HLF Newspaper

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“START FRESH is not just a slogan, it’s our PERSONAL GUARANTEE” Over 40 years ago, Charles and Louie Coppa, two brothers who were making inroads in the grocery retail business, embarked on a new vision – to offer their customers the highest quality and freshness, backed by a commitment to customer service and value that is second to none. Today, Highland Farms operates five full-service supermarkets, offering everything you could possibly need in a clean and friendly environment. Whether you're looking for fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood, freshly baked goods, prepared foods, as well as organic and natural alternatives, you will find it all at Highland Farms. Highland Farms Apple Orchard (Photograph by Stacey Bailey/Toronto Sun) HIGHLANDFARMS.CA START FRESH WHERE ITALL STARTED!

Transcript of HLF Newspaper

Page 1: HLF Newspaper

“START FRESH is not just a slogan, it’s our PERSONAL GUARANTEE”

Over 40 years ago, Charles and Louie Coppa, two brothers who were makinginroads in the grocery retail business, embarked on a new vision – to offertheir customers the highest quality and freshness, backed by a commitmentto customer service and value that is second to none. Today, Highland Farmsoperates five full-service supermarkets, offering everything you could possiblyneed in a clean and friendly environment. Whether you're looking for freshproduce, fresh meat and seafood, freshly baked goods, prepared foods, as wellas organic and natural alternatives, you will find it all at Highland Farms.

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WHEREITALLSTARTED!

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By RITA DeMONTISNational Food Editor

There's a photo up on thewalls at Highland Farms' corporate offices up in NorthYork.Nicely framed, it's your clas-

sic black and white taken fromthe early 1950s, and it shows agroup of people standing closetogether at an outdoor fruitmarket.Second from the front is a

sweet-faced young boy, all gan-gly arms and endearing smilethat grabs your attention,makes you pause for a momentto take note of his spotlesswhite apron so obviously toobig for his slight yet elegantframe. This is the image of the

young Charles Coppa who,along with his brother Louis,are at the helm of the legendaryHighland Farms supermarkets,one of the most successfulchains of independent, award-winning grocers in Canada'sfood industry. The photo wastaken at the very first marketCharles worked at, and thelook of joy, confidence andpride is so tangible you can al-most reach into the photo andtouch it.Even in the face of such

youthful exuberance caught inthat photo, one knows the lovefor this grocery business comesdirectly from the heart and soulof both Charles and LouisCoppa."I guess you can say it's in

our blood," says Charles with apolite laugh, his eyes warm andcrinkly. "That — and our

mother, Francesca … she wasthe driving force who guidedus to where we are now. Shehad amazing judgement andwisdom for all my brothers andsisters, and she had great faithin her children — as a mothershe knew what we needed, andhelped us get it."The Highland Farms story is

just as colourful as the rowsupon rows of produce thatgrace the iconic stores. Itstarted well before the Coppasleft their beloved home inPachino, Sicily to carve new

lives for themselves back in1950.But the Coppas did not go

via the usual immigrationroutes favoured by the hugewave of Italians who headedout in the1 9 5 0 sand 60sfor anew life inC a n a d a .No, thet i n yg roupc a m e

via Montreal and a numbing5,000 mile, 21-day journeythat included train, ferry,transatlantic steamer and along railway ride to Toronto.Coupled with the fact that

the children's parents, Gio-vanni and Francesca Coppa,had left Italy ten months ear-

lier, leaving theirkids back home

with theC o p p a ' so l d e s t ,marrieddaugh-

ter, one knows instinctively ofthe sacrifices this family facedin order to carve a brave newlife for themselves in Canada.it was quite the adventure

for the children — brothersand sisters including nine-year-old Corrado (Charles) andseven-year-old Louis — but fortheir parents it was an agoniz-ing wait, culminating in a joy-ous reunion at Union Stationwith 40 relatives. "That was back in August,

