Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Both Ann Lannigan and Simpler Thyme Organic Farm are becoming well known for their beauty and down-to-earth charm

This is one of the pleasures I'm lucky enough to enjoy both in my work and as part of my involvement with Slow Food... I love being here.

On this day I was shopping with my friend Ruth (at right, Ann is in the middle). We needed rainbow chard. There was none in the store. Minutes later, we had the freshest stuff you could imagine, to be turned into savoury tarts and served piping hot that evening. The workers there are clearly proud of their produce.





You've never had this kind of fun at the supermarket!


City meets country...
Do your spirit good: do some of your grocery shopping with Ann Lanigan and the amazing folks at Simpler Thyme Organic Farm. Do consider being part of the action: participate in their yearly CSA program --

it's like a weekly subscription to good eating.


(Notice my very detailed shopping list?)

You'll find fresh eggs, produce, maple syrup and more, much of it produced on that very farm. Ann believes in bio-diversity, so that means a staggering variety of cultivated and wild plants flourish across their acres. Inside the farm store there are some imported organic foods, as well as jams, preserves and dry goods of all kinds.


Check with Ann about placing orders in advance for large items or extra quantities of seasonal goods.



The shady store provides some relief from summer's heat.


Ann works with two business partners and a dedicated team of farm hands, some of them WOOFERS (young international agricultural workers, who are combining learning about new cultures and languages while gaining agricultural experience, some of them travelling around the globe).



Try the amazing eggs. Supermarket 'farm-fresh' labelling is meaningless once you've enjoyed the brightly coloured, nutritious and flavourful little gems that these birds produce!



This beautiful guy is such a show-off!


If it's not easy for you to get up to see the farm in person, you can always get that 'straight from the farm' experience in the heart of Downtown Hamilton.

The Simpler Thyme farm stand is a regular feature of the

James St. North "Makers Market"

which is held occasionally throughout the summer (there's a new mini-market on some of the non-market saturdays -- details of both markets are online).

P: 905.529.2323 E: themakersmarket@gmail.com

To reach the farm directly:

Simpler Thyme Organic Farm, 1749 Hwy #6 RR#2, Hamilton, L8N 2Z7, 905-659-1576

Please note the change in their hours. Simpler Thyme is officially open Thursday and Friday 12:30pm-3pm and 4pm-6:30pm. This is for box pick up and market customers alike. All the rest of the time is the honour system. Please feel welcome at all times.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

On the Set of "Pressure Cooker": My Brush with Reality TV


The teaching kitchens of Niagara College Culinary Arts Department served as the main locale

Recently I was invited to attended the first day of orientation and rehearsal for a new 'reality based' tv show called "Pressure Cooker TV" created by Hamilton's own Forevergreen Productions. Evergreen is known for its "The TV Wine Guy" and "Extreme Golf" series. As a 'stand-by' cast member, I was on hand in case anyone couldn't make it.

The producers assembled a cast of accomplished and dedicated chefs to participate in a week's worth of competitions and filming. Each participant would be paid a fee for each match in which they participated, and 'eliminated' participants would be forced to stay on the lush, scenic campus of Niagara College, the production's home base. They would be taken on tours of wineries, restaurants and "perhaps even play a little golf", according to the orientation guide received by each finalist. To me, even getting to that level would have been a dream come true:

There are 9 culinary ‘matches’ in total. Each match is an elimination event. If you are eliminated earlier than you’d hoped, you will have some opportunity to be toured throughout the region. Wine tours, local chef establishments, Niagara Falls, Niagara escarpment Ball’s Falls, Old Forts or other historic sites, Welland Canal. Your nights are free to do as you please. The location is 10 minutes from the historic town of Niagara on the Lake , the Shaw Theatre, the spirited Port Dalousie night life or the city of St. Catharines and unlimited very good golf courses.

There's a luxurious food holiday for the second prize winner, and the grand prize of $10,000 goes to whoever is strong enough survive and win against some pretty fierce competitors, sixteen in all.








Cast member Anne-Marie Ellis (left) with
Production Assistant Anneke taking a lunch break, with crew member Hugh in the background








Too stormy for lunch outside but some were willing to face the elements...



(left) A rain-soaked participant drawing a poker chip to pick his team, with Producer Alan Aylward of Forevergreen Communications, a Hamilton-based production company. Alan was also responsible for "The TV Wine Guy" and "Extreme Golf"


(below) Two members of the Kitchen Judge Team, who observed kitchen practices and behaviour to award points to the contestants. There is also a panel of three high-profile restuarant chefs who will be the tasting judges throughout the week
















The four teams assemble and assess as their kitchen orientation begins

Setting themselves up for success?



The show's heart monitor expert adjusting the sophistcated devices worn by each of the competitors; individual heart rates will be part of the excitement as the action unfolds


Wireless microphones, to be worn by judges and contestants alike

The picture of the video technicians was shot through a glass wall overlooking two of the competition's kitchens; a seamstress applies finishing touches to our monogrammed and custom-tailored uniforms; and my favourite souvenir...

Warning: poor audio quality in this clip I shot!