This directory provides valuable information on farms across the province, showcasing the diverse range of food and agricultural products produced locally. Agriculture is a vital industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, contributing significantly to the provincial economy. This guide serves as a resource to connect consumers with local producers and highlight the variety of goods available throughout the province. By exploring this guide, you will gain a deeper understanding of the scale and importance of local agriculture and its role in supporting food security, sustainability, and economic growth.

Farms are organized by community; however, many producers sell their products at multiple locations. Details on where products are available can be found in individual farm listings. The companies listed provided information in this directory to the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture.

The Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture strives to ensure accurate information but cannot guarantee against errors or omissions. Farm listings are updated regularly, so check back often for the latest details.

⚠️ Please note: This site is a consumer resource designed to promote awareness and engagement with the agricultural industry. It is not a job board.

For more information, contact:
📞 Crystal Anderson, Market Development Officer – (709) 637-2086
📧 crystalanderson@gov.nl.ca

Thank you for supporting local agriculture. Explore, connect, and enjoy the best of Newfoundland and Labrador’s farms!

Newfoundland and Labrador’s geographical landscape and remoteness – along with ever-rising transportation costs – create an even higher dependency on other provinces and countries for fresh food. Inclement weather, labour disputes, or mechanical issues with the ferry system can greatly decrease access to fresh, healthy foods, and the long distance trucks travel to ship food to the province may impact a product’s food nutritional value, freshness and shelf life (Quinlan, 2012).

Climate change, adapted growing varieties, and new technologies have enabled producers to diversify their offerings to better suit customers’ increasing demands (Doyle, 2014). While Newfoundland and Labrador is known for growing traditional “Jiggs Dinner” vegetables such as turnip, carrot, cabbage and potatoes, our producers are growing more than 100 different vegetables and fruit locally.

In addition, our farmers also produce other food categories such as:
• Meat: beef, pork, lamb
• Poultry: chicken, turkey
• Eggs
• Dairy: cheese and milk
• Honey
• Herbs

Buying local results in numerous benefits for families, communities and the environment.

Food Sustainability
By supporting local farmers today, you are creating demand and opportunities for producers in the future through development, succession and new farmers. This is crucial for food security, especially given our current reliance on importing food we are capable of growing at home.

Support for local farmers
Buying local food provides income to farmers to maintain and develop their farms and help produce affordable, nutritious, high-quality food for the future. While vegetables and fruit tend to be seasonal, many vegetables are locally produced and available year round. Local farmers take their responsibility to consumers seriously – supporting a local producer who is providing a safe, quality product is mutually beneficial.

More Nutritious
Produce is susceptible to nutrient loss once it’s harvested; therefore, the shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely nutrients will be lost. Importing food from outside of the province requires travel on trucks and boats, resulting in more time between harvest and consumption. Buying local enables consumers to regain that nutrition back into their diets and aid in improving overall health.

Better Value for your Dollar
Food produced close to home gives you more value for your dollar. When you buy from a local producer, the product is harvested within hours or days of your purchase, maintaining its nutrients and freshness. In addition, preserving local produce during peak harvest seasons through canning and freezing enables you to eat local year round, while maintaining a high level of nutrition and flavor.

Fresher
The closer to home food is produced, the fresher and tastier it will be. The Newfoundland and Labrador eggs you buy at the store come from a local farm, and it only takes days for eggs to ship from farm to grocery store. When you buy from a local vegetable producer, that produce was most likely harvested on the morning of your purchase.

Tastes Better
Food produced here is allowed to ripen naturally and is not harvested until it is ready. Our province’s growing season with its cool nights gives our produce a certain sweetness that is our unique taste of place.

Contribution to Local Economy
Choosing fresh and delicious local food helps create jobs and supports our economy. Farmers are using other local businesses such as hardware stores, gas stations, mechanics, and more; the money you spend locally is passed on through other businesses in the area.

Better Quality
Local food is picked at peak season, allowed to ripen naturally, travels less distance, and may be consumed within hours of harvesting. Given all those conditions, buying local results in a much better quality when you purchase.

