Happy Halloween

Wishing you all a spooky and spectacular All Hallows Eve!  Read More

Eating Local in London and the UK

For some reason or other, the UK has a bit of a poor reputation for its food. People, or at least tourists, tend to thoroughly enjoy visiting the UK and its many pleasant locations and historical sites – however, it is also common to hear that people’s least favourite part of visiting is the food. The fact is, though, that this might be a bit of an unfair criticism. One reason that people assume the UK does not have good food is simply that there are not many foods that one can specifically associate with the region. People immediately recognize foods and specialties from Italy, Spain, France and many other countries around the world. However, the UK, somewhat like the United States, does not have a strong national identity with regard to cuisine. Somewhat surprisingly though, the “food culture” of the UK has come a long way in recent years, and people in the region now seem more focused on producing great food. Now – particularly in London – there are a number of impressive local eateries and food producing regions. In fact, a lot of people in and around London much prefer to consume only local ingredients (even when going out to a restaurant or buying a Marks and Spencer Christmas hamper, and will go to great lengths to stay healthy and support the local food economies. Eating locally, particularly in an area that has something of a rejuvenated interest in food and ingredient production, can offer a number of benefits, not the least of which is taste. The fact is, imported ingredients are by their nature often less fresh than local ingredients, simply because more time elapses from when they are produced to when they reach your plate. So, if you are a person who cares deeply about the quality of your meals and their ingredients, you may have a lot to gain by eating locally, particularly if you have never really tried it. Whatever the case, and whatever your specific preferences may be, you certainly could benefit from realizing that the food scene in the UK, and particularly in and around London, has come a long way. For a region that does not necessarily get a lot of respect from the outside world regarding its food producing, there are actually a number of  “hidden gems,” so to speak, in this country’s  food production industry. At the very least, if you are curious about the UK food scene, do yourself a favour and experience it for yourself, rather than ignoring it because of the world’s unfair assumptions about it.    Read More

August”s Harvest CSA

Large Share CSA August's Harvest | Photo: August's Harvest Organic Farm Hi there. You are reading my blog and I thank you for that. This tells me a few things about you, for instance I know you are a cool person – that”s right, anyone that stumbles on over to Eat Local London is pretty cool in my books. It may also mean you are a food nerd. Nerd you say? Do not fret, as this has no bearing on your coolness factor. Indeed, it has been proven that you can be a nerd and maintain coolness at the same time, I do it all the time. As you can see, I do know quite a few things about you and I can also safely say that we share a few likes and dislikes, you and I – in fact, we have more than a few things in common. Since we are sharing, one of the things that you may not know about me is that I have a secret dream to be a farmer. I tell you this because I have a feeling that you might share in this aspiration as well. The simple truth is that you and I may not ever be farmers. Farming takes a calling. In my books, farmers are akin to firefighters and police workers, or doctors and nurses – there is something special in them. That special thing that makes them get out of bed (very early) everyday, without missing a single day ever – even if they are sick, or feeling blue, or the weather is plain crud that day, those farmers get up and go to work – checking the crop, making sure the farm animals are all okay and they hardly ever get a vacation. Harvesting the Fields | Photo: August's Harvest Organic Farm One of the ways that you can feel a bit like a farmer without actually signing up in dirt, sweat and tears, is by joining a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a wonderful thing. Everyone benefits – the farmers, the economy, the community, the land and of course you and me! We are lucky in London to be surrounded by farms and a few of these farms offer CSA. Sometimes people have a hard time finding a CSA, but today a CSA is finding you! A CSA is a farm that a group of individuals ”buy into” at the beginning of the season – a little bit like a share in a company. The farmer still does all of the hard work, but you reap the rewards of fresh fruits and vegetables all season long. You become connected to your crop as if it were your own farm, you share in the bad weather and you reap the rewards of good weather as well. You also become connected with your farmer and you can sometimes even volunteer to help out at the farm occasionally. That is right – you can actually don some rubber work boots and get to play in mud and… crud. You can take in the sounds and smells of the farm, get your hands dirty and pull some carrots straight from the earth and to your plate. Field | Photo: August's Harvest Organic Farm August”s Harvest is a wonderful organic farm located in Gadshill, Ontario that offers a CSA box program. August”s Harvest farms carrots, onions, garlic, lettuce, eggplant, cabbage, corn, peppers, beans, beets, zucchini, cucumber, spinach, salad mix, kale, radish, zucchini, acorn, rutabaga, leeks, celery, sweet potatoes, melons, parsley, romaine, cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, shallots, strawberries, saskatoon berries, asparagus, garlic scapes, snap peas, chives, swiss chard, turnip, cauliflower, apples, asian pears, rosemary, parsley, pumpkin, potatoes, oregano, cilantro, dill, preserves and pie! Harvest | Photo: August's Harvest Organic Farm At August”s Harvest you can sign up for a small share, a regular share or a large share. The traditional box program is a weekly box of fresh produce that is determined by what it is available. Once a week you will receive your box of produce along with a newsletter of what is happening at the farm and information about your vegetables along with some recipes. During the program you can purchase additional local farm items such as eggs, milk, meats, cheese, honey, maple syrup, preserves and pies. They also run a program called “We grow your garden” which is more customized and let”s you have more control over what is grown and what goes into the box. Currently, August”s Harvest has 3 drop offs in London. 1. Jamison Residence – 82 Brisco St East (Wortley Village Area) 2. Usher Residence – 148 Optimist Park Dr London (Byron Area). 3. Osterback Residence – 545 Willowdale Ave London (Fanshawe/Adelaide Area). Carrot Field | Photo: August's Harvest Organic Farm You can sign up today and once the season starts, you can visit one of these drop offs that are already established. If you have 25 or more people that would like to get together you can even set up your own drop off with August”s Harvest. You can use the comment section below on my blog to connect with other London locavores and see if there is anyone that wants to start one in the East end or the West end. August”s Harvest will also deliver to your home if you are in one of those 3 mentioned areas above, but there is an extra charge. Contact Britney Nurse August’s Harvest Inc. csa@augustsharvest.com www.csaaugustsharvest.com 519-393-5550 Tell them you read about it at Eat Local London.  Read More

Seedy Saturday

I went to last year”s Seedy Saturday. A Seedy Satuday is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon perusing tables and attending workshops where you will find all kinds of hard to come by seeds, as well as all of the usual standby varieties. Every seed you need, all shapes and all cultivars under one roof. There is even a seed exchange for those willing to save and share. The very first Seedy Saturday started in Vancouver, Canada on a Valentine”s Day by Sharon Remple in 1989, go Sharon! ‘Come Grow with Us’ Seedy Saturday Saturday, March 19th, 2011 at Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre 656 Elizabeth Street,(formerly Wolseley Barracks) London ON entrance off McMahen & Elizabeth Street 10 am to 3:30pm Admission: $5.00 per adult Featuring vendors of seeds, plants & environmental friendly garden products. This day will include workshops & demonstrations by our Master Gardeners on ‘Starting Seeds’, ‘Attracting Butterflies’, ‘Composting’ & ‘Soil Food Web’. Featured Guest Speakers: 1pm – ‘Invasive Plant Species’ 2pm – ‘Organic Vegetable Gardening’ For information go to www.londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com Contact Jennifer Grant at 519-652-2734 or jgrantplants@sympatico.ca  Read More