Local is the New Black

Editor’s Note: A big part of why local-is-the-new-black.com was founded was to share my love of eating. This includes tasting treats at local markets, cooking gourmet meals with the family, fine dining  at restaurants or just pigging out with girlfriends on the couch.

As a foodie, I’ve cultivated a bit of a gourmet palette, something that has become both a blessing and a curse.  It’s a blessing because I make a point to eat truly delicious food often, but a curse because instead of sleeping, I’m working off the night before at the gym!  Overtime though I have perfected this gourmet eating habit of mine, and started creating meals that taste indulgent but are in fact quite diet-friendly.

Although I like the thought of a kitchen large enough to feed my readers some of these favourite dishes, I’ve decided instead to start up a weekly recipe blog titled: “Sexy Foodie: Skinny and Seasonal Recipes for the Occasional Cheater.” Once a week, the blog will take a look at what I’m cooking, using all local ingredients.  The recipes are created for a healthy lifestyle, and while will taste indulgent, will actually be light enough to suit most diet plans. After all if we’re going to bring the sexy back to Toronto’s culinary scene, us foodies need to be lookin’ good!

Sexy Foodie

Skinny and Seasonal Recipes for the Occasional Cheater

Recipe 1: Foxy Fish Fry

All ingredients were purchased at The Big Carrot, 348 Danforth Ave., Toronto.

Nothing says T.G.I.F. to me quite like a fish fry! Some great places in Toronto to sample this greasy catch are Fridays at Chippy’s, The Wheat Sheaf, Harbord Fish and Chips or The Drake Hotel.

While, a fish fry, may be a favourite end-of-the-work-week pig-out meal,  Torontonians like myself looking to indulge in this classic, fatty dish are also looking at a belt-busting blow to their diet all week.

The alternative? Pop over to your local organic market after work, pick up some fresh Ontario veggies, and fresh or frozen wild atlantic salmon (a healthier fish choice thanks to Omega-3s) and make a skinny and seasonal “fish fry” yourself!

For those looking to enjoy a fish fry while still keeping their belt hook in the same loop, I have come up with a recipe of my own. In place of breaded and beer battered fish, french fries and creamed spinach, we’ll be making panko-crusted salmon, baked sweet potato fries and braised garlicky escarole.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Braised Garlicky Escarole

1 large head of fresh escarole

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

1/2 lemon, cut in thin slices

2 cups chicken or fish stock

Pinch sugar

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Panko-Crusted Salmon

1 8 oz. wild Atlantic salmon fillet

1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped green onion

½ tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ tablespoons dry vermouth

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Cover a baking sheet with 2 pieces of aluminum foil on each side.

In a small bowl combine the horseradish, green onions, lemon zest, mustard, dry vermouth and 2 tablespoons of garlic. When it is evenly combined, add the bread crumbs and toss them gently. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the crumb mixture and stir lightly. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Place the sweet potato strips in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper mixed at the bottom. Work the strips through the mixture to coat each strip evenly. Spread the sweet potato strips out onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes with spatula.

After putting the potato strips in the oven, rinse the escarole, shake the leaves dry, stack them up, and slice the larger leaves crosswise into ribbons about 1 1/2-inches wide. Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lemon slices; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, tossing to combine. Nestle the escarole into the pan and saute until it begins to wilt and shrink down, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the escarole with a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until the escarole is tender.

After the potato strips have been in the oven for 15 minutes, season the salmon fillet with salt and pepper then heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, sear the salmon fillet, topside down, for 2 to 3 minutes. Spread the panko mixture over the top of the fish creating an even layer 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Bake the salmon on the second piece of tin foil, opposite from the potato strips, on the same baking sheet. Roast the salmon until the crust is golden brown and fish is just firm, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Last season, on November 9, 2009,Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) made like harvest and gathered together some of Ontario’s most vital farmers, distributors and producers for a feast of the foodie minds – the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance Summit.

The event began with a discussion between three titans of culinary tourism, Jason Parsons, Head Chef, Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, Arlene Stein, Director of Events at Hart House and Mike Whittamore, Producer, Whittamore Farms.  The lively debate, moderated by Kevin Brauch, host of The Food Network’s “The Thirsty Traveller,” moved down a food chain of topics relevant to culinary arts activists.

