I know this is only supposed to be a weekly newsletter, but so many wonderful things poured in to the store today that I cannot wait for next week to tell you.

First the furnace man arrived, and although the gas company has yet to give us the requisite fuel, hope is on the horizon - maybe next week? All I can say is, the produce is happy.

As soon as we opened, Winston brought us fresh pickerel and rainbow trot and six new seafood soups using local fish in the stock. There are shrimp and lobster bisques, smoked salmon chowder, Manhattan and New England Clam chowders and seafood gumbo.

Next Ned's soups arrived from the Dhabba - the previously extolled Ukranian chicken borscht and a vegan gingered carrot.

Then Richard arrived from Windy Hill, refilling our hot cereals and popular bread mixes, and Finch Haven Orchards replenished our sparkling apple-raspberry and apple-cranberry ciders.

Next came Claire with dozens of the beautiful rainbow eggs laid by her rare and heritage hens.

Last but far from least, in came Axel with his lovely sheep cheeses and some new lamb sausage with red wine and spices. He also brought some of Matthew Dick's organic turkeys, as celebrated in my Orange Crate column this week.

And one last omission from my cheese list yesterday - we have Ontario organic 2% cottage cheese, and will soon (possibly Saturday) have locally made quark - the firmer eastern European type - as requested by a thoughtful man for his in-laws who appear to have lived long and healthy lives on a steady diet of the stuff.

See you Around the Sound soon.
Anne

Around the Sound Local Food Market
685 6th Street East
519-370-2333
aroundthesoundfood.com

If you've been inspired by the young athletes of the Olympics to get out and skate or ski or snowshoe, Around the Sound has some great food to take along with you for your lunch and snacks.

Kelsey's breads or ciabatta buns for carbs - have you tried the seedy oat bread yet? Marg makes gluten-free alternatives too. For proteins, GrassRoots is now bringing us Black Forest ham and of course their amazing all-beef summer sausage. Axel's already-baked lamb pies make a hearty lunch or supper - try it with Marketside's Magnetewan relish.

Smoked fish is a delicious and elegant carry-along, perhaps with some goat chevre or Wooldrift cream cheese. The variety of cheeses has never been better - this week the popular organic cheddar with sundried tomatoes and garlic will be back, and there is a buttery gouda for gentler palates. Remember your fruit and veggies - there will be Ontario cucumbers, fresh-dug carrots and local apples again this week.

For snacking through the day, look for cheese curds, hemp hearts, trail mix, organic almonds, fair-trade chocolate or Ontario peanuts. And remember the drinks - ginger and lemongrass or cranberry orange sodas are really refreshing and fair-trade hot chocolate with chili is our newest hot treat.

When you get home, there are lots of delicious suppers to warm you up. Maybe start with soup - take some of Brenda's chicken noodle out of the freezer in the morning. Ned has been bringing us fresh soup from The Dhabba - he made a Ukranian chicken borscht last week that brought a Polish customer to joyful tears. Fish is a quick choice - check the freezer for more choices - pickerel,whitefish, rainbow and lake trout. And Ken's Wow Wasabi (in the cooler) is still first choice of condiment at our house.

If you can wait an hour, or have someone to put it on so the house smells sooo good when you come in, one of Brenda's turkey pies or Sara's chicken lasagna's is sure to do the trick.

Check the blackboard at the front and the list by the freezer for new additions all the time at Around the Sound. We're open Thursday and Friday 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4, at 685 6th Street East at the lights at 7th Avenue.

See you there.
Anne

519-370-2333
www.aroundthesoundfood.com
Check out my blog and interesting local articles at www.myowensound.ca

One of the few things missing from the new store (besides the heat of course, but we're kind of getting used to that) is a mail box. Our lovely letter carrier kindly saves our mail for the days when we're open and we happily offer her whatever we're sampling, but the post office really wants us to get a mailbox. So we bought a rural post box, complete with the red flag, and as soon as we can find someone with a post and a drill, we're going to put it out front. It will give me the proper attachment for my National Farmers Union sign.

The National Farmers Union, Grey County, gave me practical and moral support in starting Around the Sound. I became a member because the NFU shares my vision "to encourage vibrant rural communities, environmentally sustainable practices and the production of safe, wholesome food."

They support family farms because, in their words, "The family farm is the cornerstone of the system that provides safe, nutritious food to Canadians. City people, as well as farmers, have a stake in it. The National Farmers Union is unique among farm organization in working for people's interests against corporate control of our food system."
You can read more on their website www.nfuontario.ca and watch for their local "Farm Dinner" in early April.

Forsyth Farms is one of the family farms who supply us - with beautiful cuts of lamb, Berkshire pork sausages, homemade stock and soup, chicken and meat pies in family size and individual pods.

