Calling all foodies — Canada has a national food celebration called Food Day Canada!
This day (Saturday, August 2nd) is a full-on celebration for Canadians to praise our local farmers, chefs, researchers and above all, the home cook! Restaurants across Canada are preparing regional foods, but we are encouraging everyone to get out there and plan your own food party. Paddle to a distant shore to light a campfire… barbecue some fish… sweep off the deck for a neighbourhood supper… dig a roasting pit… build an oven… fire up the grill…and use only Canadian ingredients to create a feast or a simple dinner that honours our country’s extraordinary culinary history and points the way to the future, together.
It’s a day to also be thankful for the talent we have in our country, ranging from the skills of our chefs to the farmers and fishers across the nation. It’s an awareness that is taking place from coast to coast, whether it’s being enjoyed in a restaurant or within your own kitchen with your friends and family!
Food Day Canada is initiated by Anita Stewart, who is a culinary advocate, the Food Laureate at University of Guelph, and a member of the Order of Canada with many other credentials that make her “the voice” in the Canadian food industry. I met Anita during my first week of work at Book to Cooks in Vancouver, where she was promoting her book Flavours of Canada. Since this time, Anita has moved to the forefront of promoting Canadian food within our country and abroad.
When I asked why this day was so important for her, Anita replied, “Food is the foundation of life and it seemed to me that it was time to honour our own. By eating as seasonally as possible from our own food sheds, we keep our neighbours in business and preserve the ability to feed ourselves. And besides that… we really do need a mid-summer culinary party!”
The following recipe is from Anita’s website and is one of my favourite entertaining go-tos. It’s a nice touch to use the lavender from your garden!
Warm Okanagan lavender flower crepes with icewine butter sauce
(makes four servings)
The crepes….
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 tsp lavender flowers
vegetable oil (as needed)
Icewine butter sauce….
½ cup butter
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup of icewine
Directions….
Combine flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in the milk and eggs till thoroughly blended. Add the butter, orange rind and lavender. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Place a crepe pan on medium heat. Brush with oil. Pour on the crepe batter, about half a cup at a time. When the underside is well-browned, flip and brown the top lightly. Transfer to a parchment lined plate. Cover loosely and keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Heat the butter in the skillet, add the orange juice and heat through. Fold the crepes into quarters and add to the skillet. Pour on the icewine. Gently turn the crepes and heat completely. The sauce will reduce and become a bit syrupy.
Transfer the crepes to warm serving plates, pour over the butter sauce and serve immediately!
Enjoy your Food Day Canada and appreciate all the amazing food our country has to offer. At From Scratch — A Mountain Kitchen, we will be featuring local food on our menu that day. Join us, we will be celebrating! Check out the website at fooddaycanada.ca for more info.
Lara McCormack is one of the owners of From Scratch – A Mountain Kitchen in Fairmont Hot Springs where one can savour fabulous seasonal food, sip from a selection of beverages including B.C. wines and enjoy the views of our gorgeous valley landscape.