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The Butchers Fetes Women FarmersA Taste of the Country in the City Event in Toronto Keeps it Local
When Marlon Pather of The Butchers shop in Toronto throws a party, he does it with style. Enlisting the fine meats and cheeses from local, women farmers is the highlight.
Nothing gets the word out about good product more than small operations supporting each other and letting the public taste-test what all of the fuss is about. That bit of common sense was recently put to good use by one of the friendliest butchers in Toronto, Marlon Pather of The Butchers. The former semi-pro soccer player turned butcher recently offered food media in the city a chance to try four local women farmers’ products for themselves. The result: A Taste of the Country to the City featuring Cynthia Beretta of Beretta Farms in King City, Elisabeth Bzikot of Best Baa Farm from Conn, On, Belle Ahrens of Betolianni Farms from Peterborough and Ancaster’s own Carol Fennema of Fenwood Farm. The MenuOn the menu that night: eight-week aged rib-eye, milk-fed lamb, roast suckling pig, artisanal sheep’s milk cheeses and The Butchers’ very own signature Indian marinated organic chicken. A delicious whirl of canapés danced about the crowd, each wonderfully prepared by Jayne’s Gourmet and including Beretta Organic Farms Beef Tenderloin tartare with green mango, chili and sweet soy, clementine relish as well as The Butchers’ Indian Marinated Fenwood Farm Organic chicken on pappadam crisps with mint and Best Baa Farm’s yoghurt raita. A summertime presentation of Elisabeth Bzikot’s Best Baa Farm’s cheeses tasted as fresh and inviting as it looked. Her Feta cheese was a particular highlight- not too salty, a bit crumbly and richly smooth! A wonderful foil to the organic, bright micro sprout salad served with local Bing cherries, filberts and a Niagara Riesling vinegar honey and Niagara grape seed vinaigrette. Carving Stations a Hit With DinersThe carving stations were definitely the biggest crowdpleasers (although Elisabeth’s Feta was a show-stopper, too!). The Beretta Organic Farms rib eye was aged by Marlon for 8 weeks, cooked to perfection and served with a roasted garlic and tarragon butter. We had to indulge in a couple of servings of this choice protein. The meat itself was like butter- tender and flavourful. The Best Baa Farm’s Lamb Chops with an inventive and delightful açai and pine nut compote were a hit, as was the Betolianni Farm’s beef-bone steak with porcini dusting and fresh herb chimichurri. You can taste the qualitative difference in the meat, cheeses and yoghurts these women provided that night. For consumers who want to know what they’re putting in their mouths, it’s good to have the option to purchase from small, family operated farms that produce such fine meats and other products. They care as much about how they grow their animals and produce their food as the end user – you and I – do. Many a top chef has proclaimed that a happy chef makes for happy food. The same is likely true for the meat on your plate: happy animal, happy food. Or at the very least, food that tastes as it should, that’s good for you and is locally grown/made with integrity. Now that’s eating!
The copyright of the article The Butchers Fetes Women Farmers in Food Trends is owned by Mary Luz Mejia. Permission to republish The Butchers Fetes Women Farmers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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