Recipes include Roasted Delicata Squash with Sage Salsa Verde and Strawberry Shortcake Scones which taste better because they’re made with the freshest fruits and vegetables found right here in our own backyard. Recipes are cooked with “peak season” produce. Roasted radishes or garlic scape pesto are just a few examples that will entice your taste buds. Peak Season also upholds the importance of cooking with ethically raised meat, poultry, fish, and eggs with dishes like Apricot BBQ Sticky Ribs, Baking-Sheet Coq au Vin, and Crispy Salmon on Cantaloupe Ribbons & Salty Potato Crisps.

We were invited to the official launch of Peak Season at the new venue located at Fresh City Farms Downsview Park recently – a stunning yet simplistic modern barn like building overlooking the working field. We started with Deirdre’s popular heritage living salad where guests literally trim their own salad greens right from potted soil.

Then, family style we enjoyed a spring twist to a comfort plate of pasta carbonara — an interactive part to the dinner with Ontario asparagus that is just coming into season. We finished the evening with a gorgeous Rhubarb Frangipane Galette (which, by the way was the first recipe out of the book we tried at home and it’s a hit! An easy recipe that is impressive for when you have friends or family over).

Filled with stunning photography and charming illustrations, the cookbook is designed to inspire readers to cook with fresh ingredients available right outside their door and leave them feeling confident that it will all work out deliciously.

Deirdre is a recipe and content developer who writes, styles, photographs, and films for various organizations, including Fresh City Farms, Healthy Butcher, and Leslieville Farmers’ Market. Her background is in clinical nutrition and has been selected by Fjällraven North America to be Toronto’s local guide in sustainability and leads their major events surrounding food accessibility and healthy eating.

Peak Season is a “keeper” cookbook and one that makes for a great gift for friends not just for birthdays and other celebrations but also for those hosting backyard dinners in these coming months as well as for those invites to cottages. We are heading into wedding season and it’s a beautiful addition for any couple.

You can learn more about her and where to order her book here. 

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To start, Fjällräven the lifestyle brand known for their outdoor activewear and bags was established out of necessity in the 1950s. Sustainability and reducing carbon footprint may not have been common conversation at that time but the company certainly had that in mind. Establishing the brand name was inspired by the small but mighty and highly adaptable Arctic Fox, which in what Fjällräven means in Swedish. As an outdoor company, it was important to them to not only create products that were designed for the explorers but also to consider nature and the potential impact on the world in every decision they made. They also tell us that their products are meant to last for generations. It was ingrained in the company from day one and today, they are a global leading ethical and sustainable brand that continues to move forward.

“Toronto is one of the most exciting cities when it comes to sustainability,” said Lauren Megson, Regional Manager Canada for Fjällräven.  “There’s such a movement here and so many interesting people. We thought about how we could gather these incredible leaders from different areas and have some dialogue. We wanted to put a spotlight on people who actually are living in this lifestyle and changing how we think about the environment.”

It was a chance for people to connect in a comfortable and informal setting over delicious food. And it worked, conversations flourished all night with motivation to keep the momentum going.  Some of the attendees included:

• Fresh City Farms – a city farm and partner with Ontario small growers and producers that offers a delivery service of fresh produce and meals to families in the city.
• The County Bounty Farm & Artisinal Soda – an artisanal soda company from Prince Edward County. Uses their own farm grown and  locally grown seasonal fruit, herbs and vegetables, and fair trade cane sugar.
• Bare Market – Toronto’s first one-stop shop for package-free goods, offering affordable and locally sourced body and home care products in bulk that are good for you and good for the planet.
• Trash Collective/Trash Tiki: began with wanting to change the status quo of the drinks industry’s attitude towards food waste. They demonstrate how delicious contemporary cocktails don’t have to be wasteful on ingredients.
• The Local Flower Collective – run by local growers and florists located in the Junction. Helps to promote environmentally conscious design practices and offer support to local growers.
• Live Green Toronto – a program of the Environment and Energy Division of the City of Toronto offering the individual and business news, programs and events.

The dinner itself was created in partnership with those invited. The communal meal robust in colours and flavours of the season set the tone not only filling our bellies but our hearts. Starting off unique cocktails created by Trash Collective, The County Bounty, Absolut as well as offerings from Steam Whistle Brewery.

A “Harvest Your Own Salad” workshop led by Dee Buryk, in-house nutritionist and recipe developer for Fresh City Farms, was a feast for the eyes. This is truly the freshest “farm to fork” experience we’ve ever had and led us wanting to learn more…

How did you get here and what made you decide to work with this company?

Dee: I was originally a clinical nutritionist, developing meal plans for individuals, though wonderfully helpful for some, I did find giving out meal plans with food restrictions to often isolate individuals and demoralise the food itself. It was a few years back when I started to rethink what I was doing and look for a separate career in the food world. I found Fresh City hiring. Immediately I saw how the company celebrated food and the people surrounding it and thought I needed to be a part of that. Food became so much more interesting and enjoyable when every person involved in bringing food to the table, including the food itself, was appreciated.

Eating more vegetables is better for us. Aside from the obvious, what should we know?

Dee: There are a lot of food deserts in our city and having a choice of what you eat is a privilege. It’s my job to love, support, educate, and assist people in understanding that. No need to demonize something that isn’t 100% organic or locally sourced, but when you have the opportunity to support those beautiful green spaces with delicious veggies in your neighbourhood, do so! It supports not only your farmers, but the environment, and our local economy.

“Community” is something we hear a lot what does it mean to you and how do you work this into what you do?

