Jennifer Heagle and Jo-Ann Laverty of the Red Apron supplies meals to its clients that are entirely made from local ingredients.
Two Thursdays ago, 200 people sat down in their Ottawa homes to the same meal: beef brisket in a sweet-and-sour sauce, barley risotto studded with mushrooms and pieces of pumpkin, saut?ed fresh peppers and rainbow-coloured carrots, herb biscuits and spice cake with a plum nestled in each piece.
What was remarkable was not that so many people were eating the same thing. The Red Apron pulls off that minor miracle every week, delivering ready-to-heat meals to dozens of Ottawa homes each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
What set this meal ? and the five previous ones sent out by the Red Apron ? apart is that all of the main ingredients that made up the meal were from within 100 miles of Ottawa. Even the roasted tomatoes, cider vinegar and maple syrup in the sweet-and-sour sauce. Even the lard in the biscuits. Even the barley in the risotto.
Each autumn for the last four years, the Red Apron has devoted its home-delivery menus to 100-mile meals for a two-week period. This year, that added up to 1,200 delicious meals made entirely from local ingredients ? a sort of culinary challenge they set for themselves as well as a celebration of the local harvest.
?Each year when we take on this challenge, we learn from the experience,? says Jennifer Heagle, who owns Gladstone-Avenue-based the Red Apron with Jo-Ann Laverty. ?You might think that for a business like ours, this would be an easy ? but it?s actually quite difficult.
?As a rule, our business strives to source as locally as possible. The 100-mile challenge is really to show us and the people we feed how much still comes from afar. We serve no rice for two weeks. No balsamic vinegar. No olive oil. No lemons.?
Heagle and Laverty say it costs them 25 per cent more to use local ingredients, and it also increases their workload by about 25 per cent when their menu relies entirely on local ingredients. Instead of cooking store-bought pasta, for example, Laverty stayed up late with the crew one night to make perogies by hand, using local flours ? then had to remake the entire 200-serving batch when the pieces of dough, made with unfamiliar flour, stuck together. Instead of including ready-made bread, they made bread and biscuits themselves, to ensure that all the ingredients were 100-mile. They even made fermented dill pickles a month earlier to include with the meal.
But the women say it?s worth it.
?It forces us to go outside our comfort zone,? says Heagle. ?We find new sources and develop new relationships. We always come out of it with some things we would never do again, but also with some discoveries we will continue to use.?
While potentially contaminated beef from a big processor is being recalled, Heagle and Laverty have absolute faith in the products they use, because they know every farm and farmer from whom they buy meat ? as well as cheese, honey, maple products and fruit and vegetables. Four times a year, they even take their customers on a field trip, by bus, so they can see some of the places their food comes from and meet the farmers.
?People were just mesmerized,? says Laverty. ?It completes the circle between food that people eat and the community they live in.?
The Red Apron now buys products from 40 different area farmers. The recent two weeks of 100-mile meals drew on the produce, grains and meat from about a dozen local farmers.
?We want to eat food from people we trust,? says Heagle. ?For us, it?s become easier because those relationships have expanded over the last five years.?
Laverty adds that when they visit local markets, they are constantly making new discoveries. ?There seems to be all sorts of new products that have come out over the last year or two.?
The great thing for the rest of us is that Heagle and Laverty have done the legwork, have helped make some of the farms successful (?a lot of our farmers say we?re their single largest client,? says Heagle), and are willing to share both their sources and their recipes, adapted to home kitchens. (They did not cook their briskets to serve 200 in slow cookers, for example, but think this would be an excellent method for the home cook.)
Here?s the menu and some of the recipes for their ?100-Mile Finale,? served on the final evening of the two-week challenge, as well as the list of producers and where you can buy the ingredients.
100-Mile Menu for Ottawa in Autumn
Sweet & Sour BBQ Fitzroy Beef Brisket
Local Barley Risotto with Pumpkin and Le Coprin Mushrooms
Saut? of Farmstand Vegetables
House-made Fermented Pickles
Herbed Biscuits
Warner?s Farm Plum Spiced Cake
Sources for the Red Apron?s 100-Mile finale meal:
Fitzroy Beef Farmers: Find brisket and other cuts of local beef at Ottawa Farmers? Market at Brewer Park on Sundays. You can also order online or by phone and pick up your order at Brewer Park or at the farm gate near Fitzroy Harbour. (Once the market is over for the winter, deliveries will be made to several spots in the city every two weeks; see fitzroybeeffarmers.com or call 613-608-8869 for details.)
Le Coprin Mushrooms: Find a selection of fresh local mushrooms at Herb & Spice, 1310 Wellington St. West; Byward Fruit Market, 36 ByWard Market; Il Negozio (Bank Street at Third Avenue); Juniper Farm?s farmgate (see below); Wakefield farmers? market on Saturdays; and through marcheoutaouais.com (an online virtual market with drop-offs once a week in downtown Hull.)
Castor River Farm: Find its barley and other grains and flours at its stand at Ottawa Farmers? Market at Brewer Park on Sundays or visit the farm and retail store near Metcalfe (see castorriverfarm.ca for directions and hours.)
Juniper Farm: You can buy its farmstand vegetables (changes week to week), eggs and a range of other local products at their farm store near Wakefield Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 7 p.m. They also sell at the Old Chelsea farmers? market (last day this season is Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and through ?fall root shares? with drop offs in Ottawa. See juniperfarm.ca.
Songberry Farm: Find pumpkins and other produce from this Bristol, Que., organic farm at the Herb & Spice store at 375 Bank St. or through Life Organic, an Ottawa company that delivers boxes of organic food (lifeorganic.ca).
