The bounty and diversity of local food astounds me each fall.  And so every year, I gather elements of this cornucopia and transform them into chocolate.  It’s both a tradition and a creative challenge!

You’ll find a wide array of textures and flavours, all of which celebrate local food in a new and exciting way.

We’ve made only a small number of boxes (as always) and when they are gone, well, that’s it!

Usually I include 4 bars, but this year, the harvest has been so bountiful and I couldn’t resist making an extra bar:  one that has been my ‘white whale’ for years.

So, this is the largest Harvest Box Collection yet: made with the collaboration of 7 local farmers and food producers and 4 additional Canadian-made ingredients.

The Bars:

• wild black cap raspberries
• a caramel filled-bar with hazelnut and miso (luscious!)
• roasted pear with hot honey goat cheese, finished with green alderwood salt
• fennel, buttermilk and lemon

and, drumroll….

• tomato!

The tomato chocolate is phenomenal.  I’ve been rolling around the idea in my mind for ages and it’s finally made its way into this year’s Harvest Box.

I’ve also made a box of 2 bonbons that celebrate local food (and drink) during the harvest season:

• a milk-chocolate gianduja with Ontario-grown hazelnuts
• a beer-infused caramel with Night Owl Porter from Focal Brewery

And yes, there are information cards inside the box, describing the creation of each element, with thanks to all the incredible farmers and food producers who make this collection possible.