Posted by Sheryl Kirby in SOLE food, charities, events, events upcoming, farm to table on September 8, 2008 at 7:45 am

There is just no better way to celebrate the harvest season than a picnic. In mid-September, when the days are still kissed with sun, yet there’s a certain crispness in the air, there’s time to stop and celebrate the glorious season and the delights it has created, and to thank the people who grow our food for their tireless efforts.

Guests at this year’s Picnic at the Brickworks hosted by Evergreen and Slow Food Toronto will have the opportunity to do just that this Sunday as farmers and food producers from across Ontario team up with some of Toronto’s top chefs to create a mouth-watering and memorable event featuring some of the best food our city – and province – has to offer.

The list of participants reads like a who’s who of the Toronto restaurant - and food production - scene, making this picnic a not-to-be-missed event for any self-respecting Toronto food lover.

The fun twist this year is that organizers have paired up restaurants ranging from Buddha Dog to Splendido with specific farmers or producers. Many of the farmers have no idea what the chef will be doing with their ingredients. Ruth Klassen of Monforte Dairy is paired with Chef Ezra Title of Chez Vous Dining and admits to being curious as to what Title will create out of her various cheeses.

Bob Proracki from Round Plains Plantation told me that chef John Sinopoli from Table 17 (with whom he has been paired) has already stopped by his market stall to pick up some of the different types of sweet potatoes Proracki and his wife Juli grow and sell at various farmers markets around the city.

Across Toronto, chefs are working to create a dish that does justice to the products they’ve been given, as well as demonstrate the Slow Food principles of good, clean, fair food. Slow Food member and chef Karen Viva-Haynes of the catering company and restaurant/shop Viva Tasting is taking part this year for the first time. “I wanted to support this because it is so closely tied to the philosophy of my business,” she tells me. When I ask what she’ll be making, she demurs, only offering that it will feature heirloom tomatoes from Urban Harvest, the local producer partner she has been teamed up with.

Underlying the great food and festive atmosphere is the opportunity for all involved to stress the importance of supporting Ontario producers and farmers. If the way to the heart is really through the stomach, then dishes from over 50 of the city’s top chefs should go a long way to influencing picnic guests as to just how amazing locally grown ingredients can be.

Emphasis will also be placed on the city’s diverse range of cultures, with dishes that embrace the changing face of our city and acknowledge the necessity of expanding what is grown locally to incorporate ingredients that might not fit into the traditional perception of local food.

With such a wide range of local producers taking part, supplying everything from beef and chicken to chocolate, oysters, flour, mushrooms, sprouts and even miso, visitors are in for a huge treat. Indeed, last year’s picnic was considered one of the culinary hilights of the year.

The Picnic at the Brickworks takes place Sunday, September 14th from noon to 4pm. Tickets are $110 and may be purchased via the Evergreen website. A shuttle bus service will be available for those travelling to the picnic via TTC.

Photos copyright Laura Berman. Used with permission.