Farm to Table Pizza

Pizza, Locally Sourced

Just about any chef will agree that making a pizza from scratch with fresh ingredients is the way to go. And with efforts ramping up to better promote and shine the spotlight on food producers in the Thunder Bay area (see the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy’s new online Thunder Bay In Season directory at tbayinseason.ca), we thought we’d give you a few ideas on how to use some locally sourced ingredients to make your best pizza.

Thanks to the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy’s Karen Kerk for her assistance

Dough

As the foundation of any pizza, getting the dough right is hugely important. Brule Creek Farms in Conmee, west of Thunder Bay, has locally milled flour that you can use as your base; as well, they sell a specific pizza dough mix. If starting that far from scratch isn’t quite your thing, local pizza restaurants like Both Hands Wood-Fired Pizzeria & Bakery and Donato’s Bakery offer pre-made crusts and/or dough to build your pie on.

Sauce

Next up is the sauce. Most pizzas use a tomato-based sauce of some kind, and the Thunder

Bay area has no shortage of farms that grow this staple fruit. DeBruin’s Greenhouses has been in this game for a long time, but you can also look to other local producers like Pitch Creek Farm, Belluz Farms, Sleepy G Farm, Roots to Harvest, and others. If a pesto base is what you’re after, many local growers also have a healthy supply of basil and other culinary herbs.

Cheese

If you’re looking to add a locally produced cheese to your pizza, the Lakehead has options for you there, too. Thunder Oak Cheese and Slate River Dairy both produce a variety of cheeses and if you want your

‘za with more of a Greek/ Mediterranean flare, there’s always Walkabout Farm’s feta.

Protein

Pizza lends itself to many different kinds of proteins, and many of them can be found here. If you’re cravingchicken on your pizza, check out places like Haywire Farm or Wolf River Farm. Bacon can be found at Sandy Acres Farm, Corbett Creek Farm, or Silver Creek Farm. Many of these producers and others can also supply you with ham, sausage, and other meats. CharKuu 102 also has products like salamis, prosciutto, and other charcuterie favourites.

Vegetables

The fertile farmlands surrounding Thunder Bay mean there’s lots of locally grown produce to choose from. There are too many to list here, so check out tbayinseason.ca/directory/producer-listings/vegetables/ to see what’s out there.