Easter is coming – April 6-9
Order your Easter ham, lamb, turkey, roast – whatever you need! Please order by Friday, March 30 to avoid disappointment. All of our meat is local, fresh, humanely raised on family farms – we receive rave reviews every holiday. Call 226-383-7374 or drop by the store to order. Chef Derek can also help with the fixings – mashed potatoes, veggies, etc – and there will be lots of our famous Drunken Cranberry Sauce in store to accompany the meal. Don’t forget our delicious homemade pies!
Fraberts wins Local Food Champion Award
Fraberts Fresh Food was honoured to receive the Taste Real Local Food Champion Award for Retail at the 4th Annual “Source it Here” event in Guelph, hosted by Guelph Wellington Local Food. We are so fortunate to have wonderful, innovative farmers and food processors right here in Wellington County. This healthy and thriving local food community, right at our doorstep, makes our job easy!
“The Taste Real Local Food Champion awards recognize innovation, excellence, and commitment to the local food economy in Guelph and Wellington County,” stated Kate Vsetula, Project Coordinator for Guelph Wellington Local Food. “To be considered for an award, nominees must demonstrate consistent and progressive use or provision of all types of local food.”
Fraberts is proud to be joined by two other Fergus-area local food champions who also won awards; Thatcher Farms and Chef Jess’ Centre Wellington District High School Food School.
Local tomatoes are back!
Floralane tomatoes from Elmira are here! Remember what a tomato is supposed to taste like?
Still the best beef in town…
Our beef comes from Harriston Packers, a local family-owned processor in Harriston. It is NOT affected by the recent massive beef recall. BBQ season is here – come and get some today!
Tartan Day – Sunday, April 15
Join the fun in downtown Fergus, whether you are of Scottish descent or just wish you were! Kilted Kilometre starts at noon here at the Marketplace, hosted by Grand River Running and refreshments by Fraberts. Just a quick run around the block – kilt mandatory and donation to our food bank appreciated. Then you are ready for the Kilted Krawl to all of our terrific local pubs complete with wandering pipe bands and live celtic music. Enjoy a Scottish historical walking tour of Fergus at 2pm starting in front of the library. And you thought St Patrick’s Day was fun!
Super Food – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
By Dolores Smith, Olive Oil Expert, The Olivar Corp., Erin, On
Do you know that just 2% of EVOO’s components are receiving the most attention regarding health benefits?
Extra virgin olive oil’s unknown components outside of the scientific community are the hidden stars behind investigations into health benefits catching the attention of health-conscious consumers. These components make up less than 2% of the oil, but they are generating a great deal of interest into their potential biological properties.
As European scientists from world-class universities look for explanations for the lower incidence of diseases linked to the traditional, high-antioxidant Mediterranean diet based heavily on vegetables, fruits and olive oil, they are focusing on these minor compounds. Their prolific reports in European journals are helping to spread the consumption of virgin olive oil to unexpected frontiers.
What are these minor components?
Many of us have read about the heart-healthy and very stable monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, making up about 65 to 80% of olive oil depending on the variety. The remaining two percent consists of over 230 natural chemicals referred to as minor components that contribute aroma and flavour, as well as stability against oxidation and nutritional quality.
Four key types of minor components, along with a brief introduction to highly discussed biological activity, include:
- At least 30 polyphenols, such as powerful antioxidants oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and oleocanthal: implicated in helping protect our body cells and systems against the toxic effects of oxidation resulting from normal metabolic processes. They have also been implicated in protection against inflammation and tumours.
- Hydrocarbons such as β-carotene: act as pro-vitamin A and implicated in protecting the retina and skin cells, are additionally implicated in both the control of cholesterol and intercellular activity involved in cell growth, cellular differentiation and hormonal secretions.
- Tocopherols such as Alpha-tocopherol: the most effective form of antioxidant vitamin E, are implicated in protecting “bad cholesterol” (LDL) against oxidation that contributes to the thickening of artery walls.
- Plant sterols B–sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol: implicated in controlling the absorption of dietary cholesterol.
In 2004, the US Food & Drug Administration authorized the health claim stating about 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its monounsaturated fat when the equivalent amount of saturated fat is eliminated from the diet. Then, in 2011 the European Foods Safety Authority issued a scientific opinion in relation to dietary consumption of hydroxytyrosol and related polyphenol compounds from olive fruit and oil: 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives in olive oil should be consumed daily with a balanced diet.
Although the industry is not at the stage yet of measuring specifically these levels in varying olive oils, this illustrates why extra virgin olive oil needs to be taken seriously as a healthy fat.
However, the quality of the fruit, the quality of the elaboration techniques and equipment, and the quality of storage and handling matter in order to retain the highest levels of these components.
International regulations stipulate that “Extra Virgin” olive oil should have no taste defects and meet certain chemical indicators of quality. Two important indicators are the level of broken down fatty acids (referred to as acidity) and peroxide levels – the latter increase primarily through oxidation during the elaboration and storage process.
Extra virgin must have a maximum acidity of 0.8% (eight tenths of a gram of broken down fatty acids per hundred grams of fat), and a maximum level of peroxide compounds of 20 units (milliequivalents of peroxide per kg of fat for the chemistry literate).
Extremely careful cultivation of premium quality fruit, fast harvest at optimum flavour/ripeness, very high-quality elaboration techniques and equipment, and superior storage is required to obtain levels under 0.2% acidity and 8 units of peroxides.
We now carry such a pure, high-quality extra virgin that will add wonderful textures, silkiness and flavour to your foods:
Oro San Carlos – whose producer harvests only during a three-week period and crushes the olives within one hour of harvest achieves an incredible acidity of 0.1% and peroxides under 6 units. This “sippable” olive oil, offers a flavour profile of delicate herbal notes coupled with touches of apple and other delicate fruit nuances.
Not surprising, The Boston Herald in 2006 advised, “Leave the Chianti; take the oil. From tastings to housewarming gifts, olive oil is the new wine.” You may want to add this culinary delight to your Easter gifting list.
Here is an excellent fresh-tasting salad recipe (serves 4):
Ingredients:
- 1 large endive, finely chopped
- 1 small or medium shallot, chopped
- 1 small garlic glove, mashed
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1 hard-boiled egg, separated
- 1 375 ml can of green pitted olives (black if you prefer)
- ¼ cup Oro San Carlos EVOO
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 120 g can tuna, flaked …preferably packed in olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Arrange the endives in a salad dish; add the olives, shallot, garlic, tomato and tarragon. Sprinkle with salt.
- Pound the hard-boiled egg yolk in a mortar, or crush with a fork in a bowl, then slowly add the oil and vinegar, stirring constantly with the pestle or fork.
- Pour the dressing over the salad.
- Chop the egg white; scatter over the salad together with the flaked tuna. (Tip: If the tuna is packed in water it will be quite dry and less flavourful, therefore, you may wish to mix in some olive oil with the tuna first before scattering it over the greens.)
- Finish with a fine drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the salad