2012 Trends in Food

Manitouland Island, Ontario Wild Fish
Among a number of articles I've been reading on trends in food, one main theme I found was thrift.  This includes everything from pickling anything; grill cheese, casual dining and sharing plates. Some of the other trends that stood out to me included are smoked fish and doughnuts.
Cultural trends of 2011 that may be continuing on in 2012 included Nordic, Peruvian, Portuguese and Moroccan.   We will continue 2012 with a rise in offbeat grains.
"Exotic Fish We're not talking about raiding your tropical fish tank, but as concerns about overfishing of traditionally appreciated varieties continue, and industry players learn more about which fish are most successfully farmed, you may start seeing lesser-known fish - wild and otherwise - in your local fish market and on menus. Paiche, fugu, and toadfish for everyone!"
Another dinning trend that began in NCY is the communal tables in restaurants; I love this and have seen them in restaurants in Toronto.
Bacon seems to be another trend that is popping up in every dish whether it be sweet or savory or even in a cocktail.
For drinks we can say for sure that bars will be focusing on domestically sourced spirits.  As well Gin and some barrel aged liquors.
Can't wait to see what else 2012 has in store!

Cook Alongside Gourmet Chef January 28

For the week of January 23 to January 27, make sure you book your Family Harvest Bin.  We will be having chef John Black of J&S Catering cook a 4 course gourmet dinner designed by this week's harvest bin.  The dinner will take place Friday January 27 and posted on YouTube and our Facebook page Saturday January 28 in time for you to cook alongside for your Saturday dinner.  There will be a vegetarian option as well as meat for the main.  We will let you know the main Friday January 20 for you to add it to your bin for the following week.  John studied Culinary arts from George Brown College, in addition to being co-owner and founder of J&S Catering he is also chef at Glen Abbey.  We welcome you to join us online for a night of good organic cooking!  Please contact the office if you would like to pre-book the ingredients for your Saturday dinner.

Turnip Relish

Turnips - 3 large, grated (about 5 cups)
Onion - 1 medium, grated
Salt - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Prepared horseradish - 2 tblsp
Sugar - 3 to 4 tblsp
Fresh Parsley—1/2 cup chopped
Cayenne pepper - dash
Directions
1) In a bowl, combine the grated turnips and onions together and parsley.
2) In another bowl, mix the salt, vinegar, prepared horseradish, sugar and cayenne pepper together.
3) Pour over the vegetable mixture; blend thoroughly.
4) Refrigerate the 5 1/2 cups relish, until chilled.
SERVING
5) Use the Turnip Relish as required on meats, sandwiches or just about anything

Green Earth Organics Holiday Closure

In order to provide our staff with some holiday time, GEO will be closed December 24 through January 1 and will reopen as usual Monday January 2.
Regardless of your delivery day, if you have a delivery scheduled for the week of December 19, we ask that all holds, cancels, substitutions or additions to your order be made no later than Monday December 19 by 9am.

What this means for your delivery schedule;
If you have a delivery scheduled the week of December 19


If you are on a 2 week delivery schedule and your last delivery is scheduled for the week of December 19, your next delivery will be the week of January 2.
If you are on a 2 week delivery schedule and your last delivery was the week of December 12, your next delivery will be the week of January 9.

PRE-AUTHORIZED PAYMENTS (BANK DEBITS) will take place Wednesday December 21, rather then Thursday December 22.

We wish you all a safe and happy holidays and all the best in the New Year!

Thai Tofu Noodle Soup with Lemongrass (Vegan/Gluten-free)

Ingredients:
8-10 oz. dried rice noodes, linguini-width
1-2 stalks minced lemongrass , OR
4 Tsp. dried lemongrass
4-6 cups vegetable
1 thumb-size piece of ginger, thinly s
liced into matchstick pieces
1/2 package medium slice tofu into cubes
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
including stems
1-2 cups cabbage or bok choy, chopped into bite-size pieces
1-2 carrots, sliced
4 Tbsp. soy sauce OR wheat-free soy sauce (or use 3 Tbsp. fish sauce + 1 Tbsp. soy sauce if non-veg.)
1/2 can good-quality coconut milk
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Optional: fresh-cut chilies OR chili sauce, to taste
1-2 carrots, sliced
Preparation:
1. cook noodles acording to package directions. Allow the noodles to soften while you prepare the soup.
2. Place stock in a soup pot together with lemongrass (include left-over stalk pieces if using fresh), plus ginger, whole lime leaves, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer while you chop up and add the remaining vegetables. Simmer until vegetables have softened but are still bright in color (about 5 minutes).
3. Reduce heat to minimum and add the coconut milk, stirring to dissolve. Finally, add the tofu, gently stirring so it doesn't fall apart.
4. Add the soy sauce. If you prefer your soup spicy, add some fresh-cut chilies OR 1-2 tsp. chili sauce - or simply serve it on the side. Do a taste test, adding more soy sauce if not salty enough. If you find the soup too salty (this depends on how salty your broth was to start with), add 1 to 2 Tbsp. lime juice. If too sour for your taste, add 1 tsp. sugar.
5. Check rice noodles to make sure they have softened enough to eat (they should be 'al dente'). Drain the noodles and portion out into bowls. Pour several ladles of soup over each bowl of noodles. Sprinkle over fresh basil, and serve with chili sauce on the side, if desired - either store-bought or my own homemade Thai Chili Sauce (Nam Prik Pao) for an extra kick of flavor and spice. ENJOY!