Sean Brady and Bruce Green own and operate Kolapore Springs Fish Hatchery near Collingwood, Ontario, an all-natural, sustainable organic hatchery that, since 2009 has been producing some of the best trout you can find anywhere. In fact their trout is so good it is sold at many of the best fishmongers, at the finest restaurants, and was featured at The David Suzuki Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Legacy Gala, prepared by Susur Lee.

One of the factors that makes this trout stand out is the natural water source, two streams that run just under the forest floor and join about 500 metres uphill of the farm. As the streams runs toward the ponds, they collect a vast array of enzyme rich microorganisms and tiny shrimp that add to the vibrant colour and quality of the fish. In many large scale (!) fish farms, these enzymes are produced artificially and are added to the feed. At Kolapore, the fish population is controlled, the feed is all natural and supplemented by the freshwater shrimp, mayflies, minnows and mosquitoes in the ecosystem, and the water is constantly moving.

The forest streams at Kolapore are also considerably colder than most commercial fish farms, averaging around 7 degrees C, resulting in a healthier, firmer fleshed animal. The gravity driven water, flowing at a rate of about 400 gallons per minute, is only a few degrees warmer flowing out of the ponds than into them.

Trout ‘s natural flavour can be easily overpowered and ruined by overcooking, often resulting in a dry, tasteless fish, so whether you poach it, grill it or bake it, handle it gently and go easy with the bells and whistles and allow its delicate flavour to come through. Remember, cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish, not the weight. Your trout will be at its best when its flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Here’s a great idea for smoked trout. If baking or grilling, tiny beads of moisture will collect on its flesh. Whether you select Rainbow, Speckled, Brown or Tiger Trout, you’ll want to do it justice.

Located in Bruce Grey County, just outside the tiny hamlet of Ayton, Ontario you can find one of the oldest organic farms in Canada, Filsinger’s Organic Foods. Founded by Alvin Filsinger in 1953, this farm has stayed true to its roots over the years and has become world renown; Filsinger himself was honoured with the Lifetime Organic Hero Award in 2004 by the Canada Organic Grower’s Association, and his methodologies are studied at McGill University, The Australia Soil and Health Association as well as academic institutions around the world.

Now in the caring hands of Debbie Backer and her sons Sean, Cory and her nephew Brandon Weber, this family is passionate about keeping things real, organic and healthy.

Deb worked on the farm from 1985–1990 and became a big advocate of Filsinger’s philosophy, leaping at the opportunity to purchase the property in 2006. Since that time, she has added 1,600 apple trees to the 3,000 already there, as well as currants, pears, rhubarb and numerous other vegetables.

The Farm is certified organic by OCIA International; the soil is treated with seaweed extracts, minerals and compost, everything grown without the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides. The practices utilized on the farm are proof that it is possible to be sustainable, organic, healthy for the workers, the land and the consumers, and profitable. And the product itself is second to none.

Filsinger’s organic pear puree is made from tree-ripened pears grown on their farm, no sugar added, and perfect as a spread or a sauce with pork, duck or poultry. Similar care goes into the apple cider vinegar and the unpasteurized and additive free apple butters and applesauce.

The sweet apple cider, fresh-pressed on the farm, is made with a variety of apples and devoid of preservatives or additives, bottled unfiltered. Served chilled or hot, at skating rinks or in après ski cocktails and toddies, apple cider is a Canadian classic. With the recent proliferation of “brown liquor” cocktails, a hot mulled Apple Jack is both classic and hipster chic.

For the last four years, Filsinger Farms has been holding an Apple Blossom Festival in late May, usually the weekend after Victoria Day, and plans are well underway for the fifth annual festival which features a tour of the farm, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting and craft fairs. If nothing else, the sight of thousands of apple trees in full fragrant blossom certainly sounds worth the trip. In the meantime, you might want to try a Hot Apple Jack.  After all, spring is still a few months away!

Hot Mulled Cider Recipe

makes 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

1/2 gallon of apple cider

1 orange

15 cloves

4 3-inch sticks of cinnamon

15 allspice berries

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

7 pods of cardamom

METHOD

1 Pour apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high. Quarter the orange and add to the cider with the rest of the ingredients. Heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer. Cover, then reduce heat to low, simmering for 15–20 minutes. Strain, discarding solids.

Makes 8 cups.

Hot Apple Jack

–1 ounce Jack Daniels

- mug of hot mulled cider

–garnish with cinnamon stir stick

more information about the Apple Blossom Festival can be obtained at

info@filsingerorganic.com

Most of us keep a few convenience items in our pantry for those nights when we’re too busy or wiped out to cook from scratch. One such item that makes for an easy supper is a simple jar of spaghetti sauce. We’re seeing more and more of these sauces being put out by celebrity chefs.

