Since before I was born, this time of year has been a time when my family goes out to get deer and moose and partridge for eating. We never bought meat at the grocery store--besides the occasional pork product. We would get half a beef from a farmer friend and fill our multiple chest freezers with all kinds of game meat. I grew up in Northwestern Ontario. A tiny village outside of a small town near the Minnesota border. My dad is a logger which means he knows where the best blueberry picking is and where the deer run through the forest.
When I went to university, I remember a professor trying to convince the class that Canada had no real food culture of it's own. I was shocked to hear this. Where I grew up there was a deeply rooted food culture. We had walleye and trout. We had wild saskatoon berries, strawberries, hawberries, highbush cranberries and chokecherries. We had moose roasts! I thought this was Canadian.
I have been lucky to be able to bring back meat from my parents. Each time I visit I fill a suitcase! It's super flavourful and lean meat that I love to cook with. I can't wait to stock up at Christmas.
I still remember the time that I came back from the city a "vegetarian" after my first year away. My dad must have been heartbroken. Good thing it only lasted until Thanksgiving.
My brother in the 80's!
My brother last week.
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