The Stop E News

December 6, 2010

Jamie Oliver visits The Stop!

In town recently to promote his latest book, celebrity chef and fellow traveler in the good food revolution, Jamie Oliver , dropped by The Stop's Green Barn. A planned half-hour pit stop turned into a two-hour tour, with Jamie meeting the kids in the After School Program--who dazzled him with their culinary skills and a brunch consisting of chicken nuggets, pancakes and a huge salad--and taking a tour of our greeenhouse, gardens and kitchen with Executive Director Nick Saul. Jamie was delighted and fascinated: "Amazing," he said. "We haven't got anything like this in London." For more on Jamie's adventures at The Stop, read Jennifer Bain's story in the Toronto Star, Malcolm Jolley's at Good Food Revolution (with video!) and check out these pictures by Anna Prior.

Film Night at the Green Barn, Dec. 7

Film Night at the Green Barn is back! Join the Wychwood Social Justice Group and Wychwood Open Door for a screening of the acclaimed documentary, Poor No More. Hosted by TV and film star Mary Walsh, the film takes three Canadians, stuck in low-paying jobs with no security or future, to a world where people don't have to beg, where housing is affordable and university education free. Read more...

Terra Madre Day, Dec. 10

Slow Food Toronto and The Stop celebrate Terra Madre Day with a rich array of music, family-friendly activities and, of course, tons of wonderful food. In keeping with the theme for Terra Madre 2010 in Italy, "Indigenous Cultures and Languages," we'll be highlighting wild and farmed foods produced by First Nation communities in Ontario. Sample delicious, local food; buy ingredients and prepared foods for the holiday season; and learn to make informed food choices. Read more...

Gifts that Matter

Looking for a meaningful holiday gift for your staff, clients, friends, teachers or anyone else on your list? Contribute $25 to The Stop Community Food Centre to purchase a food hamper for a family, and we’ll send the giftee a lovely card (drawn by kids in our After School Program) saying that you’ve made a donation in their name. Stress-free holiday shopping that makes a difference! Read more...

Food for Change, Jan. 20

In our popular monthly dinner series, sponsored by ING Direct Canada, acclaimed Chef Chris Brown creates an intimate, five-course meal to savour in our beautiful greenhouse. Budding cooks who wnt to experience life in a professional kitchen can join Chris and the crew and help prepare the feast. While December's dinner is sold out, there are still plenty of tickets left for January's. And don't forget: Food for Change gift certificates are the perfect thing for the foodie on your holiday list! Read more...

The Stop at Scaramouche, Feb. 20

Scaramouche Executive Chef Keith Froggett joins forces with The Stop's chefs Chris Brown and Scott MacNeil for a night to remember. Together, they’ll create an unforgettable four-course meal with all proceeds helping the Stop continue its mission to fight hunger, build community and inspire change. Read more...

People at The Stop: Ann van der Heyden

There are thousands of people who use, benefit from and work with The Stop every year—and we, in turn, are greatly enriched by their involvement with us. Every month, we’ll profile one of these individuals. This month we introduce Ann van der Heyden, of Wooler Dale Farm.

Along with her husband, John, and her four daughters, Ann van der Heyden, has been running Wooler Dale Farm for almost thirty years. Ann grew up on a farm in her native Holland, and after she and John migrated to Canada in 1981, they continued to pursue their agricultural dreams. They began with mushrooms and their farm, located near Brighton, Ontario, was one of the first in Ontario to be certified organic. Their range of crops expanded dramatically over the next couple of decades; today, they raise everything from amazing asparagus to eggplant and strawberries--all in an environmentally sustainable, self-sufficient and small-scale way.

Farming, of course, is tough--the average Ontario farmer only makes about $8,000 from farming--and a few years ago, Ann wasn't sure they could continue to do it full-time. The small farmers' markets in Peterborough and Kingston couldn't quite provide the support Wooler Dale needed. The Stop's Green Barn Farmers' Market, which opened last year, arrived just in the nick of time. "The Green Barn really saved our farm," Ann says, and today it provides about 35 per cent of the family's income. "We're very thankful," she says. "Everyone is very nice and they're very educated about farming. People say that farmers feed cities, but cities feed farmers too."

Buy The Printing House Greeting Cards and Support The Stop

The Printing House Limited Charitable Greeting Card Campaign has raised in excess of half a million dollars supporting 37 registered Canadian charities, since 1990. Uniquely providing 100 per cent of the net proceeds to charities, TPH Charitable Greeting Cards send the perfect holiday message. Food programs supported this year include, among others, the Ontario Association of Food Banks, Community Kitchen Program of Calgary and The Stop. Read more...

