Follow us as we explore eating local in south-western Ontario!
Pumpkin Beef Chili
Where do Jack-o-Lanterns go for Dinner? Halloween came and went, leaving us sick of sweets and craving some real, hearty, stomach-warming food. Our choice of Pumpkin Beef Chili stemmed from two simultaneous predicaments: A very large pumpkin carved like a cat and an excess of ground beef.
read moreLocal Ontario Superfoods – Organic Red Wine Grape Skin Powder
My quest for organic red wine led me to Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara. But, upon arrival, I also found another local Ontario superfood—organic red wine grape skin powder!
read moreToast Your Health – Local Organic Wine
I love red wine. I admit, my palate lacks sophistication—I love most red wines regardless of vintage. And our family lives on a budget; I must keep my wine spending in check so I’m frugal. However, I’m a stickler for quality—I choose organic whenever possible—and, of course, I want to drink local. Luckily for me, we live relatively close to Niagara’s wine region and my parents live right in it, providing us with an excellent reason to head into wine country several times per year!
read moreNatural Probiotics – their value and how to make them…easily!
If you want the highest quantities and diversity of probiotics with every meal, you need a fresh supply of living probiotics. This is where drinks or starter cultures such as cabbage rejuvelac shine. Drink a 1/4 cup of this at the start of every meal, and you’ll out-do any probiotic pill by miles. And because the probiotics have already broken the cabbage down, those of us who normally can’t digest cabbage tend to have few to no problems with rejuvelac.
read morePurchasing Grass-Fed Beef
This year, we ordered 2 pastured, exclusively grass-fed, drug-free cows (a ½ for us and the rest for family members) from Nature’s Choice Farm. We purchase our beef yearly, in the Fall, in order to last us the year. Buying beef “by the side” is very different from purchasing packages in the grocery store. I find myself explaining the process often. So, here’s what its all about.
read moreLocal Grass-fed Beef
Every year, I am surprised and overjoyed by new, local sources for free-range meats and organic foods that we see popping up around us. When we first started sourcing our food directly from farmers, we often had to travel 40 – 200 kilometres to get it. Today, we have many more options, just around the corner from us! One of these new options is Nature’s Choice Farm, owned by Mark & Mary Martin.
read moreChoosing the Healthiest Dairy Products
If you and your family choose to consume dairy, this article will help you to understand how to source the healthiest dairy possible.
read moreSweet Potato and Kale Dauphinoise
Our version of this Dauphinoise may be a little less sophisticated but it makes for a satisfying one-dish meal! We bake several pans of it in advance and throw them from the freezer into the oven when we need a quick meal. Add a side salad, and you’re done!
read morePaleo Crock Pot Chili
Chili typically uses ground beef. But, we like this chunkier version made with stewing beef and braising ribs for added flavour. Of course, you can do it with ground beef if you like.
read morePrimal Carrot Cake
This recipe is moist and delicious! it’s not completely local—it uses coconut flour, dates and exotic spices. But, the carrots, butter, maple syrup, cream cheese and eggs are all local. And, it is grain-free. For extra-special occasions, we compromise.
read moreMaking Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is delicious and extremely nutritious. This traditionally preserved “lactic acid fermented” food is full of health-promoting “good” probiotic bacteria that keeps our guts healthy. And it’s sooooo easy to make!
read moreZucchini Noodles
In our quest to eat grain-free, and use the copious numbers of zucchini in our garden, we discovered zucchini noodles—they’re easy and delicious—enjoy!
read morePastured Berkshire Pork
Our quest for “happy” pork, led us to Alverstoke Farm, just outside of Paisley, Ontario. They raise free-range Berkshire Pigs and Rideau Arcott sheep using natural, biodynamic farming methods.
read moreGrain-free Pancakes
Our quest to eat gluten-free has led us to experiment with a number of “alternative” flours. Sometimes, we compromise and us non-local flour. These delicious, very easy “treat” pancakes are made with lots of eggs and a little bit of coconut flour.
read moreLocal Whole BBQed Trout
When our friend, an avid fisherman, offered us this beautiful local trout from Lake Huron, we stuffed it with lemon, dill, and onion and BBQed it. Delicious!
read moreGrain-free Cauliflower Crust Pizza
The full pizza experience without the grain.
Our family avoids most grains. But, we craved a real pizza experience—pizza you could actually pick up in your hands! This recipe is absolutely delicious. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a LOT of work and pretty messy too. But, it’s worth every minute of it!
Local Ontario Superfoods – Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate
Today, we hear lots of talk of concentrated “superfoods” that are supposed to reap miraculous health benefits. But, most often, these foods come from remote parts of the world far away from here. So, we set out to find some local superfoods. Here’s one, from a farm in the Niagara Region: Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate.
read moreMaking Cream Cheese
Real, unprocessed, raw milk naturally sours in about a week in the fridge. Unlike pasteurized milk that just goes rancid and must be tossed, raw soured milk is still good and very healthful. So, what to do with the sour milk? Here’s an easy process for making delicious cream cheese.
read moreRendering Lard
Contrary to what has been drilled into our heads by the diet dictocrats, lard from healthy, drug-free, free-range pigs, is full of nutrition and safe for cooking at higher temperatures. Unlike tropical oils like coconut oil, it is also local.
read moreRanch-Raised Grass-Fed Beef
This year, our quest for the healthiest beef possible led us to Echo Valley Ranch in Moorfield, Ontario, where rancher, Brad Martin, gave us a tour of his family’s ranch on a hot summer day.
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