CIPM: Find spelt and Red Fife wheat from this farm near Stirling, Ont., at Rainbow Natural Foods on Richmond Road; The Wheat Berry on Main Street; Natural Food Pantry (three locations); Pantry Plus in Orl?ans; Sol Epicerie Sant? in Aylmer; La Bo?te ? Grains in Gatineau, Foodsmiths in Perth and online at ottawaorganics.com.
Warner?s Farm: Warner?s Farm, near Beamsville, is farther than 100 miles, but is one of the closest sources to Ottawa for fruits such as cherries, peaches and plums. Find purple Verity plums for the cupcakes at Warner?s stand at Ottawa Farmer?s Market at Brewer Park Sunday.
Hall?s Apple Market: Find apples, apple cider and apple-cider vinegar at Hall?s stand at Ottawa Farmer?s Market at Westboro on Saturdays and Brewer Park on Sundays.
Alska Maple: Find Alska maple syrup at the Red Apron, 564 Gladstone Ave., as well as several other area food stores including Herb & Spice, 1310 Wellington St. West, and Juniper Farm?s store (see above).
Crerar?s Honey: Visit Crerar?s Honey in Vernon, about 20 minutes south of Hunt Club Road, or find the honey at the Red Apron, 564 Gladstone Ave., or dozens of other area food stores (see crerarshoney.com for a list).
Local cooking oils: The Red Apron carries Les Saveurs d?Elgin canola and Les Huiles D?Am?rique sunflower oil, both from this side of Montreal. You can also order Les Huiles D?Am?rique sunflower oil from aylmerbackyardfarms@gmail.com.
Sweet & Sour Barbecue Fitzroy Beef Brisket
Makes: 4-6 servings
2 onions, finely diced
4 lbs (about 2 kg) beef brisket
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (250 mL) barbecue sauce (see recipe below or substitute any good quality sauce)
1 cup (250 mL) water
1. Place the onions in bottom of the slow cooker. Add brisket, fat side up, on top of onions. Sprinkle brisket with salt and pepper to taste. Add the barbecue sauce and water, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or until tender.
2. Remove, slice and return to sauce.
Red Apron 100-Mile Barbecue Sauce
Makes: 6 cups (1.5 L)
2 onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 mL) pur?ed roasted whole tomatoes, or canned plum tomatoes
? cup (125 mL) tomato paste
? cup (125 mL) water
? cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar
? cup (125 mL) maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Adjust sweet or sour to your liking.
2. Pur?e with a hand blender or in a food processor.
Local Barley Risotto with Pumpkin & Le Coprin Mushrooms
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
1? cups (375 mL) pot barley
4 1/2 cups (1.125 L) chicken stock, vegetable stock or water (reserve 1 cup/250 mL)
1 bay leaf
1 small pie pumpkin, peeled and diced
2 tbsp (25 mL) local canola or sunflower oil
1/2 lb (225 g) assorted fresh mushrooms (such as oyster, button, shiitake), sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp (4 mL) dried
1. Cover barley with water or stock in a medium size saucepan. Reserve 1 cup (250 mL) of broth for finishing. Add bay leaf, season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender. Add more water if necessary.
2. Cover diced pumpkin with water in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer until tender. Drain and cool.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high and saut? mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic and saut? until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, cooked pumpkin, cooked barley and remaining stock. Simmer for a few minutes, allowing the remaining stock to evaporate. Toss in mushrooms and cook until warmed through.
(If you?re not making this as a 100-mile dish, for added decadence and flavour you can stir in ? cup (125 mL) heavy cream and ? cup (125 mL) grated Parmigiano Reggiano.)
Spoon the risotto into bowls and serve immediately.
Herbed Biscuits
Makes: 8 to 10 large biscuits
2 cups (500 mL) flour (the Red Apron used a 50/50 blend of Red Fife and organic spelt)
3 tsp (15 mL) baking powder
? tsp (2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (75 mL) cold lard or shortening, cubed
2 tbsp (25 mL) cold butter, cubed
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage all work well)
? cup (175 mL) milk
1. Sift dry ingredients together. Work in lard and butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the dough is the size of peas. Add fresh herbs and stir in the milk until just combined. The dough should be quite dry and dense.
2. Roll out immediately but lightly to 1.5 inch (4-cm) thick and cut into squares, triangles, or circles using a biscuit cutter. Transfer to a tray and freeze for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
4. Bake biscuits 15 minutes until golden.
Warner Plum Spice Cupcakes
Makes about 30 cupcakes
15 Damsen or Verity plums
2 cups (500 mL) soft butter
1 cup (250 mL) maple sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (500 mL) sour cream
4 cups (1 L) flour (the Red Apron used a 50/50 blend of Red Fife and organic spelt)
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
About 2/3 cup (150 mL) maple sugar (for sprinking on top)
1. Prepare the plums by slicing through the middle, separating into two, and removing the pit.
2. Cream the butter and maple sugar together in mixer; blend in eggs and sour cream.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Add dry sifted ingredients to creamed mixture until incorporated.
4. Use an ice-cream scoop to portion batter into muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.
5. Press a half of a plum, cut side up, into the batter in each cup before baking. Sprinkle the plum with a teaspoon of maple sugar.
6. Bake at 325 F (160 C) for 15 minutes. Rotate cupcakes in oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Source: http://www.ottawacitizenstyle.com/category/food-and-drink/embracing-the-locavore-challenge/
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