The Combine, Simcoe and local food sourcing.

A little behind in my posts. Spring busyness still the only excuse.
Simon, Danielle and Fiona took me out for dinner for my birthday (60th, shhhhhh) at the Combine restaurant in Simcoe. They had been a couple of times but I had not. It is in an old house on the main street through Simcoe, back from the road. The menu changes with the seasons as the chef likes to buy locally. We shared a meat and cheese platter (locally cured meats, Canadian cheese, candied nuts, pickles and mustard made in house - more on that later). Fi had the Combine burger, Simon the Chicken fried steak and Dan and I shared a pizza (cheese, couchons, smoked duck) and two sides. We had a bottle of Burning Kiln Cab Franc and shared desserts. The food was interestingly varied, delicious and the service impeccable but what made the night truly outstanding was the servers response when asked about the mustard. She suggested we go back into the kitchen and inquire of the chef. He discussed the difficultly sourcing Canadian mustard seed even though we grow it in Ontario and out West (I gather most is shipped to Europe) and then gave Danielle a detailed recipe. So welcoming and enthusiastic.
On Fridays and Saturdays the bar stools in the kitchen can be reserved and you have the opportunity to watch the kitchen process and, I'm sure, have some more delightful "foody" conversations. I would like to try it sometime.
I am also trying to source my food as locally as possible. The last honey I bought at the grocery store had come from Australia. That struck me as ridiculous and the next time I bought honey it was Hunts that is produced just outside of Port Rowan and sold at the local grocery store (and, oddly, the service station).

Can't get much more local than my own deck. This planter has celery, parsley,
 two kinds of lettuce, oregano and basil.

This one has swiss chard, parsley, sage, marjoram and basil

I like the vegetable garden in the spring when its in nice neat rows but I prefer it later on when
its a jungle but I can pick a variety of veg and cook or eat it immediately. This bed has kale,
swiss chard, two kinds of lettuce, spinach, celery and stevia, so far. The radishes, beets and
pole beans that I planted last week have already sprouted (surprising considering how cold it has been)

My own little "hack" (I gather from Chris that this is the term when you re purpose something).
When I had the driveway done the hydro line had to be located. They used spray paint and little flags.
I cut the Hydro One part off the flags and am using them to mark the ends of the seeded rows.

I am already using spinach, kale and chard in my morning smoothies and lettuce and parsley in salads. Its been too cool to plant the peppers, tomatoes and basil but they will go in next week. Bush beans were sewn today. I have asparagus farms all around and am able to buy it fresh whichever direction I am going in. This area makes sourcing local food quite easy.