Last week I had the pleasure to be invited to a wonderful dinner party at Langdon Hall. Now, if you don’t know about Langdon Hall, I will tell you that it’s truly a culinary gem in Ontario and perhaps in all of Canada. The property itself is hidden amongst the trees; you have to follow the winding path before you reach the property that resembles a Chateau—you know like the ones in the French countryside. Many things make Langdon Hall a focus of the culinary scene. First of all, their chef is Chef Jason Bangerter, the 2017 Pinnacle Award for Chef of the Year. Secondly, they source their ingredients from their own gardens and work with local farms and Ontario producers to source products like meat, eggs, and seafood. “The cuisine at Langdon Hall starts with looking out our kitchen windows. It is inspired by the seasons, wild produce growing in abundance on the property and the bounty of our kitchen gardens. Relationships have been built with local farmers, foragers and artisans who hold similar beliefs of providing wholesome natural products that have been prepared with care and respect. “ (Langdon Hall, website, Chef Jason Bangerter) Their menu and dishes change according to each season, which not only brings a sense to newness to the menu but you are always guaranteed the freshest and most real of ingredients. You'll never taste anything like the meals at Langdon Hall as their plates are inspired by history and past events, create interesting and unique combinations. Langdon Hall creates an elevated environment for their guests, from the surrounding gardens to the creativity and ingenuity of its chefs, it is truly an extraordinary dining experience. Now that you know a little more about Langdon Hall and Chef Bangerter, let me take you through the best local gastronomic experience I’ve had yet!
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I get a warm tingly feeling when I think back to the days of early morning sunrises and Saturday Farmers Markets. Strolling through the farmers market on a Saturday morning, seeing what fresh harvest the farmers have pulled for the week, is really such a treasure. A treasure that unfortunately only lasts a couple of months for us here in Canada.
Wouldn't it be so amazing to have access to all the local fruits and vegetables all year round?! Well...you actually can! They may just not be available in the same way that they would be during the spring and summer months. What am I talking about? Preserves! Not just jams and jellies but fermented and pickled vegetables! This is a great way for Ontario produce to not only live all year round but increase its nutritional value as well. During the summer season you can pick up extra vegetables (that way they are in season and a) taste better and b) are at a good price) and then pickle them yourself to last you through the winter. Another great option is to support local fermenters and producers by buying their preserves. I also rely a lot of local food co-ops and farm stores who sell local vegetables and natural products. like micro greens, milks, cheeses, and meats. After trying and talking to many different vendors, I have grown to have a few favourites and go-to's. So for you guys who are wondering what and where to shop, I've compiled a list of all the spots I shop at regularly and trust! Do you grow everything you sell yourself? You should be asking at least this one question at every vendor stall you visit during your Saturday morning run to the market. Don’t trust only on the signs that say, “grown in Ontario,” “fresh produce,” “organic,” not even if it says, “From our farm to you.” Being grown in Ontario can mean many things and it really isn't as transparent as it seems. The produce may be "from Ontario" but from WHERE is the question—you want to know WHO is growing this food and his/her methods. The produce being grown in Ontario only means that it is local but it doesn’t tell you much else, you have to do a little digging. Ontario produce can come from the Food Terminal, greenhouses, other farmers. You don't really know until you ask. If you think you are a buying produce that is 100% grown by your farmer, you may be surprised to find out that is not always the case. The Globe and Mail wrote a great article about the growing tensions at farmers markets with the rise of resellers and the unfairness this brings to real farmers. "For farmers, the main issue is that resellers don't have to carry the high costs of running a farm, such as paying for labour and maintaining crops. This means they can often afford to undercut farmers and still go home with higher profits." Richa Syal, Globe and Mail, 2017. We've become very naive and ignorant when it comes to our food. We need to stop being such trustworthy consumers when it comes to our food. How come we do so much research when it comes to getting a new phone or car? We should know more about not only food but where it comes from! Yes, even at the market. It hurts me to see so many people fall into the trap of resellers and think they are buying real fresh produce from local farmers! That is why we must ask, ask, ask! I know, if only it were that simple! That's why I am here though, to help you! I am on this journey just like you and I have to ask these questions every time I go to a new market or I am buying from a new vendor. But before I get to the questions, let's talk about the ask. Asking is hard! Why?: You feel like you are being rude or holding up the line or you simply don’t want to “intrude.” The market is crowded. There are people who are regulars and know exactly what they are buying. There are others who don’t really care to talk to vendor and just want to buy. So naturally you may feel like you are in the way. Well don’t worry about that. People can wait—everyone gets their turn and yours just may be 2 minutes longer, and it is okay! Plus, real farmers want to talk to you and they will make the time to give you the answers you need. How you can make it easier:
Why you should do this:
What happens when chefs pair up with local farmers?—I’ll tell you, culinary magic.
