Kathy and Gary Wikkerink are pleased to be able to sell cheese again after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency lifted the prohibition on their Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm.
On Friday, Oct. 18, five weeks to the day that they learned their cheese was suspected in an E. coli outbreak, the Wikkerink family received good news.
The owners were told “basically that no E. coli was found on the premises and that it was only found in two wheels of red pepper and black pepper (cheese),” a relieved Gary Wikkerink told the Observer.
He said some of the cheese found to be tainted had been cut up and repackaged into 250-gram weights and then returned.
“They took between two- and three-hundred samples, and almost all of them came back negative, except for the two wheels,” he said of the CFIA investigation.
The lifting of the prohibition on sales comes with a restriction. Any cheese made after Sept. 14 must be tested before it leaves the premises.
Despite the infamy the farm gained after the cheese recalls, he thinks the notifications were necessary.
“Although only two wheels were found to be contaminated, it’s better safe than sorry.”
Both Gary and his spouse Kathy say a huge weight has now been lifted off their shoulders.
“It was a very humbling experience, the whole thing,” remarked Kathy, explaining that it’s “because you feel how vulnerable you are. When you’re working in the food industry, working with real food, you’re very vulnerable.”
She said the community has been highly supportive, both with encouraging words and with stores placing orders again.
“It makes us more passionate about what we’re doing, and also the due diligence to make it effective.”
Lynn Willcott, acting program director of food protection services with BCCDC, said no major problems were discovered at the farm.
“We found some minor deficiencies throughout the process, no major deficiencies at all… We’re confident as they move forward their products will be safe to consume.”
He noted that cheeses produced before the recall are also fine.
“We’re very confident those cheeses are safe. There was extensive testing done with those.”
Asked how he can be sure the cheese will be safe if the source of contamination wasn’t pinpointed, he said the testing prior to the cheese leaving the plant will ensure it.
North African Lamb Sandwich with Chévre, Harissa and Figs.
A Montréal bartender’s concoction of lamb with chévre, harissa and figs on ciabatta was judged the best of the best in ACE Bakery’s Canada’s Best Sandwich Contest that ended today with a sandwich showdown at Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
Along with the national title, Jean Émond won a $10,000 prize and $10,000 donation towards his charity of choice, World Wildlife Fund Canada.
“I really wasn’t expecting this, but I’m so excited my recipe has earned the title of Canada’s Best Sandwich!” said Émond. “I love being adventurous in the kitchen and it’s so rewarding to know my creativity is paying off.”
Émond developed the recipe through a step-by-step process starting with his chosen protein, lamb. From there, he layered on various ingredients and spices to create the perfect balance of flavours. See the recipe below.
Émond tends bar at Cabaret la Tulipe in Montreal. His favourite cocktail to make is Gin Fizz.
Close to 1,000 recipes were submitted from across Canada. Four regional finalists faced off this morning, creating their sandwiches in front of a judging panel and live audience at Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens.
After tasting each of the creations, Bob Blumer, host of Food Network Canada’s World’s Weirdest Restaurants, Julie Van Rosendaal, popular Calgary-based blogger behind DinnerWithJulie.com, and Marcus Mariathas, ACE Bakery’s master baker, evaluated each recipe based on taste appeal, creativity, innovation and originality in order to select a winner.
The other three finalists were Ashley Seely from Rothesay, New Brunswick, Meghan Légère from Toronto, and, Linh Huynh from Calgary. Each finalist received $1,000 cash prize and $1,000 to donate towards their charity of choice.
One of North America’s leading artisan bakeries, ACE Bakery opened in 1993 in Toronto creating hand-made, European-style rustic breads. The gentle shaping of each loaf, long fermentation periods, and a stone deck oven all work to create exceptionally flavourful bread with a pleasing texture and crisp crust. The breads contain no preservatives and are made with the finest ingredients. ACE Bakery’s baguettes and artisan breads are available at hundreds of restaurants, hotels, caterers, grocery and gourmet food shops across Canada, throughout the United States and the Caribbean.
ACE Bakery Canada’s Best Sandwich Contest
Winner: North African Lamb Sandwich with Harissa and Figs Creator: Jean Émond Region: Québec Serving: Serves4
The seductive flavours of Morocco mingle in this tender lamb sandwich with the spicy heat of harissa, and the sweet temptation of honey and figs.
