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That was the mantra at the first annual Brewer's Plate held in Toronto last Friday night. They purposefully set the dinner in April to prove without a doubt that you can eat local meat and produce and drink local beer even at the end of a long, snowy Ontario winter.
Everybody was in a festive mood and there were plenty of people from local organizations such as Green Enterprise Toronto, Food Share and Local Food Plus to talk to. While the chefs were getting the main course ready, we had little taste treats from local food producers. My favourites were some delicious spicy walnuts from Daily Apple, little hot dogs from Prince Edward County and the pickled fiddleheads from Forbes Wild Foods. I've been a fan of Forbes wild pickles and jams for years. I don't know of anyone else who makes pickled spruce tips, pickled milkweed pods and balsam jelly. Their product list sounds like it came straight out of Roughing it in the Bush by the 19th century settler to Canada, Susannah Moodie.For the main course, patrons roamed from table to table picking up plates of amazing food. My absolute favourite was the Ontario Pickerel and Frites with Cole Slaw and Wild Leek Tartar Sauce by chef Jamie Kennedy who is well known in Toronto for his interest in environmental issues as well as for his fabulous cooking. Also excellent were the 'Oreo' of Northern Woods Mushrooms with Jerusalem artichokes and walnuts by Deron Engbers of Veritas Restaurant, the traditional pulled Pork and Beans by Mark Cutrara of Cowbell Restaurant and the Potato and Onion Galette topped with Monforte's Smoked Sheep's Milk Cheddar by Marc Breton of the Gladstone Hotel.
It's such a great thing to see the local food movement pick up steam. Now that the growing season is upon us, see if you have a network such as this in your community and support your own food producers.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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