Saskatoon chef Anthony McCarthy is doing his part to introduce his urban audience to the tastes of rural Saskatchewan.
The executive chef at the Saskatoon Club, who spoke at a Local Living Economies conference March 25, buys as much local in-season produce as he can find.
“If I know the farmer from down the road, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a good carrot,” he said.
That allows him to know where the food comes from and who grows it. It also gives him opportunities to provide quality and taste to his diners through local products.
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In the future, McCarthy would also like to break down barriers and regulations that impede direct access to local meat.
He said choosing local is more important to him than choosing organic. Local food tastes better and contains more nutrition for improved health and well-being.
He blamed many allergies on the use of pesticides, food not being produced properly and the distance it travels to markets.
McCarthy advised consumers to eat food that is ripening in its natural seasons and extend their use by preserving and freezing for winter meals.
Stores stock produce from all over the world year round, but the produce is often picked early and shipped great distances.
“We’ve lost touch with flavour.”
McCarthy said people’s lives have become so busy that they don’t take time to cook, relying instead on convenience and fast food.
“It’s what we’ve come to accept,” he said. “There’s a generation gap with people not knowing how to cook.”
He thinks restaurants and other businesses can make food production more sustainable by developing relationships with farmers.
Programs such as Local Bounty and Chefs Celebrating Farmers show what it takes to produce food. Farmers can also learn what the restaurants need, when they need it and in what quantities.
“If I can change, the world can change by everyone doing a little bit,” he said. “The farmer would rather sell to me than ship it away and not get much money.”
Regina food writer C.J. Katz of Savour Life magazine cited the growing popularity of farmers’ markets. They offer fresh products from the region and specialty items such as organics and hormone-free meat.
Relationships build each week between buyers and sellers, and consumers develop trust in what they’re eating, which is especially important in light of recent contaminated food scares.
“They want to buy something they can trace.”
She said Saskatchewan is well positioned to capitalize on growing markets for “healthy, fulfilling, life enhancing” products, using as an example locally produced flax seed enhanced with goji berries or blueberries.
“You might be surprised at how much value people put on eco-friendly fresh food,” she said. “Nothing tastes better than a tomato you just picked.”