Environmental Considerations
Newfoundland and Labrador’s farmers take pride in being good stewards of the land, helping to preserve it for future generations. Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture programming, such as Environmental Farm Planning, enables farmers to be good stewards of the land. Having our food travel less distance provides us with a better product to feed our families and contributes to improving our carbon footprint.

Creating Entrepreneurs and Jobs
Although more than 400 farms in Newfoundland and Labrador contribute $138.6 million to the local economy, the province is currently only 10 per cent self-sufficient, which means there is immense opportunity to grow and generate more food, more farms and more jobs. Agriculture helps support local businesses, create new businesses, employ residents so they can work at home, and create opportunities and stability in rural communities.

How Can You Help?
• Ask your local grocery retailers for more Newfoundland and Labrador produced items in store
• Look at packaging to identify where the item comes from
• Visit farms in your local area
• Visit farmers’ markets
• Visit fall fairs
• Follow Newfoundland and Labrador farmers on social media
• Visit gov.nl.ca/farm-guide for listing of farmers, harvest availability, contact information, festival and events, harvest schedule and more
• Share your support by using the hashtag #ISupportNLAgriculture

For more info please contact:
Crystal Anderson-Baggs, MBA., B.Comm (Co-op)
Market Development Officer
crystalandersonbaggs@gov.nl.ca
Dept. of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
Market Development Division
P.O. Box 2006, 192 Wheelers Road
Corner Brook, Newfoundland A2H 0J1

Printable Fact Sheet – Why Buy Local

Source Material:

Quinlan, A. (2012). Building agricultural capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador. [pdf] St. John’s: Harris Centre. Available at:
mun.ca/harriscentre/reports/arf/2011/11-SPHCSRF-Final-Quinlan.pdf
Doyle, Emily (2014) An Environmental Scan of Factors Relevant for Sustainable Food Production in NL. Project Report. The Harris Centre.

• The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is home to over 300 different farms.
• Farm Cash Receipts were $163.9 million in 2023, up 9.8% from 2022.
• The largest crop commodity is Greenhouse and Nursery, accounting for 6.1 per cent of total Farm Cash Receipts.
• Value of vegetable production remained unchanged at $7.0 million; the top two vegetable crops in 2023 were turnips and potatoes.
• The top five crops in 2023 accounted for 71 per cent of all vegetable sales; they are as follows: potato, turnip, carrot, cabbage and pumpkin.
• Farm Cash Receipts for fruit production rose 13.0 per cent in 2023 to $1.9 million; with strawberries being the highest valued crop at $0.9 million.
• In terms of berries, strawberries are the largest in terms of value, cranberries are largest by volume produced and blueberries are the largest by area of production.
• The province has ten commercial apiculture (beekeeping) operations producing a variety of honey and beeswax products plus providing pollination services for crops.
• The largest commodities in Newfoundland and Labrador agriculture are Dairy, Chicken, Eggs, Greenhouse and Nursery, and Vegetables.
• There were 2,900 sheep in the province with 2,100 lambs born in 2023.
• The value of eggs in 2023 rose 7.0 percent to $25.6 million. Newfoundland and Labrador Egg production in 2023 declined 2.0 per cent from the record high of 10.4 million dozen set in 2022.
• There were 10,800 cattle (dairy and beef) in this province in 2023.
• The volume of milk produced in Newfoundland and Labrador was 47.3 million litres in 2023.
• The value of milk production in 2023 was $53.5 million (combined value of industrial and fluid milk sales).

Food Hubs

Western NL Food Hub

Region Served: Western Newfoundland (with multiple pickup points)
Primary Location: 62 Broadway, Corner Brook, NL

Description:

Shop local with ease through the Western NL Food Hub. You can connect with local producers in one convenient, weekly online farmer’s market.

Choose local products from multiple producers and check out in a single transaction. Ordering runs from Friday morning to Monday night each week.

Orders are assembled at the Food Hub’s Corner Brook location and distributed on Thursdays. We offer pickup locations and delivery options throughout the region – please check out the website for more information.

Are you a producer? We can provide sales, marketing, and distribution support to help local farms and food businesses reach more customers. 

