As far as a 100-mile diet goes, here in Ottawa we are very lucky to be able to count Pinehedge Farm as local. Pinehedge Farm is a biodynamic dairy farm in St. Eugene, ON, (near Hawkesbury) that produces its own brand of yogurt, kefir and sour cream.
In terms of texture and firmness, Pinehedge Sour Cream is peerless. I really couldn’t rave too much about it. It is creamy where others sour creams are gelatinous. The flavour is subtle enough that it can be used in recipes that call for crème fraîche as well as in those that want sour cream. But be warned, there is no going back to other brands, even organic brands, after eating it.
Pinehedge farms also makes great organic whole milk yogurt and whole and low-fat versions of a kefir as well. They were actually the first dairy in Ontario to offer home-grown certified-organic yogourt. As an added bonus their yogurt and kefir comes in returnable glass jars. Check out their website for an informative piece on how their yogurt is made.
Pinehedge yogurt and kefir are available at most health food stores in Ottawa, as well as from Padgeberry Farm at the Organic Farmer’s Market. The price might look like more than other organic yogurts but remember the jar is a full kilogram of yogurt, where most yogurts come in 750 ml containers, and includes the deposit ($1 or $1.50, can’t remember).
The sour cream, however, is a little more difficult to find. Most weeks Padgeberry Farm sells out of the sour cream quickly, and many of the health food stores that carry Pinehedge’s other products for some reason neglect to carry the sour cream. So in terms of finding it, I’m afraid you’re on your own on this one. I will say that I have occasionally found the sour cream at the Wheat Berry.
Green Living Ottawa 