The Spirit of All Nations.
To be honest, I’m not sure where my appreciation for fennel came from. I was never really a fan of anise or black licorice flavoured candies as a kid. But once I started cooking in professional kitchens I quickly grew a fondness for its slightly sweet anise flavour. Not only does it have a diverse range of culinary uses, it also has a long list of medicinal qualities like helping with digestive and respiratory ailments.
This week I had the pleasure of helping plan a menu and facilitating an interactive workshop for the Tsya:ta nihati tehotinonnyahkwenh (Star Dancers) Summer Camp.…
Hard work and patience have finally come to fruition with the harvest of our first crop; garlic. I am currently feeling a sense of accomplishment…
There is a particular leafy green that always catches my girlfriend’s eye at the Farmers Market. She usually lets out an excited shriek and claps…
It’s that time of year when local sweet corn starts showing up at farmers markets and grocery stores. I have always been excited to throw a cob in a pot of boiling water and enjoy it with salt and butter. I was never really into eating it off the grill with a nice char until a few years ago.
Found Friendship in the Weeds By Joe Farrell Over the last month, I have been so fortunate to cook with a buddy whom I hired…
Each time I have the opportunity to cook with youth, my own understanding of the culinary trade and craft strengthens. It improves my ability to…
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of going to pow-wows with my family in Manitoulin. Attending the Wikwemikong Annual Cultural Festival pow-wow and dancing with my mother and sisters are youth summer memories that I hold dear. At a young age the beat of the drums struck right to my core, pulsing straight to my heart.
The reality of the season and summer farm life has finally set in. There is always something to do and never enough hours in the…
Strawberry season is upon us. It is a wonderful time of year that needs no introduction.
Growing up in the suburban wasteland of Mississauga my connection to farm life was limited to class trips and the odd family visit to a farm. When I was five, I distinctly remember the whole community gathering to watch the last standing barn burn down in our subdivision. I recently learned that the only farm operating in Mississauga will be harvesting for the last time this year.
This past weekend I was invited to speak at the local March Against Monsanto. From farmers, to students, to politicians, each speaker shared compelling reasons…
Feeding community first is a statement that resonates with me and will be a thought I will continue to explore. To me, it is the responsibility we all have to care for and provide for our immediate community and the communities we are connected to. I will be planting with this intention this year.
Among the many things I love about spring are the things I find at the local market. I was fortunate to find the first fiddleheads of the season at Marche Jean Talon last week on my trip to Montreal. Fiddleheads are the furled fronds of a young fern. They have a unique texture and taste similar to asparagus.
Honoring and giving gratitude to all the mothers in our lives is a daily consideration. Mother’s Day is an opportunity to take time out of…