Dee: We aren’t anything without our community.  When I share how I work this into my work, I want everyone to know, there is a group of amazing people working alongside me to do this: Farmers’ are at the forefront of our food community and they deserve all the support. I incorporate local food specifically into the recipes I develop for my book, the recipes developed for Fresh City, and the workshops I run. The Leslieville Market, a market I run in my neighbourhood bridges the gap between our farmer community and my neighbourhood community. Any money we fundraise within the community goes to a non-profit organization, the Neighbourhood Food Hub, that works to increase food access to marginalized and at-risk communities in the East End. It means everything to me to be able to bring all of these people together, especially over a table of good food.

The harvest salad workshop is such a great idea! For those who don’t know, can you tell us more?

Dee: Thank you! The workshop really speaks for itself, I am just there to get everyone as excited about getting to know our food as much as I am.

It’s a very immersive experience that in a way, brings the farm to the group attending the workshop. The name says it all, you harvest your own dinner and learn the simple culinary secrets to making a good meal without using a recipe. It’s really a choose your own adventure kind of meal, sprinkled with my eagerness to share my fun fact knowledge on the food grown here in Canada.

The best thing about what you do?

Dee: Somehow this industry brings together the best kind of people.

What’s your favourite vegetable?

Dee: Have you ever tried delicata squash? It’s like the champagne of squashes. It is rich like the butternut but has a delicate sweetness that I cannot explain. You will need to try it for yourself. Just know, they don’t last all winter season like most squash so make sure you try before it’s too late.

Thank you to Fjällräven for inviting us to this very special dinner.

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Companies, big and small, are finding ways to offer workers ways to re-align and recharge during the 9 to 5. Since it’s Mental Health Awareness Week, here are five local businesses in Toronto that will help bring wellness into the workplace.

For Health’s Sake: This downtown clinic offers registered massage therapists to corporate offices providing much-needed therapy for many common workplace concerns – back pains, shoulder strains, computer neck, carpal tunnel are just to name a few. An onsite massage day helps boosts staff morale, lowers stress and increases brainpower. They also offer onsite chiro and health presentations (lunch & learns) It also saves travel time for staff.

Corporate Canine Therapy: There are many proven benefits of having furry friends around. From reducing anxiety to lowering blood pressure and boosting productivity.  These carefully vetted team of therapy dogs are in high demand for office and schools visits in Toronto and surrounding GTA. Dogs and their handlers stay present and are there for your snuggling needs.

Hoame: The meditation and mindfulness studio was founded by two mental health professionals who were running corporate consulting which lead them to create this community. They offer a variety of speciality wellness workshops including onsite group meditations and sound baths. One of their most popular workshops is “Biohacking” that incorporates the latest techniques in keeping the body and mind sharp, increase productivity and mind function. Includes a talk, as well as a gratitude practice and experiential components.

Fresh City Farms: Have a working lunch or dinner meeting in the office? Instead of your usual go-to sandwich trays and pasta salads, why not a Harvest Your Own Salad Party! This local business delivers a food experience that offers city dwellers the freshest from farm taste to the table. Organic greens and herbs are delivered directly from local farms still in soil. Simply harvest what you will eat. Bring in their resident nutritionist, Dee Buryk for insightful learning on what we eat and how our choices impact our lives, our community and city.

Embiria Creativity Workshops: We often comment about how we don’t have enough time in a day to get to everything we want to. Bullet Journalling may help. The hottest productivity method is a creative and effective way to stay organized. Embiria hosts their popular Bullet Journalling workshops to the public in various venues but can also bring it to the workspace. They also offer personal growth, meditation, soothing watercolour painting and other interesting workshops to bring wellness into the work environment.

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Fresh City Farms sent us this recipe for Roasted Mediterranean Chicken with Feta and Olives. Fresh Canteen delivers amazingly delicious and health-conscious meal kits direct to people’s homes in Toronto.

For more information you can check out their website.

Ingredients

4 pieces chicken, mix of thighs and drumsticks
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, 3 crushed and 1 minced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced with seeds removed
2 tablespoons Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped
1 bunch rapini, stalks cut in 1” pieces and leaves sliced in ribbons
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Olive oil
Butter
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons feta cheese
1/2 cup orzo

Directions

– Heat oven to 400F.

– Rinse and pat-dry chicken, then season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a bowl with the oregano, parsley, chopped rosemary, and crushed garlic. Using your hands, massage the herbs into the chicken. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes (or longer if desired).

– Add chopped rapini stalks to a pot filled with lightly salted boiling water, then cook for 1 minute. Add the leafy rapini greens and cook until tender (2 to 3 minutes), then drain and set aside.

– In a medium-sized, oven-proof pan over medium heat, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil till hot. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and crushed garlic (do not crowd) and cook until golden brown on the outside, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes until golden. (Tip: If your garlic is browning too quickly place it on top of the chicken.) Add the lemon slices, olives, 1 tablespoon of butter, and chicken stock to the pan. Cover and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

– Cook the orzo in boiling, salted water until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes, or defer to package directions). Drain and set aside. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

– While the orzo is boiling, remove chicken from oven, uncover and sprinkle the feta over the chicken. Then cook, uncovered, for another 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and stir in another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter. Season to taste. Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

– In a pan set to medium heat, heat a small amount of olive oil, then add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add rapini and coat in olive oil and garlic mixture until just reheated.

– Plate the orzo and rapini with chicken pieces, and drizzle any remaining sauce from the pan over top. Garnish with dried parsley, and enjoy!

Yields 2 servings.

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