We’ve paired up with Food Day Canada® to celebrate amazing Canadian grown ingredients.
All across Canada you will find some of the most amazing ingredients and at no time is the harvest more spectacular than in July and August.
Let us introduce you to a Canadian Chef who prides himself in sharing all that Newfoundland has to offer.
#OCanadaFood with East Coast Chef Todd Perrin
After speaking with East Coast Chef Todd, now I want to go to Newfoundland to visit Chef Todd and step outside my culinary comfort zone, feel the ambiance of their 200+ year old building and wander through his greenhouse.
I loved it when he said if he couldn’t be a chef, he would be a farmer!
Can a Newfoundland restaurant serve local fare year-round? Yes they can! Every day is Food Day Canada at Mallard Cottage mallardcottage.ca in Quidi Vidi Village, a hamlet of St. John’s.
This one-of-kind venue showcases Newfoundland & Labrador’s vast array of wild game, seafood and produce in a magnificently restored 18th Century heritage building.
Q: How can you serve ‘local’ year-round in Newfoundland?
A seasonal menu which changes daily. At the end of each week, the fridges are empty; they begin anew the next.
A garden and greenhouse, which extends their growing season, are “about 20 steps away” from the restaurant. Produce is sourced from local farmers. Wild vegetation and berries are foraged – the forest is only 100 feet away! Cold storage, preserving and freezing ensure adequate supplies are available throughout the winter. Protein is provided by fishermen, farmers and hunters.
They strictly adhere to a ‘local’ mantra with the exception of canola oil, olive oil, flour, onions, garlic, quinoa and pulses can’t be grown in Newfoundland.
Q: What unique ingredients do you incorporate into your menu?
- Caplin (smelt)
- Seal Meat
- Cod tongue & Cod Cheeks
- Eel
- Wild Game – moose, rabbit, partridge
- Nettle
- Spruce tips
- Mushrooms – chanterelle, pine and hedgehog
- Partridgeberry
Moose terrine, smoked eel, wilted nettle greens or spruce tips (pickled and in salads or sauces) are distinctive fare, but traditional greens and veggies, poultry, pulled pork, grilled halibut are also offered.
Q: Have you always wanted to be a chef?
If I couldn’t be a chef, I’d want to be a farmer. I’m in the greenhouse right now. There is nothing better than picking a fresh tomato, walking back to the restaurant, slicing it, drizzling it oil and serving it to a customer who has never tasted anything like it!
If you can’t get to Newfoundland to check out Mallard Cottage in person, you can follow the extraordinary culinary adventures of Chef Todd @toddperrin and his team at @Mallard_Cottage.
#OCanadaFood Challenge: Celebrate Canada’s Amazing Ingredients!
Food Day Canada® and Canola Eat Well are challenging Canadians to cook all-Canadian menus starting July 16th leading up to Food Day Canada, August 2nd. Through social media, @CanolaGrowers and @FoodDayCanada will be asking Canadians to post photos of their #OCanadaFood.
Tag & Win! Tag your photo on Twitter with #OCanadaFood between July 16th and August 2nd and be entered to win a prize pack (valued at $100) from Canola Eat Well.
The Guidelines: The ingredients must be Canadian grown and harvested. If there are accompanying beverages, they also must be Canadian in origin.
Join the Twitter Party! Join Canadian chefs, farmers, home cooks and food lovers, Tuesday, July 29th from 8pm – 9pm EST. RSVP to receive reminders for the event! Participate in the #OCanadaFood Twitter Party and be entered to win 1 of 2 prize packs (valued at $100 each) from Canola Eat Well.
What are you waiting for? Find Canadian ingredients at your local grocery store or farmers markets, harvest your garden, grab your canola oil and get cooking!
Eat Well…Sandi Knight
Sandi Knight is a farm wife and mom of two grown children who is passionate about agriculture, food, cooking and gardening.
She believes one of the keys to a healthy, balanced lifestyle is by making the kitchen not only a place to create nutritious, flavourful meals but also by making it a place a dance!
