Now that we are reaching the beginning of August we are being blessed with some ideal summer days.
The terrible humidity and high temperatures of July are passing and we can now enjoy truly balmy weather.We are also beginning to enjoy the first harvests of the year as many types of local crops begin to ripen. This is a good time to undertake what's called the 100-mile diet, based on the experience of Canadian writers Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon in their book, The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating.Rather than depending upon food that travels thousands of miles to our tables, you can follow their example and find an excellent range of fresh and healthy food grown locally.Even if you only focus on produce grown in Ontario, you will still help local farmers as well as reduce your personal carbon footprint.Likewise, you'll be surprised at the variety of food that is available (not to mention the difference in taste) in your own back yard.One of the best places to buy a wide range of fresh local food products is the farmers market held at the East York Civic Centre at 850 Coxwell Ave. This is held each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be continuing until Oct. 25.I dropped by this week in order to make some purchases and if you want to see one of the reasons why the East York Civic Centre is the heart of the community, visit it yourself. Families and individuals were enjoying the pleasant summer day by using the entire park in front of the centre as place to relax.The market was packed with people of all ages who were being offered a wide range of food items and goods produced by artisans. There were so many good choices I had to walk around the market, which extends from the War Memorial Cenotaph down to Coxwell Avenue, several times before making my final purchases.What I found was a wonderful mix of fresh garden market vegetables, such as carrots and peas. Mixed in with those were fresh berries, peaches and other fresh Ontario grown fruit.There were also specialty items such as natural honey, which offered a great by-product of candles made out of natural beeswax.One of the things that struck me was the number of people who are now offering fruits and vegetables that are being produced without the use of pesticides or preservatives. These items might cost a little more, but they are worth it, not only for your own health but also the health of the planet.What really makes the farmers market such a wonderful affair is that it constantly changes as the season progresses.Once we start getting into the fall season new crops will begin appearing in the stalls, bringing new opportunities to try some excellent culinary delights.So take some time to drop by and sample what our Ontario farmers have to offer.