1950 and I can remember itclearly," says Charles. "The

shock came shortly afterwards— the cold! And all the snow.It took us all by surprise."Changing weather aside, life

moved at a quick pace for theCoppas once they were all re-united. School came a weekafter arriving — and Charles'first job shortly afterward that,hawking the Toronto Telegramnewspaper right in front ofUnion Station. "That was my first sentence

in English — 'Get your Tellyhere five cents!'" says Charleswith a laugh, delighted at thememory.Shortly afterwards came the

job that started his life into thegrocery biz. "It was with KnobHill Farms, when the late SteveStavros had his fruit market onQueen and Coxwell. It was ahumble little store — and mymother pushed me towardshim and said 'ask him for a job!'"Stavros took a chance and

hired him, throwing a hugeapron on his skinny little frameand pointing him in the direc-tion of a box of fresh fruit.Louis joined his big brothershortly after that."So it started — we went to

school and we worked at thegrocery store." Asked if he evermissed out on all the things lit-tle boys do after school, likeplaying road hockey or ridingtheir bikes in summer, Charlessays — not really. "To be hon-est — you develop a passionfor this work and it was excit-ing meeting the customers andhandling money at an early age. "There was such a sense of

accomplishment, even thoughwe were relatively young. Iguess we had a strong workethic — I couldn't wait to getto the grocery store and solvethe problems, fill the ordersand meet the customers."And the work paid off.

3 49Fresh ClementinesProduct of Morocco

99/lb1.08/kg

Ontario Homegrown Fresh Apples Macintosh or Red Delicious Fancy Grade

¢ ¢Ontario Homegrown Fresh Tomatoes on the VineNo. 1 Grade

/lb2.18/kg

Charles Coppa is seen here in front, looking full of pride at his first job in the grocery business in the 1950s.

THE MEN WHO STARTED I Rita DemontisSUN Media

99Ontario Homegrown Fresh Green CabbageNo. 1 GradeJumbo Size

¢each 2.3kg box

Prices effective November 12th, 2010 to November 18th, 2010 Prices effective November 12th, 2010 to November 18th, 2010

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Eventually the boys had thechance to purchase Stavros'store, and with the help of fam-ily, they became proud owners,quickly renaming the storeHighland Farms and the rest,as they say, is history. The Coppas expanded from

that single store to five loca-tions."We bought the one on

Queen St. W in the early 1960s— I still remember the address,1558 Queen St. W., and it was3,300 square-feet," saidCharles. "Since then, we'vegrown … From a handful ofemployees we know havearound 800 working with ustoday."Adds Louis, "you go from

3,300 to 180,000 square feet— but you keep the same stan-dards. Customers first, and al-ways supply the best."And on any given day, you'll

find one of the Coppas — theseniors or their adult children— in the stores, straighteningout produce, checking outstock, chatting with employees,patiently answering customerrequests and generally revelingin the joy of their work.The Coppas are that won-

derful combination of ingenu-ity coupled with old-fashionedvalues — of the importance ofbuilding a solid foundationbased on something as simpleas the integrity of a firm hand-shake.Take our farmers, for in-

stance. The stories of the Cop-pas and their relationship withOntario farmers is the stuff oflegend. From the moment theyestablished their food com-pany, both brothers set out toleave their mark — and thesuccess would start right herein Toronto, at the famous On-tario Food Terminal on Park-lawn Ave, considered Canada's

most influential food terminal.Business with the Coppas

was carried out in time-hon-oured fashion: trust and a gen-tleman's handshake. Farmershave long memories, especiallywhen times are lean and noone would purchase theirgoods at any price. With theCoppas, you could go to thebank with their word and theirhandshake. The Coppas remembered

the farmers and they, in turn,never forgot them.

