BY KATHLEEN MACKINTOSH
Photography by KirkWendland

Heritage Line Herbs

Deb and Tom Benner started Heritage Line Herbs on their third-generation tobacco farm in Aylmer six years ago. It was to be Deb’s hobby farm and Tom was going to seek work off farm. They wanted out of tobacco growing and were looking for something better for their family and for their land. Tom never did get that off-farm job; instead, the whole family has pitched in to turn Deb’s hobby into a burgeoning herb business.

From tobacco farming to LFP-certified herb farm, Deb and Tom have had an exciting few years. They now run a bustling herb nursery producing 160 varieties of organically grown herbs, all from their own seed. Take a trip to the farm this spring and load up on seedlings to plant in your own garden. While there you can enjoy tea at their Silver Birch Tea Room and learn the ins and outs of cooking with herbs from Deb and Tom’s daughters, Laurie and Melissa.

The Benners have also created an extensive product line of herbal teas, herb-infused vinegars, mustards, jams and certified-organic dried herbs. Don’t let the packaging fool you: these are not the same old dried herbs that adorn your pantry and are often used as a last resort. Heritage Line’s herbs are dried in the Benners’ old tobacco kilns at a relatively low temperature using a very high airflow rate to preserve the fragrance and the intensity of flavour.The vibrant aroma and taste sensation in each jar are a delightful surprise. You might just find yourself reaching for a jar of these dried herbs instead of fresh ones!

Local, homegrown and delicious, Heritage Line poultry seasoning goes well with roast vegetables, the Italian blend can turn an ordinary can of diced tomatoes into a quick pasta sauce, and the Better Than Salt seasoning can be used in place of salt in virtually any dish.

Heritage Line herbs can be purchased at Remark Fresh Markets in London, The Elora General Store in Elora, The Harvest Table in Drayton, and The Sweet Potato, Culinarium, The Big Carrot, and Fiesta Farms in Toronto.

Heritage Line Herbs
Aylmer, Ontario
1-866-343-0353
www.heritagelineherbs.com

Lavender Blue

Suzanne Steed, a public health nurse with a degree in fine arts and a passion for all things creative, decided to hang up her scrubs when she and her husband moved to Sparta, near Aylmer. Although nursing was no longer to be her nine-tofive occupation, she still wanted to engage in health and wellness and so she went on to study horticulture. This is when she fell in love with lavender. The thought of working the land, nurturing growth, and turning the flowers of her labour into calming, natural products for people to enjoy was irresistible to Suzanne.

Over the last three years, Suzanne has planted fields of lavender for use in her Lavender Blue products, and a beautiful garden retreat for visitors to enjoy. Lavender has no predators in the insect world and so requires no chemicals to combat the crop devastation that other flowers often face. After three years of blisters, Suzanne still hand-hoes and -tills her land, providing her personal input from field to fork –or body, one might say.

Visit Lavender Blue Lavender Farm to stroll or sit in the lavender garden, and find a few minutes of calm and peace. Enjoy Suzanne’s homemade lavender soaps and scrubs, working some of that calm into your morning bathing ritual. And spread that comfort on your toast with her jelly or marmalades while stirring up relaxation with a spoonful of lavender honey in your morning tea.

Shop for Lavender Blue products at Kingsmill’s in London, Kate’s Garden in Unionville or Culinarium in Toronto, or visit Suzanne at the farm during the summer months. Delivery is also available.

Lavender Blue Lavender Farm
Sparta, Ontario
(519) 494-5525
www.lavenderblue.ca

Pristine Gourmet Soya Sauce

Jason Persall is a fourth generation Waterford, Ontario farmer. For years his family grew soybeans (among other crops) that they sold into the commodity market. Global competition created increasing financial instability in this area, however, making it harder and harder to make a living unless one chose to compete on a massive scale. The Persall family was more interested in quality than quantity production and wanted to keep their farm at its modest size. So with a goal to make that patch of land more efficient and profitable, Jason set out to create his own products using his magical GMO-free soybeans.

His first soya product was a cold-pressed oil, delicious as a base for salad dressings, and having all the healthful fats of olive oil in a locally grown and locally produced alternative. Then he created his soya sauce, made in the Chinese tradition by an artisan in his hometown. This spring they will introduce tamari and teriyaki to their soya line up and in August, keep an eye out for their fresh edamame (raw, immature soybeans, great when served simply steamed and salted).

Pristine Gourmet soya sauce is free of GMOs and has a rich and intense full flavour due to its small batch, long-aged fermentation; it serves as a delightful base for marinades, salad dressings and grilling sauces, and a flavouring for stir-fries. Pristine Gourmet soya sauce and other products (including cooking wines, flavoured vinegars and GMO-free canola oil) are available at Unionville Trading Post in Unionville, at Gaucho Gourmet, Summerhill Market and Culinarium in Toronto, or online via the company’s website.

Pristine Gourmet/Persall Naturals
Waterford, Ontario
(519) 443-4658
www.pristinegourmet.com

Kathleen Mackintosh is a professional home economist living in Toronto. In her past life she developed and edited recipes, conducted cooking demonstrations, and originated largescale
food events. In her most recent food adventure, Kathleen has founded Culinarium (www.culinarium.ca), a gourmet grocery market and locavore food haven that exclusively features foods made in Ontario. A dedicated foodie, you can find Kathleen chopping, crunching, munching, tasting or talking about food at every opportunity.