by Malcolm Jolley and Jamie Drummond
There are chefs who start farms, and wineries that start restaurants, but The Good Earth Food Co.’s Nicolette Novak has turned all that on its ear. The Niagara native started the Good Earth cooking school in 1998 on her family’s farm in Lincoln, Ontario after nearly a decade of farming it herself, following her father’s sudden death. This year, Good Earth has released their first wines, made with grapes grown on the farm under the supervision of Flat Rock Cellars’ wimemaker Ross Wise. This year, Novak also authored and published The Good Book a collection of seasonal recipes (tested on “Earthlings”) drawn from her life of food and wine in Niagara. Jamie Drummond and I traveled an hour south of Toronto to Good Earth in early August (just in time to pick a few late ripening peaches from the tree), where we had lunch on the winery patio, prepared by Chef Patrick Engel using ingredients from the farm, washed down with a fruity rosé made from 95% Cabernet Franc. Then, Novak led us on a tour of the property (where she continues to live and farm), including the cooking schools (indoor and outdoor for summer) and her vegetable gardens, where we filmed the interview below:
Find out more about The Good Earth Food and Wine Co. and The Good Book at goodearthfoodandwine.com
Malcolm Jolley is the managing editor of Good Food Revolution. Follow his twitty ramblings at twitter.com/malcolmjolley.
What a delightful surprise that arrived today. A true celebration
of the Good Things at The Good Earth.
Very well done in a manner that is so much indicative of all the
good things you have done through the years.
This will find a cherished place in our kitchen and in our library.
with very best personal regards and my thanks
jcg
J. Charles Grieco BA, B.A.B.(Hon)
Chair and President
The Ontario Hostelry Institute
300 Adelaide St. East – Suite #337
TORONTO, ON M5A 1N1
☎ 416 414-4690
I would like to book our group of 12 people for Friday, July 29th, for one of your special dinners. This will be our fourth visit and everyone looks so forward to seeing you and having a wonderful evening. Nancy Gacioch
Nancy,
Please contact Good Earth Directly at http://www.goodearthfoodandwine.com/.
Cheers,
Malcolm