"The farmers always remem-bered the Coppas because ofthis," says Frank Ferragine ofCitytv's Breakfast Televisionfame. Ferragine grew up in hisfamily's business, Bradford

Greenhouses up near Barrie. He first met Charles Coppa

at the terminal when he was12-years-old. And that friend-ship continues to this day."I was 12-years-old when I

first met him and to this day Iconsider him and his childrenlike family. He is the truest def-inition of a gentleman and if hetaught me one thing about thebusiness it's this: you workhard and an honest day willmake you an honest dollar. Hisand Louis' sons are living ex-amples of this work ethic —this is a truly remarkable family."In addition to supporting

the local growers, the Coppasalso give back to the commu-nity as generous supporters of

various charities and commu-nity-building initiatives.They've also been celebrated

by their peers — last year theCanadian Federation of Inde-pendent Grocers (CFIG) hon-oured the two brothers withthe prestigious Life MemberDesignation — the highest ho-nour the CFIG can bestow. “The Life Member award

was developed to recognize thededicated efforts of people likeCharles and Louis Coppa, whohave become symbols of entre-preneurship in our industry,"said John F.T. Scott, presidentand CEO of the CFIG. The Coppas have certainly

left their mark, notes VirginiaZimm, president of Faye ClackCommunications, one ofCanada's most successful foodmarketing companies. "The Coppas are the original

advocates for local. They havealways supported the localgrower when our Ontariobounty is in season. As well,the Highland Farms experiencegoes beyond local. They havesourced some of the best pro-duce, meat, cheese and breadsfrom the four corners of theworld to satisfy their ethnicallydiverse consumers," saysZimm.Today, Charles doesn't make

it down to the Terminal forthose brutal early morning vis-its, but his son John does, andthe next generation of Coppascontinue in the roles thatCharles and Louis first carved out.But — will they ever retire?"It's our life and it's always

been our life," says Charles qui-etly, his brother Louis noddingthoughtfully by his side. "Quitesimply, we love the businessand dealing with the public …it's something we want to doforever."

99 99 99 992 /lb6.59kg

Fresh Beef Boneless Top Sirloin Roast CutFrom Canada AAA Grade BeefProduct of Canada

3 /lb8.80kg

Fresh Beef Boneless Top Sirloin Steaks CutFrom Canada AAA Grade BeefProduct of Canada

Fresh Extra LeanGround Sirloin Beef

2Piller’s Black Forest HamFreshly Sliced at the Deli

3 /lb8.80kg

/lb6.59kg

100% Canadian

ground beef freshly

ground daily

The Coppa brothers, Louie (left) and Charles (right), are seen here with the next generation of Coppas, Charles’ sons Michael andJohn (far left and far right) and Louie’s son John (middle). (Photography by Stacey Bailey/Toronto Sun)

THE MEN WHO STARTED IT ALL 47 YEARS AGO!

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HIGHLAND FARMS XX xThe Sunday Sun � OCTOBER 17, 2010

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BY M.J. JAFFRAYSpecial to Sun Media

When they opened their firstHighland Farms location in1963 on Toronto’s Queen Street,brothers Charles Coppa andLouie Coppa were convincedthat their success in the groceryretail business would hinge ontheir commitment to offering thehighest quality, freshness andvalue in an atmosphere of totalcustomer service. Turns out they were right.

Today, their vision is still clearlyreflected in five full-service supermarkets where the secondgeneration of the Coppa familyis now hard at work maintainingthe high standards and workethic that were set forth by theirhard-working father and uncle.Charles Coppa’s two sons,

Michael and John, are responsiblefor grocery purchasing and forsourcing the best and freshest produce, while LouieCoppa’s son — also named John— looks after the busy deli,meat, seafood and bakery departments. While each is responsible for

different areas of the HighlandFarms operation, all three share in common the same commitment to the values thatwere instilled in them from theirearly teens, when they allworked part-time in the summers to learn the businessfrom the ground up. “My two cousins and

