Editor's note: The following is the debut column from Daniel Clements, who is the chef technologist at Georgian College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism.
*************************
As a cook, I really do love this time of year. For me, the fall has always been a time of celebration, family gatherings and comfort foods.
Fond memories of being with my grandparents on their farm and the times when Gramma’s counter was filled with rows of Mason jars, each one filled with all the great flavours from the garden. Bread and butter pickles, dills, tomato chili sauce, zucchini relish and, of course, pickled beets. It really was not a complete meal at the farm without several jars on the table.
I always marvelled at how easy Gramma made all this production look. Hours of hard work, love and attention in every jar. Looking back now, through the eyes of someone who does these kinds of things as a job, you really begin to appreciate the time and effort it takes.
And if Gramma wasn’t pickling, she was baking pies. “No pie you! Pie me!” was the family joke at the table for those special times when we could all get together around the table.
Just like the variety in the pickle pantry, there was no shortage of pies to choose from. Pumpkin and spice, deep double crust apple, wild Muskoka blueberries with a lattice top… everything one could want. Just one slice would never suffice. The flavours would change with the seasons, though the fall was certainly one of the best. The pumpkin pie, I think many of you can relate to the deep sense of home you can get from a warm slice of a homemade pie.
Looking back over the past year, so many people have faced so many challenges, with the pandemic and all the struggles it brought. But through that adversity and the forced slowdown, it provided us time to pause and to look at the lessons and wisdom of our grandparents' generation. A surge in home gardening and an interest in growing food is now quickly becoming a newfound reverence for the art of preservation and those skills that generations past used to sustain the harvest through the winter.
This is evident in the rows and rows of Mason jars, canning supplies and provisions at the local stores and how quickly they disappear. A lot of people are seeking out the knowledge and skills. Interest in online classes and downloads of how-to videos are at an all-time high.
I would encourage all of you to try — at least once — to make a jar of pickles, sauce some tomatoes or make a jam. Bake a pie! They're easy to freeze and bake it later when you really need that sweet reminder in the grey doldrums of winter. There is something soothing and holistic to the process of preserving. Saving and storing food can be an act of hope, an investment in the future, and thoughts of making better the days to come.
And if you're someone who doesn’t have the time or skills, well, you’re covered, too. We have many great producers right here in Barrie and our region who work hard to capture the best of the harvest every year. Get out and visit our local farmers' market or look around at some of the amazing gate-sales farms in our region. Out there is a treasure trove of new tastes and undiscovered favourites waiting for you!
I’m still lucky enough to have my sweet Grandma baking our family pies and making us a jar of our favourite pickles. And now my kids and I look forward to every minute we get to spend at her table and fight over who gets the extra slice of pie.
“No pie you! Pie me!”