Western NL Food Hub is a social enterprise operated by Food First NL. We want to see local food on every plate by strengthening the local food system.

Products: Local produce, meat, dairy, eggs and poultry (seasonal; varies by producer)
Website: www.nlfoodhub.ca
Social: @nlfoodhub on FB www.facebook.com/NLFoodHub and Instagram www.instagram.com/NLFoodHub

Avalon Food Hub

Region Served: Avalon Peninsula
Pickup Location: 77 Charter Avenue, St. John’s, NL

Description:

Shop local with ease through the Avalon Food Hub. You can connect with local producers in a convenient, bi-weekly online farmer’s market.

Choose local products from multiple producers and check out in a single transaction. Ordering runs from Friday morning to Monday night each week.

Orders are assembled at 77 Charter Avenue St. John’s and distributed on Thursdays. Check the website for full details and pickup locations

Are you a producer? We can provide sales, marketing, and distribution support to help local farms and food businesses reach more customers.

Avalon Food Hub is a social enterprise operated by Food First NL. We want to see local food on every plate by strengthening the local food system.

Products: Local produce, meat, dairy, eggs and poultry (seasonal; varies by producer)

Website: avalonfoodhub.ca

Social Media:

@AvalonFood Hub on FB www.facebook.com/AvalonFoodHub

Instagram www.instagram.com/AvalonFoodHub

Farmers Markets

Clarenville Farm and Market

Saturdays
June to November
9am – 2pm
134 TransCanada Highway, Clarenville
Visit www.farmandmarketclarenville.ca for details

Grand Falls-Windsor Farmers’ Market

Saturdays
June to November
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
14 High Street, Grand Falls-Windsor
Visit their page on Facebook for details.

St. John’s Farmers’ Market

Saturdays 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. (Year Round)
Sundays 11 A.M. – 4 P.M (Seasonal)
245 Freshwater Road, St. John’s
Visit www.stjohnsfarmersmarket.ca for details

February

Canada Agriculture Day

February 11th, 2025

Nationwide with local event happening at:

St. Bernard’s Elementary School in Witless Bay.

Check out https://www.aitcnl.ca/canada-s-agriculture-day for details

March

Canada Ag Literacy Month

Classrooms presentations throughout the province all month long

Check out https://www.aitcnl.ca/literacy-month for details

To encourage the use of Newfoundland and Labrador agricultural ingredients in every day use, our Marketing staff with the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture will be working with renowned chefs from this province to provide some new and exciting recipes.

Meet Our Chefs 

Mark McCrowe is a chef and cookbook author from St. John’s, NL. Growing up around simple Newfoundland dishes using fresh seafood and wild game inspired an appreciation in Mark for local food at a very young age. After studying at The Pacific Institute of Culinary arts in Vancouver, British Columbia and working in some of the city’s finest kitchen’s Mark returned home to further his own individual style as a Chef.

He had went on to run two highly successful restaurants Aqua and The Club in St. John’s that have been featured in such shows at Food Network Canada’s “You Gotta Eat Here” and Cooking Channel’s “Chuck Eats The Street”.

Apart from running restaurants Mark has competed against Canada’s best chefs at the Canadian Culinary Championships and was crowned Newfoundland’s first Chopped champion in the first season of the Food Networks hit show. His award winning cookbook Island Kitchen features his life as a chef in Atlantic Canada and highlights his passion for indigenous ingredients. He has consulted on several local restaurants and pubs bringing forth new and exciting food menus and operations programs. He is cooking the food he loves for the people that means so much to him and looks forward to furthering the future of Newfoundland and Labrador cuisine for many years to come.

Happy Cooking!

There is no better way to preserve those summer garden vegetables then a good mustard pickle. Almost a necessity on a fish cakes, A jiggs dinners and a fixture on the table for many a mug up in homes across the Island. This is a good guideline base recipe upon which anything you want can be added or swapped out and next time you cant find these on grocery store shelves, Remember I got you covered with my amped up version. These “Mudder’s” pickles are named after my Mom, because like her, they are the best! 