Ingredients:
12 oz. (340 g) lamb tenderloin, cut into thin strips, 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 cm) long
4 ACE Bakery Ciabatta Buns, split
Lamb Marinade
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. (5 mL) honey
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) olive oil
1 tsp. (5 mL) harissa paste
1 tsp. (5 mL) kosher salt
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) ras el hanout
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) cumin seeds
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) pine nuts
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped Italian parsley
In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients except the pine nuts and parsley. Add the lamb strips and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow the flavours to mingle. Stir fry the lamb in a large wok or a skillet over medium heat until just cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and parsley and toss to combine. To prepare the Spicy Mayo, combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Prepare the Fig and Goat Cheese Salad by gently tossing all the ingredients together in a small bowl until lightly coated. Add the mint and the arugula at the last moment. To assemble the sandwiches, lightly grill the ACE Bakery Ciabatta buns until warm and toasty. Spread the cut sides of each bun with some of the Spicy Mayo. On the bottom bun lay some of the seasoned lamb mixture and drizzle with some of the jus. Finish with the Fig and Goat Cheese Salad and the top bun.
Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy was honoured with the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne this week for implementing a Community Shared Agriculture micro-financing model to raise capital to build a new plant in Stratford, Ontario. The award comes with a cash prize of $75,000.
“I am so thrilled and so honoured.” Klahsen said in accepting the award. “We want to take that award and we want to give it back. So what we intend to do with the money is to set up a cheesemaking school here at Monforte and that’ll start in February next spring. Because what we really need in the industry is education and depth and understanding of regulations so that we can do safe, wonderful products that are as good as Europe. And so a school becomes so important.
“The school becomes the coolest thing that we can do and I’m so excited about the potential of that. And the potential for what that can do to Ontario as far as just making really, really good cheese . . .
In 2008, when rent at Monforte Dairy’s location skyrocketed, the artisanal cheesemaker faced the challenge of securing enough money to build a new facility. So Monforte turned to its biggest believers—its customers.
It sold shares in denominations of $200, $500 and $1,000, redeemable in cheese. While many farmers have turned to community-supported agriculture to finance their operations, this is the first time the model had been attempted by an Ontario food processor. Monforte customers came through, purchasing nearly 900 shares totaling more than $400,000. The money helped pay for one-and-a-half acre of land in Stratford and a new, purpose-built environmentally sustainable cheesemaking plant.
This year, Monforte is on target to reach $2 million in sales, with the help of cheese aficionados determined to keep their favourite producer in business.
If you ask Ruth Klahsen, how she got into making cheese, she’ll tell you, in that self-deprecating way she has: “I’m just an old broad who had a mid-life crisis!”
Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm produces a wonderful variety of cheeses, many of them goudas, some of them made with raw milk.
At the end of the day, we all have the responsibility to think about risk, and to manage it as we see fit (what we eat and drink). While it is simply not feasible to eliminate all food pathogens, it is possible to destroy a food culture, a way of life, and a delicious product, in a rush to placate all and sundry. Accidents will happen, even with right-thinking people doing their best to be safe. I am comfortable with that reality. If you’re not, don’t eat the cheese.
On top of the world: Margaret Peters-Morris and Wilma Klein-Swormink.
Wow, Ontario’s Glengarry Fine Cheese rules the world!
Lankaaster Aged Loaf was crowned Supreme Global Champion at the Global Cheese Awards in Frome, England, on September 14. It’s the top award in the international competition that dates back to 1861.
“Being the big cheese in the world feels pretty good,” says Margaret Peters, owner of Glengarry Fine Cheese in Lancaster, Ontario, and the lead cheesemaker. She gives full credit to Wilma Klein Swormink, the plant manager/cheesemaker who has played a key role in cheesemaking at Glengarry since its inception in 2008 and continues to produce cheese with the dedicated team at Glengarry.
Glengarry Fine Cheese and Glengarry Cheesemaking are located on the Peters family farm which has been in the family since 1967, Margaret explains. “Our ancestral roots hail from the Netherlands and our parents have laid the framework for the family farm to grow and prosper in Lancaster where our parents started their dairy and crop farm which is now in the hands of the next generation who are continuing the dairy tradition and, now, the cheese factory is building its own tradition and reputation with the hard work and dedication that our parents instilled in myself and my brother.”
Congratulations to Margaret, Wilma and the cheesemaking team at Glengarry!
