Times they are a-changin......

Good Monday afternoon. I hope your breakfast, lunch and dinners last week were filled with fresh flavours and tummy pleasing desserts.

Today I'm celebrating a slow but everlasting change that is happening here in Nova Scotia. Farm to table cuisine. What does this mean? Knowing our farmers, understanding their seasons, cooking from local ingredients, and appreciating the fact that we can be on a first name basis with our food and drink producers. In simple terms that is what Farm to table means to me, and here in N.S. we are lucky to have Nova Scotia Select to help relationship build between cooks and farmers.

This August Nova Scotia Select has been putting on IncrEDIBLE Picnics all around Nova Scotia. It’s a simple idea: Nova Scotians get together with family and friends to eat fresh, local food. When I was invited to participate in the IncrEdDIBLE Picnic hosted by Muir Murray Estate Winery my response was: YESSSS!!!!  Food, family, friends, farmers, (wine) what more could a girl ask for. So I called up my great friend Chef Thomas and said "Hey you make amazing cured meat... I love baking Bread... and pickling is cool so let's work together and make a tasty picnic sandwich"

From that conversation came this result.

Pastrami Sandwich - Garrison Brew Beer Bread with Nova Scotia Pickled Beet Relish, Fresh Radish

-Let me break down the locality of this sandwich-

Meat - The pastrami was made from Beef Brisket from Oultons Farm, Homecured and smoked with a whole lot of love and other spices.

Bun - We used Garrison Brewery Hops that are bought local in N.S, sugar, and leftover yeast that was used to produce their beer to leaven and flavour the bread.

Relish - Fresh Nova Scotia beet relish home pickled!! (Check out previous blog for how it was made)

Radish - Pick up from a local farmers market in the valley on our way to Muir Murray. Sliced fresh and added to the sandwich for crunch.

The day was WONDERFUL! We left the winery with treats from local farmers and chefs, new friends and a satisfying feeling that the culinary/eating world is heading in a new direction.

??? Dare you to go find out!

 Eat, drink and enjoy!