Serves 12

Ingredients

1/2 c salt

2 c sugar

1 c vinegar

2 c white onion

2 cucumbers

1 tbsp mustard powder

1 500 ml bottle yellow mustard

1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed into water slurry

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 head cauliflower

1/2 head green cabbage

1 green pepper 

1 red pepper

Directions

Roughly chop or large dice all of the garden vegetables. Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottom pot and bring to a boil on med high heat. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and stir pot occasionally with a wooden spoon. Season the mix with salt and pepper and continue to simmer for roughly 20 minutes. At this point remove from heat, let cool and serve. This well last for up to a week in your fridge and when bottled and sealed up to a year. So make a big batch to share with friends and family and don’t forget to give your Mudder a big hug and kiss next time you see her! 

So many wonderful zucchinis are literally popping out of the ground in the summertime, and sadly most people don’t know how to properly utilize them. Its all about knowing what they like. Think punchy flavours like acidity, salt, olive oil and fresh herbs, and for me a little fresh chili to add some heat. Once you get this down you can unlock the wonderful and delicious world that zucchini overs. Try this fun little starter that takes a departure from a regular tomato bruschetta and puts zucchini front and center. 

Serves 4

For the Grilled Soughdough Bread

4 thick cut slices of good soughdough bread

1 clove or garlic

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle your bread with some good olive oil and Toast on your bbq or indoor grill pan until the edges of bread are slightly charred. Remove and lightly rub toasted bread with a clove of garlic that has been cut in half. 

For the Marinated Zucchini

1 yellow zucchini, shaved

1 green zucchini, shaved

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juice + zest

1/2 red chili, thinly sliced 

Salt

Cracked pepper

1 tbsp mint, chopped 

Use carrot peeler the shave ribbons of your zucchini’s and dress in a bowl with all other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

For the Farm Fresh cheese

1 c farm fresh cheese

1 tbsp grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

Salt 

Cracked pepper

1 tsp chopped basil

1 tsp chopped dill 

Whip together in a small bowl

For the mint olive tapenade

1 c pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp basil, torn into small pieces

2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste

1 pinch crushed red chili flakes

Turn to paste using food processor. 

To Assemble

Smear grilled bread with a generous layer of the ricotta cheese mixture. Then a thin layer of the olive tapenade keeping in mind it is strong in flavour. Place a nice mound of the marinated zucchini on top. Grate extra pecorino or aged parmesan on top and serve immediately.   

This right here is going to be your new family favourite. Whether you serve it in big bowl with chips, top it on a piece of roasted fish or meat or use it in a burrito or taco filling. This salsa recipe is a celebration of sweet corn and those beautiful poblano peppers we see more and more at our local markets. Its healthy, vibrant and packed full of flavour. And like all recipes this is just a guideline to create and accommodate your own tastes. It works so well with additional ingredients like tomatoes, pineapple and avocado. Make it often and make it yours. But just make it! 

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 poblano peppers

1 jalapeno

4 or 5 ears of corn, husk and silk removed

2 c canned black beans, drained

4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

1/4 tsp chili powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and black pepper to taste

cup Handful of fresh cilantro chopped (about 1/4 )

cup ¼ large red onion finely diced (about ½ )

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

4 Tbsp lime juice

5-6 dashes your favourite hot sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ½ salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place corn on the baking sheet and brush generously with melted butter. Season liberally with, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Add jalapeno and poblano peppers to baking sheet and drizzle tops with melted butter. Roast in oven for 10 minutes. Turn the corn and flip peppers over. Continue to roast another 10 minutes. Remove poblanos and jalapeno from oven and transfer to a bowl or large ziploc bag. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the peppers stand for 15-20 minutes. Turn corn and continue to roast another 10-15 minutes, or until golden and lightly charred.

You’ll notice the peppers have been filling the bowl or bag up with steam. That will make the next step easier. Use your fingers or a spoon to peel skin from the poblanos and jalapeno. Remove the stem, ribs and seeds and discard. Finely dice the peppers. Remove corn from oven and set aside for about 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cob. In a mixing bowl, combine red onions with red wine vinegar. Let marinate for 10 minutes or so. Add corn, diced peppers and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving for best flavour. 

