Hug a Farmer

When I first read about this assignment I knew right away what farm I was going to visit. For a few years now, my parents have taken part in a CSA (community supported agriculture) program at Willowtree Farms located just west of Port Perry.

Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pears, acorn and butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and garlic from the farm share (Oct.2014)

 Willowtree is a family run farm that was established in 1969 as a dairy farm by the McKay family. By 1980, they were growing strawberries and selling them at farmer's markets and by 1993 they had sold their dairy cows to focus on beef cattle, fruits and veggies.

Willowtree's roadside sign

Unfortunately for me, the farm closes down for the winter season and I was unable to meet in person with anyone from the McKay family since they were in Honduras. However, I was able to correspond through email with Kelty, the daughter-in-law of Rod and Marlene McKay. I learned that their main stance toward farming is land stewardship, protecting the environment to ensure future generations can also farm it sustainably.

The market at Willowtree - buried under snow

Although they do not practice organic farming, they practice sustainable farming with a focus on soil conservation (crop rotation, using manure instead of synthetic fertilizers), waste management and alternative energy projects such as solar arrays on the roof of the barn and the use of waste corn or barley in an outdoor furnace to provide heat. They do not use GMO's and their livestock are raised grazing on grass, hay and grain which is grown on site.

Romanesco cauliflower - I had never seen one of these until it showed up in the farm share back in October

What I have learned from this is that it is a great feeling to know exactly where your food is coming from and how it is being grown.

Cooking Meat and Game - Short Ribs

The butcher shop I chose to visit was Bruno's Signature in Pickering. This is where I go for most of my meat and poultry needs because they have excellent quality and service standards.


Racing against time to get there before they closed, I forgot my key

While browsing, I didn't see anything that was completely unfamiliar to me, although there were plenty of cuts that I don't cook very often. I'm sure some of the stranger cuts like pig tails may be available as well but its understandable that they wouldn't be on display. I chose between two items I rarely cook, beef shanks (which I didn't feel too inspired about) and beef short ribs (I usually go for pork back ribs). I cooked short ribs for the first time in class a few weeks ago and really enjoyed them, and with my fathers birthday approaching I figured I'd make them for his birthday dinner. Another time I would really like to experiment with making my own bacon with pork belly.


AAA short ribs

Short ribs are found mainly on the rib and plate primal cuts, but the square-cut chuck also has short ribs. I decided to buy them and find a nice braised short rib recipe, since they benefit from a long cooking time at lower temperatures. When I asked the butcher about how he would cook them he responded that he would probably cook them on a grill or barbecue. That's how I normally cook pork ribs when I have them, but with the temperature outside at -10 Celsius, that was definitely not happening. As I finished paying I made a mental note to find a really great recipe, because at $12.99/pound it would be a shame to mess them up. Given the price, I would probably sell an 8 ounce portion for $22-25 assuming a food cost of around 30 percent (It would come with side dishes as well allowing you to jack up the price a few bucks). Of course it could be more economical if you did your own butchery or had a butcher friend hook you up with a deal.


Well worth the price

When searching for my recipe I went to a book that my mother has had since before I was born. Inside Nellie Lyle Pattinson's "Canadian Cook Book" I found a recipe for Braised Short Ribs Chinois and decided to go with it.

Me with my recipe

The recipe involves marinating the ribs for 5-6 hours in a mixture of dry red wine, olive oil and lemon juice. After marinating, the ribs are to be browned in a small amount of fat in a pan and placed in an oven proof pan or dish. The pan can then be deglazed and the liquid added to the ribs along with the marinade, browned mirepoix, herbs and seasonings. It then goes into the oven at moderate heat for several hours. Once tender, the ribs can be wrapped and placed aside while adjusting the consistency and seasoning of the sauce. I also plan to make saffron pilaf, cooked green beans and carrots as a side. Any leftovers I will thinly slice, reheat in barbecue sauce and eat on a homemade bun for a nice quick snack. I expect it to take 8-10 hours from the time I begin marinating until the time I take my first bite, so a dish like this may be tricky to make in a fast paced restaurant environment. It could be done, no doubt, but it would require a lot of preparation as well as a good knowledge of your predicted number of covers and the expected sales mix.