I worked our way through all the various departments,”says Louie’s son John. “Weswept out the trucks and carried out groceries — we did

it all. After university, we allcame back and settled into ourdifferent areas.” He found his niche in the

meat department, where helearned how to butcher andserve Highland Farms’ Canada

Grade AAA beef behind thecounter. “I also learned from both my

dad and my uncle about thepurchasing side of the business, and then went to thedeli to learn from my father

about all the different companieswe dealt with, and the dozensof different types of hams andsausages and cheeses. Then itwas on to seafood,” he laughs. For all three, carrying on the

family business is a huge sourceof pride, and the hard work wellworth it.“We all go pretty hard,” he

adds. “But at the same time, weenjoy it. Is it work? I don’tknow, you tell me!” “It’s challenging, for sure,”

says Charles’ son John, who isresponsible for bringing the bestand freshest produce availableto all five stores. “But I enjoyworking with my family towardsa common goal of helping thebusiness to succeed.”“We learned my father’s and

uncle’s values just with everydayexperience,” Michael says. “Wesaw how they interacted withcustomers and employees andthey taught us the right way todo things. Customer service andalways having fresh product atthe right price was instilled inus right from the beginning, sothese things have always remained our top priority, too.”

What makes HighlandFarms stand out in

the crowd?

“Service and variety,” Louie’sson John answers immediately.“You can pretty much find anything that’s out there, righthere. For example, our delicarries over 100 different varieties of cheeses from allaround the world. There’s noneed to go elsewhere.” “I think we stand out because

we can offer our customers the competitive pricing of largerstores with the added value ofvery high customer service,cleanliness and quality products,” says Michael alongwith his brother and cousin,

24x500mlbottles

Nestle Pure LifeNatural Spring Water

3 1.89Lbottle

Purex 2x Ultra Laundry DetergentAssorted Varieties

3 1.42Ljar

Hellmann’s MayonnaiseRegular & Light

9999 99Primo Pasta AssortedRegular Cuts 900gor Thick and ZestyPasta Sauce 680mL

¢each

A HIGHER STANDARD OF FRESHNESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

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XX HIGHLAND FARMS The Sunday Sun � OCTOBER 17, 2010

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who is responsible for day-to-day store operations as well as grocery buying. “We’ve carved out a niche for ourselves, and it’sour job to keep that going.”“Something that we all really

believe in is service ,” adds John.“Our meat and deli departmentsare full service, seven days aweek. We slice custom orders towhatever specs the customerwants, on the spot. This ensuresthat nothing is cut earlier in themorning, or yesterday. It’s thefreshest product they’re going toget anywhere.” The company culture is also

instilled in every employee whoworks at Highland Farms.

“When you’re around it all thetime, you start doing it,” henotes. “You believe in it. They’revery proud of what they do andhow they do it. Every great storehas great employees.” When he was still a boy,

Charles’ son John remembersgoing to the bustling OntarioFood Terminal with his father to select fresh-picked produce.Highland Farms has alwaysbought from local farmers

as much as possible, long before “buy local” became a popular phrase. “My father

and unclehave beensupportingOntario’s

farmers for 47 years,” he sayswith a smile. “They developedrelationships with them by goingto the terminal every morning.

They decided very earlyon that they

could,

and should, support them bybuying local produce in seasonwhenever possible. I still deal withmany of the growers that theybought from.”While the old-fashioned

cornerstones of service, quality,variety and freshness have remained the same since Highland Farms opened itsdoors, the Coppas also recognizethe importance of keeping pacewith their customers’ changing

needs. For example, they offerone of the largest selections of gluten-free products in Toronto, and fresh sushi is available. “We also offer our customers

a very large variety of organicproduce,” John adds. “Buying on a daily basis allows us to bein the market and take advantage of price changes as they happen. By being thereevery day, we can also pick upnew products as soon as they arrive.” And that’s Highland Farms

in a nutshell: keeping thingsfresh every day, in more waysthan one.

