Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Welcome to The Globe’s seriesWhat’s In My Cart?, where we ask Canadians how they stock their kitchens.
When Edward Pickering and his wife purchased Chetwyn Farms in 2007, it was supposed to be their weekend retreat from Toronto. Instead, the couple traded in the city to live on the Prince Edward County property full-time and turn it into a destination: an alpaca farm that offers apparel and home goods, art workshops and a lodge for tourists.
The agrarian life has changed the way the couple grocery shops. Nearby fresh food stands, weekend markets and neighbours who harvest fruits and vegetables have made it easier for them to eat a farm-to-table diet.
“There’s a social aspect to grocery shopping that comes out at the farmers’ markets. It’s very community based,” Pickering says.
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As a small-business owner himself, Pickering makes it a priority to shop local. It helps that the area is a growing centre of wine production and has a rich agricultural history.
“It’s a very foodie area. A lot of things in the county revolve around the bounty of the earth, and every season brings something I love,” Pickering says.
His biggest dietary change came after learning that his cholesterol levels were creeping up. He switched from a diet heavy in red meats, dairy products and salty snacks for a plant-based one rich in vegetables, fruits, pulses and lighter proteins.
He replaced his favourite meal – steak frites – with a small piece of organic chicken or fish, such as Ontario pickerel or lake trout (which he says are easy to find at his local grocery stores); roasted potatoes or carrots for his carbohydrate; and vegetables or a salad.
The lifestyle change has also inspired the 62-year-old and his wife to begin harvesting their own food, including rhubarb, tomatoes and strawberries, which they pickle and preserve for the winter.
Since making the changes, Pickering reports that his sugar and cholesterol levels have returned to normal. He has also found comfort in knowing where his food comes from and eating food that gives him more energy.
“It’s been as mentally good for me as it has been physically.”
How I save money on groceries: One hack I’ve implemented is buying dry chickpeas and beans, which last longer than canned but take a bit of time to prepare.
How I splurge on groceries: I buy really good quality extra-virgin olive oil (Boschi 1961), avocado oil (Chosen) and vinegars for my salads such as champagne vinegar, which has a nice zing to it. We also do a health-food store run monthly, which can be costly.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Not falling into the late-night snack routine.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: I’ve gotten more creative since adding more plant-based foods into my diet. I’ve learned to use tofu, and marinate it in things such as miso, for example.
Five items always in my cart:
- Smoked tofu – Oomé – $8.99 for 220 grams: I enjoy this tofu because you don’t have to marinate it. It’s smoked, so it already has a great, deep flavour. Sometimes I thinly slice it, air fry it and it almost tastes like bacon.
- Norwegian flat bread – Sigdal – $6.99: I started eating these as a low-sodium, low-sugar alternative to crackers. I eat them with hummus, which makes a great-tasting, healthy snack.
- Smoked paprika – Chiquilin – $11.99 for 2.64 ounces: Smoked paprika makes a big difference for the flavour of food, especially with air frying. I typically put it on roasted potatoes, or in soups. I use it about as much as I use salt and pepper.
- White butter beans – Belazu – $10.99 for 690 grams: When I switched to a plant-based diet, butter beans were in a lot of the recipes that I found. For one recipe, I pan fry fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil with the butter beans and serve the dish with olive oil and crusty bread.
- Organic Fair Trade Tahini – Nuts To You – $7.99 for 250 grams: I use it often in salad dressings with tahini, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Sometimes I add honey or maple syrup and drizzle it on a peach salad. We also make our own hummus, and use it for that as well. I also use tahini in place of mayonnaise in a sandwich. The flavour is different, but it gives a sandwich that creaminess that mayo has.