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When I moved to Mauritius from England at age 6, my whole world changed. I had gone from a bustling, industrialized Western nation to a small island in the Indian Ocean; from being the only kid around to sharing space with a very big (my mother is one of 13 children) extended family.

Everywhere I turned there were new sights, smells, sounds and, most of all, tastes. We dined "en famille," all of us crowded around a huge dinner table laden with family-style Chinese dishes and it was here that my lifelong respect and love for food began.

As soon as I tried my grandmother's steamed chicken with homemade Chinese rice wine and ginger, I gave up my beloved egg and chips. I was doubly impressed by the fact I had recently seen the same chicken running around the yard. We would often eat braised pork hocks with lemon, or pressure-cooked lentil soup, both made with pigs raised by my Uncle Vincent. My relationship with food had gone from a box in the freezer to the backyard.

Organizations such as Slow Food (started by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986) and chefs like Alice Waters from Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca., have been promoting a return to small-scale, sustainable food operations for some time. While some may argue that it costs a lot more to eat locally and in season, the true costs of continuing to supporting large-scale agribusiness can be seen in the negative impact on both the environment and our personal health.

It is imperative that we educate our children about smart food choices, and that chefs promote and support local growers. At Splendido, we source as many products as possible from close to home, whether it's tomatoes from Vicki's Veggies in Milford, berries from Barrie Hill Farms in Barrie, or any of a huge variety of products from Cookstown Greens in Thornton.

There is a growing demand for a greater variety and selection of smaller-scale, locally raised, "boutique" products in Toronto as people increasingly prefer to buy their meats from butchers like Stephen Alexander at Cumbrae's of Cumbrae Farms and their cheese from Cole Snell at Provincial Fine Foods. There are also a variety of weekly farmer's markets where you will find passionate people reaping a better-tasting and more economically viable harvest.

Do a simple test - roast a battery-raised supermarket chicken and one from Hallelujah Organics and try them both. The difference is obvious: It's in the taste.

LOCAL WHITE AND GREEN ASPARAGUS TART WITH MAPLE-CURED BACON, MORELS, RAMPS AND FIFTH TOWN GOAT'S CHEESE

What you need

6 spears green asparagus

6 spears white asparagus

1/4 pound morel mushrooms

6 pieces ramps

4 cups arugula leaves

1/2 log Fifth Town Ash-Covered Goat's Cheese

6 slices maple-cured bacon

½ pound puff pastry

What you do

Roll the puff pastry out to ½-inch thickness and cut a 10-inch round from it. Prick the surface with a fork. Place the pastry on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment paper and another sheet pan. Weigh the top sheet pan down, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for baking the pastry.

Blanch the green asparagus in well-seasoned boiling water until knife-tender.

Poach the white asparagus until knife-tender in a mixture of water, sugar, salt and butter.

Blanch the ramps in salted water until the bulbs are knife-tender.

Saute the morels with olive oil until soft.

Broil the maple-cured bacon until lightly crisped.

Slice the goat's cheese into ¼-inch thick rounds.

Plating

Place the puff pastry on your serving platter. Scatter the arugula leaves over the tart shell. Place the rest of the vegetables as you see fit on top of the arugula. Finish the tart with the slices of maple-cured bacon and goat's cheese. Garnish with some freshly ground black pepper and enjoy.

Splendido is showcasing Canadian flavours throughout July and August with an Exotica Canadiana tasting menu. In-season produce from across the country will be highlighted.

David Lee is co-owner and executive chef of Splendido in Toronto

Beppi's wine matches

If tarts could speak, this one would say, "Give me sauvignon blanc." The crisp, lean white wine will stand up to the herbal zip of the vegetables and delicate tartness of the goat cheese. In keeping with Chef David Lee's local theme, Ontario wine drinkers might choose Château des Charmes Sauvignon Blanc from Niagara ($16 in Ontario). Westerners could select the excellent Mission Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from B.C. (about $22 in B.C.). The best match, though, would be a fine French Sancerre (always made from 100 per cent sauvignon blanc) such as Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Les Baronnes (about $25). Two other good options would be pinot gris or gewurztraminer from Alsace.

Beppi Crosariol