Niagara on the Lake

November, 2011

It’s been too long since I have posted on our blog and for that I apologize.  It’s not because I haven’t had anything to say.  In fact, there has been so much going on that I haven’t had time to post.

This month Jo-Ann and I took a brief break from making and selling food, and entrusting our Red Apron Baby to our capable and overly competent staff, we embarked on and adventure to Niagara on the Lake for two solid days of touring wineries in both NOTL and the Bench.

Admittedly, being a lover of red wines, I have not been super satisfied with the selection and quality of Ontario wines available in our local LCBO.  Although many of our regional restaurants carry an exceptional list of Ontario wines, finding those wines has been a challenge.

Boy, were my eyes opened on this trip!  I can’t even begin to tell you what I have been missing out on all these years.

There are many good wines to talk about but the highlight of the trip was Foreign Affairs Winery.  This wine maker rents space for production in an former government building, while they grow their own grapes on a nearby farm.   Foreign Affairs was the the first in North America to introduce the appassimento style of wine making, where grapes are dried before the being pressed.  It’s a natural way to increase the concentration of sugar in the grapes but at the expense of volume. That’s why the famous dried-grape wines (like Amarone) usually cost a lot more.

The winemakers are very proud of their truly Canadian product which has been ‘informed’ by old world traditions which.  This marriage of  new and old worlds is reflected on their labels – an Italian landscape with Canadian iconic symbols (bear, moose, geese).

We first tasted their wines at DNA restaurant in Monreal and were blown away.  Te Amo is a full appasiemento wine where all the grapes are dried for 3 months then pressed.  It is a ‘one of a kind’ truly amazing wine and $110 a bottle, but strangely worth it.  While there we also purchased their 2009 Pinot Noir ($45/bottle) and their 2008 Ripasso which is exceptional value at $19.95/bottle.

Some others in North America have adopted this style of winemaking including Colaneri, which we also visited, but are kiln drying the grapes to speed up the process.  Foreign Affairs believes that this shortcut compromises the end result.

We tasted a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc with 20% dried fruit, at 2008 Chardonnay with 40% dried fruit, and 2009 Pinot Noir with 40% dried fruit (Gold & Bronze award winner).

The vines were imported from Europe and grafted on a north American root – a common practice.

I encourage you to go online and order a case of their wine.  You will NOT be disappointed.

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Wasn’t that a party?

On Saturday October 22nd, the Red Apron hosted our first ever sit down dinner.  Our 33 guests paid $125 to join us in a celebration of our local farmers and the produce that that grow.   The 8 course menu featured all Ontario & Quebec produce and was paired with a flight of Ontario wines.

The evening started off with an amuse bouche featuring house made pate with an Ontario cherry compote, and a local trout ceviche an apple & onion relish.  After the guests were seated we brought out the first course – an oven-roasted heirloom tomato soup with a charred cornbread crouton.

For many, this dish was a meal in itself, but it was only the beginning.  The key to the evening was to pace yourself!  There were still many, many more dishes to come.

The next course was a deconstructed salad featuring Ontario duck breast (house smoked) served beside a bed of local organic greens (wilted) garnished with a fried quail egg & roasted organic beets.  Then, on to a soft pillowy gnocchi made using organic pumpkins from Songberry farm, bathed in brown butter, and served on a bed of wild and cultivated mushrooms from Le Coprin near Wakefield.

Our main courses started with a rabbit ravioli, served with a sage and sunflower pesto, rabbit jus and garnished with sunflowers and pickled red cabbage.  This course was not only my personal favourite, but was the most difficult to execute as the pasta was made by hand.

Now we were heading into the homestretch.  Our we slowly braised ‘Fitzroy’ beef oxtail and cheeks until it melted off the bone, and served them on a puree of Jerusalem artichokes, with a thick sauce, garnished with crispy leeks and a brunois of vegetables.  For some, this course was just too much to handle as they were starting to reach their limit.  But for those determined to soldier on, they cleared their plates and got ready for the next course.

Taking pity on our guests who had been sitting now for 2 hours, we invited them to get up, stretch their legs, and enjoy a cheese course that featured 3 Ontario & Quebec cheeses, including Monforte Dairy’s creamy goat cheese, a lovely blue Ermite from the Fromagerie Abbaye Saint-Benoit, and La Liberte from the Fromagerie du Presbytere.  All of these cheeses are regularly available in our Retail Store.

After they had satisfied their cheese cravings and worked up a bit of an appetite again, our guests were seated for the grand finale – a rich dark gingerbread root cake, served with poached ontario stone fruits, and house made creme fraiche.

It was a wonderful evening and we will certainly do it again sometime.

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Dinner on the Farm

October 31, 2011

As many of our clients are already aware, the Red Apron strives to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible.  Part of this effort includes saving all our vegetable waste and supplying it to our farmers.  Because our vegetable waste is so pure (no meat, bones, rubber bands or plastic wrap), it’s safe to feed to their animals.  According to our farmers, our vegetable waste is quite favoured by their cows, chickens and pigs.

Julie from Songberry farm sent us this beautiful picture of her animals feasting on Red Apron compost.  As you can see, it’s not only hundreds of humans that we feed, but also a number of very happy animals.  It’s very important to us that we be participating in our own little circle of life.  Songberry vegetables are delivered to the Red Apron, and used to feed Red Apron customers.  Red Apron compost is used to feed Songberry animals.  Songberry animal waste is used to fertilize Songberry vegetables, and the cycle begins again.

Happy Halloween!

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