Margaret shares cheesemaking responsibilities with Wilma who is also the daughter of Dutch immigrants who also came to Eastern Ontario to establish a dairy farm.
Lankaaster Aged is matured to a minimum of 10 months. The cheese entered in the competition was made in June, 2011, thus, it aged two years and a bit.
The cheesemaking team at Glengarry makes Lankaaster with pasteurized Brown Swiss milk from the Reimann Farm just north of the plant in Lancaster. It is a loaf shape, weighing 3 kilos, which is Glengarry’s traditional gouda loaf.
It’s shaped like a loaf of bread in the Dutch style to make it easy to eat the cheese as a sandwich.
Lankaaster Aged is a firm cheese, traditional rind, characteristic gouda “eyes” present, paste is dark, laden with crystals, with lovely butterscotch, pineapple and lactic notes, the veteran cheesemaker says. The cheese lingers in one’s mouth and is suitable to make any “gratin” in culinary preparations.
In addition to the overall grand prize, Glengarry’s Lankaaster Aged won the gold medal in Best Overseas Cheese (Non-European) while Glengarry’s Celtic Blue won a bronze medal in Blue Vein Cheese. Celtic Blue is also made with Brown Swiss milk and aged three months.
Fromagerie L’Ancêtre of Bécancour, Québec, was judged to produce the Best Butter in the world after its salted and unsalted butters took category honours.
It is not known how many other Canadian cheese dairies entered the annual competition.
Quality Cheese of Vaughan, Ontario, which won the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix with its cow’s milk Ricotta, won the category of fresh unripened cheese made from sheep or mixed milk with its Bella Casara Buffalo Ricotta.
Canadian cheesemakers won 30 ribbons in the 2013 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition in Madison, Wisconsin, in early August, competing against 1,794 cheeses submitted by 257 producers in the Americas—the largest competition in the history of the ACS.
Twenty-three of the 30 ribbons were won by 10 Québec cheesemakers, four being first-place ribbons, two for Agropur Fine Cheese and one each for Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, represented by Fromages CDA, and La Moutonnière.
Two Ontario producers, Mariposa Dairy, represented by Finica Food Specialties, and Quality Cheese, won first-place ribbons as well.
Best of Show was won by Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont with the Winnimere, an extraordinary take on the French mountain classic Vachering Mont d’Or. Made with raw milk from the farm’s Ayrshire cows, Winnimere is wrapped in cambium cut from the spruce trees on the farm and washed in a beer from a neighbouring brewery. It’s available only January through June.
Here are the Canadian winners:
OPEN CATEGORY – FRESH UNRIPENED CHEESES – MADE FROM SHEEP’S MILK OR MIXED MILKS
It’s crazy way to promote cheese but contestants running, tumbling and falling down Blackcomb Mountain has proven effective—and a great deal of fun—for Dairy Farmers of Canada as it demonstrated again at the sixth annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival in Whistler, B.C., last Saturday, August 17, 2013.
When asked how an apparently staid organization like Dairy Farmers of Canada can sponsor such chaos, Wally Smith, DFC president, says, “Well, maybe we’re not as staid and conservative as you think.”
It was a delight to spend time with cheesemaker Debra Amrein-Boyes (above) and her daughter, Amanda Vanderlinde, the next generation in cheesemaking at The Farm House Natural Cheeses in Aggasiz, B.C.
While we’re on our B.C. Cheese Tour, we’re on the look-out for a venue for the western version of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival that we’d love to produce in the fall of 2015. Here is the short list of five possible locations, three in Vancouver and two less than one hour from Vancouver. Click on any image for a larger view.
There is no change in plans to continue the original Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton, Prince Edward County, Bay of Quinte Region. Dates for 2014 are June 7-8.
A 2013 Buick Verano Turbo serves as Official Cheesemobile for our B.C. Cheese Tour.
Francis has his Popemobile, CheeseLover.ca has its Cheesemobile.
It’s a luxurious Buick Verano Turbo to whisk us around British Columbia over the next three weeks. The mission is to see how much artisan and farmstead cheese we can enjoy—reporting on our tasting adventures here and on Facebook and Twitter.
As much as we look forward to sampling cheese new to our palates (and generally unavailable in Ontario), we especially look forward to getting to know the men and women who make the cheese. At our first stop, at Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, we’ll be getting into the make room to help make cheese curds.
Here’s the itinerary for the inaugural B.C. Cheese Tour, roughly in order of the routing we plan to take:
