For Best Results, Go Topless

With the holidays upon us, an oven roast is the ultimate comfort food, for family and for guests. And what better way to entertain than going topless!

With a combination of both culinary and consumer research, the Beef Information Centre (BIC) is putting forward its findings for oven-roasting best practices. Oven roast enthusiasts across the nation can take comfort, confident they have the information they need to prepare the most juicy, tender oven roasts possible with just four easy steps: season, sear, reduce and stand.

With 65 per cent of Canadians not clear on the difference between a pot roast and an oven roast, BIC is stressing oven roasters 'go topless' (not use a lid), 'go dry' (not use liquid in the pan) and 'go low' (roasting at 275°F) to best achieve restaurant-quality roasting. Interestingly, 47 per cent of Canadians in BIC studies covered their oven roasts with a lid and 55 per cent used liquid in the pan. Oh the sufferings of the oven roast, confined under a lid and drowning in liquid - no more! And with the help of the step-by-step cooking lesson at www.beefinfo.org, a roasting revival is on the horizon as more Canadians discover just how easy roasting can be.

Canadians can learn all about the oven roasting best practices, how to make tasty homemade gravy, learn about serving sizes, get great holiday recipe ideas and much more by visiting www.beefinfo.org.

Oven-Roasting Best Practices

Season roast. Place, fat side up, on rack in shallow pan (no water is necessary). Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into centre of roast, avoiding fat or bone.

Oven-Sear* by placing uncovered (topless) roast in preheated 450°F (230°C) oven for 10 minutes.

*(Not around to turn it down? Skip this step and roast at a constant 275°F/140°C).

Reduce heat to 275°F (140°C). Cook to desired doneness, removing from oven when the roast is 5°F (3°C) below finished temperature (145°F/63°C for medium-rare, 160°F/71°C for medium to well-done).

Cover with foil and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Roasts can stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving into thin slices.


FENNEL-CRUSTED BEEF STRIP LOIN ROAST WITH PORT WINE SAUCE

Beef Strip Loin is a great roast to consider for entertaining - it's ever-tender and has amazing flavour! Since it's boneless, Strip Loin Roast is simple to carve and there's little waste. Bonus: Fully trimmed Strip Loin is lean, and because of its flat, thin shape, it cooks quite quickly for its weight.


Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 2 hours

1/4 cup (50 mL) minced fresh parsley

1 tbsp (15 mL) crushed fennel seeds

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

4 lb (2 kg) Beef Strip Loin Premium Oven Roast

Port Wine Sauce:

2 shallots, minced

1 cup (250 mL) red wine

1/2 cup (125 mL) ruby port

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sodium-reduced beef broth

2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

1.Combine parsley, fennel seeds, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Rub all over roast.

2.Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into centre of roast. Cook, uncovered, in 450°F (230°C) oven for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 275°F (140°C); roast until thermometer reads 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare, about 1-3/4 to 2 hours, or to 150°F (66°C) for medium. Remove from oven. Cover roast loosely with foil and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.

3.Meanwhile, make Port Wine Sauce: Drain off all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the drippings from roasting pan. Place pan over medium heat and add shallots; cook, stirring until shallots soften. Stir in wine and port, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Stir in broth. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup (50 mL) cold water and whisk into simmering sauce, cook stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain (if desired) and return to pan. Whisk butter into sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Per Serving: 255 Calories, 29 g protein, 11 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate. Good source of iron (22% DV), potassium (15% DV) and vitamin D (16% DV) and excellent source of zinc (63% DV), 7% DV sodium.

BEEF INFORMATION CENTRE For Best Results, Go Topless

Fédération de la relève agricole du Québec

A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance

How wet was it?

We heard countless stories about the wet weather in the west last spring, summer and fall. But for those of us who weren't there, it's really hard to imagine the impact the rain had on the fields -- no matter how many anecdotes we heard.

Here's a website displaying some photos of what happened when heavy equipment hit the wet fields. Voting on the best photograph is only open to residents of Saskatchewan, but if you don't live there, don't let that stop you from checking out these incredible photographs.

http://www.stuckinthemuck.com/allphotos.php

Cheers!

Nova Scotia Ag Group Elects New President

(from MeetYourFarmer.ca)
Congratulations to Beth Densmore of East Noel, Hants County, the first female president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.

Beth, who farms sheep and grapes with her husband Ronald, was elected Friday morning by the members attending the AGM in Truro, N.S.

She has served as director and president of the Hants County Federation of Agriculture and sits on various committees with the federation, including Ag Awareness, Health and Safety, and Transportation. She has a huge passion for the industry and is a tireless promoter of agriculture wherever she goes.
http://meetyourfarmer.ca/

Turkey Farm Tour

Thanks to Farmers

Our friends in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Here's a video in honour -- or should I say honor -- of American farmers. Happy Thanksgiving.

PEI Potato Industry Welcomes Rick Mercer

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, November 16, 2010 --- The Prince Edward Island Potato Industry welcomed Rick Mercer, from The Rick Mercer Report, on October 12, 2010, through invitation by the PEI Potato Board.

Rick Mercer and his crew met with Jason and Bertram Webster, of Middleton Farms, and Troy Webster, of Webster Farms in Middleton, PEI to highlight the 2010 PEI Potato harvest and demonstrate the process of bringing in the crop. Rick Mercer spent the day in the fields, learning about growing and digging potatoes. Jason also showed Rick how to work the heavy equipment, including the tractors and harvesters. “It was a beautiful day in the fields. Rick was a great sport, and he and the whole crew really got into it. They were so easy to work with and it was like spending the day with some friends,” says Jason Webster, PEI Potato Grower, “Rick was genuinely interested in what we do.”

The crew also got to see how potatoes get to the consumer level by visiting a local packing shed where fresh consumer bags are packed. “People think that their food comes from grocery stores,” said Rick Mercer, to a CBC reporter. The visit provided a great opportunity to show viewers of the Rick Mercer Report right across Canada what goes into food production.

Greg Donald, General Manager of the PEI Potato Board says “We were very excited to welcome Rick and his crew. We invited them showcase the passion that the growers have and the pride in the product that they produce. What better way to than with The Rick Mercer Report.”

The segment will air on The Rick Mercer Report, on Nov. 23 at 8:00pm on CBC Television.

Prince Edward Island is Canada’s largest producer of potatoes, with 84,500 planted acres, 320 potato growers, and a history that dates back to the 1790’s. The industry is finishing up the 2010 potato harvest, with reports of average yields and good quality.

Merry Christmas, Boston

In what has become a Nova Scotian tradition, a Christmas tree is being sent to the people of Boston as thanks for their help during the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion.

Every year since 1971, a Christmas tree is chosen to be delivered to Boston. This year's tree, a 15-metre white spruce, was cut today, Nov. 16, at a ceremony on Gary and Roseann Misner's property in North Alton, King's Co.

"For many of us, this annual ceremony marks the start of the Christmas season here in Nova Scotia," said John MacDonell, Minister of Natural Resources. "A symbol of goodwill and thankfulness, the Boston tree represents the true meaning of Christmas."

On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French ship carrying munitions, and the Norwegian SS Imo, collided in Halifax Harbour resulting in the largest man-made explosion in pre-atomic history and much of Halifax was devastated. Nineteen hundred people died and 9,000 more were injured. Boston was quick to respond, sending a train with doctors, nurses and supplies. There were community relief drives in Boston for the people of Halifax.

"It's an honour to have our tree chosen," said Mr. Misner. "We're glad to get the chance to contribute and we're quite proud to be part of this tradition."

The Boston Christmas tree usually comes from a private landowner and is selected by the Department of Natural Resources. The chosen tree must be balsam fir, white spruce or red spruce, 12 to 16-metres tall.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal provides staff and equipment to load and deliver the tree to Boston, which will make part of the journey by ferry. RCMP from

Kings Detachment took part in the ceremony, escorting the tree to the highway.

The smell of Canadian Tire

I'm hitting the road next week and am off to Alberta to attend the Agri-Trade farm show in Red Deer.

