Food + Drink Autumn 2019
Al fresco feasts, cozy cafés and home-style comforts.
Courtesy Neverland Photography.
Field of dreams
The Farm to Fork Experience at 4th Line Cattle Co. promises to make October 4 a magical al fresco evening. The menu doubles down on delicious fall dishes, including butternut squash soup, carved hip of beef au jus and apple crisp, all at communal tasting stations set in farm fields. Beyond the beef, other ingredients from like-minded purveyors include veggies from Campbellville’s Vandenbroek Family Farms and chicken from Calehill Farms, near Hillsburgh.
“This is a truly authentic and completely local experience — a celebration of food and where it comes from,” says Tamaran Mousseau, co-owner of 4th Line Cattle Co. “Talking with the people who raised the beef or chicken, or planted and harvested the vegetables, really brings this culinary experience to a whole other level.” Just don’t forget to eat a light lunch that day. Visit farmtoforkexperience.ca.
New bites and sips
We’ll take our lunchtime sandwich with a side of social enterprise, please, at the all-new B Social Café in the Dufferin County courthouse on Zina Street in Orangeville. Headed by former Soulyve owner/chef Phil DeWar, the Community Living Dufferin initiative was conceived to help people with developmental disabilities and others with employment disadvantages to achieve their job goals. The team preps meals in the CLD industrial kitchen before serving them in the café. Breakfast includes freshly baked muffins and breakfast sandwiches, and lunch consists of paninis and tuna or egg salad sandwiches — along with salads from Lavender Blue Catering and coffee from Mochaberry. Visit Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. The group also has a café at Georgian College, and has just taken over the concession stands at Alder Recreation Centre and Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre where you can now expect some healthy menu additions and more regular hours. Read more at communitylivingdufferin.ca.
Sul Irmaos Smokehouse has made a move north from Brampton to Orangeville’s Broadway. Along with zesty Portuguese BBQ chicken and crispy fries, the menu offers such temptations as Louisiana-inspired po’ boys. The beef-eater version comes with smoked brisket, gravy, deep-fried shrimp and okra, plus collard greens, all on a soft hoagie bun. Top it off with – lucky us – epic Portuguese custard tarts. Drool. See sulirmaos.com
At Creemore Pizza Co. the ingredients are fresh and uber-local – herbs are grown right there in containers dotting the shop. Look for traditional and gourmet (think arugula and grilled chicken) toppings. Check out Creemore Pizza Co. on Facebook
Save the date: What’s up, Doc?
Bugs Bunny would be proud. Everdale’s Carrot Fest has blossomed into the Carrot Stock Music Festival in partnership with The SEED program at Guelph Community Health Centre. They’re hoping to raise $30,000 to boost food security for low-income residents in Wellington County. The kid-friendly event runs from noon to 8pm on Saturday, September 21, and features a carrot harvest and food made in The SEED’s Upcycle Kitchen from Everdale’s organics — including a giant carrot cake, natch. Music makers include Alysha Brilla & The Brilltones and The Lofters. everdale.org
Plentiful pierogies
Moving frozen bags of mass-produced pierogies may be getting tougher for local grocers because the real deal keeps getting easier to find. Grand Valley’s Perked Pierogi, co-owned by Stephany St. Louis and Meghan Richards, is the newest player.
“We’re thrilled with the community support we’ve received,” says Stephany. “We can’t even identify a favourite pierogi flavour as they’ve been selling out daily!” Although Stephany is of Ukrainian descent and made pierogies with her grandmother, the feature items are all Meghan’s, such as spanakopita-like spinach and feta.
Candy Henriques of Candy’s Homemade Perogies (yes, she spells it differently) has a deep bench of more than 20 varieties on her team of offerings. In addition to traditional fillings, the Orton resident makes fanciful Mini Mac (her take on Big Mac flavours), Reuben, taco and even Trinidadian double versions. She cooks out of the kitchen at Jess for You Café in Hillsburgh where they are also on the menu. She also freezes them by the dozen for delivery or pickup at Déjà Vu Diner in Orangeville.
Jelly Craft Bakery and Café in Shelburne serves up their pierogies with a side salad and sells freezer batches to take home. Choose from cottage cheese, cheddar, three cheese, bacon and cheddar, potato and onion, mushroom and sauerkraut, or broccoli and cheddar.
For more, visit Perked Pierogi, Candy’s Homemade Perogies and Jelly Craft Bakery and Café on Facebook and dejavudiner.ca.
On the shelf
If you missed canning season (or were never gonna do it anyway), you can fill your shelves with mason jars the easy way. Hit Garden Foods in Bolton for its house-made basil, hot and spicy, or roasted garlic tomato sauces. Rock Garden Farms in Caledon offers regular, hot, and mushroom versions, while Mono-based Connie’s Kitchen serves up online orders of whole peeled tomatoes or tomato sauce. (Or buy them from Connie Arteaga at the Shelburne, Mulmur or Alliston farmers’ markets.)
Mono landmark Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant now offers bottles of both their classic creamy garlic house dressing and balsamic vinaigrette to take home along with your doggie bag. Ask about their signature rich, smoky wild mushroom soup, too. (The minimalist labels were created by talented In The Hills art director Kim van Oosterom.) mrsmitchells.com
Fresh attitude: Apple picking
The apple is king this time of year and Caledon is packed with destinations to load up on the crisp, tart-sweet fruit. Hit the local DIY picking spots, many of which will also be happy to feed your craving for apple pie if it’s too intense to wait til you’re home.
Plan a trip to these stalwarts:
