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.
Today food and travel writer Dan Clapson of Calgary, Alberta shares with us how to take a fun dinner party to the perfect Canadian dinner party!
Creating a Canadian Culinary Experience
Anyone can throw a fun dinner party, but here are 4 ideas to help you plan the perfect Canadian-centric dining experience on August 2nd for Food Day Canada!
Plan a field trip for ingredients
It’s one thing to come up with a dinner menu focused on Canadian ingredients and assigning friends or family different items to pick up at the grocery store. It’s another thing to get everyone a bit more involved. I say wrangle up your dinner guests the day before Food Day Canada and go to the farmers’ market collectively. There, you can meet a variety of producers, hear about the product – whether it’s a carrot, a cut of beef or ripe tomatoes – straight from the source.
Pair your meal with Canadian drinks
Sure, there are no shortage of amazing microbrew beers from Oregon or wines from Washington, but if your table is full of Canadian ingredients, it may as well be full of Canadian drinks too. Maybe a couple bottles of wine from Quail’s Gate in the Okanagan, a six pack of rhubarb cider (absolutely delicious!) from The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, or maybe some boozy punch mixed with Victoria Gin.
Cook to the season
This may seem a little obvious, but there are some things like asparagus and spot prawns (these may be available frozen at specialty food shops or good quality fish markets) have a short season. If you’re trying to find Canadian-grown asparagus come August long weekend, you’ll likely come up empty-handed.
Try to pick one unusual ingredient
‘Unusual’ can vary from person-to-person and is definitely relative to how active you are in the kitchen. So, make a point of using an item that you are not overly familiar with. Me? I’ll be using some sea buckthorn berries. Haven’t heard of them? A quick google search will have you intrigued with this orange, little ‘superfood’.
#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…Dan Clapson
Dan Clapson, food and travel writer for FoodNetwork.ca, Avenue Magazine, up! magazine, EatNorth.ca and many more.
He shares his passion for local food from Calgary, Alberta. Follow Dan @dansgoodside and watch for what is sure to be some amazing #OCanadaFood creations.