My father, who is now retired, always worked in industrial sales. He sold oil systems for hydraulic lifts, chainsaws, snowmobiles... all of that "guy" stuff. He spent many of his working days traveling Atlantic Canada, making sales calls to dealers and retailers. Many of our family vacations consisted of my brother and I waiting in the backseat of the car in some parking lot in an industrial park while my father made work stops. My mother sat in the front seat, knitting. Good times...

But when I consider the work I do now -- telling farmers' stories -- I wonder if my interest in "guy stuff" started in on those family vacations (we did, by the way, do more kid-friendly things too). There were also the times at home when I would much rather be outside with my father in the garage while he worked on his car than doing chores in the house. When I was older, he sometimes brought me to the Atlantic Farm Mechanisation Show, or other nearby equipment trade shows. And yes, the smell of Canadian Tire makes me think of home.

So all of that "guy stuff" (I keep putting that in quotation marks because I really don't really believe it's guy stuff, although it once was) gives me a sense of nostalgia. Every time I attend a farm show, I end up bringing home stacks of brochures for Dad. I love walking among the machinery and just chatting with the folks who are there -- and I look forward to chatting with the folks in Red Deer.

Wordless Wednesday

Promoting Agriculture

Yesterday, the Ontario Farm Animal Council released its 2011 Faces of Farming calendar.

The high-end, glossy, black and white calendar features 12 Ontario farmers and includes a blurb about their lives, their farms and their contributions to the their communities.

2011 Faces of Farming

Kudos to OFAC and the sponsoring groups who put the calendar together. It's a fabulous promotion of agriculture and the tasteful but sexy photographs help show that agriculture can be a great career choice.

Now, why aren't all provinces doing something like this?

Celebrating Canadian Farm Families

I'm writing a book, Celebrating Canadian Farm Families (working title), and I need your assistance.


This book will profile farms of all sizes, from all sectors, from all parts of Canada and I'm looking for farmers to write about.

Who am I looking for?

Male or female, it doesn't matter. Size of the farm doesn't matter either -- I want to profile corporate family farms that are thousands of acres in size and the family farms that are the size of a postage stamp. As long as someone is earning an income from the farming they do, I'm interested. Organic or non-organic (and everything in between) -- that doesn't matter either.

Since the book is a celebration of family operated farms, that's a key element to who I'm looking for. But just like families come in all shapes and sizes these days, so do the farms. Maybe you know of a multi-generational farm, siblings working together or spouses. In all of these cases, I want to interview several members of the family farm operation, so an openness to sitting around the kitchen table or taking me out to show me around the farm is important.

Also key is passion and enthusiasm for agriculture -- loving what they do and loving the life they're living. I recognize there are problems facing Canadian farmers and I'm open to talking about those matters with the families, but I will focus on those who approach issues as problem-solvers, rather than problem-moaners, with the overall celebration of family farming as the main theme.

If someone comes to mind , I would appreciate it if you could forward their contact information to me and maybe tell me a bit about them. If you've written about them, just send me a link to the story, or direct me to the family farm website.

Alternatively, you can send my contact information to them and ask them to contact me. I will be travelling this fall and winter and visit many of the farmers to profile in this book.

A million thank yous for your help with this -- and please contact me at allison@finnamore.ca if you have questions or comments. Also, please feel free to circulate this.
Allison

Strong voice lost

In the 20 years that I've been a reporter, I've met probably thousands of people. Most of them have been kind, some have been rude. Luckily most have been helpful and eager to tell their story.

Sometimes I've been lucky to meet someone who has a passion burning deep in their soul -- someone who loves what they do and has such a story they have to tell, that it's all they can talk about.

Patton MacDonald was like that.

Patton passed away on Thanksgiving weekend. He was the former executive director of the New Brunswick Potato Agency (which changed its name to Potatoes New Brunswick) and former manager of the Nova Scotia Cattle Commission.

I knew him best when he was at the potato agency and I was working for the local daily newspaper. My beat was the entire region -- whatever the news was happening -- and since my base was in the heart of the province's potato belt, agriculture topics became regular stories for me.