Christine Cushing offers a cognac and roasted pepper version, a fresh basil infused sauce and a porcini and chianti sauce in her line.

While Jamie Oliver offers a red onion and rosemary, and a tomato and chili, among others. How many times have you made a spaghetti sauce from scratch and put cognac in it? Or porcini? Or rosemary for that matter?

These are exciting flavour combinations and when we don’t have time to simmer a sauce for hours, while wearing a kerchief and humming the overture from Bizet’s Carmen, they’ll do just fine.

These sauces make for an easy base to build your meal on. Try to stock a number of different pasta shapes and experiment with them.

campanelle pasta with spaghetti sauce cooked with crumbled sausage

Try campanelle pasta with pork sausage and a tomato and chili sauce from Jamie, or some tagliatelle with porcini and chianti from Christine. You can add chicken, veggies or pancetta to jazz up the final dish, shave some nice cheese over top and you’ve got a worthy meal to eat. You can even eat it in front of the television while you watch Jamie wax on about beets while weeding the garden at his country estate.

Here is a great recipe from Christine’s site, in it she makes the pasta, the sauce and the bechamel from scratch. That might be a fun way to spend a Sunday in the kitchen, but for dinner on a weeknight you might want to take a few shortcuts. All you have to do is sub in dried pasta, a bag of pre-grated cheese and a bottle of prepared sauce. While the sauce is simmering you can whip up a bechamel, or simplify the lasagna and don’t use a bechamel at all. I cut down on fat by using a mixture of baby spinach tossed with low fat cottage cheese, nutmeg and a beaten egg, it’s delicious.

Christine Cushing’s Lasagne

This lasagna is the perfect balance of creamy bechamel, cheese and rich meat sauce. You’ll need a pasta machine to make the pasta. It’s a fairly lengthy  recipe but you will love the end result. As a shortcut , you can use pre-made fresh lasagna sheets and /or my all natural tomato sauce over the meat  If you want to just pour the sauce over pasta, add some cream to the meat sauce after adding the wine.

Pasta

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (425 ml)

Pinch salt

3 eggs

Bolognese Sauce

3 tbsp. olive oil (45 ml)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (675 grams)

1 small Italian spicy sausage, casing removed

1 Tbsp. butter (15 ml)

2 small onions, finely diced

2 small carrots, finely diced

Several sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. dried oregano ( 5 ml)

One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with juice, chopped (784 grams)

1/4 cup dry white wine ( 50 ml)

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Béchamel sauce

1/3 cup butter (75 ml)

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. flour (75 ml + 15 ml)

4 cups milk (1 l)

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano  cheese (50 ml)

Oil, for baking dish

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (75 ml)

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Pasta

In food processor with plastic dough attachment, combine flour and salt .  Pulse to blend. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Pulse until mixture is crumbly but starts to come together.  Remove dough from mixer and knead several time until smooth .  Cover and let rest for 1 hour.

Meat Sauce

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add the beef and Italian sausage and cook for 20–25 minutes stirring often until browned and all water has evaporated.  Add the butter , onion and the carrots and sauté for 5–6 minutes just to soften.

Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, oregano, tomatoes , white wine and salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 55 to 60 minutes or until sauce is thickened and flavour has developed to your liking. Adjust seasoning.Sauce should be loose.

Béchamel Sauce

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt butter. Add the flour and stir with wooden spoon until a paste forms. Remove from heat and add the cold milk a little at a time while stirring well between each addition. Return to heat once all the milk is added and mixture is smooth.

Continue stirring over medium heat until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Parmigiano  cheese and stir.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Oil the bottom of a 13– by 9– by 2-inch baking dish.
3. Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll dough into thick sheets on the pasta machine, starting at the thickest setting, reducing pasta setting one mark each time you roll the dough through.
4. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes or until just al dente.  Drain and lay on baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.Reserve a quarter of the béchamel sauce for the top layer. Layer lasagna as desired starting with pasta and alternating bolognese sauce, grated cheese and béchamel. Season well between each layer. Finish with a layer pasta, the reserved béchamel sauce and extra cheese on the top layer to finish (you should have 6 layers of lasagna).
5. Bake lasagna in middle of oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Serves: 6 to 8 servings

We asked master butcher and owner of Cumbrae’s, Stephen Alexander, to give us some instruction in butchery. Here is the first in the series.