Highland Farms is known for their freshness, both in their meats and their produce. (Photograph by Stacey Bailey/Toronto Sun)

“We’ve carved out a niche for ourselves …”

European Meat Platter

12”

Antipasto Platter

12” 12”

International Olives Platter

12”99 99 99

A HIGHER STANDARD OF FRESHNESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

99Grilled Vegetables Platter

Prices effective November 12th, 2010 to November 18th, 2010

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1 946mltetra946mltetra

Blue Diamond Almond BreezeNon Dairy Beverage Assorted Varieties

5750g-907gbag

Nature’s PathEco Pack CerealAssorted Varieties

9999 992.27kgpackage

Highland Farms Country KitchenLasagna Meat, Cheese

991L jar

Highland Farms Country Kitchen Pasta SauceAssorted Varieties

4

BY M.J. JAFFRAYSpecial to Sun Media

When asked about their selectprivate-label Country Kitchenproducts, Highland Farms co-founder Charles Coppaquickly sums it up: “Our nameis on them, and we take a lot ofpride in that. We stand behindall of our products, of course,but when our customers see theHighland Farms CountryKitchen label, they know theyare buying quality at a compet-itive price.” The product line includes

items such as meat or vegetablelasagna, veal and three-cheesecannelloni, pies, pasta sauce,butter, extra virgin olive oil,sliced bread and baguettes. Coppa says the Country

Kitchen store brand reflects thevalues that have always beenpart of Highland Farms. “Even though our stores are

quite large, the difference atHighland Farms is the commit-ment of a family operation.There is a part of us in everystore. When we go out andchoose the produce or productsthat we sell, of course we’reshopping for our customers, butwe’re also shopping with ourfamily name in mind, for whatwe believe is the best qualityavailable, on an ongoing basis.”Coppa and his brother Louie

Coppa came to Canada in 1950,and after a few years of hands-on learning in the grocerybusiness working in an open-air food market, decided to startup their own store in downtownToronto and do things their own way. “We knew within a short

period of time that that’s whatwe wanted to do. It was just anatural fit for us,” he says. In 1983, the two brothers

were well ahead of their time

when they opened their first su-perstore in Scarborough. “That store was the culmina-

tion of all of the things we hadlearned during our first 20 yearsin the business, and how wewanted to apply those ideas inwhat was really the largest supermarket in Scarborough atthat time. We opened a 65,000square-foot store when regulargrocery stores were about halfthat size. And we offered some-thing different: even though ourstore was big, it was still a full-service supermarket.”The grocery retail business

has changed over the years, andCoppa says he expects it willkeep on changing. “There will always be new

competitors coming into themarketplace, but our commitmentto our customers, the qualityand the service and the compet-itive prices that we’re able tooffer because of our size – thesethings will never change. Forthese reasons, we feel stronglythat we are unique.Our customers know what to

expect. Whether they come intoour store on Monday at 9 a.m.,or late Saturday afternoon, theyknow that they will see the samehigh-quality presentation andreceive total service in every department. This is what sets usapart.” Coppa says the Country

Kitchen product l ine hasevolved over the last 20 years,and is not the same as typicalno-name products which emphasize the lowest price.“We wanted to offer our

customers even more varietythrough a line of exclusive productsthat are just a bit different fromour regular shelf items. Although they are competitivelypriced, our customers knowwhen they buy Country Kitchenproducts, they are buying thehigh quality that has alwaysbeen a family tradition at Highland Farms.”

HIGHLAND FARMS WELCOMES YOU TO THEIR COUNTRY KITCHEN(P

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XX HIGHLAND FARMS The Sunday Sun � OCTOBER 17, 2010

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399box of 100’s

Lipton Yellow Labelor Green Tea

99 994 7kg pail

Maxx ScoopCat Litter

198g box

Heinz, Frozen Bagel BitesAssorted Varieties

5 908g box

Schneider’s Classic FavouritesChicken Nuggets, Fingerlings or Burgers

3/4Nature’s PathEco Pack CerealAssorted Varieties

HIGHLAND FARMS WELCOMES YOU TO THEIR COUNTRY KITCHEN

Louie Coppa admires his store’s selection of premium vine-ripened tomatoes.(Photograph shot by Stacey Bailey/Toronto Sun)

Last year, in acknowledgement of their entrepreneurial spirit and strong support of the independentgrocer community, the Coppa brothers received the prestigious Life Member Designation from theCanadian Federation of Independent Grocers. The Coppas are also longtime philanthropists who supporta large number of charitable initiatives, community building projects, Toronto-area hospitals andfundraising galas.

