By Larissa Cardey

Finally, something sweet!

Welcome to the second week of my experiment in eating locally on a budget. With my first week ending positively, the second one started deliciously.

My weakness for sweets combined with the boredom of eggs for breakfast compelled me to bake. Besides, in my fridge sat a big bag of organic apples waiting to be sauced, chopped and cooked. 

On Monday evening, I leafed through my Joy of Cooking book and found an easy recipe for apple muffins. Karen Burson, project manager of Hamilton Eat Local, advised me a few weeks ago to approach eating locally with “baby steps.” Taking this advice, I incorporated just two local ingredients into the recipe: the apples and eggs.

I cannot describe the pride I felt dicing the apples, pouring them into the batter and smelling the sweet cinnamon. Not only had I bought the apples in bulk, which saved me money on my weekly budget, but I had also turned my raw produce into many breakfasts. 

About 40 minutes later, a dozen golden muffins emerged from the oven with soft nuggets of apple nestled just below the surface. 

My mom and dad asked to try them. “No!” I replied a little too forcefully. I’m on a small budget, I explained. Once the muffins had cooled, I scribbled “LC” on the container lid. 

The next morning I took a bite into a very moist and tasty muffin. I put four into the fridge and froze the rest.

For dinner I tried to get creative with my organic potatoes and green beans. One night’s menu featured the two cooked ingredients tossed with diced red onion in a white wine vinegar, olive oil and Dijon dressing. 

I improved on the flavour a few days later by using balsamic vinegar instead and adding parsley and basil from the garden. 

Honestly, I’m getting tired of using oil and vinegar to dress every vegetable. As an Italian, I should be used to this, but I can’t stop my craving for a creamy potato salad.

Eating Out

While I’ve been enjoying the challenge of making my own local meals, I was looking forward to eating locally at a restaurant. By planning ahead, I saved $9.16 for my meal by spending less on groceries. Despite buying less food for the first two weeks, I wasn’t left hungry after each meal. However, some dishes were repetitive because I only had a few key ingredients to use. 

There are several restaurants in the Hamilton area that serve local foods but the dishes can be pricey. Fortunately, Bread and Roses Café on King William Street is more affordable. Earlier in the week, I chatted with executive chef Marg Ann Roorda. 

From the beginning, Bread and Roses was set up to support local farmers so the majority of the food it serves comes from three local farms the café deals with on a regular basis, explained Roorda. Two of those farms are certified organic. 

Since it’s a non-profit establishment, the prices are lower partly because the café has lower profit margins than a for-profit restaurant and the mark-up on the food is not as high, she said. Profit margin refers to the amount by which sales revenue is greater than business costs. The farmers who supply the café also provide a bit of a discount.

Roorda said serving local food in restaurants is a “growing trend” and she believes that in about five years approximately half of Hamilton’s restaurants will be serving local food. People in the food industry are recognizing the importance of supporting local food producers, and the more people buy local foods the more prices will decrease, she said.

However, there are challenges to serving local food including the availability of produce. That is why the café adjusts the menu according to what is in season, said Roorda. The other challenge is making customers understand that not every item is available all year. 

Saturday Night

On the big night my three friends and I found a spot on the small patio of Bread and Roses Café. None of us had ever been to the café before and we enjoyed both the taste of the food and the fact that most of it was local and organic.  

For $9.03 I got a veggie burger with a side salad and a glass of water. James had the same and Jamie ate lentil soup with his veggie burger. Kristina ordered the free-range chicken and vegetable wrap. 

For my first time eating a veggie burger, it was not only very tasty but also healthy. Seeing the chunks of vegetables in the patty, I knew exactly what I was putting inside of me. The salad’s fresh lettuce was sprinkled with colourful diced peppers and the tomato slice was filled with flavour. 

That was the first time I could equate eating a burger with eating a healthy meal. Maybe I’ll do this more often. 

Find a similar apple muffin recipe:

www.joyofcooking.com/

http://breadandrosescafe.blogspot.com/

Plan B Organic Farm is one of the café’s suppliers:

http://www.planborganicfarms.ca/