The Grower's Basket

It's the long weekend and the weather forecast for Ontario is nothing but sun shine! Wether you plan to head to the cottage or veg out at home, here are 2 great Ontario wines for under $15 to throw in the May 24 mix. Cave Spring Rosé 2010 I know you may be thinking, really rosé? The wine style tends to have a bad rep because of sweet versions such as mass produced Wild Vines, but this my friends is a fabulous example of a a crisp, dry, high alcohol, Provence style Rosé made here in Ontario. Subtle notes of raspberry and sweet cherry take over with a noticeable acidity that makes for a delicious glass when slightly chilled. This wine goes perfect with pasta salads and veggie burgers, which is another great reason to pick a couple bottles up this weekend! Henry of Pelham Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is the wine of spring, boasting with fruit forward flavours and a crisp refreshing finish. This white is also great served slightly chilled and it is the perfec...

It's three o'clock in the afternoon, and you are already thinking...what's for dinner tonight? Chances are that if you live alone you will grab fast food, or eat a box of cookies. Or perhaps, dinner has simply become redundant and you are bored of the usual mid-week meal. Fear no more my friends, here is a radically simple dinner that is packed full of fibre, protein, veggies, and omega's. Sweet Asian Salmon  The Recipe stir fry: sweet onion, minced garlic, broccoli, red & green pepper drain and rinse and heat: 1 can of green lentils, or rehydrate 1 cup of green lentils rinse and bake: salmon- drizzle with grape seed oil (or olive oil), salt & pepper and lemon @350 for 20-30min depending how rare you like it plate: bed of green lentils, generous portion of stir fry veggies on top, lay salmon filet on veggies drizzle: Tempura sauce all over (I use about 3 tablespoons) I love this dish because it serves as a great next day lunch if you have extra veg...

Pastels, pansies, and all the new growth is a sure sign of spring! With Good Friday only a day away it's a great opportunity to write about my favourite meal. Brunch is  synonymous with  Easter Weekend, so here is an economic and wonderfully simple brunch pairing. Perfect for 2 and also great for entertaining. For me, the fresh smells of spring trigger desires for light bodied, off-dry or medium sweet whites, with a bit of fizz. Moscato is delicious and appeals well for brunch pairings because it usually has a lower alcohol %...making it an innocent drink at noon! You also may not know that it's one of the oldest identified winemaking grapes, popular as Piedmont's Asti Spumante and the New World Moscato. This Spring there are tons available at the LCBO that hold well for value at around $10 a bottle. Not overly complex by any means but instead offer a fun pair for brunch!  The Spritz: Botter Moscato Southern Italy $10  A floral nose with notes of blossom,...

Green is the theme! Green food colouring, tacky Irish clothing, and mass alcohol consumption, this is the international recipe for a solid Saint Patrick's Day!   Saturday March 17, 2012: Sunny with a high of 15°C. For residents of South Western Ontario this is music to the ears because it's almost 10°C above the seasonal average and more then likely patios will be open! Whether you plan to hit up your local pub or get together with friends in your backyard, The Grower's Basket has got you covered for the perfect 100% organic "green" pair for St Patty's Day Shenanigans. Organic Kale Chips & Organic White Wine Southbrook Connect White Blend and Kale Chips The Wine: Southbrook Connect, Organic White Blend ONLY $15 @ LCBO . Let's put it this way, I absolutely adore Southbrook Vineyards . A local Niagara on the Lake Winery striving to make the finest wines possible in a respectful, local, light-on-the-land fashion. By 2008 they were the first wine est...

Today's Hike Spring seems to have arrived early for us in Niagara, usually February brings frigid temperatures and more snow. This year the smells and sounds of April have us flirt with the idea of 2012 being a fabulous year for grape growers. In the spirit of spring Aaron, my brother Dean, my friend Mel and I decided to hike a section of The Bruce Trail  on the Niagara Escarpment behind the  Niagara College Teaching Winery . It was a windy day but the sunny sky and warm temps made it easy to enjoy a very muddy hike. If you are a Niagara local and haven't been on this section of the Bruce, I highly recommend taking the time to check it out as it showcases great biodiversity close to home, and is very dog friendly. Bruce Markings Having such a great afternoon outside sparked our hunger for good food and great vino. We decided to make home made pizza and since Dean and Mel were visiting it was only suiting to open a bottle that had been hanging out on the rack for quite so...

Some didn't think it was going to happen....but Mother Nature threw us a snowy curveball this weekend and coupled with a classic Canadian cold front, this turned out to be just what the winemaker ordered. Perfect conditions for an Icewine Harvest.  For those of you who have never participated in an Icewine harvest before, it is no easy job. Here is the break down: The grapes are still on the vine and typically cover in netting to keep birds away. It must be at least   -8 °C   for harvest and depending on the type of wine you want to make, the juice from the grapes is required to hold a minimum % of sugar, which is measured in  °Bx. For example: Icewine must be 35 °Bx, Special Select Late Harvest 30 °Bx, Select Late Harvest 26 °Bx. After a sample is pressed from the grapes and the  °Bx is measured and you can determine if the grapes are ready, or what style of wine you can attain from the harvest. The crew is then sent out to hand harvest every l...

Let's face it, I have probably had every type of salad on the planet. I am also guilty of simply dicing up every veggie in the fridge, throwing some classic ranch in the mix and calling it a meal. Salads can sometimes be repetitive and boring and I often forget that 'less is more'.  Enter the Toasted Sunflower Salad , a simple and easy creation to satisfy your salad blues.  Whats in it? green leaf lettuce sliced red pepper dried cranberries sunflower seeds dressing Sunflower seeds are ridiculously inexpensive in bulk. I like to toast them plain or in a bit of Shoyu (Japanese Soy Sauce) and bake them for around 10 min @375 . Whats great is that you can store them in a little baggy or container and put them on EVERYTHING.  Dressings are a never ending experiment for me, however when I'm in a hurry there is nothing better then a mix of balsamic vinegar(ette) and ranch dressing. Refreshing and creamy! Another quick and healthy alternative is grape seed oil an...