5 delicious meal ideas that celebrate local food this Canada Day
Is it just us, or did the entire month of June happen in the blink of an eye? It feels like we were just making plans for Victoria Day and suddenly, the Canada Day long weekend is almost here. We’re looking forward to some good meals and quality time with family and friends—all accompanied by a great playlist with our favourite Canadian songs on repeat. (Bobcaygeon, anyone?)
Whether you’re planning a weekend at the cottage, a camping trip, a backyard barbeque or a relaxing weekend at home, Olliffe has everything you need for delicious, high quality meals this Canada Day. Shop in store or visit Olliffe.ca to place your order now—we’re pleased to offer FREE home delivery on qualifying orders. And if you’d rather pick up your order at our Yonge Street butcher shop, let us pack your cooler for you—we’re pleased to offer this convenient service at no additional cost. Happy Canada Day!
A farm-fresh celebration
Start with our tender, delicious pasture-raised chicken, some local lamb chops or your favourite cut of our exceptional Ontario beef (or several different proteins, if you’re serving a crowd). Next, choose some of your favourite fresh, local vegetables—Olliffe is pleased to carry a selection of Ontario-grown products in store and we encourage you to check out your local farmers market for more options. Finally, add some roasted potatoes with fresh herbs, your favourite local wine or craft beer, and you’ve got a meal that showcases the best of Ontario food and beverages.
Maple magic
This may be playing into Canadian stereotypes but we truly love a great maple syrup like these dark or amber organic varieties from Forbes Sugar Bush outside of Goderich. Use these high quality syrups in a sweet and savoury marinade for poultry or pork or add it to your favourite homemade salad dressings. Maple is the perfect starting point for plenty of delicious, flavourful meals—here’s an excellent recipe for Maple Mustard Chicken and another for Roast Chicken with Maple and Rosemary. You can also make Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin. If you’re looking for more ways to use maple syrup for breakfast or dessert, these are some great recipes to consider.
Classic Canadian BBQ
We’ll keep this recommendation quick and easy because you know how it’s done: some great burgers and hot dogs, a few varieties of our incredible sausages and pork chops for the grill, a great steak and some beautiful local chicken breasts seasoned with your favourite herbs and spices. Add some potato salad, a tangy coleslaw, pasta salad and a fresh spinach salad topped with local berries, a soft goat’s milk cheese and homemade vinaigrette. Don’t forget the butter tarts for dessert! Now that’s a classic long weekend BBQ.
Poutine dreams
Keeping it casual this Canada Day long weekend or hosting families with teens or young children? Serve up some restaurant-style poutines at home. All you need is some crispy french fries, a few bags of high quality local cheese curds, and an awesome gravy (preferably homemade). We recommend adding some extra protein to your poutine to make a full meal of it: crispy bacon, slow-cooked beef, pulled pork, BBQ pulled chicken or a scoop of our steak chili. Bring extra napkins to the table if you’re going this route!
A feast to remember
If you enjoy cooking for friends and family, use the long weekend as an opportunity to create a feast they’ll never forget. You could grill a couple of Tomahawk steaks, smoke a beef brisket, roast some of our whole chickens on a BBQ rotisserie, make your own pulled pork or create a buffet-style spread of delicious local items. Go all out—it’s the long weekend and there’s no better way to celebrate than by enjoying delicious food with your favourite people. And if you’d like personalized product recommendations or cooking tips, just contact us. Cheers to the long weekend and happy Canada Day!