including cream ales, darks, and lights with recipes from generations ago.  Brewery tours are also held upon reservation:

http://www.sleeman.com/en/index.html

Sleeman Brews

Wellington Breweries is also located in Guelph, and also provides weekly tours.  Wellington breweries source Canadian grown ingredients. A plethora of varieties can be found in local bars, pubs, and restaurants within Guelph.

http://www.wellingtonbrewery.ca/

Cox Creek Cellars provides a large variety of reds, whites, and dry to sweet wines.  Interesting ingredients like apple, black currant, cranberry, and peach add to the unique local flavourings.  CoxCreek also caters for dinner, and lunch parties, and can be found on #7687 Wellington Rd.22 between Fergus and Guelph.

http://www.coxcreekcellars.on.ca/

Organic Breweries and Wineries

Although these organizations are not within minutes of the Guelph area, they are still located in Ontario at a reasonable drive.  The wineries and breweries listed below have certified organic products:

Toronto’s Mill Street Brewery produces a variety of beers, though not all organic, a special line called “Original Organic Lager” is made with 100% certified organic ingredients, and pesticide, herbicide free process.   The location is 55 Mill Street, Building 63, Toronto, ON.  Since 2002 Mill street has been producing this light and crisp variety.

http://www.millstreetbrewery.com/#/ourbeers/draft-beer/original-organic/

Niagara on the Lake is well known for it’s field of grapes, and many wineries.  Although none but Frog Pond Farm has converted to the organic methods.  Located at 1385 Larkin Road, Frog Pond produces one hundred percentage organic wines,  and their efforts extend into the production as well.  Environmentally friendly water supplies and electrical sources have been put in place by the Bull Frog Powered company.  Frog Pond attempts to have the lowest impact existence while producing delicious authentic wines.

http://www.frogpondfarm.ca/main.html

Bull Frog Powered Environmentally Friendly Services

This week’s featured farm provides hundred’s of varieties of spices and herbs, as wells as organic edible flowers.  They also provide cooking guides to help you prepare delicious and esthetically pleasing dishes.

http://www.growtasty.com/

Grow your own meal

A couple weeks back I was wandering through the UC during “club day”.  I came across a

Wheat grass

“sustainable living” booth that was handing out free seed packages.  I grabbed two out of curiosity, also with the intention of  adding a little colour to my room at home.  The instructions said to soak the wheat grass seeds in water for 3-8 hours and soak the peat moss pellet for 3-5 minutes.  Afterwards I dug a little hole in each of the peat moss pellets and dropped in the soaked seeds.  They sat in my window for a day or two, and I’ve never seen anything grow so fast!  Within hours  the seedlings were starting to sprout a beautiful earthy green.  Weeks later I still have my  indestructible wheat grass pots sitting in my window, and every once in a while I remember to water it.  This easy little project was an excellent and relaxing procrastination for me, and I also get to harvest the nutritional benefits of the grass.  And best of all, it was literally zero cost! Wheat grass provides fibre, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin K, riboflavin,  and vitamin A (beta carotene), all of which are essential in your daily intake.  I encourage taking the time to scope out some wheat grass seeds and try growing them for yourself.

In the upcoming winter season, fresh fruits and vegetables become very hard to find, especially local produce.  Preserving foods are a good way to store the extra fresh fruits you’ve stocked up.  Though if you’re looking for fresh additions to your meal,  herbs and other plant sources can still be grown.  Like the previous wheat grass example, herbs are just as easy to grow within your home.  Lastly, the knowledge of how and where and with what the herbs were grown can be very comforting.  You’ll be confident that the food you’ve grown is pesticide-free, organic, and local.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Purchase pots and drip plates for the number of plants you want to grow.
2. Purchase soil and perlite ( a product that allows more flow within the soil so the plant doesn’t drown!) at your local Canadian Tire or Garden Gallery.  A large bag of perlite costs about $5.
3. Purchase seeds from your local Garden Gallery (or anywhere you might come past them).  Some ideas for herbs:  spearmint, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, chives, anise (like black licorice), marjoram, dill, and the list goes on!
   

