I am Ontario born and raised. Which means I can handle a challenging snowy winter, and I love to ski and skate, and I enjoy all four of our very pronounced and sometimes short seasons. It also means I have been to a farm many times in my life. Boy, do I know how hard farmers work. Wouldn’t trade places with a farmer for more than a day, ever!
My Mom grew up on a farm and I have heard a trillion stories. Her big family, with five brothers, and herself, all had a role to help bring their strawberries to market. Sometimes they also sold eggs door to door at neighbour’s homes. So local produce and supporting home grown farms, and businesses matters to me. And let’s be honest you can’t get fresher produce, meat, eggs, or dairy, than that grown in Ontario.
Ontario is a gorgeous place to live and we are fortunate to have a lot of farms from which we can easily buy local produce. Maybe that’s in store at your local grocer. Maybe that’s once a week at St Jacob’s Market outside Kitchener. For many years when I lived in Waterloo Region I visited St Jacob’s Market weekly. Miss that sometimes.
Perhaps, like me, you note once a week on the calendar that Friday is your day. Rain or shine every Friday you visit the market in the parking lot of a nearby mall. LOVE getting inspiration for meals from the fresh foods available at the market.
That’s my jam. Friday is a day I look forward to, from May through early October, because the fresh outdoor market at Masonville Mall in my hometown of London is open then. So, on Friday mornings, I work for about an hour, then go to fitness class and drive over to the market. The rainbow array of produce can’t be beat. There’s always a few handcrafted treats, or even wooden crafts.
Two weeks ago I started my seasonal tradition here and drove over to the nearby outdoor fresh food market after centergy ( a fitness class like body flow ). It was a super windy day and a bit cool, so the market was a bit slow. But there were many great items there to choose from. Naturally I grabbed two batches of Ontario asparagus, because I LOVE that stuff, and so does the rest of my family. And I also purchased a variety of berries, plus fresh potatoes and sweet potatoes.
I scored two super cute and really inexpensive wooden serving platters too. Honestly, the price on those was nuts. The fridge was already loaded with tomatoes so I didn’t need any of those. As the summer months approach there will be a wider variety of produce and I can hardly wait.
At the stall where I found the sweet potatoes, the lady was very helpful and she advised me to be sure I left the skin on when cooking. Small pointers like these are another reason I like visiting a fresh produce market. You can’t beat that service.
Next week I will be hunting for beans and peas too. Those peas are a tricky one. Wish me luck. Sweet peas are only ever at the market for the shortest of times in June. Always disappointed when they are all gone.
Anyways, this week I wanted to give the fresh sweet potatoes a try here in the kitchen. It goes without saying that the rest of the produce is gone already – other than a couple of potatoes. Berries vanish faster than you can say Honey I am Home. My regular readers know I am on a low sodium diet, because I have creeping high blood pressure I’ve been monitoring for about three years. So low sodium is the rule.
Sweet potato fries also demand dip in my opinion so that’s when I looked to Gay Lea’s Nordica creamed cottage cheese for a little inspiration. The recipe follows for both products below. This dip is really good with a slight tangy flavour and it’s super easy to make. Took less than five minutes.
Low Sodium Sweet Potato Fries and Tangy Dip #BornOnTheFarm
Ingredients
- Three large sweet potatoes
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 dash of non salt seasoning
- Tangy Dip
- Nordica Creamed Cottage Cheese - 1 tablespoon
- 1/3 cup of Mayonnaise - low fat
- 1 tbsp of ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground chili powder
Instructions
- Wash and slice your sweet potatoes with skins on.
- Soak for 20 minutes in a bowl in water.
- Drain.
- Add olive oil and stir to coat.
- Add your non salted seasoning. Shake the fries.
- Set your air fryer for 200 and 20 to 22 minutes
- Add the fries into the basket and cook in your air fryer.
- When the air fryer dings they are ready. I LOVE my air fryer. So much healthier!
- Dip:
- Combine Mayonnaise, with the Nordica cottage cheese and stir, then add the ketchup and the chip powder. Stir until smooth and place in a dish and serve alongside the sweet potato fries.
- Enjoy!!
Listen who doesn’t love French fries? We all do. French Fries are definitely NOT low sodium or healthy. Air fried sweet potato fries are not only local, but also a healthier option for you.
When you buy Gay Lea products you are also buying local. Gay Lea is a cooperative steeped in tradition. Gay Lea’s selection of cheeses are made of fresh, local dairy. Gay Lea’s story began in 1958 when a group of farmers came together with a vision to make lives better for Ontario farmers. Today Gay Lea is the second largest dairy cooperative in Canada, owned by over 1200 dairy farmers.
The Gay Lea family of products consists of many convenient cottage cheese and sour cream options. Nordica creamed cottage cheese is great for dips, fruit, lasagna, shakes and cakes. The rich and creamy Nordica 4% Cottage Cheese goes with all of your favourites. What’s more, it’s loaded with vitamins and calcium and is high in protein.
- Gluten and nut free
- Certified Kosher
- Available in 250g, 500g and 750g sizes
- only in Ontario
Sweet Potato Fries Are Easy to Make and Tasty to Share.
Sweet Potato Fries are easy to make and the family will love them. You can find fresh sweet potatoes in a lot of spots right now. Check your grocer or local market. And as far as the dip goes, it’s easy tomato and complements the air fried sweet potatoes perfectly.
Right now you can visit Gay Lea Facebook page and play the Nordicows game. Enter daily. Click on the image above to enter. There are new prizes each week!
I created this post as a paid ambassador with Gay Lea Foods and PTPA for 2017. My opinion is all my own and it is truthful. I only work with brands I love and use.