Join The Food Day Canada Party on Saturday July 30th!

FOOD DAY CANADA CELEBRATES CANADA'S 149TH YEAR

 WITH 149 WAYS TO SHOP LIKE A CANADIANTruly Canadian Grocery List Available for Free at FoodDayCanada.ca

GUELPH, Ontario, July 18, 2016 /Canada NewsWire - On Saturday July 30th, it's Food Day Canada -a chance for all Canadians to join in one massive celebration in praise of our farmers and fishers; our chefs and researchers, and, above all, our home cooks. In celebration of Canada's 149th Year, Food Day Canada is launching Shop Like a Canadian – a free online grocery list with 149 ingredients that we produce in Canada.

Seeing a growing gap in knowledge about what foods are actually cultivated and processed in Canada, and confusing "Made in" versus "Product of" labels, inspired Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada Founder and Food Laureate of the University of Guelph, to curate a list of 149 truly "Product of Canada" foods. It's a fun and personal shout out to Canada's producers.

"For years I've cajoled and coached people to Cook Like a Canadian, now it's time toShop Like a Canadian," said Anita Stewart. "This list is a start to knowing where your food comes from and  how to find it so you can celebrate every last tasty morsel grown in Canada. After all, Canada IS food and the world is richer for it!"

Making the list, some well-known foods like flour (of all sorts) and tons of dairy products. But there are also dozens of local contributions like Montreal-made couscous, Taber-refined sugar, and cider vinegar produced in the owners' orchards. There's VQA wine and craft beers from coast to coast and award winning cheeses from small fromageries all across the nation. 

Stewart adds, 

"Because the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, the list has an array of pulse crops from beans and lentils to chickpeas and peas.  They're extremely healthy, good for the planet, and guess what…Canada's the largest producer of lentils and peas on earth." She quips, "Eating them is culinary nationalism at its best."

To further honour Canadian foods, Food Day Canada has partnered with more than 250 restaurants.

"Our Food Day Canada chefs understand that local ingredients are fundamental to our dynamic food culture. They are Canada's real brand advocates. On Saturday, July 30th, they will be creating their own hyper-local menus, with ingredients often so specific to their region that they cannot be replicated even a few dozen miles away," said Stewart.

On July 30th, the Call to Action is aimed at all Canadians with an invitation to join the party, share their local foods stories and show each other what's on the menu all across the land.

"The harvest is in and the abundance of the Canadian culinary landscape is evident everywhere," added Stewart.

HOW TO DO IT?Join the FOOD DAY CANADA Twitter PartyOn July 26th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT, join the FoodDayCanada Twitter Party to tell us what Canadian–grown foods you love and what ingredients we missed. Follow us at @FoodDayCanada  using the official Hashtags #FoodDayCanada #CanadaISfood.

Join FOOD DAY CANADA on July 30th!  On July 30th, Food Day Canada invites everyone to share their food story on Social Media.  Food Day Canada has created a special page on its website, FoodDayCanada.ca. Tag your food images on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FoodDayCanada or #CanadaISfood and it will appear on the FDC web site.  

About Food Day CanadaFounded by Anita Stewart in 2003, Food Day Canada has become known as a special day mid-summer for Canadians to share their food and their stories with each other while leading other nations in cultural diversity, food ethics, magnificent flavours … and fun!  The first Food Day Canada launched the World's Longest Barbecue in response to the BSE crisis that devastated Canada's cattle industry.

This Food Day Canada, Anita Stewart will travel from St. John's, Newfoundland toTofino, BC, to present the first two Food Day Canada/All-Clad Canada Awards to chefs in those communities.

Special thanks to Food Day Canada partners – the University of Guelph, Pulse Canada, All-Clad Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada, KitchenAid Canada, Taste and Travel Magazine, and, the chef community of Canada. For more information, visit  FoodDayCanada.ca facebook.com/foodday and @fooddaycanada.

Food Day Canada Recipe:

Spicy Black Bean Burgers By Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada Founder

This year the world is celebrating pulses…those amazing, protein-packed, easy to cook legumes that are so at home in Canada.  Here's a recipe that you can use at any time of the year.

The 'burger' mixture can be prepared a day ahead of time and cooked either for full size burger buns but we love them as sliders.  Top them with lentil sprouts (to carry on the same colour theme, we sprout beluga lentils), a bit of good locally made mustard (Canada grows the finest mustard seed on earth), some green salsa and a pungent garlic mayonnaise (aioli) Or, if you get ambitious, make your own ketchup (see recipe below).

• 1 ½ cups cooked black turtle beans or 19 oz (540 mL) tin black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 egg
• 2 large green onions, coarsely chopped or one chopped, medium-sized red onion
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ancho chili powder
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) smoked sweet paprika
• 1 small dried chili, crushed or ½ tsp chili flakes
• ½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) finely crushed lentil or tortilla chips
• 2 tbsps (30mL) whole wheat flour
• Canola or olive oil, as needed for frying
• Whole wheat burger buns, as needed
• Sprouted beluga lentils, as needed

Dry the cooked beans on a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to remove the excess moisture.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.
Combine the egg, green onion, garlic, spices and salt in a food processor.  Pulse until coarsely chopped. Measure in crushed lentil chips. Pulse a few more times till the lentil chips look as though they are dissolving into the mixture.  Measure in the black beans and flour.  Pulse, scrapping down the sides from time to time, till the mixture is coarsely chopped.  With a spatula, transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes or till firm.  
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and swirl in enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.  Saute the mixture 2 tbsps (30 mL) at a time till golden brown on both sides.  Keep warm till serving. 
Makes about 6 – 8 burgers.

NOTE: To cook black turtle beans, cover them deeply with cold water and salt lightly.  Let stand overnight at room temperature.  Drain and transfer to saucepan.  Cover well with water (no salt this time), bring to a boil and simmer 25 – 30 minutes or until tender.  If you need to add water during this cooking process, use hot or boiling water and it will maintain the colour of the beans.  

Homemade KetchupOne of the mother sauces, ketchup has roots in many cultures and it was always home made.  I've streamlined this by draining and pureeing canned tomatoes.  You'll need 2 – 28oz/796 mL tins of whole canned tomatoes.   Break them apart with your hands, removing seeds if you wish. Transfer them to a colander, let drain over a bowl; reserve the juice for another use and puree the tomatoes. 

• 3 cups (750 mL) tomato puree
• ½ cup (75 mL) cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) pickling spice
• 1 star anise
• 3 – 4 whole allspice
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into chunks
• 1 tsp (5 mL) red pepper flakes
• ½ cup (125 mL) well packed brown sugar
• Salt, to taste

In a heavy saucepan combine the puree and cider vinegar.  Tie all the spices together in cheesecloth to make a small spice bag.  Add to the mixture.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered for 10 – 12 minutes or till beginning to really thicken.  Add the sugar, return to a simmer and continue to cook till thick.  Remove spice bag; taste and add salt as needed, stirring well.
Transfer into clean glass jars.  Refrigerate till serving. 
Makes about 3 cups (750 mL).

Honey-Tarragon Salad Dressing for Fresh Greens

This is my go-to dressing for summery greens.  Use your imagination and add fresh summer fruit like blueberries or sliced strawberries, petals from a few favourite edible flowers…we love tulips, nasturtiums and begonia blossoms! 

• 1/3 cup (75 mL) cider vinegar
• 2 tsps (10 mL) grainy mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• A handful of chives
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey, preferably local
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped, fresh tarragon
• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) canola or sunflower oil.

Whisk all the ingredients together or combine in a food processor adding oil at the last minute in a constant stream.
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL) dressing.

SOURCE Food Day Canada