Amazing opportunity: Hamilton Eat Local is now hiring TWO Three-month Interns!

Hamilton Eat Local is now hiring two Three-month Interns

Full-time - November 15 to February 15

YOUTH ECO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

This position is being funded through the Youth Eco Internship Program (YEIP). This program places unemployed people aged 15 to 30 from diverse backgrounds into paid internship opportunities within the non-profit and community services sector in Canada with a focus on the environment. These positions, offered in a wide range of organizations, will help young Canadians learn the skills required to gain and sustain future employment within the sector.


This project is a collaboration between the YMCA and YWCA Canada, with funding provided by the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The YEIP encourages applicants from visible minority, Aboriginal, immigrant, refugee and traditionally marginalized communities to apply, and is committed to providing employment supports wherever possible.

Applicants must be 15 to 30 years of age to qualify.  Applicants must also be accepted by the YEIP once the hiring decision has been made. Only those selected for an interview by the project manager will be contacted regarding their application, with interviews taking place at the office of Environment Hamilton in late September.

The two 3-month interns would visit selected breakfast, early morning meal and snack programs that are part of Hamilton Partners In Nutrition (HPIN’s) group of 120 child and youth nutrition programs. After a period of orientation and training, the two interns will be demonstrate easy smoothie-making techniques and serve samples to the predominantly elementary school-aged youths who participate in these programs.

Interns will also:

Act as support staff to take part in Hamilton Eat Local’s public events

Help with presentations, such as film screenings of food related films across the city

Offer presentations to interested stakeholders, supporting our work with HPIN and other initiatives

Collaborate on writing a smoothie handbook for city-wide distribution

Other tasks in support of Hamilton Eat Local’s new “Operation Smoothie”

Interns will report to Project Manager and will also need to submit progress reports to the YEIP on a regular basis

For more information about Hamilton Eat Local please visit:

http://environmenthamilton.org/view/page/eat_local

Applicants are asked to submit resumes only (2 pages maximum) to the Project Manager:

kburson.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org

Resumes must be received by Friday November 5, 2010 to be eligible. Queries should be sent only to the above e-mail address. Please do not call the Project Manager or the Environment Hamilton office about this job posting.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the availability of these internships is entirely contingent on the successful raising of funds for the operating costs of Operation Smoothie. Successful candidates would be notified on or before Friday November 12, 2010.

Earth to Table Bread Bar now open on Locke Street!

Opening at long last is the Earth to Table Bread Bar on Locke Street, near Aberdeen. The collaboration between Executive Chef Jeff Crump and Pastry Chef Bettina Schorman of the Ancaster Mill is an oasis of cool on a street that has a culinary scene that features a growing local food presence. Red Fife wheat loaves, delectable and buttery pastries, and pizza is on its way. Check out the goodies and remember: good ingredients matter!

In case you missed it...

Saturday's Cultivating Community event at the Hamilton Mountain Farmers' Market was a great success! The highlight of the day was the series of cooking demonstrations by private chef Wayne Baker. Using ingredients that could be found at the Mountain Market (with a few minor exceptions), he prepared three delicious dishes. The appetizer was a light and tasty Insalata Caprese. For the main course, Wayne prepared the vegetarian form of a Nova Scotia classic, Hodgepodge. Dessert was Fruit Foster - a warm fruit sauce spooned over ice cream.

Here are the recipes Wayne handed out:

APPETIZER

Insalata Caprese

2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 sprigs fresh basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. salted capers (optional)
¼ lb. pitted black olives (optional)
1 container brocconcini or a round mozzarella, about ½ kg (1 lb.), sliced

Slice the tomatoes into rounds about 1.25 cm. (½“) and put them on a platter/plate. The tomato slices can be as thick or as thin as desired. Wash and remove the leaves from the basil stems and place whole over the tomato slices (if necessary more than one leaf can be placed on the tomato slice to cover the slice). Slice the brocconcini/mozzarella into rounds about the same thickness as the tomato slices and lay them over the basil leaves (the cheese should also be about the same size as the tomato slice, so piece together, if necessary). If using the capers and/or the sliced olives, sprinkle over the top. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Serve at room temperature. Can be made ahead of time and put covered into the refrigerator and removed about 15 minutes before serving to get to room temperature. This is the appetizer recipe, but if you wanted to serve this as a side salad it could be layered with the largest slices on the bottom and each layer a little smaller (3 layers would be fine) or 3 slices on a plate in a triangle formation per serving.
Serves 6.