It should come to no surprise really as the world’s finest cuisines are created by the hand-in-hand effort of a chef and farmer. The world’s greatest restaurants are made possible not only by the creativity and passion of the chefs but the nutrient and flavour rich produce that local farmers produce. Even L’Aperge’s Alain Passard was quoted saying, “produce is the root of it all.” The taste you get from local and fresh produce is truly unique. There is so much care that goes into producing these products that it really stands out when cooked and combined with the right ingredients. This past weekend, Foodlink accomplished just that with its 14th Annual culinary showcase, Taste Local Taste Fresh 2017. It was truly an explosive event for your taste buds. Surrounded by nature and farmland, each guest had the pleasure to indulge in seventeen different culinary creations with each an adventure of its own! Away from all the hipster coffee shops, crowded outside patios, and the noise of Kitchener’s busy downtown, you will find FourAll Ice Cream’s small but charming Tasting Room.
Tucked away at the back of a parking lot at 141 Whitney Place in Kitchener, FourAll is truly a hidden gem—you would never expect that a parking lot would hold such a treasure. And a treasure unique to each individual at that!—you see FourAll has something for everyone—from vegan options to light fruity sorbets, classic flavours like Chocolate, to childhood creations like Tiger Tail; there’s something for every single member of the family. There isn't a more perfect place for any family to get some ice cream during summer. It’s that time of year again, where you start seeing market stalls being taken over by beautifully red, green, yellow, and even purple/red-ish and plump tomatoes!
Though field tomatoes are usually a sign of the end of July, it’s one of my favourite vegetables/fruits--tomayto/tomahto, right?. They are so versatile and can add so much flavour to the simplest of dishes to the most hearty ones. Why Local Tomatoes? Read my article here. I heard about this little evening market while scrolling through my Instagram feed. They were talking about tomatoes and the vast variety they had for that day’s market. So naturally I had to go.
I called my best friend and she met me at Riverdale Park in Toronto to visit the Cabbagetown Farmers’ Market on Tuesday evening. The market was so quaint and peaceful. It wasn’t very big, it had perhaps around 13-15 vendors, but you didn’t even notice because of the vast variety of products they had to offer. Don’t you feel like when a new trend comes along, there is suddenly a hundred of alike products and companies competing?
It’s only natural, that’s typically how markets grow. First there’s a niche, and if you are a few of the first, you have the first-mover advantage—though not for long because as competition increases, you’re suddenly one of many fish in the sea. That’s how I feel about Farmers’ Markets now a days. Ambrosia Pastry Co., its name, unfamiliar to most outside of the local food scene, is one of Kitchener-Waterloo’s hidden gems.
You won’t find its door open every day, instead plan to get there early on a Saturday morning before their Saturday bake sells out* *Ambrosia Pastry Co. is also open on Thursdays during the summer for their TruckEatsCoolTreats Food Truck pop up evenings where they sell their in-house, made from scratch ice creams and sorbets. Also, don’t expect to find it on one of the main streets of the KW area—located down Roger street, at the intersection of Weber St, just before you start entering downtown Kitchener, lies this magical little pastry shop. You can hardly miss its turquoise blue sign on this little stand-alone building—doesn’t look like much, but like they always say, “it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” That statement is truly fitting for Ambrosia Pastry Co., as they take “from Scratch Seriously.” It seems that there is not enough summer to enjoy all that summer has to offer. There are so many events going on every weekend, and in my completely unbiased opinion, the best event is farmers markets.
With the business of the summer, I’m going to need to split myself in two! Or three. This weekend was especially busy (and fun) because there was a farm crawl happening! You know like those pub crawls you go on and drink all day, yea except here you get to take pictures with farm animals and vegetables all day. |
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