Once you try this salad dressing for the first time you will from that point onward be making it for the rest of your life. It works with so many salads. This is a great recipe to turn roasted root vegetables into a vibrant, satisfying,  yet healthy salad. You can add things like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, berries and so on and so on. 

Serves 4

For the Root Vegetables 

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1 sweet potato

1/2 turnip

1/4 butternut squash

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Cracked pepper 

Peel and large dice all vegetables and roast on baking tray for lined with parchment paper on 375 degrees until golden brown or about 30 minutes. 

For the dressing

1 small red onion

Salt & pepper

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c + 2 tbsp white vinegar

1 c veg oil

1 tbsp chia seed or poppy seed

1/4 c partridgeberry or raspberry

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blitz till emulsified

For the Crispy Parsnips

2 parsnips

1 litre vegetable oil

Salt

Heat oil until 350 degrees. Peel and shave parsnips with vegetable peeler to form long ribbons and deep fry until chips are golden brown, drain and season with salt

Toppings

Goat cheese

Radish sprouts

Nuts & seeds

To assemble

Toss in a large mixing the roasted root vegetables with you favourite salad greens. I use arugula for its pepperiness. Add as much of the sweet onion vinaigrette as you like. Add a pinch of salt & pepper, and plate salad individually or family style on a large platter. Crumble on goat cheese and finally top with the crispy parsnips, a sprinkle of your favourite nuts and some beautiful sprouts to add freshness. 

This orecchiette pasta dish is packed with flavor and quick to make. A classic dish that packs in the veg and showcases high quality pork sausages made from our local butcher.  

Serves 4

1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets, stalk peeled and chopped into ½” pieces

Kosher salt

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, smashed

12 ounces fresh Italian sausage (about 3 links), casings removed

Crushed red chili flakes

12 ounces dry orecchiette pasta

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 lemon, zest + juice

Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

Cook broccoli in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a colander and let cool (save pot of water for cooking pasta).

Chop broccoli into small pieces; set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium.

Cook garlic, shaking skillet occasionally, until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes.

Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Cook sausage and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6–8 minutes.

Bring reserved pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until barely al dente, about 9 minutes (set a timer for 3 minutes less than the package instructions; it will cook more in the skillet).

Meanwhile, ladle about ½ cup pasta cooking liquid from pot into skillet with sausage and add garlic and blanched broccoli.

Keep mixture at a low simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to skillet, then ladle in ½ cup pasta water.

Cook, stirring, until pasta absorbs most of the liquid and is just al dente, about 4 minutes.

Add butter, lemon juice, zest and stir until melted.

Gradually add Parmesan, tossing constantly until you have a glossy, emulsified sauce.

Serve pasta topped with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil

This spanakopita recipe uses local turnip greens as a hearty more seasonal option to spinach. Some Greek feta cheese and seasonings. It all gets wrapped in phyllo pastry and baked until golden brown and crisp. A savory and hearty appetizer or main course option that goes amazing with my zingy dill honey yogurt. 

Makes 16 

For the Spanakopitas

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 pounds fresh fresh turnip greens

1/2 c onion, finely chopped

1/2 c green onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

8 ounces feta cheese crumbled

1 egg lightly beaten 

Salt

Cracked pepper

1 pound phyllo dough sheets thawed

3/4 cup butter melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add half the turnip greens to the pan and cook until wilted. Add the remaining greens to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until all of the greens are wilted. Remove the greens from the pan and let it cool. Squeezing out excess water. Coarsely chop the the greens.
Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in the green onions, garlic, parsley and dill and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl along with the chopped spinach, feta cheese and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Take the phyllo dough out of the package and unroll it onto a flat surface. Keep the phyllo covered with a damp towel when you’re not working with it. Lay out one sheet of dough with the long end facing you. Brush the melted butter over the dough. Add a second layer of dough on top of the first, then brush the second layer with butter. Cut the dough vertically into 3 inch wide strips. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on one end of the dough strip. Fold one corner of the dough over the filling to make a triangle shape. Fold the strip of dough over itself the same way you’d fold a flag until you reach the end. Brush a little melted butter over the top and place the triangle on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling. Arrange the triangles 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

For the Dill Honey Yogurt

¼ c fresh dill, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 c plain Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)

2 tbsp local honey

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1  tbsp lemon juice

Salt

Cracked pepper

2 tablespoons water (optional)

Mix all ingredients and serve with spanakopitas.  