A Canadian success story: Charles and Louie Coppa Coppa’s tomatoes the talk of the town

Charles is also well-known for his apples, which he grows in his orchard and proudly displays here at market.(Photograph shot by Stacey Bailey/Toronto Sun)

One of the biggest sellers at Highland Farms is the tomatoes. “We bring in tomatoes fresh every day,”says Louie Coppa. “People know when they come to Highland Farms, they’re getting only the verybest. Fresh sells, and our tomatoes are proof of our recipe for success.”

At special times during the year, Highland Farms also sources the unique Pachino tomato fromItaly, which people come to the store for in droves and often purchase several pounds at a time.

Grocery buyer Michael Coppa says that Highland Farms is now stocking up with a huge variety of spe-cialty products for the holidays, including ever-popular panettone, an Italian sweet bread filled withfruits such as candied orange, citron, lemon zest, as well as raisins which are added dry and not soaked.“It would be hard to find another store that has the selection that we bring in,” he says. “We are

working with our importers to have hundreds of varieties on hand, many of them direct from Italy.”In Italy, they are so devoted to this special sweet bread that efforts are even underway to obtain

Protected Designation of Origin and Denominazione di origine controllata status for this product, clas-sifications currently enjoyed by such prized exports as wine and extra virgin olive oil. Panettone is served in slices, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a

sweet wine. Enjoy it for dessert, afternoon tea, or breakfast.

Make mine panettone

Prices effective November 12th, 2010 to November 18th, 2010

HIGHLAND FARMS XX xThe Sunday Sun � OCTOBER 17, 2010

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993case of 12x355ml cans

Coke, Sprite & Canada Dry Soft DrinksRegular & Diet

2Breyers Classic Ice CreamAssorted Varieties

AstroSmooth’n Fruity YogurtAssorted Varieties

Wonder Enriched Sliced White Bread

49650g tub 675g loaf1.66-1.89L tub¢

MAKE IT FRESH.

4750 DUFFERIN ST.AT SUPERTEST RD.416.736.6606

850 ELLESMERE RD.AT KENNEDY RD.416.298.1999

148 BENNETT RD.AT LAWRENCE AVE.416.282.5759

50 MATHESON BLVD.AT HIGHWAY 10905.501.9910

3300 RUTHERFORD AVE.AT HIGHWAY 400905.303.3999

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES • UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR USE OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF HIGHLAND FARMS AND ITS MARKETING AGENCY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED ALTHOUGH WE STRIVE FOR ACCURACY IN ILLUSTRATION, COPY AND REGULATORY REQUIRMENTS, UNINTENTIONAL ERRORS MAY OCCUR. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CORRECT ANY ERRORS.

Highland Farms’ Apple CrispOne place where Charles Coppaloves to walk and reflect is hisstunning apple orchard, whereyou'll find a large selection of Ontario's top apples. Here's arecipe to celebrate this beloved fruit!

Ingredients:6 apples (McIntosh, Crispin orIdared) sliced Juice and zest from half a lemon 1 tsp. (5ml) vanilla 1/2 cup (125ml) rolled oats 1/2 cup (125ml) dark brown sugar 1/2 cup (125ml) all-purpose flour 1 tsp. (5ml) cinnamon 1/2 tsp. (2.5ml) nutmeg 1/2 tsp. (2.5ml) ground ginger 1/2 cup (125ml) chopped

walnuts, lightly toasted 1/3 cup (75ml) sweet butter

Directions:Toss apple slices with lemonjuice and zest and vanilla andarrange in an eight-cup (1L) baking dish that has beensprayed with cooking spray. Ina mixing bowl, combine rolledoats, brown sugar, flour, spicesand walnuts. Cut in butter untilcrumbly. Sprinkle topping overapples. Bake at 350F (180C)until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned,about 35 minutes. Serve withvanilla ice cream or freshlywhipped cream. Serves 4.