Axel Meister of Wooldrift Farms is also an NFU member. The first farmer in North America to commercially milk sheep, Axel has a hard time keeping up with demand for his products at Around the Sound. He brings us yogurt, feta - plain and in olive oil and herbs, pecorino cheese both plain and peppercorn, cream cheese and raw milk cheese.

This week we'll be getting local carrots - fresh dug from under the snow in Chatsworth area. So sweet! Apples are still in good supply from Soundview Orchards and we still have some local garlic and shallots. The rest of our produce is from Ontario - potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, cabbage and parsnips from storage and greenhouse cucumbers. We'll see tomatoes soon too. If we encourage them, local market gardeners may be able to supply us with winter treats like Belgian endive by this time next year.

The Ontario Natural Food Co-op delivers this Friday, so look for organic dried apricots, almond milk, Mapleton's yogurt and Harmony Organics brie again this week, supplies allowing.

Some customers have expressed an interest in the film "Food Inc." Liam Lacey of the Globe and Mail called it "The most effective environmental documentary since An Inconvenient Truth." We have a copy at the store you can borrow if you like. I just don't recommend eating while you watch it.

Around the Sound Local Food Market is at 685 6th Street East at the lights at 7th Avenue - look for our beautiful new sign - thank you Terry and Matthew!
We are open Thursday and Friday 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4 (or 5, no promises).

See you there!
Anne

www.aroundthesoundfood.com
(and a new blog on www.myowensound.ca)
519-370-2333

Eggs, eggs and more eggs. We carry eggs from four local farms. GrassRoots Organics in Desboro and Beckers Organics in Paisley, Grey Maple Farms in Georgian Bluffs, and Skeffling Farm in Clavering. All the farms allow their hens free run of the barn and as much access to the outdoors as they wish. As soon as the weather warms up a little, the hens will be happy to get out and scratch for worms and the first green shoots. Each farm has its own individual feeding program from standard feed mill chicken feed to omega-3 rich flax to home-grown kale and cabbage. Claire at Skeffling Farm raises rare and heritage birds, and their eggs range from a pastel greeny-blue to a rich mahogany. Our farmers set the price of their eggs, and our customers choose their favourite.

February 16 is Mardi Gras - Pancake Tuesday! We carry multigrain and regular pancake mixes from GrassRoots, and maple syrup, maple jelly and maple butter come from Uncle Richard's in Priceville. Gord and Nancy Brown in Chatsworth bring us pork sausages, and Sean at GrassRoots brings us sausages and bacon.

Last week Ned from The Dhabba on 2nd Avenue sent us samosas ready to heat and eat. This week he's adding homemade soup in single servings to the lunch menu. Watch for new offerings every week.

And for dinner? We have some beautiful fish from Winston - our family had lake trout tonight. Someone told me they used Meredith's Ginger Syrup as a marinade for rainbow trout. Mmmmm. Winston also brings us duck - whole, legs and breasts, with skin or without. I love the boneless breast quickly pan-fried with garlic, then thinly sliced on a bed of white and wild rice.

And yes, thanks to Arrandale Garlic and GrassRoots, local garlic will have one last hurrah in Around the Sound this week. Roast some with your beets, carrots and parsnips drizzled in olive oil to accompany an elk pepper steak or a roast chicken.

Remember to call ahead if you want us to set aside your favourite bread or Kelsey's world famous maple walnut cinnamon buns (available only on Saturdays).

Around the Sound is now enjoying its sunny space at 685 6th Street East at the lights at 7th Avenue.
We're open Thursday and Friday 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 5 (I know I say 4, but people keep shopping until 5!)

See you there!
Anne
519-370-2333
aroundthesoundfood.com

It's much warmer already, outside and in.

This week we're highlighting some stand-out flavours at Around the Sound. Karen and Paul at Marketside have brought us their red pepper ziipastii preserve, and famous antipasto.
Or try their Magnetewan relish on one of our tortieres.

Sean is having a special on his pork ribs - $2.50 a pound, and there are barbecue sauces from mild to WOW to accompany them. Sara is refilling our freezer with her Incredible Edibles, including new Tex Mexx - seasoned ground beef with corn and salsa topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar. Ned, from The Dhabba, will have his samosas in our store soon - maybe even this weekend.

In those warm countries where cocoa grows, they add chili and spice to bring out the flavour. New Moon Kitchen has sent us Spicy Love Bites with just such a combination, and we've ordered in hot chocolate mix with chili and spice from Cocoa Camino at a customer's suggestion.

In the cold and spicy department, our organic Mapleton's Ginger ice cream is back this week. How do you think it would go with Sara's Bumble Berry Crisp?

Look in the cooler for creamy lemon curd - a little goes a long way.