Summer on a plate. Served as a main course on its own, or as a side dish with some grilled meats. This combo of vegetables gets me every time. Everything is going to be alright. 

Serves 4 

3 large beefsteak tomatoes

2 medium zucchini

2 Japanese eggplant

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

2 red onion

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

3 oz goat cheese crumbled

Directions

Prepare a grill for medium heat.

Cut all vegetables in large 1/4 inch rings for grilling.

Put the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and onion on the grill and cover.

Grill all vegetables turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 5 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk remaining ingredients together in a bowl drizzling the olive oil in slowly at the last the emulsify the dressing.  

When vegetables are done arrange on a platter, spoon over the dressing, crumble goat cheese and tear some extra fresh basil leaves on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is the perfect dish for those who don’t enjoy lamb but loves a good curry. The mix of local lamb and spices is mellow and delicious. Pan fried toutons and basmati rice are perfect to mop sauce, and the cucumber chick pea salad freshens the dish. A dollop of yogurt at the end adds a cooling effect to the spices, creating the perfect balance you want in a good curry. 

Serves 4

For the Vindaloo

1 tbsp butter

1lb lamb shoulder roast

1 Inch fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp yellow mustard seed

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 tbsp paprika 

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp garam masala 

4 cloves

Salt

Cracked pepper

1 small tin tomato paste

1 tsp sugar

2 c Water

2 Bay leaf

2 tbsp cider vinegar

Sear lamb on med-high heat in a heavy bottom pot in butter until lightly golden brown. Add spices and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add tomato paste along with sugar and continue to cook out the paste. Add water and vinegar, reduce heat and simmer gently for about an hour to two hours. You want to check the lamb to make sure its tender. If not continue simmering until tender.   

For the Toutons

1 Package pre-made touton dough

2 tbsp butter

Fry toutons in butter until golden brown and cooked through in a heavy bottomed pan over med heat. Set aside and keep warm.

For the cardamon scented rice:

1 c Basmati Rice

2 c Water

1 preserved lemon

1 tbsp cardamon pods

Salt 

Bring to a boil. Cover with tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer for fifteen minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for another ten minutes before fluffing rice with a fork and serving.

For the cucumber chick pea salad

2 Baby cucumbers, shaved with carrot peeler

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 c chick peas

1 tbsp dill, chopped

1 tbsp mint, chopped 

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and serve on top the curry 

To Finish 

Extra virgin olive oil

Dollop of greek yogurt

Flat leaf parsley

This pairing of flavours is everything. Nothing else really matters anymore. Thick cut locally raised pork chops with the bright acidity of stone fruit, sweetness of honey and crispy salty smokey speck ham. You know its a winner

Serves 2

1 1/2 tablespoon oil

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

2 2-inch thick cut pork loin chops

4 slices speck ham or prosciutto ham

1/2 teaspoon rosemary, roughly chopped

3 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon cider vinegar

3 apples, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon Caplansky’s horseradish mustard or whole grain mustard

Heavily season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the outside of each chop in a heavy bottomed pan with the olive oil on med high heat until golden brown. Remove chops and finish in a 375 degree oven for 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. In same pan sear speck ham on both sides until crispy. Drain ham on paper towel and set aside. Using the same pan, begin to build your peach topping. Add honey, sliced peaches and rosemary  and cook for 1-2 minutes, deglaze pan with vinegar and continue to cook until peaches caramelize. Stir in mustard and serve sauce over rested pork chops. Finish by crumbling crispy ham over top and serve.   

This is the dish for when you want to impress someone you love but you really don’t want to make a big production over dinner. It takes about 10 minutes to prep things up then the grill does all the work. To make things easier serve it up on a big platter and let people help themselves. You are now a rockstar in the kitchen.  

