Thanks to Chef Shawn Kretz from Chez Nous 333 Second St. 613-932-HOME (4663) for this article. If you wish to see more from Chef Shawn let us know, and feel free to leave your comments.
Changing the Face of Fine Cuisine in Cornwall by Shawn Kretz:
The awareness of a local cuisine, specifically through the utilization of local produced food supplies.
We take for granted the seemingly endless availability of goods available year-round at any of the multitude of supermarkets around the nation, and our city. We rely heavily upon global food supplies, with no contingency to deal with dwindling fossil fuels, and rising prices.
It has become increasingly difficult to locate local food producers. Market gardening has become a lost art throughout most of the province. The few remaining hotbeds include the Niagara region/golden horseshoe(including the Holland marsh) and Prince Edward County.
In the face of future adversity it is our responsibility to secure our food supplies and foster local farmers and producers. We should discourage practices of monoculture and promote agricultural diversity. As a chef, I am acutely aware of the challenges we will soon face, but also of my responsibility to my customers and the local economy.
At Chez Nous I am attempting to introduce the concept of a hundred mile menu to Cornwall. There are many enthousiastic producers in the area that want to be apart of the renaissance of sustainable (and organic) local food supplies.
Early on in my career I was exposed to the tenets of the Local,Organic,Sustainable movement. Luckily I have been able to work in some of the most forward thinking cities/regions in North America (Stratford/Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, Berkeley, CA and Picton, ON).
I feel a responsibility to the people of Cornwall to educate and inform the people of Cornwall on how to eat healthier and utilize ingredients that promote a healthy lifestyle. Not only will you be able to eat fresh, ripe produce, but support the local economy. Many people are surprised to find out that the cost for exceptional local produce is often less than inferior, imported supermarket items.
My seasonal menus will attempt to utilize as much local produce as I can source. I am currently searching for local farmers that specialize in specific items (meats, vegetables, fruits). Feel free to contact me at cheznous.ca if you would like to supply our restaurant this summer. I am also interested in local foraging.
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