Where better to unveil a recipe book celebrating the excellence of Ontario greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers than the eponymous store of a chef renowned for his unstinting commitment to quality, freshness and “just in time” flavour. Celebrated chef Mark McEwan of McEwan Fine Foods hosted the reception.

“Our latest recipe book is a natural way to inform today’s consumers about the amazing quality and variety of Ontario greenhouse vegetables, and about our state-of-the-art greenhouses, and we thank OMAFRA for their generous support in making this happen” said OGVG chair Len Roozen. “Our growers take great pride in the quality and food safety standards of greenhouse production, and in the breadth of our markets. Our products are consumed across much of North America, and with over 1,800 acres of hydroponic greenhouses, our members produce more annually than the entire U.S. greenhouse vegetable industry.”

The industry’s use of integrated pest management and vine-to-store traceability are as leading edge as McEwan’s new Toronto store.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Mark and think this is the ideal venue to talk about the importance of local foods and to have our products presented and marketed as part of the best that Ontario has to offer,” said Roozen.

Ontario greenhouse products on display included tomatoes-on-the-vine (known as TOVs or clusters), and beefsteak, cherry, grape, cocktail and cocktail TOVS, and coloured tomatoes (brown, yellow and orange); English cucumbers and mini cucumbers; and yellow, orange, red and baby bell peppers.

Funding for the cookbook was provided by the Ontario Market Investment Fund under the auspices of OMAFRA, matched by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. More information is available at www.ontariogreenhouse.com.