Tired of stocking your fridge and shelves with from-afar edibles brought to you by Campbells, Kraft, Del Monte or, for that matter, Amy’s organic dinners direct from California? Fact is, producers just outside our city gates are rustling up delicious fare using local ingredients and sustainable methods. Get in on some new brands – munchables made by our neighbours no more than two hours from downtown.
[rssbreak]
1) Organic tofu from Oakville? Yup, really. YING YING SOY FOOD offers the plain stuff, smoked tofu and the ever-popular tofu “turkey,” made mostly from the soy of a farmer in Guelph. Find it at the Big Carrot, Noah’s, Sun Valley and more.
2) Wanna savour jams called Pears And Purple Pansy or Blueberry-Lavender, or meat glazes called Raspberry-Rosemary? Check out FROM THESE ROOTS products, whose ingredients are handpicked by locals in and around Campbellville, near Milton. Find at Culinarium, St. John’s Bakery, Java Mama and more.
3) Of course, it’s not really rice, but BLACK DUCK WILD RICE is grown without chemicals and roasted in the traditional manner in Curve Lake, near Peterborough. Find it at the Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market.
4) Look for cheeses called Lost Lake, Nettles Gone Wild or Bedda Fedda from FIFTH TOWN ARTISAN CHEESE COMPANY in Picton, which uses goat and sheep milk from its farmer neighbours. Load up at Culinarium.
5) OAK MANOR FARMS gets its organic wheat, spelt and other grains mostly from the ‘hood for its mill in Tavistock, near Kitchener. Creamy brown rice cereal, corn meal, oat and rye flakes and more are available at Loblaws, Big Carrot, Whole Foods.
6) EWENITY (pronounced “unity”), a cooperative of Ontario farmers who milk their sheep and then send it to be made into yogurt, cheese and ice cream at the Best Baa Dairy in Fergus. Find their stuff at Culinarium, Noah’s, Healthy Butcher and more.
