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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2019-07-25, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019. PAGE 13. 239 HURON ROAD GODERICH Mon. to Thurs. 9:00-5:30, Fri. 9:00-5:00, Sat. 9:00-3:00, Closed Sunday 519-524-5301 Invented for life Continued from page 12 around the beautiful backroads can be a treasure hunt of tasty options. Everything from local cheeses, eggs, produce, fruits, meat products, maple syrup and honey are all available right from the source. You can pick your own berries and other fruits in season, or grab your favourite kind of apple right at the orchard. There are many small shops that also carry a range of local processed foods, everything from jams and pickles to seasoning mixes are local to Huron. Experimenting with these local treats is a new hobby for many. When I was a child most towns had a butcher shop, sadly that is not the case anymore but it is worth the trip to one of the great locations we have in our area that sell local meat products. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey are the staples we all look for, but specialty meats are available too if you want to try a culinary adventure. And of course we are a coastal county so fresh fish is a local delight you don’t want to miss. A favourite on many restaurant menus, yellow perch is said to be one of the best pan fry fish you can get whether you enjoy it at home or eating out. Speaking of eating out, many bistros, restaurants and bakeries know the power of offering local options. It’s worth searching out a menu that features local foods and one of my top tips is to scope out how a professional chef uses products with which you’re not familiar. As we are now at the height of summer produce season, I will be spending a lot of time in my kitchen making jams, freezing vegetables and drying herbs. Tomatoes are so plentiful at this time of year that I seem to constantly have more than we can consume in salads and sandwiches. Thankfully a roasted vegetable sauce is something I can throw in the oven and adapt into many different meals. Chop up assorted tomatoes until you have approximately six to eight cups. A rough chop will do. You can seed them if you want, remove the skins if you prefer, but neither is required. Spread them on a sheet pan or in a large casserole dish, then get creative. Have a glut of zucchini? (Let’s face it, if you don’t your neighbour does.) Slice that into the pan. Love onions and garlic? Throw that on too. Peppers? Sure. Sweet peppers are great, chili peppers if you like it hot. Have any herbs lingering in the bottom of the fridge? Kale you don’t know what to do with? Throw those on too, almost anything goes. Then drizzle with some nice oil and bake at 350°F for an hour or so. The time is going to depend on how much you have in your pan. Fewer items spread apart will roast up and get crispy, a crowded pan will stew more than roast. But does it matter? Not really. The aroma alone should be making you happy. What you do next depends on how you want to use it. A quick check for seasonings (salt and pepper to taste) and you could put this right on any pasta. Grate or slice some local cheese to top it off, and add a salad and fresh bread. If you prefer a less chunky sauce, mash with a potato masher or let cool slightly and use an immersion blender. You can add some store- bought passata to extend it for lasagna, puree or strain it if you want for a pizza sauce, add stock and more vegetables for a summer soup. I don’t really think of this as a recipe, but more of a permission slip to let your culinary genius loose. It’s about using what you have and making it your own. I have successfully frozen portions to use all winter long, it takes a cold January night right back to August sunshine. More and more entrepreneurs are starting new businesses to fill the growing hunger for local food. Whether you buy from the person who grows, processes or cooks the food, you can be proud to support real people in your local community. Preserves help keep local produce year-round Expanding markets While farmers’ markets are an ideal place to find fresh vegetables, there are often other locally-produced goods available as well. Everything needed to make a meal from baked goods to meats and desserts can be discovered at local markets, making efforts like the 100- mile diet an easy one to stick to. (Hannah Dickie photo)