OCTA

Toronto Beer Quest

by Noelle Munaretto

They’ll look like marathon runners with race numbers on their chest and fire in their eyes, but they’ll take off in all different directions. They’ll want to get to all the right places and end with the fastest time, but they’ll have to use their brains and smartphones in addition to their feet to have a chance to win some prizes.

Beerology and Camarderie have teamed up to host the first Toronto Beer Quest – the event has one goal: provide a fun way for Torontonians to experience beer through fun, history, and strategy. The Toronto Beer Quest is an urban adventure where teams of two solve clues about beer, photograph themselves together at the clue location, and reach the finish line to qualify for prizes.

Event details:

* Sun September 26, 2010

* Check-in at 11:00am, event starts at 12:00pm

* Tickets are $30 (earlybird – ends on Thursday, September 2nd) or $40 for a team of two participants at http://torontobeerquest1.eventbrite.com

Prizes, sponsors, and other event developments will be announced on the Toronto Beer Quest Facebook page at http://bit.ly/TorontoBeerQuest

Feast of Fields Chefs Celebrates Local Produce and Talent at this Year’s Feast of Fields Event at Cold Creek Conservation Area in King on Sept. 12

by Noelle Munaretto

Feast of Fields Chefs Celebrates Local Produce and Talent at this Year’s Feast of Fields Event at Cold Creek Conservation Area in King on September 12

Daniel Gilbert Prepares Feast of Fields Appetizer Recipe Winner’s Dish

September 1, 2010 – King Township, Ontario – Come and be a part of a truly innovative organic experience as Organic Advocates, a non-profit organization that supports organic food awareness, celebrates the 21tst Anniversary of its Feast of Fields event at the Cold Creek Conservation Area in King Township on Sunday, September 12 from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Get up close and personal with more than 40 of Greater Toronto Areas’ top and prestigious chefs including with renowned TV chefs Michael Smith and Brad Long and many high profile chefs from Southern Ontario. This event offers everyone an opportunity to learn more about organic food, sample a wide variety of organic food and drink and talk directly with local farmers, celebrity chefs, vintners and micro-brewers.

With the goal of truly being green, all Feast of Fields food will be served on vegetable leaves and other innovative serving options.  All guests, including media, will receive a complimentary 21st Anniversary recipe cook book with each Chef’s all time favourite recipes. This year presentations will be made to the first-ever winner of the Feast of Fields Appetizer Competition and to honour the donation of Feast of Fields Organic Children’s Garden at Cold Creek Conservation Area.

Date: Sunday, September 12, 2010
Time: 12:30 pm (for media) — 1 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Cold Creek Conservation Area in King Township
14125 11th Concession, Nobleton, L0G 1N0
Tickets:     $100 each, $90 for groups of 10 or more.  Tickets can be purchased on-line at          www.feastoffields.org or by calling (905) 859-3609

The Stop’s Global Roots Garden Opening

by Noelle Munaretto

On Thursday, September 2, Dr. Eric Hoskins (MPP – St. Paul’s) and Toronto City Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21 – St. Paul’s West) will join The Stop Community Centre at an open house celebrating The Stop’s new Global Roots Garden at its Wychwood Barns location.

Global Roots, created in partnership with CultureLink and with the support of Live Green Toronto, consists of seven different demonstration food gardens representing the diversity of fruit, herbs and vegetables grown by the city’s most prominent ethnic communities: Chinese, South Asian, Somalian, Italian, Latin American, Polish and Filipino. Each garden is tended by senior gardeners from the community. At the open house, visitors will be able to tour Global Roots, meet the gardeners and enjoy tasty snacks prepared with produce from the garden.

Where: Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. (at St. Clair), Barn 5

When: Thursday, September 2, 5:30 pm

Blue Mountains Apple Harvest Festival (October 9-11)

by Noelle Munaretto

There’s no better way to enjoy Thanksgiving weekend and no better place to explore the countryside, harbour towns and fall colours.

Free activites throughout the Blue Mountain area all weekend including Live Music, The Apple Pie Trail, street performers, hiking, biking, trails and gallery tours.

Events at Village at Blue

Saturday

10:30am – Columbia Guided Family Hike

1pm, 2pm & 3pm – Birds of Prey Show (Water St. Bandstand)

1pm-4pm – Lemon Pepper Pickerel Live on the Village Stage

1pm-4pm – Face Painting (Water St.)

1pm-4pm – Horse 7 Wagon Rides (Pick up at Windy O’Neill’s)

1pm-4pm – Pumpkin Carving ($5)

Sunday

10:30am – Columbia Guided Family Hike

1pm, 2pm & 3pm – Birds of Prey Show (Water St. Bandstand)

1pm-4pm – Piston Bully Live on the Village Stage

1pm-4pm – Face Painting (Water St.)

1pm-4pm – Horse 7 Wagon Rides (Pick up at Windy O’Neill’s)

1pm-4pm – Pumpkin Carving ($5)

Monday

10:30am – Columbia Guided Family Hike

1pm-4pm – Face Painting (Water St.)

