The 10 Foot Diet
One of the greatest teachers in my life so far has been my garden. Every year I learn new things about how to make the plants grow healthier, the food grow tastier, and the bugs friendlier. This year was no exception. While it was a year of extreme temperatures, and food was slow to ripen, this year’s crop yielded quite a bounty that went straight on to your pizzas!
In order to maximize the growing season in Calgary and to grow enough delicious ingredients for the pizzas for my customers in time, I had to start the gardening season early, by starting the seeds inside. These little fellows grew up nice and strong and yielded some of the sweetest tomatoes I’ve had, which go atop the House, Prosciutto & Arugula and Pesto pizzas.
My little babies getting some sun.
Once I was able to move everybody outside, I made sure to use layers of rich organic compost for fertilizer. This whole garden is chemical free, with soil that is nurtured using the no-til method, and watered with rainwater, by hand when it’s thirsty. While it takes a bit more work, the joy that comes from growing beautiful, nutritious, incredibly delicious tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, arugula, garlic, and so much more is totally, absolutely worth it..
Tomatoes and the pizza truck
Lastly, we can’t forget about the hardest workers in the garden- my bees! These little fellas tirelessly worked all season long to keep things pollinated and now we are using our own honey harvest to top your Quattro Formaggi! What other pizza place can say that? You’ve never tasted anything like it, I guarantee it. Big love to those mighty little workers for all they do.
So now, the season is winding down. It’s almost time to put everyone to bed for another winter’s sleep. I will use what I learned this year and take it into next year for an even better crop and an even more rewarding growing season. You want to talk about the 100 mile diet? How about the 10 feet diet- from my garden to your pizza, much of it grown 10 feet from the food truck, which is parked in my yard in Glenbrook. Lucky you;)