VEGETARIAN MAIN DISH

Hodgepodge

1 cup each (choose all or selected vegetables) fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped; fresh yellow beans, trimmed and snapped; baby carrots or sliced larger carrots; diced turnip; broccoli spears; cauliflower florets; baby onions or cutup regular sized onions; brussel sprouts; baby corn cobs. Should end up with about 8 cups of vegetables, increase selected vegetables to 1½ cups to equal at least 8 cups over all.
2 cups baby new potatoes or cut-up larger potatoes
1 – 2 cups water
6 tbsp. butter/margarine
½ cup half & half
salt and pepper, to taste

All the vegetables should be roughly the same size, cut to size if necessary. Place the selected vegetables in a large pot with enough water to have about 2.5 cm. (1”) deep. If regular carrots and turnip are used they should be cooked 10 minutes before the rest of the vegetables are added. Lightly salt the water, bring to a boil and cook covered over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Add the potatoes, return to a boil and cook covered for about another 20-30 minutes depending on the desired firmness of the vegetables. A little more water may be required. Stir in butter/margarine and half & half (regular, 1% or 2% milk can be used, if desired). Cook for a few more minutes for the vegetables to absorb some of the butter/margarine and half & half. Remove from heat and serve hot. Serves 6-8

DESSERT

Fruit Foster

¼ cup (1/8 lb.) butter
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. orange juice concentrate
4 cups ripe fresh fruit (choose any combination of sliced peaches; sliced pears; sliced apples, plums halved or quartered; strawberries, halved or quartered; whole raspberries; whole blueberries; whole blackberries,
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla flavouring
About 2 tbsp. dark rum or brandy, optional (rum flavouring can be used instead)

In a 10” to 12” frying pan over high heat, stir butter and brown sugar until bubbling vigorously. Add cinnamon, orange juice concentrate and fruit; turn fruit often with a spatula until sauce is boiling again and fruit is hot, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and just before serving add the vanilla and rum flavouring stirring well. Scoop ice cream equally into four bowls. ** Optional** - just before serving add the rum or brandy and light and shake pan until flame dies. If not choosing the flambéé option, add the rum or brandy just before serving, mixing well. Spoon fruit and sauce over ice cream.


The Mountain Market, located just off Concession St at 19 Viewpoint Ave, will be open every Saturday from 7am to 1:30pm until early November. Be sure to stop by to pick up your ingredients and to re-stock on fresh, local produce, as well as other delicious and healthy items.

For more information on Wayne and his cooking services, check out his Cooking Is Fun and Easy website at www.cookingisfunandeasy.ca.

Up to our ears in corn!

Hamilton Eat Local was at the Ottawa Street Market last Saturday, to join in celebrating the 2010 corn and peach harvest! There was a great turnout, and besides the variety of fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to choose from, market-goers also got the chance to enter a draw for a big basket of produce, sample fresh corn, pick up some farm maps and recipes, and try out some peach cobbler muffins, courtesy of Caroline, the market manager! The market is open on Fridays and Saturdays year round at 204 Ottawa Street North, from 7am - 3pm. They always have some great, seasonal festivities going on, so be sure to check them out this weekend!

Big Event at the Mountain Farmers' Market!

To thank its customers, recognize its vendors, and celebrate the consumption of locally grown and produced food, the Hamilton Mountain Farmers’ Market will host its “Cultivating Community” event on Saturday, August 14th from 9am to 12pm, though the market will be open from 7am to 1:30pm.

This is the market’s premier event for the summer, and will feature live cooking demonstrations, raffles, games, and plenty of information for customers. The event will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about the production and use of local foods and, of course, buy locally grown and produced goods.

The Mountain Market is located in the parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church at 19 Viewpoint Ave., just off Concession St. between Upper Wentworth and Upper Sherman. It will be open every Saturday from 7am to 1:30pm until early November.

Hope to see you there!

NAME: Cultivating Community –

A Day of Celebration at the Mountain Farmers’ Market

LOCATION: Corner of Viewpoint Ave. & Mountain Park Ave.

Hamilton, ON

DATE: Saturday, August 14, 2010

9:00am to 12:00pm