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Chilean Wines Go Sustainable

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I recently came across a bottle of wine labeled “sustainable certified.” Upon closer examination, the accompanying logo revealed that it was a “certified sustainable wine of Chile” and invited me to visit www.sustentavid.org for more information. So I did! I also Googled  ”certified sustainable wine of Chile” to find out more about with this label means and who is behind it.

According Wines of Chile, the sustainability certification is a “long-term endeavour … consisting of a series of initiatives and projects to address the different areas included within the overarching concept of sustainability.”  The program is based on the understanding that in order to be sustainable practices must be  environmentally friendly, socially equitable, and economically viable.

Wines of Chile’s sustainability code is divided into three sections. It appears that a winery can get certified for each one or all of them together. At launch in 2012, the “green”  certification, which focuses on the handling of natural resources, plagues in the vineyard, agrochemicals and industrial safety, was the only one available. However, certification for energy efficiency, water management, garbage, recycling and pollution prevention (red certification), as well as business ethics, environment, working conditions, relationship with the community, marketing and consumers (orange certification) have since been added. How much of each company’s operations must meet the new code(s) in order to be certified is also being implemented gradually between now and 2020.

According to an article in the October 2012 issue of Tidings magazine, this three-pronged approach to sustainability is unique among wine sustainability programs. Most only focus on the environmental aspects of sustainability, while the Chilean program also includes corporate and social responsibility. This may make it one of the most rigourous standards out there for wine growers, however not being an expert it is hard for me to judge.

That said, I do intend to support wines carrying this certification.

A complete list of all the wineries currently certified is available on the program’s website. Currently 28 wineries have the green certification and another 11 have green, red and orange certifications.  They include:

What do you think? Will this certification encourage you pick up a bottle of Chilean wine in favour of your usual Argentinian or other new world wine?

 

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By Amanda Strong – May 22, 2013

Miss Prêt à Manger: A Unexpected Lunchtime Gem in Downtown Montreal

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Downtown with a local, organic, farm-to-table philosophy and reasonable prices… I’m shocked that I only discovered this gem on Bleury street recently. How did I miss it? Who knows, but I’m glad I found it now.

The discovery happened back at the end of January when I was checking out the participants in Montreal’s first ever Poutine Week. Seriously. The last thing I expected to come across was a poutine made with shredded local organic lamb, homemade lamb gravy, and organic cheese curds. I think I just about fell off my chair. There was no way I missing this. So on one lunch hour, I grabbed my friend and off we went

Located on the edge of the financial district,  Miss Prêt à Manger really caters to the downtown lunch crowd. It’s open from Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and closed on weekends. It’s tiny. The menu changes daily to weekly, and is posted both on the website and on the restaurant’s Facebook page. They also serve coffee, sweets and smoothies. The day we went, the place was hopping. We showed up around 12:15 and only managed to squeeze in without a reservation. Folks who showed up after us were offered a take-away or told to come back later.

The poutine came in two sizes. A small $5 appetizer version and a larger $10 meal size one. Naturally, we ordered both. I took the smaller one, followed by an organic salmon tartare with a mango salsa. My friend simply opted for a mushroom soup starter followed by the larger poutine.

Mine arrived quickly and it was fabulous! The lamb was perfect. It was rich and flavourful. The gravy was hot enough to just melt the curds without turning them to goo, and the sweet potato fries were a great addition. If all of them had been sweet potatoes, it would have been overkill. But mixed together with the Yukon Gold potatoes, it was perfect.

The salmon tartare and mango salsa was no disappointment either. The two complemented each other well with just the right amount of tang. And it was served with a very generous salad and oversized pita chips. So good!

smallpoutineMissPretMangerPoutineMissPretMangerSalmonMissPretManger

And here is where things went weird… They ran out of organic lamb. So instead of a pulled lamb poutine, my friend was served a pulled pork one instead (also organic). It was delicious, but a disappointment for him since he was really looking forward the lamb. (He’s a big lamb fan; not so much a pork fan.) We had watched them change the menu board from lamb to pork not long after we ordered, and figured since our order was in he’d get the lamb. Apparently our server did too. She was very apologetic about the substitution, and we were offered a desert on the house. (Carrot cake. Also delicious.)

I often think that a true test of a restaurant (or anything for that matter) is when the pressure is on. Here, Miss Prêt à Manger impressed me too. The place was busy; I mean really busy. And the staff exhibited true grace under pressure. Even as they were having to turn people away at the door, they were clearly doing their best to find solutions (like offering take-out or suggesting a time to come back). They were smiling, helpful and continued to be attentive to their customers. There was no sense of panic. And the front of house team felt like a team that worked well together. Very professional.

Overall, a fantastic experience. I can’t wait to go back again.

Miss Prêt à Manger
1104 Rue de Bleury Montreal, QC H2Z 1N4
(514) 861-6565

Open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00pm
$15-$25 for mains, taxes and tip extra

In addition to being a restaurant, Miss Prêt à Manger also does prepared meals for take-away.

Miss Pret a Manger on Urbanspoon

Posted in Canadian Regions, Montreal, Quebec, Various.

