I’d Tap That: A Beginner’s Guide to Making Your Own Maple Syrup
Mon, 22/02/10 – 1:59 | No Comment

It’s mid-February and the only thing that keeps a Canadian like me from opening a vein this time of year is the thought of thawing snow, plants beginning to grow, song birds returning and budding leaves on the trees. Even before we can start seed in the greenhouse or prepare the soil for Spring planting out at the farm, we can enjoy the first glorious days of relative warmth and participate in a local culinary tradition that predates European settlement of this harsh, cold landscape. All ‘syrup-suckers’, as Stephen Colbert affectionately refers to us Canadians, really should give the process of making Maple syrup a try at least once. When the Enns family offered up for tapping their 25 acres of virgin sugar bush in New Hamburg, Ontario that is exactly what I intended to do for the very first time.

Read the full story »
More posts from this section »
More posts from this section »
The Farm

Observations and lessons from Soiled Reputation, an organic farm in Sebringville, Ontario and other local food producers.

The Festival

An insider’s look at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and other area theatre, arts and cultural activities.

The Flop

On my continuing obsession with making something from nothing. Can Derek climb the summit to high stakes from home games and micro-limits?

The Fork

Taking our local bounty to a culinary summit with the help of the Stratford Chefs School and area restaurant professionals.

The Forum

An uncompromising commentary on the people and events that are shaping our political landscape.

The Farm »

Weeding with Fire
Sat, 10/07/10 – 12:51 | No Comment

Major weeding labour can be avoided if you torch newly germinated weeds before they get established. When we shot this video carrots had been seeded earlier in the week and some much needed rain will soon germinate them. In the meantime, we’ll give them a better chance by wiping out competing weeds with this propane flame thrower. Care must be taken not to scorch the carrot seeds so a quick going over is all that is required and the rain moisture will provide an added layer of protection.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Radish Butter
Fri, 4/06/10 – 22:23 | No Comment
Radish Butter

A great, easy and refreshingly delicious recipe for those early spring radishes.It’s perfect simply on a slice of french baguette or use it on your sandwiches in place of regular butter.
Ingredients
15 French breakfast radishes
6 Radish …

Sake and Maple-Marinated Sablefish with a Hijiki – Soy Sauce
Fri, 30/04/10 – 9:41 | No Comment
Sake and Maple-Marinated Sablefish with a Hijiki – Soy Sauce

Another interesting and tasty recipe from Rob Feenie making good use of our freshly made maple syrup.
Yield: 4
Ingredients

1 cup sake
1/3 cup Sweet Ass pure maple syrup
4×5 ounce fillets sablefish (aka black …

Owen’s Dutch Oven Beer Bread
Sun, 28/03/10 – 14:00 | No Comment
Owen’s Dutch Oven Beer Bread

Photo by Jenn Chic
Owen Lass and I prepared these beautiful loaves the day before a big pork celebration out at Church Hill Farm in New Hamburg, proofing them overnight and baking them two at a …

Maple Orange Cornish Hens
Fri, 12/03/10 – 13:58 | No Comment
Maple Orange Cornish Hens

Maple syrup is definitely not just for pancakes. This is a great recipe for Cornish Hens that will definitely make all your hard work boiling down Maple sap this spring worth while. True, oranges cannot …

A Christmas Pig’s Tale
Wed, 13/01/10 – 17:24 | No Comment
A Christmas Pig’s Tale

Twenty minutes outside of Stratford and enroute to Christmas family fun in the Ottawa valley is Church Hill Farm, a small family run organic livestock farm where beef, pork, lamb and poultry heritage breeds are …

Festival partners with Mirvish Productions
Tue, 15/12/09 – 13:51 | No Comment
Festival partners with Mirvish Productions

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s hilarious production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is heading to Toronto in 2010, where it will be presented as part of Mirvish Productions’ 2010/2011 subscription …

Caesar and Cleopatra to air in HD on CTV on Boxing Day
Mon, 14/12/09 – 11:14 | No Comment
Caesar and Cleopatra to air in HD on CTV on Boxing Day

December 14, 2009… This Boxing Day, see Christopher Plummer in Caesar and Cleopatra – broadcast for the first time in high definition on CTV.
Artistic Director Des McAnuff’s glorious production of Bernard Shaw’s classic comedy will …

Slow-Roasted Beet with Crisp Goat Cheese and Orange-Shallot Vinaigrette
Fri, 11/12/09 – 14:10 | No Comment
Slow-Roasted Beet with Crisp Goat Cheese and Orange-Shallot Vinaigrette

A very nice dish for the autumn beet harvest. Can’t get enough of them! Add goat cheese and I’m in heaven.
For the beets
4 large candy-cane or golden beets (about 3 lbs), trimmed
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
For the …

Battle for Jerusalem
Wed, 9/12/09 – 2:47 | No Comment
Battle for Jerusalem
Who Could Argue Against Stronger Child Porn Laws?
Wed, 2/12/09 – 15:54 | No Comment
Who Could Argue Against Stronger Child Porn Laws?

Big Brother
Call me a cynic (you won’t be the first to do so), but any time I see a new law targeting internet child pornography I suspect that the real agenda of the law maker …