Sicilian CannoliThese delicious little treats looklike you've spent hours in thekitchen — yet you can assemblethem in minutes with store-bought cannoli pastry shellsavailable in Highland Farms'bakery department.

Ingredients:1 lb. (450g) fresh ricotta cheese 1/4 cup (60ml) sugar 1 tsp. (5ml) pure vanilla3 tbsp. (45ml) Marsala wine1/4 cup (50ml) EACH candiedcitrus zest and mixed candiedfruit, all finely choppedStore-bought cannoli pastry shells.Powdered sugar

Directions:Drain as much water from ricottaas possible (strain overnight ina strainer lined with paper towelsover a large bowl.)Remove ricotta from fridge

and blend in sugar, vanilla andMarsala wine. Gently fold in candiedfruit and citrus zest. Using asmall spoon or pastry bag, fillboth ends of pastry shells. Placeon decorative plate and sprinklepowdered sugar over cannoli.Makes about 18 small or 12

large cannoli.

Spaghetti with Pachino CilieginoTomatoesThe pachino cilieginos are a spe-cial cherry tomato that hails fromsicily and is a favourite in theCoppa kitchen. They are ab-solutely delicious, so when yousee them, definitely stock up. Ifthey are not available, substitutecherry tomatoes on the vine.

Ingredients:5 Tbsp. (75ml) extra virgin oliveoil (Country Kitchen brand rec-ommended)2 cloves garlic, finely minced1 Tbsp. (15ml) fresh mint,chopped2 tsp. (10ml) dried basil1 lb. (500g) pachino cilieginoTomatoes1/4 cup (50ml) dry white wineSalt/pepper, to taste1 lb. (500g) dry spaghettiSlivered toasted almonds (optional)

Directions:In a large fry pan heat olive oiland saute garlic until aromatic.Add herbs and pachino ciliegino(whole) Saute in low to mediumheat until tomatoes pucker. Pourin white wine and reduce. Season with salt and pepper.Meanwhile cook pasta in a potof salted, boiling water until aldente, per package instructions.Drain and add to fry pan withmixture. Toss to coat evenly andsprinkle with slivered almonds,Serves 4.

Sicilian CassataThis elegant and easy-to-createdessert is a nod to the CoppasSicilian roots, where desserts arelegendary — as is the followingrecipe, too!

Ingredients:1 lb. (450g) fresh ricotta cheese 1/4 cup (60ml) sugar 1 tsp. (5ml) pure vanilla 1/2 package amaretto cookies,crushed 1 tsp. (5ml) lemon zest, grated 1/3 cup (75ml) Frangelico liqueur 2 tbsp. (30g) orange juice 1 lb. (450g) frozen pound cake Plastic wrap Powered sugar

Directions:Combine ricotta, sugar andvanilla in a food processor orblender until smooth. Transferto a bowl and fold in crushedcookies and lemon zest. In another bowl, combine liqueurand orange juice.

Cut cake horizontally intofour layers. Place bottom layeron a serving dish and brush with1/4 liqueur mixture. Spread with1/3 cheese mixture. Top withnext cake layer and repeat withremaining cake slices, liqueurand cheese mixtures, reserving1/4 of liqueur to brush over topof cake.

Wrap with plastic wrap andrefrigerate until serving time. Cutinto thin slices and serve dustedwith powdered sugar. Serves 6.

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XX HIGHLAND FARMS The Sunday Sun � OCTOBER 17, 2010

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