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By Amanda Strong – April 10, 2013

Going Local with Charlevoix Lamb

I love my friends and family. They know I will only eat sustainably-sourced or organic meat; and often go out of their way to find some when I’m invited to dinner or potlucks. Because it costs more, I usually offer to contribute toward the difference in price. Depending on their financial situation, some friends take me up on the offer, but many do not.

In addition to being incredibly thoughtful, my friends’ and family’s desire to feed me “Amanda-friendly” meat also means that I often get to discover new suppliers and products. Or at the very least, I get to discover new factoids about the food I am being served.

Take today’s e-mail from my Mum, as an example, in a conversation about Quebec lamb for an upcoming family dinner: “I usually get the Charlevoix lamb. Is that ok?” Good question.

Here is what I found out:

  • Charlevoix Lamb is a protected name (similar to “appellation d’origine controllée”)
  • The lambs are small and lean (about 40 kg live or 25 kg slaughtered)
  • Herds are limited to 500 and may include Arcott-canadien, Polypay, Dorset and Hampshire breeds
  • Lamb labelled as Charlevoix lamb:
    • must be born, bred and raised in the Charlevoix region
    • must be fed by their mother for at least 50 days
    • can only be fed  fodder, oats or barley native to (and milled in) the region
    • can not be fed corn
    • can not be castrated
  • Vitamins and minerals can be added to the feed
  • Use of antibiotics and other medications is regulated
  • Once slaughtered, the lamb must be hung for at least 7 days

According to an article in MacLean’s, Charlevoix lamb was actually the first food in North America to get a protected designation. (Some ice cider producers in Quebec are currently trying to get one too.) In 2010, there were only 6 lamb producers that met the certification requirements.

So, to answer Mum’s question, I said,  ”that works for me!” Why?  They seem to be naturally-raised in barns or pasture depending on the season, fed a local and natural diet, and treated humanely. One of the important things for me is that the lambs are fed by their mother’s milk, which these are. Yes, antibiotics are permitted, but they  are not added to the feed like in industrial agricultural operations. I can live with that.

Look for Charlevoix lamb at your local butcher.

Image Credit: Saphireblue, Creative Commons License
 

Posted in Articles, Canadian Regions, Products, Quebec, Various.

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By Amanda Strong – March 27, 2013

Soba Noodles: Fast, Versatile and Tasty

I love, LOVE, soba noodles. They are quick to cook up for a last minute meal, are really versatile, and not to mention filling and nutritious.

Soba noodles are traditional Japanese noodles made using buckwheat flour. They are slightly thicker than a spaghetti noodle, and considerably heartier. One reason is the buckwheat flour, which is hearty and nutty. Buckwheat is a slow-releasing carbohydrate with a low glycemic index. It is also a decent source of protein, iron and manganese.

My favourite brand of soba noodles is Sobaya, a local company based out of Cowansville in the Eastern Townships. In addition to traditional soba noodles, they have soba made with kamut or spelt. (My favourite is the spelt and buckwheat soba), as well as other kinds of Japaense noodles like the thicker udon noodle and the thinner somen noodle. Many of their noodles are organic and made from stone-milled flour.

Some of my favourite ways to cook up the noodles are to simply toss them with a peanut or tahini dressing in the winter, or fresh pesto in the summer; cooked up with vegetables in broth for a warming bowl of noodle soup; or served beneath a stir fry.

Feeling inspired? Here are some recipe ideas. All of them take under 20 minutes to prepare:

Notes: Use these recipes as a guide to create your own concoctions using in-season ingredients. I almost never use a recipe when cooking soba (well, except this time when I made hiyashi soba). If you try the miso-glazed salmon recipe, look for sustainably harvested or farmed scallops. A few grocery store chains carry MSC-certified scallops. You can also ask your local fishmonger.

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By Amanda Strong – March 26, 2013

Farming Water Facts for World Water Day

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Today is the United Nations World Water Day so I thought I’d post some quick facts about how much water is used to produce some of the foods we enjoy, and agriculture. What I found was this great infographic that pretty much says it all!

Here are some of the data that really stood out for me from this infographic as well as some other sources. As well, here is a neat calculator to calculate your water footprint.

  • Only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh water
  • 70% of fresh water is used for agriculture
  • Only 1% of freshwater is used for irrigation in the U.K. (must be all the rain?)
  • About 21,000 litres of water are needed to produce 1 kg of coffee (wow!)
  • 24,000 litres of water are needed to prduce 1 kg of chocolate
  • 11,397 litres of water are needed to produce 1 L of biodiesel from soy
  • 120 litres of water are needed to produce 1 glass of wine
  • 15-35% of global  irrigation withdrawals are thought to be unsustainable
    (including irrigation in California)
  • California withdraws 15,000-34,000 gallons of groundwater every day for agriculture (compared to 0-200 gallons for New England states)

Infographic by Seametrics, a manufacturer of water flow meter technology that measures and conserves water.

 Other sources:
http://www.waterfootprint.org and http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/productgallery
Total Water use in the United States, 2005

Image: Wikimedia Commons: originally posted to Flickr by jmsuarez at http://flickr.com/photos/47918845@N00/2631718740

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By Amanda Strong – March 22, 2013