1om-4pm – Jason Redman Live on the Village Stage

Taste of Blue

by Noelle Munaretto

A culinary experience of local proportions!  Tastings on 12 Restaurant Patios, Village Marketplace, Local Cider, Wine, Beer, Demonstrations and Fashion to bring you the best of Blue!  Plus live music, fall hiking and a special Apple Pie Trail kick-off.

We have two discussions happening between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. – guest author Lorraine Johnson of City Farmer:  Adventures in Urban Gardening joins us for a reading & signing; & Patrick Johnson of Apple Top Farm will be talking about organic agriculture & nutrition.

We will also have a Village market place – featuring Apple Pie Trail members – history, art, education & tastes + all Village restaurants offering ‘tastes of Blue’ paired with wine & beer.

Cooking demonstrations also happening at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; there’s a fashion show, children’s entertainment & painting ‘apple’ art supplied by Matilda Swanson Gallery.

Savour Elgin a Success!

by Noelle Munaretto

Residents and visitors of St. Thomas, Ont. experienced a fabulous sun-soaked evening of local food and wine at the Savour Elgin event last Thursday.

Held in the city’s historic train station, the event had restaurants, wineries and local food-supporting organizations set up tables to showcase their tasty treats.

Guests were given the chance to explore the culinary offerings available in their own region while listening to great live music and watching outdoor cooking demonstrations.

Crowd-pleasers included the deliciously thick and molasses-y baked Ferguson’s Fancy Beans served alongside fried local perch, tastings from Florence Estate Winery and Pelee Island Winery, Garlics of London’s balsamic glazed hot smoked Ontario pork sausage, and rich pound cake smothered in ripe peaches from local growers.

Even Local Food Plus was on hand to do its famous tomato tasting, where guests had to choose which tomato salad was made with locally-grown tomatoes and which salad was made with the non-seasonal kind.

Another fabulous addition to the evening was the folks from The Arts & Cookery Bank in St. Thomas. Click on their link to learn all about the cooking classes and other inspirational educational programming they host in this historic heritage barn.

Above all, definitely take the time to check out Elgin County and St. Thomas for yourself this fall.

Your tastebuds will thank you!

Pastrami and Pinot at Beast

by Noelle Munaretto

Hello,

Come and join us at Beast this Saturday August 28th for our “Pastrami and Pinot” celebration.  The last Saturday of every month we will have an all day food and drink promo for $20.  This Saturday we will be serving our new and improved Pastrami sandwich along with a mixed green salad, home made pickles, home made mustard and a glass of Fielding Pinot Gris for only $20.  We will start serving at 11am and will run this deal until we close Saturday night.

We hope to see you tomorrow,

Beast Restaurant

FoodShare is Hiring for Two Positions

by Noelle Munaretto

FoodShare Toronto is looking for:

1) a full-time front office ambassador and volunteer facilitator

2) a full-time communications coordinator

For more information on these two positions, including how to apply, follow the jump…

Deadline for all applications: Friday, September 17, 2010, 5pm.

Anticipated start date: Monday, October 4, 2010

Individually quick frozen Ontario fruit needed

by Noelle Munaretto

Greetings Friends,

I  am looking to purchase IQF (individually quick frozen) ONTARIO fruit or, at minimum, fresh fruit + processors who can IQF it.

I need approx. 3,500 pounds of each of the following:

• raspberries
• blackberries
• gooseberries
• black currants
• red currants

Please feel free to send this request to anyone who may be able to supply.

They can send me an email at my address: b.shopland@sympatico.ca

Many thanks,

Barb Shopland

(905) 444-9500

Wellington Rural Romp

by Noelle Munaretto

Do you wonder what sheep like to do in their spare time?  Ever considered what a community Supported Agriculture program is all about, or what about how honey is made?  The Wellington Rural Romp is your chance to get up close to your food.  This event is all about learning about agriculture, meeting the people that grow your food.  At each location you will find farmers that are passionate about bringing healthy food to you.

Fill out a ballot at each location you visit for your chance to win some valuable prizes including gift certificates from local restaurants, farms and retail stores.  You can find all the details about the Wellington Rural Romp on the 2010 paper copy of the Guelph Wellington Local Food Map.

To have a map mailed to you call 1-800-334-4519. Map are also available at Guelph and Wellington Public Libraries, Tourism Outlets and Select Retail Locations. Each location on the Rural Romp route will also have maps available.

To find out more information about the Wellington Rural Romp call 519-821-6638 ex 335 or email info@guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca.

Wellington Rural Romp Trip Tips:

Make sure to bring a cooler to keep food you purchase along the romp fresh and safe.

Bring cash along – many locations only accept cash.

Leave your pets at home. Many farms do not allow pets on their property.

There are some places where you will have the chance to get dirty so be prepared.

Event occurs rain or shine so bring plenty of layers and a raincoat.

Take your camera. Further details about the photo contest will be released soon!

Directional signage is located along the romp to help you find your way