   Rosemary

4. Make sure your soil is moist, and mix in portions of perlite.  For each pot plant the seeds about a ¼ inch deep in the soil, and reasonably spaced so you don’t clump in the middle.
5. Cover seeds and water lightly.
6. Keep your pots in as much sunlight as you can, and water lightly when the soil becomes dry.
7. Keep a watch on them and within a couple weeks your tasty herbs will start to grow!
8. When they’re growing a little too much, or flowering, trim down slightly and pinch off the flowers.  Although the flowers are esthetically pleasing they take the nutrients away from the rest of the plant, so the flavor may not be as robust.

Here’s a link that provides helpful tips and videos on how to grow your own garden inside!  http://www.gardenguides.com/herbs/

Downtown Local and Organic!

This week I’m going to feature some local restaurants and caterer’s that provide local, organic, or both.

Ouderkirk and Taylor

Ouderkirk and Taylor

Located near the corner of Wydham St and Carden St., Ouderkirk and Taylor provides you with daily fresh baked breads made from white flour, sour dough or red fife. Red fife is a grain first grown in Peterborough, ON, and has a deep red colour and rich flavour that’s a wonderful staple for any bread.  Local farmers have taken to growing this variety, and distributes to Ouderkirk on request.   Handmade soups, salads, cookies, sweets, biscotti, and crostinis are also prepared daily.  Fair trade coffee beans processed in Toronto, are also available.  Though, most of all, Ouderkirk is prized for its selection of artisan cheeses.  Many are sourced from Quecbec and Ontario, with some cheeses from BC and European countries.  Pasteurized and unpasteurized sheep’s, goat’s and cow’s milk cheese are for sale.  Blues, stiltons, bries, cheddars, and many others are featured with varying prices.

The store also sells gift baskets, and catering services.  Cheese platers with fruit and crostinis are prepared and decorated for delivery, along with descriptions of the cheese origins and characteristics.

The Cornerstone

The Cornerstone is located on the corner of wyndham and carden st.  It provides a warm atmosphere, tasty vegan, vegetarian dishes and treats.  Cornerstone’s foods are partially sourced from Ouderkirk and Taylor, and also feature local beers (such as Wellington) on tap as well as partially local meals. Enchiladas, burgers, stews and curries prove that Cornerstone’s selection is vast and exciting.  It’s a great place to study with a coffee, catch up with friends or have a family dinner.

Garden Fresh Box

The community of Guelph provides a wonderful seasonal fruit box filled with local fruits and vegetables. You are able to purchase a large box for $15, $10 for a small box and $5 for a bag.  You order your box on the first Friday of the month, at the location of your choice, and pick up the fruit 12 days from the order date, which falls on a Wednesday.  This non-profit organization can save you so much money on fresh produce and also support your local farmers. Zucchini potatoes, garlic, apples, asparagus, and broccoli are among the many options available to purchase.  To find a location close to you, visit  http://www.guelphchc.ca/page.cfm?id=814 and follow this link for more information on the garden fresh box.

Seasonal Recipes

Thanksgiving has just passed, and all the delicious pumpkin pie, sliced beets, sweet turnips and potatoes have sure filled me up!  But just because the celebrations have passed does not mean you cannot take advantage of the variety of gourds, and root vegetables for dinner tonight.  Root vegetables are primarily starchy, but also contain a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals required by our bodies.  A personal favourite of mine are sweet potatoes.  They’re wonderfully high in vitamin A, with 100grams contributing to approximately 80% of your daily requirement!  Sweet potatoes are high in starch, and provide a reasonable amount of fibre to your diet.  With all these nutritional qualities, they are also very easy to find at your local farmers market, extremely low in cost, and keep for months. Here’s a recipe I love, a tasty twist on your regular quesadilla:

Sweet Potato Quesadillas!

2 medium sweet potatoes

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove crush garlic

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

1 tsp cumin

chile powder to taste

olive oil for sauté

Pierce sweet potato multiple times with a fork.  Pop into microwave on high for about 10-20 minutes, or until soft all the way through. Once the potato is cooked through, mashed until consistently smooth. In a large frying pan sauté garlic and onion with oil.  Add the spices and mashed sweet potato on low heat and mix.  You can add water or milk to achieve a smooth creamy consistency.