I think I had about four phone numbers for Patton -- two cell phones, an office number and a direct line. I knew that if I couldn't reach him, he would call me back as soon as he could. I also knew that if I didn't reach him when I needed to, I could keep calling him until I did reach him.

And he knew that he could always call me with story ideas, comments or concerns. He also knew that he could chat and rant and give me the background of an issue without the rant (necessarily) going into print.

We shared a mutual respect.

Here's how the conversations usually went: I would call him to find out about an issue. I would keep calling every hour until I reached him, or he would call me at about 10 p.m. I would ask him a question then listen to him talk for about 45 minutes about matters sort of related to the question, but not really. He was usually on his way someplace and in a hurry. Near the end of the conversation, I would nail down a comment from him about whatever it was that I called to talk about.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he helped do more for the province's potato industry -- and for that matter -- New Brunswick agriculture -- during his time at the agency than has been done in the last 20 years.

Patton was on top of Canada-United States potato trade issues, negotiating with trade officials for reduced barriers. He promoted farm safety and helped implement a farm equipment signage program. And when New Brunswick potato farmers were faced with labour shortages and were struggling to get their crops in from the fields, he helped set up a labour hotline, which expanded to a rural labour hotline -- helping put farmers and woodlot owners get in touch with willing workers. He was instrumental in starting the New Brunswick Potato Conference, an annual two-day professional development meeting held every February during a snow storm (I never did figure out how he managed that!).

Nothing Patton did was done alone. Whatever project he tackled he had teams working with him and everyone should share the applause. But Patton was a driving force on getting the word out there about agriculture. He didn't create the news, but he championed the work of New Brunswick farmers. Now, it seems, reporters have to go looking for agriculture news.

It's sad when a strong voice is silenced. Even though Patton hadn't been speaking out loudly about New Brunswick agriculture for some time, I hope another champion can be found. Patton can never be replaced, but the work he did helping promote the province's agriculture industry shouldn't be lost.

I am thankful for... turkducken

This weekend, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada -- a traditional time to pause and take stock of what's around us and what fills our lives with happiness and peace. It's also a traditional family gathering time.

My father's brothers, their wives, two of my four cousins, their girlfriends, my parents and brother arrived at my house on Saturday afternoon. We had the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, squash and gravy simmering away, but I had decided a few weeks ago that we would also cook a turducken -- a cranberry dressing stuffed-chicken, stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a turkey. I had ordered it from the Old Fashion Meat Market a couple of weeks ago and was quite looking forward to five kilograms cooking adventure.

Except for the legs and wings of the turkey, the birds are deboned, which I'm sure eases the construction process. It was well sewn together, but when my mother asked me what it looked like, the only description I could think of was "kind of limp."

I was assured when I ordered the turduckin they would give me instructions on how to cook the beast, so I wasn't too concerned until I had the prize in my hands and asked for details. The response? "Just like a turkey." Fine, I said, "but tell me more," figuring solid meat must require something extra, right? Cook at 275 F for 5.5 to 6 hours, I was told. OK. Sounds simple, right?

After about two hours, I figured I would be smelling the wonderful scent of roasting turducken, but there was nothing -- I even checked to make sure the oven was on. It was, but I cranked up the heat and stuck the birds back in the oven, knowing the hungry dinner guests would soon arrive.

As the clock approached 3 p.m., we could indeed smell turducken (smells like chicken) wafting through the house. Tummies started to rumble. "What time are we eating?" became a popular question. My answer: "It's all on the turducken at this point." I think they were beginning to eye the dog food...

Sometime in the hustle of the afternoon, I turned the heat up to 400 F and the turducken was done on time. It was a bit dry, but I believe that was because I had to cook it at the higher temperature. I think the meat market made a mistake when they told me to cook it at 275 F and should have instead told me to cook it at 375 F.

Regardless, we certainly didn't go hungry. In fact, we had so much food left over that we had another full meal again on Sunday with other relatives. There were even enough unopened rolls to take to a drop-in centre downtown. I am thankful that I have the means to fill tummies and invite people into my home.

