The Week in Yum I Heart Farmers and Taste Matters

This week was a busy week with far too much work and not enough play but at least it ended with some fun.

I Heart Farmers, Canola Oil and a Farm Adventure

I took my good friend, Ivy Lam, into her very first corn maze at Applewood Farm. No one was harmed.

On Thursday, I was invited to grab a friend and tag along on the I Heart Farmers media tour sponsored by the Canadian Canola Growers. Along with our host and national treasure, Mairlyn Smith (who also prepared our amazing picnic lunch using heart healthy, Canadian canola oil in all of the recipes) and visiting guest farmer, Will Bergman, we went apple picking at Applewood Farm and Winery (maybe some apple booze tasting too) and then finished with a bit of flower arranging and picnicking at the ridiculously picturesque South Pond Farms. Stay tuned for some more photos from our adventure and a chat with Will about the future of Canadian farming.

Taste Matters 

Scallop Ceviche in Semolina Puffs from R&D

After a day of pretending to be a country girl, I had to do a quick change from my canola boots to silver slippers and made my way to a fancy pants fundraiser for Eva's Initiative called Taste Matters .

Eva's is much more than a youth shelter, helping troubled youth transition from homelessness to a life of living independantly by tending to not only their physical and emotional needs, but helping them aim high and to set and reach goals.

Eva's is named after Eva Smith, a Jamaican woman who came to Canada in 1956 at the age of 33 as a domestic worker.  Depsite her own hardships, Eva quickly became a community leader and, eventually,  a guidance counsellor at George Vanier Secondary school. She her life to preventing teenage homelessness and so it was in her honour that Eva's Place opened their first shelter in 1994.

I wrote about some of the great work that Eva's does here

The place was packed, wallets were open and people were bidding freely on the silent auctions while they noshed and sipped wine and beer from a variety of local vendors. A live auction capped the night off with items like a culinary week in a Tuscan Villa for 4 couples, a Toronto Indy VIP package, some very fancy pants wine and jewelry. Although the auction items were too rich for our blood, we were happy to make a cash donation to help cover the cost of feeding all of the youth that depend on their three shelters throughout the year.

If you missed out on the event this year but want to see how else you can help out, go look here. 

There was more than enough food and drink to keep everyone happy, watered and well fed

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