Just a caution - we sold out of bread Friday and Saturday last week, so just call and we'll set aside a loaf or two of your favourite.

Thanks for asking about the kitchen. We're working on it - nothing a plumber, an electrician and a carpenter or two can't finish and we're looking for some funding to pay those trades. I know you're keen for cooking classes and community kitchens and I'm really excited about the possibilities.

Around the Sound is now at 685 6th Street East at the first lights east of the Y. We're open Thursday and Friday 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4.

See you soon!
Anne
519-370-2333
aroundthesoundfood.com

Thanks to the clouds of painters, packers, cleaners, problem-solvers, folks with tools and others with ideas, we are now in our beautiful new home at 685 6th Street East, at the south-west corner of 7th Avenue and looking forward to seeing you this week. We especially want to thank the Fentons who stood on ladders in the freezing wind in a futile attempt to make our new sign fit over a bizzare old sign, and then retrieved our old sign so we could light up for opening day.

"Annie's Store" the children's area, has a beautiful corner by the windows. Baking and treats have a bigger table, and the new freezer makes it easier to find elk, lamb, pork, chicken, frozen fish and beef. There are new shelves for your favorite flours, cereals, jams and condiments, and there is lots of space to add more, so just tell us what you'd like us to source for you.

Trusting that good health has returned to Kelsey's household, we'll have fresh bread tomorrow. Just call if you want us to put any aside for you.

New products will continue to come in weekly. This week we have a local raw milk sheep cheese - this batch is three months old and they're aging more for the coming months.

Ontario peanuts, grown in what was once tobacco land, were a big hit over Christmas. As requested, we have the redskins in larger bags, as well as both smooth and crunchy Ontario peanut butter.

All your favourite New Moon cookies are in stock - Goldies, Bite Me, Mo-Mints and Ginger Snappers. They've also sent spicy double-chocolate "Love Bites". Those, along with the beautiful photo cards by Christy Muddle and the chocolate truffles by Brenda Waters should remind you that Valentine's Day will come sooner than you think.

Two exciting events! Transition Towns - a conversation with your neighbours about resilient communities at the Downtown Bookstore, Sunday January 31 from 2 until 4 - All welcome!

And the first ever tango gathering in Owen Sound, Thursday February 4th at the Farmers' Market 7 until 9 - beginners more than welcome, with or without a partner.

Around the Sound Local Food Market is now at 685 6th Street East, at the lights where the airplane used to be on top of the old Kirk's service station.

We're open Thursdays and Fridays 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4.

See you soon!
Anne

Only three more days in Captain Dunn's house and we start the move to the new store.

We have a special "Please Don't Make Us Move It Sale" this week. If your order is $50.00 or more, you will save 10% off the whole thing. If your order is less than $50.00, there are specials throughout the store. All brown eggs are $3.25 a dozen. Whole ducks are 10% off. Silver Dollar Charolais summer sausage is $12 a stick. All Sara's Incredible Edible family size products are $1.00 off - chicken, meat or vegetable lasagnes, sausage and mushroom, ham and cheese or mediterranean quiches, beef, chicken or seafood pies and tortieres. Organic canned tomatoes 10% off. Grassroots Organics applesauce or frozen apple cider 10% off. All AKI chutneys and sauces 10% off. New Moon Kitchen cookies 10 % off.

Look for some of the things you may never have noticed in the black freezer. - red currants frozen the day they were picked,or sweet cherries. How about Tempeh, that nutrition-packed and versatile soy food, or Mapleton's organic ice cream?

Look in the cooler for rainbow eggs, organic almonds, soy milk, and cheese curds.

Sunday morning starting at 10 a.m. we'll be packing boxes for the move - come along and lend a hand and enjoy homemade muffins, cheese, juice and coffee.

On the other end, we'll be unpacking and ready to welcome you at 685 6th Street East on Thursday, January 28 at 10 a.m.

Around the Sound is open Thursday and Friday from 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4.

Call if you need anything special - 370-2333.

See you soon.
Anne

We're starting to pack for the big move, but we promise to keep your favourites on the shelves until the 23rd!

Laura has brought in some more of her delicious lemon sage mustard. Try mixing a little into plain yogurt and spreading it on chicken breasts. Top with some dry bread crumbs and bake for a moist, flavourful chicken dish to serve with white or brown basmati rice, couscous or quinoa.

Laura brought a new mustard with Guiness and black mustard seed too - it will stand up well to sausages of elk, venison, lamb or pork.

Bread has been selling out lately, so if you know you won't be in until later, call and we'll set aside your favourite loaf. Kelsey makes an assortment of varieties every day, so if you have a preference, call ahead and she'll make the kind you want for the day you want it.

