Both goats and oats are back this week, I think. That delicious goat chevre from River's Edge Dairy in plain (so good with Ken's hungarian hot pepper jelly or Laura's apricot and pepper jelly), dill (with Winston's smoked salmon or trout) and my personal favourite with garlic flowers. The goat yogurt rejoins its cow (Saugeen Country) and sheep (Wooldrift Farms) cousins. And I was very excited this week to bring in goat milk specially for wee Neve. More babies would like goat milk I understand, but the logistics of getting it here from Arthur are tricky. So if anyone makes semi-regular trips through Arthur, please let me know.
The new freezer is full - Margaret's special gluten free baking, delicious lamb, soup and meat pies and pods from Brenda, beautiful cuts of beef from Silver Dollar Charolais and Over the Moon grass-fed, elk from Stoneyfield Farm in Meaford, and fruit pies from Soundview Orchards.
Speaking of Soundview, their apples are finished for the season and the early varieties will arrive in late July or early August. We'll have some other fresh Ontario apples this week, and there are lots of other options for apple flavour too. The aforementioned frozen pies, applesauce, apple butter and cider from Filsingers in Ayton, and dried apple slices from Grassroots Organics. Plus a new selection of Ontario sparkling apple and fruit ciders.
Fresh local garlic is gone until July too, but the scapes will come soon. We have local organic garlic freeze-dried for use in soups, stews or garlic butter.
Ah yes, and the oats. We've been out of rolled and quick oats for a few weeks, but I expect they're returning tomorrow. I'm not sure what the wrinkle was, but their absence reminds us again that food is produced and processed by real people. If their machinery or communication breaks down, food can't appear out of thin air. Last night I was on Dave Carr Live on Rogers Television, a wonderful serendipitous opportunity to talk about re-localization. I'd hoped to be able to reach one of my favourite farmers, Sean McGivern from Grassroots Organics, to join me on the show, but he'd had a breakdown at his flour mill (I mean his equipment had, not Sean personally) and he had to stay until it was fixed to fulfill a big commitment for flour. Such is real life here in Ontario food land.
A good news story about oats - an Ontario company is producing the Go Ontario granola bar made entirely from ingredients from Ontario farms - honey, cherries, apples, cranberries and oats from Sean's farm! We'll have them at the store late in June and they'll be distributed as part of Peel District School Board's student nutrition program.
This week's asparagus is really local - from Forget Me Not Organic Farm. They have been selling out, so we're very lucky to be getting thirty pounds of their delicious asparagus - good right to the end, no woody bits.
One last word. There is no wasted food at Around the Sound. If you don't buy it (though we all really wish you would), we make sure it gets to a good home. Nancy and Suzanna cook brunch for fifty or so guests every weekday at the Union Place free brunch program. Safe n' Sound offers fruit and veggies and baking to their drop-in guests. Our suppliers are generous with these organizations and I know they'd welcome your help too.
Oh, one more thank you to Albert who made us a great rack to display our books and Small Farm magazine for sale, as well as all those freebie recipes and information. Look at our notice wall while you're there - Thomas Homer-Dixon talk, concerts, galas, etc.
Around the Sound Local Food Market is open Thursday and Friday from 10 until 7 (fresh bread almost always arrives by 10:30 now, weather-permitting) and Saturday (also known as Sticky-bun-day) from 10 until 4.
972 1st Avenue West - one block north of the newly-renovated best children's library in Owen Sound.
aroundthesoundfood.com
519-416-3663
See you there!
Anne