And the Winter Sadness Begins....

Sigh.....

So Southwestern Ontario had its first frost last week.... This means the end to a lot of crops in the area. I spoke to one farmer at the market last week and she said that the frost killed everything they had left on their fields. They still had some broccoli to sell that day but it was pretty well the remains of what they had stored beforehand. It's the same sad story for the peppers as well.

I knew this day would come....but I'm still sad about it. Luckily, I did manage to blanch and freeze a few bags of broccoli, green beans, corn, and peas. I also have some bags of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches. I did can a few things but hope to do more of that next year--this year is simply an experiment to see what works and what doesn't.

Although I am sad I am also excited about the local foods that can be found around here even in the dead of winter. We'll be eating a ton of carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, cabbage, greenhouse cucumbers/tomatoes/peppers, and lots of apples. Oh...and mushrooms!
wow...that's actually a lot of food! And, although the outdoor Covent Garden Market and the Masonville market are closed as of October 31st, the Trails End Market remains open year round!

Here's a link to Foodland Ontario's seasonal eating guide--I was surprised to see how many foods were available between November and April!: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/availability.html

It'll be a challenge I'm sure but I think I can do it. The only produce that I still buy at the grocery store are bananas, oranges, and sometimes a pineapple. I will continue with this trend over the winter but I will add celery to that list. Soup just isn't soup without celery!

Here is a video that really hits home with the reasons why eating locally is so important. I've had it forwarded to me a few times actually because everyone who knows me knew that I would love this one. Let me know what you think!

Hellmann?s - It?s Time for Real from CRUSH on Vimeo.

Stay tuned! I'm sure I'll have some creative recipes coming for the next few months! I also plan on visiting a dairy farm and making an effort to find local meats as well.