The Stop in the News

What people are saying about us this month.

Better than a food bank, The Tyee

Keys to feeding poor, Toronto Sun

Sabor Latino provides warm place in an often cold city, Metro

Job Openings

We're hiring! Please visit our jobs page for full descriptions of two new positions: Replication Research and Evaluation Coordinator and Community Engagement Coordinator.

In this issue

Jamie Oliver visits The Stop!
Film Night at the Green Barn, Dec. 7
Terra Madre Day, Dec. 10
Gifts that Matter
Food for Change, Jan. 20
The Stop at Scaramouche, Feb. 20
People at The Stop: Ann van der Heyden
Buy The Printing House Greeting Cards and Support The Stop
The Stop in the News
Job Openings

Program Updates

By Kathryn Scharf, Program Director

Of course, Jamie Oliver loved the After School Program kids! You will too after watching this short video about the program. You'd have to be in a very bad mood if you don't smile when you see the little guy with the lightning hands chopping and garnishing. (His mom swore we must have sped up the film, but, really, we didn't; she probably just doesn't give him such a big knife at home!) And don't you just tear up when you see the group proudly standing beside the food they made for their parents at the graduation party? This video is the first in a series that have been made about The Stop by Mercury Films (documentary filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier of Manufactured Landscapes fame). All the others will soon be available on our website.

Over here in programs, we were overwhelmed by all the great stuff people bought for us at this year's What's on the Table auctions. We'll now have eggs for everybody at the food bank for a year! As well, rice and beans; a new blender and fridge for the kitchen; a compost tea maker thingy; seeds to create our thousands of giveaway seedlings for community gardens (think how much food that will end up becoming); and help building new Global Roots Garden plots. Amazing!

On the theme of gifts, last week the folks with Project Warmth—Allison, Abe, Karen, and one small assistant—dropped off an avalanche of diaper bags and diapers for Healthy Beginnings holiday gifts. Thanks in advance on behalf of all the moms who will receive them.

On November 15th, 150 people turned out for the Put Food in the Budget forum at the Barns. Organized by the Social Planning Network of Ontario , with the help of the Wychwood Social Justice Group and a group of provincial partners, this was a report-back and rally resulting from a new group of people across Ontario taking the Do the Math Challenge. It's astounding how this campaign has picked up momentum way beyond its original life at The Stop. When we were visiting other Ontario communities on our replication tour, it made us feel proud (and a little guilty) to hear stories from all the people who’d taken the challenge.

Speaking of replication, we are currently developing a learning network to share resources about community food programming. This network will include online materials, face-to-face meetings and tele-conferences. If you’d like to stay up-to-date on the pilot’s progress, and receive updates, please email elizabeth@thestop.org.

And finally, a couple of weeks ago, we received a great honour from the Board of Health, who named us their organizational Public Health Champion for this year. The Board and the Public Health department have been great allies over the year, sharing as they do our philosophy about the importance of addressing the root causes of ill health—from poverty to food access, food skills and community development. The Medical Officer of Health and the department and have worked with us for many years to highlight the inadequacy of social assistance rates.

Farmers' Market Update

By Cookie Roscoe Handford, Market Manager

The market will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. We'll be right back at it on January 8th, with a full roster of farmers. Look for a good supply of Ontario winter greens like kale, cabbage, cold-frame lettuces and sprouts. There'll be lots of cheese, too--we've welcomed Fifth Town Artisan Cheese to our roster this winter, as well as all the usual favourites.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: ROAST SAUSAGES WITH KALE

The bitterness of the greens with the richness of the sausage makes for a great mouthful. Serve this with a grain salad or some roasted potatoes for a lovely lunch.

Ingredients

4 fresh sausages (Italian, kielbasa, chorizo, etc.)

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and leaves torn into large pieces

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and arrange sausages with a bit of room between them. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and nicely browned.

2. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil on high in a large saute pan. Add onions, season lightly with salt and stir. When the onions start becoming translucent, add garlic and stir. When onions are starting to brown, add kale, season with salt and pepper and cover. Reduce heat to medium high and allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until kale is wilted and tender.

3. Season with lemon juice and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve with roasted sausages.

Serves 4

For more recipes like this, pick up our cookbook, Good Food for All, available everywhere. Now, updated and revised, with a new cover!

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