Upper Canada Village Presents Food Lovers’ Field Days

Upper Canada Village Presents Food Lovers’ Field Days
Reenactors at Upper Canada Village.

MORRISBURG, Ontario –   Upper Canada Village will showcase over 40 food, wine and beer artisans and producers from across the region at Food Lovers’ Field Days culinary event Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20 and 21.   

The Iron Pan Chef’s Competition presented by the NAV Centre really sizzles with anticipation as four talented Chefs compete for the coveted Iron Pan title.  Audiences can join in the excitement and learn a few tips along the way as they watch each of the Chefs race against the clock to create their unique dish from a box of local mystery ingredients unveiled just moments before using just a single cast iron skillet.  This year competing Chefs include: 

Chef Christian Barque from Cornwall’s Bar Q Resto & Lounge; Chef Tamara Bolger from Farm Girl Food, Kiingston; Chef Steve Harris from two six (ate), Ottawa;   Chef Wayne Johnsonfrom Chef Wayne Catering, Akwesasne Mohawk Territory

The Nav Centre’s Executive Chef Luc McCabe who has competed on the Food Network’s Chopped Canada will lead the judging panel.  McCabe will be assisted by past winners Chef John Leung (2014) of Steak & Sushi in Ottawa and Chef Derek MacGregor (2015) of Seed to Sausage near Sharbot Lake.  The Chefs will be judged on their creativity, use of the mystery ingredients, flavours, and cleanliness.  Former local broadcaster and personality Sue Stewart from Cornwall will emcee the event. The cast iron cookware is provided courtesy of Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supplies. 

On Sunday, Cornwall’s Chef Tony Lacroix of Love Love Food Café, Bistro & Bakery will share his culinary expertise preparing three tantalizing dishes, all prepared in a cast iron skillet:

11:00 a.m. Appetizer Course – Baked goat chees with harissa 1:00 p.m. Main Course – Sausage Ratatouille with harvest vegetables 2:30 p.m. Dessert Course – Amaretto peach cobbler.   The Original 100 Mile Diet…

Throughout the weekend, Upper Canada Village will be presenting the region’s original 100-mile diet through heirloom garden tours, special heritage cooking demonstrations and taste testing in the historic kitchens of two of its 19th century homesteads (Louck’s Farm, Tenant Farm).

  • 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Cook’s Tavern — enjoy Sarsaparilla and Ginger Beer ($4 a bottle, non alcoholic) from the bar. Don’t miss the Travelling Tiltons performing on the front porch each day at 12:30!
  • ·         3:00 p.m. — In the courtyard behind Willard’s Hotel, tea historian and sommelier Susan Peters will present a talk on “The History of Tea in the Victorian Era”.
  • 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Loucks and Tenant Farm Kitchen –  Sample fresh-baked 19th century cookies, shaped using tin cookie cutters fashioned in the Village’s Tinsmith shop!  
  • 10:00 a.m. to noon; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Tasting the Garden” at Loucks Kitchen Garden will feature heirloom vegetable taste-testing, and tours of the garden.

Stop in at Crysler Hall to see “Fire in the Kitchen”, a special exhibit showing technological change in the kitchen in the 19th century.  Other food-related activities will include baking bread in the bakery and making cheddar cheese in the Union Cheese Factory.  Village flour, bread and cheese will all be for sale in the farmers’ market area.

Upper Canada Village will be fully operational offering all of its regular historical activities such as horse-drawn carry-all rides and horse-drawn tow scow rides along the canal, historical interpretation in its over 40 heritage homes, mills, trades shops, farms and other places of interest, along with a taste of period street entertainment each day. Access to the Farmer’s Market in the fairgrounds, presentations and activities are all included in admission to Upper Canada Village. Adult $19, Senior (65 yrs+) $18; Youth (6-12 yrs) $12.  Visit www.UpperCanadaVillage.com or call 1-800-437-2233 or 613-543-4328 (locally) for more information.ood Lovers’ Field Days is presented in partnership with Foodland Ontario, Stormont & Dundas Milk Producers, Ontario Egg Farmers (Eastern Ontario region), Hendrix Hotel and the Nav Centre. 

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