Insider’s Tips - Oct.10
Pretty well all the late summer produce was still available this week at the Ontario Food Terminal. Chef was pleased to be able to buy almost all his needs in the Ontario section although he did find some Quebec cantaloupe when he was buying avocados on the import side. He succeeded in buying the last of the Ontario raspberries which have been delicious this year.
Most of the Ontario farmers were getting ready to wrap up for the year after supplying what is needed for Thanksgiving weekend. A few will come back after Thanksgiving until the first frost ends our harvest.
At the Terminal, the talk among several of the Italian farmers who are located close to Toronto was about whether they should sell their agricultural land to land developers. There are rumours that several have been offered amounts in the range of $100 million. While this is probably an exaggeration, some farmers are insisting there is no amount of money which would work because their lives would be destroyed without their farms. They have no idea what they would do with $100 million.
It would seem though that the pressure is on around Toronto to turn agricultural land into residential land. Chef observes that a farm like Top Farms near Markham in a huge piece of land now produces most of Toronto`s supply of artichokes, cabbage and cauliflower. If it was ever sold, he does not know how its output could be replaced. There are younger farmers coming along the Chef says, but not enough of them. It`s hard to find people who want to farm.
The fresh turbot from Nunavut did not arrive this week but was delayed again. The Chef was offered a 40-pound swordfish from Nova Scotia, probably the last of this season.
Sweetbreads are nearly finished. The Chef is returning to pork tenderloin which he marinates with a jerk sauce, sous-vides and then finishes it by pan roasting it. He had tried the jerk marinade in the Bahamas and asked for the recipe. The ingredients were so disappointingly common and ordinary that despite the fact it was delicious, he invented his own recipe trying to duplicate its spirit.
Secrette Bar Cocktail Feature: Fall Special
“Poire Du Sud”
Made with In-House Pear-Infused Bourbon
To prepare you for fall, we are offering a Sazerac cocktail, which is made with pear-infused Bourbon and Calvados.
Lunch in GEORGE has started well. We notice that lunchers have taken to our 3 or 4 course tasting menu which changes frequently as superior ingredients appear in our kitchen. The lunch offering is lighter and simpler than dinner and designed to get you back to work in the afternoon while giving you a taste of what a Michelin rated restaurant can do.
On October 23, Fanti vineyard is coming to GEORGE. Export manager Irene Dal Canto, and Le Sommelier president Bernard Stramwasser will lead us through the wines and olive oils of this historic Tuscan estate, paired to a spectacular four course dinner prepared by award-winning Executive Chef, Lorenzo Loseto, The Tenuta Fanti estate has belonged to the Fanti family since the beginning of the eighteenth century. We`ve been there on a Tuscan walking trip and its beautiful. Fanti is widely recognized for its high-quality wines, regularly listed in top restaurants around the globe. If you love great Brunello wine and high-quality olive oil, don't miss out on this special event. Limited space available. Price is $210 ++ per person.