One major topic served up was the importance of relationship building between local farmers and chefs – a key connection to improving the quality of food served in Toronto.

Local growers should feel confident in their expertise and extend offers to educate chefs on the quality of their crops.

“Chefs are like rock stars now,” said Brauch, noting the rising status of those behind some of the city’s most revered restaurants.

But despite an intimidating status, “It’s important for farmers to face the fear and knock on the kitchen door of restaurants and get chefs to taste their produce,” said chef Parsons.

Basically when it comes to initiating culinary tourism, the real ‘rock star’ should always be the food. And according to one of best in Ontario growing it, Mike Whittamore, it is.

“Ontario has some of the best soils in the world,” said Whittamore, “and that means our province also grows some of the best crops.”

According to research by Local Food Plus (LFP) a non-profit organization working to build a market for local sustainable food, 79 per cent of Central Ontarians recognize this and prefer to buy locally grown food.

“The driving force behind this preference is both the anxiety of bioterrorism and the desire to buy good food with a good story attached – people like to support hometown heroes of the culinary world,” said Rebecca LeHeup, Executive Director of OCTA .

Next to the stage was the Ontario Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky, who rallied the crowd towards measures for agricultural success.  “When agriculturalists innovate, that’s when culinary tourism get an edge,” said Dombrowsky.

The Minister stressed the importance of the culinary arts community not resting on their laurels. She also stated that a profitable future for Ontario farmers requires producers to stay ahead of culinary trends. By tailoring crops to chef requests, using the most advanced and environmentally safe farming methods, and expanding their customer reach, farmers can start putting more forks in their produce.

OCTA started that trend at lunchtime, by inviting all guests to a meet and greet lunch hosted by Green Belt Canada.  Attendees were treated to lunch supplied by local chefs and farmers, as well as a room full of Ontario food samples. Hungry for both snacks and opportunity, fresh produce and business cards were handed around like hors d’oeuvres.  The meet and greet was a excellent way for local-minded guests to network and exchange tasty treats and tips.

For the afternoon portion, the crowd was led back into the conference to learn about “Mapping a Culinary Destination,” three representatives from emerging culinary destinations were given the floor to discuss their plans, successes and challenges for putting their regions on the foodie map. Rebecca LeHeup moderated the discussion between Danielle Broadhagen of Savour Stratford, Kerri King of Durham Tourism, and  Jaimi Ruoho-Long of  Peterborough and Kawartha Tourism.

After a lively chat regarding issues surrounding the local food movement, the representatives counted down a top ten list of solutions:

1. Create local food ‘clusters’ in your region
2. Work closely with growers associations’ agricultural action committees
3. Support and fund local initiative that links farmers to consumers
4. Educate consumers and food service providers about how to use and source local products
5. Advocate for a Local Food and Farming Act
6. Advocate for a Local Food Procurement Policy
7. Encourage regional farming strategies
8. Compile regional food action plans
9. Establish agricultural enterprise zones
10. Initiate multi-sector food and farming councils

The last talk of the day was given by communications expert Barry Martin of Hypnotic. Martin laid out a recipe for success through social media. He discussed how a local farmer and/or producer can cook up business by becoming a dynamic presence on online culinary communities. Martin suggested the regular use of Twitter, writing a personal blog and expanding contacts online as vital ways to help local foodies stay connected.

Finally, the OCTA Summit closed out with a Taste of Ontario Reception and a pairing of the day’s stew of helpful information with some award-winning VQA wines.

The main dish of the day was certainly the theme of “farm to table” cuisine.  But like any great meal, there must be several courses served up in order. The first step for Ontario farmers and producers to promote the “farm to table” movement is taking their local goods out on the town. Promoting local edibles to busy shops and restaurants, respected chefs, and popular urban spaces is a sure-fire way to make local cuisine the hottest plate around.

After all, it only takes an amuse bouche of local produce, before the rest of the world becomes hungry for Ontario’s culinary arts.