Ontario’s Abundant Harvests Feed Us Well Into Winter
Posted: October 19, 2016
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Members
Ontario Produces Abundant Squash
No need to end the harvest celebration even though Thanksgiving is over. Fall is a bountiful season throughout the province with fresh, local produce available into the cold days of December.
Sustain Ontario members can help you add seasonal produce to your plate – everything from beets and brussel sprouts to carrots and cabbage. They also are a great source of recipes and workshops to help you savour the goodness.
What’s Available?
Just Food provides both a Local Food Guide for locating farmer’s markets and farm gate sales and a Harvest Chart for knowing what’s available throughout the year. The organization brings together a number of food and farming actors producing and promoting local food in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley through Local Freshness initiative. A seasonal Availability Guide also is available from Foodland Ontario.
Numerous municipal and regional food councils are great sources of information about local food. There are 22 of their Food Charters in the Food Initiatives Greenhouse – Food Systems Framework area that can help connect you to local food in your region.
How Can I Cook It?
At its Produce Made Simple site, Ontario Produce Marketing Association-OPMA teaches everything you need to know about apples! There are hundreds of recipes but also information about the abundant variety of apples produced in Ontario, tips for selecting and storing apples, and guide for what foods pair deliciously with apples. OPMA has an expansive Recipe Index for a wide range of other local produce as well. You even can subscribe to have recipes delivered directly to your inbox.
The Stop Community Food Centre always has something delicious cooking in the kitchens. Their Featured Recipes include unique treats like moist chocolate beet cupcakes and cabbage pancakes.
How Can I Can It?
Eat Right Ontario Intro to Home Canning
A key strategy for eating local year around is learning to preserve foods. The Dieticians of Canada offer great support for anyone wanting to learn the art of putting food by with its online Introduction to Home Canning. It includes a variety of resources with basics for food preservation and safety and a useful tool for Getting Started.
If you prefer learning with others, Just Food in Ottawa and Community Food Centres Canada partner, The Table Community Food Centre in Perth, ON both offer home canning workshops in the fall.
To learn more about local food initiatives including food charters and procurement strategies, visit Sustain Ontario’s Food Initiatives Greenhouse.