Now, next year... I'm thinking I'll serve tofurkey.

Autumn in New Brunswick

Apple picking is a traditional New Brunswick activity in the fall. Those of us in the city head to the gentle rolling hills of the countryside for some fresh air and fresh produce.

Last Sunday was also Open Farm Day in Atlantic Canada. Combined with the nice weather, it made for long lineups at many farm markets and farm gates in the region.

I was hoping to pick some of the Honeycrisp variety, but trends take a bit longer to catch on in eastern Canada than they do in the rest of the country. McIntosh and Cortland apples still reign for popular choice here.

Belliveau Orchards in Memramcook have established a wonderful farm market at the orchard. Along with tree fruit, they also carry other favourite fall vegetables and autumn decor.

Out of the mouths of babes

Like most kids, my children have an uncanny ability to cut to the chase and make their point. They often weed through a message and summarize with a statement that starts something like, "so basically, what they're saying is..."

They're promoters of the KISS method of communication: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

New research released today from the registered dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada show my kids aren't alone.

The survey of Ontario kids, one of the largest of children's attitudes and opinions on healthy eating, shows kids have strong opinions and advice for both parents and teachers about healthy eating.

According to a news release from the Dairy Farmers of Canada, the survey shows pre-teens are concerned about nutrition and healthy eating, and not just interested in greasy take-out food and sugary treats.

Another encouraging finding is that pre-teens actually care about what their parents do and say when it comes to healthy eating -- they are still interested in guidance and support from their parents (but don't tell my daughter, because she would deny deny deny).

Highlights of the research include:

- 89 per cent of kids agree their parents are their most important role models for healthy eating.
- 82 per cent of kids want to learn how to cook in school.
- 80 per cent of kids want to know about the benefits of healthy eating and not just what they should not be eating.
- Three out of four children agree that if their parents had healthy food in the house, they would eat it.
- 71 per cent of children describe their eating habits as 'sort of healthy', while 21 per cent describe their eating habits as 'very healthy'. Only eight per cent say their eating habits are 'not very healthy.'

The registered dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada have combined the results of this survey with their more than 35 years of experience as nutrition educators to create a brand new online resource. Parents and teachers can visit http://www.kidsonfood.ca/. Along with a summary of the research, the website includes video clips of advice from the kids in the research, tips for parents and teachers from children, recipes for home and school and free resources and tools.

Back to school blues

The beginning of the school year always feels far more like the start of a new year than Jan. 1. There's the bittersweet ending of summer, the change in temperatures and the excitement of new notebooks, pencils and pens. Really, what other simple joy is there than a new, pure white eraser, a box of new markers, or (gasp) cracking open a new notebook and starting to write on the first page?

My excitement is dulled, however, with the back to school lists. Really, I want to know what my kids need for supplies in the upcoming months, but I would rather have a list of supplies the kids will truly need, rather than what seems like a made-up list.

This year, two of the more unbelievable items on my son's list included 48 HB pencils and a box of plastic bags with a zipper.

With class sizes up to 30 children, that means the teacher will be collecting 1,440 pencils on Tuesday morning. There are about 195 school days a year, so that means each child will have 7.4 pencils a day at their disposal!

Conversely, the Grade 2 list doesn't even have pencils on it.

And I'm extremely curious to know what 30 Grade 3 children are going to do with a box of Ziplock bags this year.

I know there are kids who arrive at school on the first day who don't know the joys of new school supplies and I am happy to help them experience this same excitement. But if that's the case, tell me.

Equally annoying is the need to request specific brands of school supplies. There is always a note pointing out that after years of testing, the mentioned brands have proven to be the best, but why is one type of marker or crayon recommended in one grade and another brand the next year?

I suspect the teachers aren't aware of the lists, haven't been kept up-to-date on changes or brand recommendations and just make the best with whatever arrives on the first day of school.

Perhaps it's time they give the lists a quick review, just to make sure they really do make the grade.

THEY CAME, THEY ROLLED, THEY CONQUERED

THEY CAME, THEY ROLLED, THEY CONQUERED