Sustenance

Sustenance is about making choices about the resources you consume.

I'm a huge fan of our local Organic Works bakery- they make delicious food, and have an incredibly cool and welcoming space to work, have meetings, or just relax. Even though I'm not vegan, or vegetarian, those concepts are appealing, and reducing our family's meat consumption while upping the number of plants on our plates has been my mission for the last year or so. The big challenge is moving away from the traditional meat-based foods I grew up with, which often provide me with the most comfort and satisfaction.

The first article from Etsy really speaks to why places that source locally and commit themselves to sustainable methods are important to a community.

Wild Hive Farm
Organic Works Bakery in London

Happy growing,
C.

The Garden

John and I have been preparing for this summer for the last 18 months. This is the summer our garden is finally planted after the long and arduous process of taking out an above-ground pool, slugging in 40 yards of dirt, building a raised bed, and seeding the now-filled-in pit. We have tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, garlic, carrots, and basil planted, and may add a trial plant or two (I'm thinking sunflowers along the back). In our flower garden (along the back fence not pictured) we will soon have three blueberry bushes, and have had a raspberry bush for a few years. Oh, and a little planter of strawberries. A veritable feast!

We have also signed up for a share in a local farm that grows organic vegetables. I have been familiar with the CSA (community-supported agriculture) concept for a number of years, but the timing has never been right. Either one of us has been out of town too much to make it worth it, or we’ve had tiny new babies to tend to. But this is our year! Our first box will come in next week and then I’ll start writing about it more.

But our garden is a true thing of beauty. Here’s how it looks today (crossing my fingers we don’t get any frost tonight) and I’ll try and keep up with regular updates about how she grows.

Happy growing,
C.

An Introduction

Here we are again.

My life in many ways revolves around food. Feeding the kids, planning grocery trips and lists, volunteering on the board of a local not-for-profit concerned with food security, safety, and training, and teaching and researching about health and well-being within education, and psychology. Not to be forgotten is the sacred quest of all grad students, like myself, to conveniently find time in the weekly schedule for events that promise the serving of 'light refreshments'.

This all started way back in high school- in the powerful learning environment of the McKinnon Park Secondary kitchen, where I, along with most of my friends at the time (hi Facebook!) learned to serve up cafeteria food while concurrently learning the basics of French Provençal cooking techniques. This got me so hooked I was tempted by the idea of going to chef school and making cooking my career. After a moment of clarity, I realized that I was probably more suited for a traditional university career, and I’m happy I’ve made that choice. It doesn’t stop me from really loving to cook, entertain, and eat really good food. Conveniently, part of my research program is now tied to experiential learning and apprenticeships.

Anyway, this blog is my plan to document a few journeys in food, our garden, cooking adventures when our CSA box starts coming next week, as well as a number of other random food –related ideas and concepts that I’m interested in. John seems to want to chime in as well, so there may be more than one voice in this conversation.

Happy growing,

C.