We just got home from a fabulous event at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. Chef Marc Breton made harvest tastings - little cups of gazpacho, roasted mushrooms on flatbread, porchetta sandwiches, grilled corn with seasoned butter, grape sorbet and stuffed tiny patty pan squashes from our own Twin Creeks Organic Farm! About a hundred guests wandered around sampling the goodies with glasses of Ontario wine and beer and visited exhibits from local farms, CSAs. farmers' markets and producers. Clare and Nathan were there from Skeffling Farm with their beautiful rainbow eggs and lavender; Gerald had his vegetables and meat from Twin Creeks and Around the Sound had a full display of our producers' wares and the Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary maps. We made new connections and sourced new products (flavoured yogurt and peanuts, among others) while sharing the joys of Grey and Bruce food with Torontonians. We need more events like this up here!
So why would I mention snow? Just to remind you that you'll want to put away some of the beautiful bounty of this season to bring it all out in winter. Brandied peaches or plums. Spiced pears. Warm applesauce or hot apple pie. Chili sauce...spaghetti sauce....zucchini bread...the list is endless. Buy fruit and vegetables and the peak of the season and put them away for tomorrow.
The Twin Creeks patty pan squash can be barbecued, steamed or stuffed with your favourite turkey stuffing and baked.
Enjoy the Charolais or grass-fed beef, bison, elk or venison burgers with the fresh tomatoes, lettuce and onions while they last.
Theo, "The Chocolate Muse" brought us Belgian chocolate brownies with walnuts, white chocolate blondies with pecans, and bee stings (shortbread, pecans, chocolate and honey. Belgian chocolate sauce is also promised - perfect for Pears Helene.
The new raw honey is in from Chatsworth. Kelly said it has been one of the worst years for honey in 70 years in eastern Canada. We are, as always, very grateful for the producers who work through these challenges to bring us our food.
Around the Sound is open Thursday and Friday from 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4 at 972 1st Avenue West.
See you there!
Anne
519-370-2333
www.aroundthesoundfood.com