A unique celebration of local food and drink that also supports the culinary tourism industry is coming to Lang Pioneer Village in Keene on May 28 and 29.
“Feast On the Farm: A Taste of Peterborough & the Kawarthas” is a partnership between Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and the Culinary Tourism Alliance, a not-for-profit food tourism development organization. Feast On® is a certification program that recognizes Ontario restaurants and purveyors (growers, producers, suppliers, and distributors) committed to sourcing and celebrating Ontario-grown food and drink.
The two-day event begins on Sunday (May 28) with a Consumer Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that features a gastronomic experience for foodies prepared by local chefs, followed on Monday (May 29) with an Industry Day from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for industry professionals only that includes speakers, networking, and local food and drink.
For Consumer Day on Sunday, three Peterborough chefs — Brad Watt of Publican House Brewery and Pub, Tyler Scott of Rare Escape, and Lisa Dixon of Black Honey Cafe — will present curated dishes paired with local beverages including craft beer from Bobcaygeon Brewing Company and spirits from Persian Empire as well as Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines by sustainable winegrowing certified wineries from across the province.
The day’s menu includes canapés (red fife wheat bannock with smoked trout mousse and radish sprouts finish; maple-poached Otonobee bacon with spiced pea purée), mains (confit duck on red fife fry bread with goat ricotta, wild leek salsa verde, and maple syrup; Kawartha pork and wild leek sausage with wild rice and cheddar porridge, finished with maple and pollen; fried zucchini nest with soft egg sous vide beet “down” finished with sumac-spiced hollandaise), and dessert (local herbal tea infused panna cotta with maple syrup and puffed wild rice granola).
The menu also includes a vegan and gluten-free canapé option (falafel with apple slice and carrot paté for the canapés), as well as vegetarian options for the mains: roasted oyster mushrooms on red fife fry bread with goat ricotta, wild leek salsa verde, and maple syrup; roasted Kendal Hills Farm mushrooms with wild rice and cheddar porridge, finished with maple and pollen; and fried zucchini nest with sous vide tofu and miso “hollandaise”.
The $125 ticket cost (plus tax and fees) includes a selection of food and drink, a behind-the-scenes experience at Lang Pioneer Village, and a $25 Feast On gift voucher that can be redeemed at participating Feast On restaurants (there are more than 150 Feast On certified restaurants in Ontario). Tickets are available at ontarioculinary.com/fonfarm/feast-on-the-farm-peterborough-the-kawarthas/.
Every ticket purchased for Consumer Day on Sunday also supports Ontario’s culinary tourism industry, by subsidizing the cost for restaurants and food purveyor professionals to attend Industry Day on Monday.
Industry Day is for all professionals who want to learn about incorporating local Ontario ingredients into their menus and implementing sustainable practices in their businesses through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Keynote speakers for Monday’s Industry Day include Judy Song of Ocean Wise, a conservation program created to educate consumers and businesses about the issues within the world’s fisheries and aquaculture operations and empower them to make informed decisions when purchasing seafood, and Leah White of Second Harvest, who will provide a tactical and educational session with concrete solutions and a roadmap to reduce food waste and food insecurity and to participate in a national food recovery network.
Along with a welcome breakfast and coffee bar, attendees will enjoy a family-style lunch — curated by Chef Jeff Curtis of Elmhirst’s Resort — featuring Elmhirst’s own brisket sliders with red fife beaver tails for dessert. A locally curated cheeseboard and preserves will be provided during the afternoon. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options will also be available. Attendees will also enjoy a selection of wines from Rolling Grape Vineyard.
Tickets for Industry Day are $75 (plus tax and fees), which includes a $25 Feast On voucher. Tickets are available at culinarytourismalliance.com/industry-day-peterborough-kawarthas.
