truLOCAL staff pick their autumn favourites.

Some people love autumn but you probably know at least one person that dreads fall, aka autumn, pre-winter, colder summer, Thankstober, or whatever you choose to call this season. Autumn is the transition from wearing shorts and sandals while eating barbecue beside the pool to wearing gloves and a vest to stay warm while raking the lawn. There are a lot of changes, many of them related to what and how you cook this season. We hope to fast-forward your adjustment period by telling you what we, the staff at truLOCAL, love to include in our box during Thankstober, er, I mean autumn.

Chase & Jilianne, Ontario

Both Chase and Jilianne both think that there is only one must-have for your box but they think that it is not exclusive to fall - they get it in every box, every season! They think that the turkey bacon from Townsend Butchers is the best product we offer. Chase says “This bacon tastes better and isn’t as greasy as regular bacon, and it's the easiest thing to make in the morning outside of cereal or a cream cheese bagel.” 

Steve, Ontario

Steve has two kids that definitely keep him busy most week nights. “Now that the kids are back in school, I should get more accomplished but for some reason, I feel like I am always trying to catch up.” He continues “I know that this season I will be leaning heavily into the new prepared meals from truLOCAL.” They are only available in Ontario as add-ons so far, but they are pre-seasoned and fully cooked meals so Steve just has to heat them up and serve. He and his family love the pulled pork and serve it on a bun, on top of rice, in a tortilla wrap, or on a plate beside broccoli and rice.

Update: We offer prepared meals in the marketplace now, not just as add-ons. Steve's family also loves our frozen lasagnas.

Joost, Nova Scotia

“When the weather gets cold, my favourite meals are things that really stick to the bones” says Joost. He enjoys meals like Zuurkool met rookworst, which reminds him of his Dutch heritage. For those of you without Dutch heritage, it’s sauerkraut and smoked sausage. He loves truLOCAL’s organic smoked sausage for this dish of potatoes, sauerkraut, sausage, milk, and butter.

If sauerkraut isn’t your thing, Joost also loves the heartiness of a good chili. He prefers our grass-fed ground beef in chili because of it has a firmer texture and more Omega-3s than grain-fed ground beef.

Justin, Ontario

Justin’s recommendation is probably one that you wouldn’t expect for autumn must-haves but he defends it well. He loves the Butcher Shoppe’s organic chicken wings and describes the following scenario to prove his point: 

“Just imagine this – it’s a chilly night, and you need something to warm up to at home. Do you heat up some coffee or tea? Nah. Get a blanket or slip on your favourite pair of warm socks or slippers? NAH! A better solution is SPICY chicken wings! The spicy wings are guaranteed to get your nose running, which will clean out your sinuses that are clogged from the cold weather! It’s genius! The spicier, the better in my opinion! Definitely a must-have Fall item!”

Too right, Justin. Thanks for looking out for our sinuses as always!

Tiara, Ontario

As a parent, Tiara really feels the time crunch each autumn and knows that crockpots and insta pots can save the day. She loves to slow cook roasts or chicken mixed with some veggies in a crockpot and loves how great her kitchen smells as it simmers all day. Nothing gets you more excited for dinner than an amazing smelling kitchen! If you are new to slow cookers, read our how-to guide for slow cookers to get up to speed (or should we say down to speed for slow cookers?) or dive right in and try our favourite slow cooker recipe.

Gabriel, British Columbia

Gabriel also loves his trusted crockpot. If you ask Gabriel, the best part about fall is that stew and soup season has finally begun!! He always has a few packs of Hopcott’s greek & garlic stewing beef ready to thaw and drop in the crockpot to mix with chicken stock, potatoes, and veggies to make an easy and hearty stew! Another of his faves is pork tenderloin, cooked in the crockpot with a litre of apple juice (yes, apple juice!). He loves that it has a “pleasant apple-sweetness, without barging into dessert territory.” This is such a great flavour hack. How have we never heard of this before?

Jenn, Ontario

Jenn loves to plan ahead and make many meals from one truLOCAL item. Her must-have item is a whole chicken because it’s perfect for this time of year when you can’t plan for the weather to be warm or cold. “A whole chicken solves this by giving you options for cooking such as in the oven or on the BBQ,” Jenn says. “And there is so much that you can do with the broth and the leftovers that one chicken becomes the base for many meals.”

Lindsay, Ontario

Sometimes there is no easy way to pick between two of your favourite fall must-have items - so Lindsay gets both! She loves the roasted garlic and pepper marinated chicken from Townsend Butchers because “the flavour is amazing.” Her other top pick is Majestic’s ground water buffalo which she loves because it gives so many recipe options. She can “make either tacos or Sweet Potatoe Sheppard's pie” with it. Both sound great!

Karine, Québec

Karine, who may be one of the biggest foodies here at truLOCAL, looks forward to the colder weather because she loves hearty meals that can warm her up. Every fall, she makes sure that her freezer’s stocked with grass-fed stewing beef, boldly declaring “I am diving right into stew season and nobody is stopping me !!!” Karine always has amazing enthusiasm and we love that she brings the same energy (even for stew!).

Trish, Ontario

Trish eats lamb burgers and sausages during the summer but looks forward to trading in those grillable favourites for her beloved fall recipes. She loves organic schnitzel paired with sweet glazed carrots and garlic roasted potatoes (we will have to get her to put those side dishes on our recipe page!!). The schnitzel is already breaded so it saves the time of doing an egg wash and breadcrumbs. 

Trish swears by ground beef every autumn because she knows that “it's SO versatile. I love a hearty bowl of spaghetti with a meaty sauce when the weather starts to turn, and beef lasagna is a family favourite” and she’s right! We love ground beef because it is a big part of so many of our favourite dishes like tacos, burritos, burgers, chili, meatloaf, and so much more. Ground meat is such a valuable item in your freezer because it can do so many different types of meals! If ground beef is not your preference, we have plenty of ground meat to choose from.

Mitch, British Columbia

Mitch Lives on a boat (yes, seriously) and that means that he does not have a lot of fridge or freezer space. Everything he gets from truLOCAL must be able to make different meals depending on what Mitch feels like. Our truLOCAL broths are what floats his boat, especially the grass-fed beef broth. “It’s a perfect addition to soups, stews, and rice – but even just heating it up and drinking a cup of it before bed makes me feel great…. Mmmm. SO comforting!”

So as you can see, versatility, convenience, and slowcookers are what the truLOCAL staff suggest you take advantage of while trying to transition into the colder months. truLOCAL has so many great options available to help you get through until next barbecue season. 

Article by: Steven Tippin

Posted on January 20th, 2023