'It's no longer just potatoes': Salty dishes up stories on Island food
Laura Chapin | CBC News | Posted: September 20, 2016 9:00 PM | Last Updated: September 20, 2016
Salty launches its first edition October 1st
Salty, the Island's Food Digest will start serving up stories on Island food starting next month.
The publication will be available free at restaurants, coffee shops and public spaces in five of the Island's largest communities — Charlottetown, Montague, Souris, Summerside and Tignish.
The first print edition is eight pages, and offers a range of food stories, including a winter Community Supported Agriculture project, a Charlottetown chef's experiences in China, tips on how to get your gardening tools ready to put away for winter and some original recipes for heirloom tomatoes.
Salty was cooked up by Shannon Courtney, who is now the editor-in-chief. She's always had a long-held desire to do a food publication, something she thinks both Islanders and visitors will find interesting.
"I mean you can look at just the scores of restaurants and the artisan food production that's happening now. It's no longer just Canadian cuisine, it's no longer just potatoes coming out of P.E.I. There's so much and it's here and it's also being exported," said Courtney.
Expects to serve more than just Islanders
She sees the publication as a great way to celebrate what's here and tell other people in the world what our Island is producing.
Future issues will also dig into deeper issues, like food security, as well as lighter issues like new tastes people are exploring or new restaurants opening up.
Shoestring budget
Salty is being supported through Island advertisers, but Courtney admitted they're bootstrapping to launch the project.
"We're relying on writers and contributors that are passionate about this and are able to contribute their time to the publication, their volunteer time quite frankly, at this point."
Eventually Courtney hopes to make Salty a paying gig for all involved. About ten people helped put together material for the first edition, including publisher Laura Weatherbie.
Ten thousand copies of the first edition of Salty are being printed.
The new publication's staff will be handing some of them out at Farm Day in the City on Oct. 2.
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