We're deep in winter roots - beets, parsnips and sweet potatoes - all soups-to-be to me. Cabbage is in too - try a slaw with a WOW kick, or braised cabbage with onions and a little bacon.

Whenever I can't decide what to cook I just sautee some onions and garlic and let the words "mmm...what smells so good?" motivate me. One day I'll just abscond with all the remaining garlic, but I haven't yet so you can still get fresh local garlic at Around the Sound. This week we expect to have mushrooms too - another versatile ingredient.

Pork chops are a great slow cooker food for a winter day. We have some from Gord and Nancy Brown in Chatsworth, or some Berkshire pastured pork from Over the Moon in south Grey. All the labels fell off the Over the Moon chops, but I promise to give you a fair price. Try adding a few tablespoons of one of Ol' Smokey or any of the great barbecue sauces to the pot.

Around the Sound Local Food Market is still at 972 1st Avenue West for two more weeks. The new store at 6th Street and 7th Avenue East is being painted and filled up with the plan to open there on the 28th of January.
Any helping hands are most welcome as we get ready for a real community space where we can hold conversations, cooking classes, chef's demonstrations and community kitchens, as well as selling your neighbours good food.

We're looking forward to new products - sprouts, local culinary mushrooms and more prepared meals are on the horizon.

See you soon - here or there!
Anne
519-370-2333
aroundthesoundfood.com

The first good news is that we have found some more local garlic, grown on organic land in Owen Sound. The bad news is that I bought all they had left, so come along and buy some and keep it in a dark, dry spot as long as you can.

Kelsey is happy and healthy, and the bread racks will be filled once again. Ordering ahead will assure that your loved ones get their favourites. Brenda will be bringing her famous chicken noodle, lamb dizi and other soups, or use her stock as the basis for your own. We have barley and bean soupmix. One of my favourite soups can be ready in half an hour - grated carrot, finely chopped onion, canned tomatoes (we have organic Ontario tomatoes salted or unsalted), red lentils and curry to taste.

It's time for slow-cooker dinners too. Look for GrassRoots stewing beef, or the Brown's pork roasts. A dollop of the Pickle Guy's Super Sauce gives it a good kick-start of onion and garlic.

We've been starting the day with hot cereals at our house lately. Look for steel cut or flaked oats, multi-grain or spelt flakes, or Windy Hill hot mixed cereals. Add some raisins or cranberries while it cooks, then top with a drizzle of maple syrup. mmmmm.

We're getting ready to pack up and move to the new store at the end of the month, so we may not look overstocked, but please ask for anything you don't see. We've already been promised some new delights at the new store - more soups, biscotti and even, maybe, daily fresh sushi and sashimi.

The plan is to close Saturday January 23rd on 1st Avenue and be open at 685 6th Street East on Thursday the 28th. Before that there will be a work bee or two - no money, but some good food and music with good folks - just let me know if you'd like to join in.

One last thing - David Huff, Manager of Public Programs at the Tom Thomson Gallery, sent me the following invitation for any of you to attend a special screening of A Growing Season on Sunday January 10 at 2 pm in the Tom Thomson Gallery Studio. This new Canadian documentary explores how the food we eat is produced, the current state of the family farm as well as themes related to the 100-Mile Diet and perils of “globalized” food production.
The 50 minute film will be followed by a Q&A with the Directors. Admission by donation (proceeds to local foodbank)

Around the Sound Local Food Market is (still) at 972 1st Avenue West, one block north of the library.
We're open Thursday and Friday 10 until 7 and Saturday 10 until 4. Call us at 370-2333 if you need anything special.

See you soon
Anne

We're open Wednesday and Thursday this week from 10 to 6, then we'll take a break and see you again on January 7.

Kelsey sends her regrets for her bread tomorrow (Wednesday) but she is really unwell. Her plan is to have a full load of bread, plus the special orders, for Thursday, but call ahead if you want to be sure she's been able to deliver.

Cheese, pates, chips, salsa, sparkling cider, popcorn and hot chocolate are all waiting for your New Year's Eve pleasure.
Try eggs with Super Sauce and ham with a peach chutney for New Year's brunch. We also have pancake mixes and local maple syrup, or try waffles with Mom's Apple Pie Jelly.

New Year's Day might be a good time for Sara's lasagne or a meat pie or tortiere. Or perhaps a roast chicken and sweet potatoes if your house is not the repository of the turkey leftovers. And if it is, try them in the lovely organic tortillas with grated cheese and salsa for a turkey quesidilla.

Around the Sound Local Food Market is at 975 1st Avenue West, just a block north of the library. Call 370-2333 or email aroundsoundfood@gmail.com if there's anything you need.

See you soon.
Anne

www.aroundthesoundfood.com