Serves 4

For the Salsa Verde

1 bunch parsley, minced

1 tbsp capers, drained and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt

Cracked black pepper

1/2 c olive oil

Chop the parsley until finely minced and place in a large bowl. Mince the capers and garlic and add to the parsley. Zest the lemon, then juice. Add both the juice and zest to the parsley, capers, and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper and the olive oil to the bowl and mix until incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes as desired. For a thinner consistency, add more olive oil. 

For the Chicken and Potatoes 

1 whole chicken back bone cut out and the breast bone pressed to flatten 

zest of 2 lemons, plus 2 more lemons (total of 4), sliced in half

3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 potatoes, sliced in 1/2 inch slices

In a large baking fix mix the lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add in the flattened chicken, the potatoes and rub it with the olive oil mixture on both sides. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Heat your grill over medium high heat, and oil the grill grates. Cook the chicken skin side down and arrange potato slices on a cooler part of grill. Cook for 20 minutes, flip the potatoes, then flip the chicken so it is skin side up and continue cooking until the chicken has an internal temp of  160 degrees, about 20 minutes more. In the last 10 minutes of cooking the chicken, take off potatoes and grill the lemons flesh side down. Remove the chicken from the heat, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve, and serve with the grilled lemons, potatoes and the salsa verde. 

Step aside carrots and make way for the humble parsnip! If you are a lover of the traditional carrot cake I urge you to try this variation utilizing those beautiful gnarly parsnips that lock in so much natural sweetness brought out by roasting. If I have one suggestion, it would be to brew a nice cup of Tetley tea with some Carnation milk. Cut a nice big slice and enjoy this super moist, rich and decadent cake. 

Makes 1 9-inch cake

Roasted Parsnip Cake

2 c roasted parsnips, peeled

1 c walnuts, toasted

1 c shredded coconut, toasted

4 eggs

1 c canola oil

5 halves tinned pears, plus 1/4 c tinned syrup

3/4 c golden brown yellow sugar

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce

1 c golden yellow brown sugar

1/2 c heavy cream

4 tbsp butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Cream Cheese Icing

1/4 c icing sugar

10 tbsp soft butter

1/2 c caramel sauce (recipe above)

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cake

Peel and chop parsnips into coins. Roast in a tinfoil pouch until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Purée the parsnips together with the pears and pear syrup until smooth in a food processor. In a small frying pan toast the walnuts and the shredded coconut together over a medium heat until golden brown stirring occasionally. Stir dry ingredients together in a mixer on low speed. Lightly whisk eggs, oil and vanilla together until emulsified. Mix the wet ingredients together with the dry. Fold in parsnip pear purée then the toasted walnuts and coconut. Divide mixture into two 9-inch buttered cake pans and bake cakes at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow cakes to cool for 2 hours in preparation for icing. 

For the Caramel sauce

Cook the sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat until golden brown and lightly caramelized. Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla. Continue to cook for another two minutes and finish with butter and season with salt.

For the Caramel Cream Cheese Icing

In a bowl cream the butter and softened cream cheese together until smooth. Add the cooled caramel sauce, vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the icing is smooth and thoroughly blended. Slice the two cakes to form four layers, icing between each layer. Then spreading evenly the remaining icing to cover the entire outside of the cake. Garnish the cake with leftover caramel sauce, and a dusting of icing sugar. To take the cake to the next level, shave peeled parsnips into ribbons with a carrot peeler and deep fry at 350 degrees until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and season with a pinch of salt before decoration the finished cake.          

Nothing says spring like rhubarb, and this upside down cake literally puts the rhubarb first. With a sticky delicate cake and a layer of crunchy crumble on the bottom. Things this good need little garnish. I serve mine with a little sweetened whipped sour cream and honeycomb dripping of fresh honey. Its the bees knees for sure.  

Makes 1 9-inch cake

For the Topping

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup sugar 

Coarse salt

For the Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan 

1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick 

1 3/4 cups sugar 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

Coarse salt 

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 

2 large eggs 

1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly. 

Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again, and spread in pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

To Serve

Finish each slice with a dollop of sour cream lightly whipped with some sugar and a dash of vanilla. Top with a sliver of fresh honeycomb to put it over the top or simply drizzle some of your favourite local honey.