4 flour tortillas ( Spinach or tomato-flavoured tortillas add a lot of colour and that little extra flavour to your Quesadillas)

4 oz. Brie or other medium soft cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Oil a large baking sheet, spread tortillas on it to lightly oil one side, then spread filling on half of each. Top with slices of Brie, then fold tortillas to close (oiled side out). Bake until browned and crisp (about 15 min.), cut into wedges for serving. You can use sour cream for dipping.

Butternut and acorn squash are both delicious gourds this season.  Different varieties of squash include; acorn, butternut, zucchini (who knew!).  Gourds are a great source of vitamin A, potassium, are low in fat and high in fibre.  Though an interesting twist on these seasonal varieties is spaghetti squash.  It sounds exactly as it looks, long and stringy and just like spaghetti. Spaghetti squash is low in calories, so it makes a great substitute for pasta when you’re looking to decrease your daily energy intake.   Although spaghetti squash isn’t as easy to find as acorn and butternut, it’s worth searching!  Here’s an easy way to cook spaghetti squash as a side dish for dinner:

Oven-Roasted Spaghetti Squash:

One Butternut Squash

Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle

Herbs of your choice to sprinkle

Butter to taste

I Clove of crushed Garlic

Halve and seed squash. Bake, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet in 400°F (200°C) oven until easily pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Once you’ve scooped out the spaghetti innards, you can toss with butter, Parmesan, garlic and herbs as a pasta-like side dish with your evening meal.

Another main advantage of shopping for seasonal fruits and vegetables are that they’re cheapest because they aren’t being sourced from other countries.  It’s also providing local farmers with income, and providing you with more variety to your diet to ensure that you’re consuming all the nutrition you need.  This week’s feature farm is the Guelph Farmers Market.  For those of you living in Guelph, it’s the most accessible source of local foods in downtown Guelph!  It is located just before the train bridge on Gordon St.  Guelph’s market holds loads of local farmers, and distributes: honey, cheese, meat, bread, fruits, vegetables, fresh baked goods, freshly squeezed juice, and local art as well!  And while you’re there make sure you look for varieties on your favourite vegetables.  Like purple potatoes, red carrots and zucchini flowers.  Some of the farmers do carry foods not from Guelph, or even Canada for that matter, such as lemons.  So if you are looking for purely local foods, make sure to ask about sourcing.

Guide to eating local and organic

So What is Organic and Local?

You may have noticed while shopping in your local grocery store that a lot of labels will have some statement regarding the products organic in nature.  There is common misunderstanding with what certified organic truly is.  With the growing popularity of eating organic, many companies have placed the words organic on their products fooling customers into thinking that the foods are certified.  So it’s important to know the difference!

So what makes a food official?

The Organic Council of Ontario(1) states that organic farmers are not allowed to have synthetic pesticides,fertilizers, ionizing radiation, sewage sludge, genetic modification, and no growth hormones for any animals or their by-products.  Basically producing as natural foods as you can!  Also, a farmer must have these standards in place for 3 consecutive years before being able to sell their product as being “certified organic”.

And how can you tell if the product is certified?

Regulations have been put in place, and any food that is certified by the federal government as being organic will be labeled. The following link describes the different organic food labels, and what to look for when shopping through your local food store: http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/07-20/food-labels-article.htm.

Where do I find local foods?

Luckily Guelph is thriving for local farmers, and even many towns surrounding can provide a plethora of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and grain products.  Not only does it support our economy, but it tastes fresh and wholesome.

This link provides an excellent search directory to find local farmers who produce a variety of different products and it narrows you’re your search http://www.organiccouncil.ca/dirsearch.sz

And on my own personal adventures I’ve discovered  Myer’s apple farm, a farm located in Copetown.  They have a variety of apples, ranging from Honeycrisp to Granny smith!  They also produce tons of decorative and edible gourds, flowers, beets, onions, parsnips, turnips, carrots, and a lot more.

Myers Apple Farm- Honey Crisp Variety

Myers Apple Farm

Myers Store

Myers, field of pumpkins

Flowers and Decortaive Gourds