Food Day Canada is a celebration of food grown and produced in Canada. It is an opportunity to give thanks to everyone across the food continuum from farmers and fishers to food researchers, chefs, and home cooks. It was founded by Anita Stewart who was a passionate advocate for Canadian cuisine, and the University of Guelph’s Food Laureate. Every year, people who love Canadian ingredients participate in Food Day Canada by attending community food events, having meals with friends and family, and sharing their enjoyment of Canadian food.
Over the past 150 years, the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) has established itself as a beacon of innovation, education and support for Canada’s agriculture and food systems. Discover below some OAC-inspired recipes found in U of G’s Hospitality Services new cookbook that you can make this Food Day Canada on August 3rd.
Charred Asparagus Salad
Plant Agriculture professor Dr. Dave Wolyn developed Guelph Millennium Asparagus. Millennium Asparagus was awarded the Seed of the Year 2005 for its high yields and ability to thrive in Canadian conditions. Since its introduction in 2003, it accounts for 75% of the Ontario asparagus market.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients: Main Dish:
1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 oz of parmesan cheese, shaved
salt & pepper to taste
Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
4-5 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon salt & pepper to taste
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Pickled Red Onion
¼ cup water
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
Cooking Process:
Combine water, red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour the hotpickling liquid over sliced onions and allow to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and honey. While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified. Stir in tarragon and lemon zest—season to taste.
Heat cast iron pan until hot. Add oil and place the asparagus in the pan and cook until slightly charred and cooked through. Remove from pan and chill—season to taste.
Plate the asparagus drizzled with dressing. Serve with pickled red onion and shaved parmesan cheese.
Potato Salad with Homemade Pickles
The Yukon Gold is one of the most popular potato varieties in Canada. It was developed by Professor Gary Johnston of the OAC. It came on the market in the 1980s and remains popular because of its impressive versatility and nutty flavour. U of G's on-campus production facility further enhances our commitment to freshness and flavours. Here, we can pickle and jar a wide array of items, including smoked Roma tomato jam, zucchini relish, apple butter, pickles, cherry bomb peppers, spicy beans, corn and peach salsa, and spicy ketchup. In the summer, U of G Chefs prepare hundreds of pounds of house-made pickles from fresh cucumbers and fresh dill from the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF).
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, skin-on, diced
1 cup homemade pickles, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
½ cup carrots, peeled & grated
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons pickle juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup green onion, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste
Cooking Process:
Boil your potatoes until they are tender and easily pierced by a fork—drain water and transfer potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Allow potatoes to cool completely.
Combine cooled potatoes with pickles, egg, carrot and red onion.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients to create the dressing.
Add dressing to your potatoes and mix well to combine. Refrigerate potato salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
Garnish with dill and sliced green onion.
Roast Chicken with Bovey Pepper Sauce
The Chefs Garden in Bovey Greenhouse is a small patch of land that has been used by U of G chefs since 2016 to experiment with growing a variety of vegetables. It serves as a great medium to educate younger cooks about the effort and resources required to grow vegetables.
In recent years, the Chef’s Garden at the Bovey Greenhouse has consistently yielded over one hundred pounds of hot peppers each summer. Nestled between two wings of the greenhouse, the small plot benefits from lingering heat during the summers, ideal for pepper cultivation. With a penchant for warmth, pepper plants reliably deliver bountiful harvests annually.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 85 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Bovey Pepper Sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
5-6 bird's eye chilis, or similar
2 red bell pepper, cut in half, seeded
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-ounce lemon juice
1-ounce apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Chicken
1 cup, approximately pepper sauce
1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
Cooking Process:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Use a pair of heavy kitchen shears or a chef's knife and remove the backbone. Lay chicken flat, skin side up.
Combine paprika, cayenne, garlic and two tablespoons oil in a mixing bowl, then toss with chilis, pepper and onion. Lay in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, ensuring the vegetables are caramelized and softened. Place roasted bell peppers into a container and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 10 minutes.
Remove peppers from container and with the back of a knife, peel off the skin.
Blend all roasted vegetables together with lemon zest, lemon juice, canola oil and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush both sides of the chicken with the pepper sauce.
Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for approximately 25 minutes. Baste with more Pepper Sauce, then continue baking for another 20 minutes or until cooked through to 165°F in the breast & 180°F in the leg. Serve with pepper sauce on the side.
