Dispelling nutrition myths, ranting, and occasionally, raving

Tag Archives: local food


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Follow Friday: @mysoilmate

Soil Mate

Soil Mate is a relatively new website, started by Matt Gomez of Kelowna, BC, to help connect consumers with local farms and farmers’ markets across Canada and the US. It’s as simple as visiting the site and allowing it to use your address. Up pops a list of locations for purchasing local food (or wine) from farmers  across your province or state. You can specify the search options to only show organic, vegetables, CSAs, etc. It’s a great way to discover local food in your area.

If you’re a farmer and want to have your farm added to the site you can contact them to do so.

I hesitate to tell you this because I want to win, but they’re currently running a contest to win a year’s worth of local produce. Details are on the site.

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Follow Friday: @rightbread

Promo Pic #2

On occasion, I receive emails from people asking me to advertise on my blog or to write about such and such. Generally I ignore those messages as I use this site to write about what I want to write about. I got an email a little while ago from a gentleman, asking me if I would tell my readers about a new bread they’re working on getting to market. I took a while to respond, then a while to look at the information he sent, and then a little while longer to actually write this post. Don’t worry, I’m not getting anything in return for writing this post. Not even a free loaf of bread, which, unfortunately, means that I can’t vouch for its deliciousness.

Despite my lack of experience with Rightbread, I figured that it was a venture worth telling you about. It’s a joint initiative between Halifax (yay! Local!) and Toronto to create a nutritious, vegan, gluten-free bread. It sure sounds like good stuff: 97.5 calories (per slice), 3.9 g fat, 9 g carbs, 5.1 g fibre, 5.1g protein. The only downside is 237 mg of sodium per slice. The key ingredients include: chia seeds, soy bean flour, psyllium husks, and ground almonds. And it’s sweetened with maple syrup!


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Cabbage

Cabbage is one of those underrated foods. It’s relatively inexpensive, healthy, and tasty, yet many people never consider using it outside of coleslaw.

There are many different varieties of cabbage. There’s the standard green cabbage, red cabbage (which is really more purple in hue), napa cabbage, savoy cabbage… Try switching them up if you don’t like the flavour of one variety. I find napa cabbage to be more tender and milder in flavour than standard green cabbage.

One cup of shredded, regular green cabbage, contains only 18 calories, 1.3 grams of fibre, 30 mg of calcium, 126 mg of potassium, and 32 mcg of folate.

Cabbage has a great shelf-life and is one of the few vegetables that you can purchase locally grown pretty much year-round. Once purchased, it will keep in a moisture-proof bag in the fridge for several weeks. Winter cabbages can also be stored in cool dark places like root cellars.

Try adding cabbage to soups, stir-fries, salads, and casseroles.

I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks easy, delicious, and healthy: Cabbage, Potato, Carrot, and Tomato Stew. I might try adding some lentils just to bump up the protein and satiety factors.

 


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Follow Friday: Farmers Markets Canada

I was thinking that I would continue on with the theme of local food for today’s Follow Friday but I was struggling with what/where to write about. Should I write about something back home in Nova Scotia? But I’m back in Ontario for a stint so maybe I should write about something here? Compromise: Farmers Markets Canada will connect you with farmers’ markets in whatever province you reside. It’s a great time of year to enjoy local food and with many of the dry conditions we’ve been experiencing this summer, farmers need all the support they can get. They also have a list of “related links” on their website that provides links to farmers’ markets in the US, among other things.


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Food Day Canada

I find that all too often I learn about special events after they’ve already taken place. That’s why I thought I would write about Food Day Canada today, despite the fact that it’s taking place on Saturday. It takes place on the first Saturday in August each year and is intended to be a celebration of food (and all those who produce and prepare our food) across Canada. Restaurants and communities across the country will be celebrating Food Day Canada. To see what’s going on in your area visit their website. Despite our lack of national cuisine we have many delicious foods. From fresh vegetables and fruits to legumes, cheeses, and seafood.

This Food Day why don’t you take the time to indulge in some delicious local food and to thank the people who were involved in getting it from the ground to your mouth.