Food often serves as a reminder of good times, good friends and good memories.
With that in mind, the University of Guelph has launched a new cookbook, Flavours of Guelph: Cooking in Season, prepared by the culinary team at U of G’s hospitality services program.
Divided by season, the book’s recipes inspire readers to cook with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients while also learning the stories behind each dish.
U of G is renowned for having fresh, innovative food, and has ranked as the “best campus food in Canada.”
Cookbook recipes include U of G’s award-winning chefs, who have recently taken home top prizes at international culinary competitions.
Executive chef, Vijay Nair, who oversees 20 food locations across campus as well as four core residence dining halls, writes in the book's introduction:
“We champion food with a conscience, making seasonally indulgent menus that align with Canada’s Food Guide. Our made-from-scratch dishes tell stories – of respecting our land, oceans, farms, and international flavours.”
From comfort foods to innovative dishes, recipes include U of G classics such as gingered butternut squash soup, Creelman Bake Shop’s banana bread and herb-roasted chicken with honey.
“All of the recipes have been tried and tested on campus," Nair said. "They are the most popular and have become staples at U of G."
Especially now, during the summer months, Nair said the chard asparagus salad is simple to make.
“The summer tomato salad is good too, and so is the grilled vegetable salad with feta. The rhubarb and raspberry crisp is popular. Leave it to the season,” Nair said.
The inspiration for the cookbook, Nair said, was to compile a collection of recipes as a keepsake for the campus community since the U of G is so well known for ‘good’ food.
“Our students and staff have requests for these recipes. There are lots of favourites for lots of people. We wanted to put something together as a keepsake, and as a book, it gives us a wider audience. It also generates some funds for the student foodbank,” Nair said.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this cookbook will be donated to the Guelph Student Food Bank, which supports students’ access to nutritious food.
"As a chef, for me, the book is a dedication to the hospitality team. During the pandemic, times were challenging,” Nair said.
“There is huge team behind the scenes that works long hard hours, either late into the night, and on weekends. Our team puts in a lot of effort to serve the community."
The Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming a one-hectare “living laboratory” in the department of plant agriculture, provides a few thousand pounds of vegetables, lessening the footprint of the food required from suppliers.
Chefs also operate U of G Chef’s Garden, located beside Edmund C. Bovey Greenhouses, nurturing a range of herbs and fresh produce, including cherry tomatoes, eggplants and hot peppers.
Partnerships with the U of G Sustainability Office have helped to divert over a quarter of a million kilograms of food scraps from landfills through a campus composting program.
The Guelph Food Innovation Centre in the department of food science also helps chefs scale up to serve the University population, putting to use 300-litre kettles in the production facility.
U of G hospitality stands out for its collaboration with local farmers and across all U of G operations, with many of the ingredients grown right on campus and 45 per cent of buying spent on local produce.
“At Guelph, it is our philosophy to support our local farmers and the community. It is such an integral part of our set up here. We are so thankful to out local producers and farmers," Nair said.
"It’s a testament to their hard work too. For us, to make good food on campus, we need all of them as well."
Flavours of Guelph: Cooking in Season is available for purchase at the U of G Bookstore and will also be on sale during Alumni Weekend.
