Blogs

What do you get when you fill a room with fiddlers, a band of folks in cowboy boots and a first-rate excuse to try your hand at square dancing? Why, it’s the Holland Marsh Hoe-down of course, an event held on January 28th to celebrate the Greenbelt’s 5th birthday and the fantastic contributions of farmers in the Holland Marsh! My duties left me lingering near an assortment of soups, laid out lovingly by their proud owners themselves. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from one mysterious soup, a rich purple broth which ultimately carried surprisingly rich flavors of carrots, cream, and garlic. But with the soup’s mastermind sworn to secrecy on his family’s purple carrot soup recipe, I had to look to a friend for some inspiration for a different kind of soup.

New years’ resolutions aside, I love maple syrup. Indulging in pure maple syrup brings back memories of my younger days, sitting with a gaggle of classmates on a sleigh in the snow of Ontario’s wilderness, eager to taste the sugar tapped from the trees. These days, I source my maple syrup from my local farmers’ market at the Wychwood Barns, selecting my favourite winter-time treat from a row of syrup bottles in rich shades of brown.

Did you know that Ontario produces five types of wheat? That’s right! Meandering through the Greenbelt’s fields, you’ll find a variety of wheats, including my all-time favourite, soft red winter wheat. The seed, which is planted in the fall, spends the winter nestled under the snow, then begins to spread its wings and grow in March. Soft red winter wheat and I go way back. In fact, you might know this wheat yourself. Soft red is the largest class of wheat grown in Ontario, and more importantly, is the type of wheat used in cakes and pastries. So what’s a girl to do with a bunch of wheat (i.e. flour), a pile of farm fresh eggs, and some irresistible Ontario butter? With a predicament like that, festive cookies are in order!

 
As a kid in mid-December, I would sit in the kitchen, absorbing the wafting scent of onions sizzling in a pan of oil, mouth watering in anticipation of crispy, golden potato fried treats on my plate. It’s permissible on Hanukah, almost a blessing according to most Bubbies, to partake in the guilty pleasure of fried potato latkes (pancakes) for the eight long nights of this Jewish holiday. Do you have to celebrate Hanukah to eat latkes, you ask? Nuh-uh! You definitely don’t have to be Jewish to impress your friends and enjoy the potato latke, a simple, sumptuous, crispy treat that can be prepared all year round, in a variety of shapes and forms.

Squash comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours. Which ever one you choose, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Squash is easy to prepare and has a deliciously sweet flavour. Squash is also quite versatile in the kitchen – and since they store well, you can always keep a few on hand.
 

Here in the Greenbelt, we grow amazing carrots – and many of them come from the Holland Marsh. In fact, enough carrots are grown in the Holland Marsh to provide every Canadian with four pounds every year. You can do a lot more with carrots than just make carrot sticks. With carrots from my CSA box, I made a carrot ginger soup, perfect for these chilly days, and a birthday carrot cake for my office-mate.

Although I may not be too familiar with potatoes in the kitchen, I am very familiar with sweet potatoes (not to be confused with sub-tropical yams). Not only are sweet potatoes delicious, they are very nutritious. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin A and B6. In fact, the sweet potato is said to have the most nutritional value among vegetables. They are delicious, nutritious and super versatile in the kitchen - what more could we ask for in a vegetable!

 

Last weekend I received my first winter vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) food box. As a CSA member, I paid a set fee prior to the growing season and in return I receive ‘shares' in the form of delicious local, organic produce from the farm's harvest. Of course, I also share in the risks with the farmer, like poor weather. Since winter vegetables store well, I receive a variety of veggies every three weeks. The variety inspires me in the kitchen to try new recipes and cook with what we have available to us in the winter months.    

 

I am a big fan of root vegetables, and beets are certainly near the top of the list. You may have noticed at the market that beets come in a variety of colours –like rich fuchsia, golden and my favourite, candy cane striped. Beets make excellent side dishes (try roasted, braised or pickled), make delicious soups (like classic borscht and the recipe below), and are a colourful addition to salads. Between the great sweet taste and brilliant colours, they brighten up any dish. Be warned - beet juice stains! You may prefer to wear gloves when handling beets. Some people also prefer to peel their beets. I like to give them a good scrub and keep the skin on. If you haven’t already, give beets a try! Here are a few ideas.

 

I am still working my way through my 20 lbs of apples. I have been following the doctor's orders and eating an apple a day (usually with cottage cheese or peanut butter for my afternoon snack), but I have barely made a dent. This weekend I am planning on making apple pies. The plan is to make a triple batch of dough and filling - make one pie and freeze the remaining two portions of dough and filling to enjoy later. I'm also thinking about making some apple chips. I received the following instructions from a friend.