* Pictured here is Rapure Pie and Baked Apple.

The first Acadians to settle in Canada were mostly farmers, soldiers and craftspeople. Many came from rural areas of mid-west France and brought with them the agrarian and culinary traditions of their native France. Their diet resolved around the agricultural products that they brought with them from France and those introduced to them by the Amerindians such as, seasonal fruits of nature, fishing and hunting. During the Spring and Summer months, wild game and fish provided settlers with a steady source of protein, while the family gardens provided peas and a large variety of other vegetables.

Among the agricultural products that the Acadians adopted from the Amerindians were corn, beans, and squash, known to the Amerindians as “The Three Sisters”. These products were the result of the companion-planting of corn, beans and squash each beneficial to the other. The sturdy corn stalk gave the beans vine support; the beans produced nitrogen for the corn and the squash nines; shaded the grounds, keeping down weeds and conserving moisture in the soil. Not only did the Amerindians plant the Three Sisters crop together, but they believed that these vegetables were supposed to be eaten together. One dish that resulted in this concept was SUCCOTASH.

The Acadian farmers found the land in Acadia, protected by mountain ridges and suitable for growing wheat, buckwheat, corn, turnips, cabbage, potatoes and beans. They grew fruit such as pears, apples, plums, and cherries. They supplemented their diet with wild game such as moose, bear, rabbit, partridge, geese, ducks, teal, plover, pigeons and marsh birds and they fished for cod, salmon, shad, bass, eel, smelt and a variety of shell fish. Staples of the Acadian diet included herring, cod, potatoes, pork (mostly in the form of salt pork) and local grains made into pancakes (plogues), biscuits and bread.

During the months of August, the Acadians harvested wheat, barley and rye… and transported their grain to local mills for grinding. Although the Acadians raised a lot of cattle, sheep and pigs, they did not eat a lot of meat, especially veal or any other young animal. In Autumn, the most surplus livestock were allocated for trade, or sold outright. They slaughtered their animals only when they were no longer fit to use as work animals or able to provide them with milk, eggs, wool etc.. When they did, the choicer cuts of meat were sold, Some beef and pork was consumed immediately, but most of the meat salted for use during the approaching Winter

The Acadians had an affinity for salt pork. Turnips and cabbages were staple of their Winter diet. The cabbages were allowed to remain in the snow-covered field until they were gathered in small amounts for immediate consumption. The turnips were harvested and stored in cellars.

A portion of the apple crop was made into cider. Alcohol was available (both imported and smuggled rum) and home-made wine and cider however, the beverage preferred by the Acadians, was spruce-sprout beer.

Like in other areas of French Canada, some of the recipes brought to Acadia from France generations ago, are still made exactly as they were in Europe. Others were adapted to the foods and the way of life in Acadia, resulting in a combination of true French cuisine, Acadian-French alterations and many dishes that were born in Acadia and had never been served in any other country.

Traditional recipes evolved mainly from the use of foods that could be stored for the long cold Winters and every home maintained a supply of dried salt codfish, potatoes and salted pork fat and, a favourite dish was a combination of these ingredients. Some other favourites were GROSSE SOUPE (a hearty soup of beef shank, onions, herbs, beans, peas, green beans, cabbage, turnips, corn, carrots and potatoes; RAPURE (a baked casserole of a mixture of salt pork, pork fat, onions, grated and mashed potatoes); and MIOCHE AU NAVEAU (mashed potatoes and turnips). Buttered bread spread with molasses often served as dessert. Pastries and cakes were reserved for Sundays, but dishes such as pancakes (plogues) and poutines (dumplings) would be considered ’special’ desserts today. Potatoes provided the staple of the Acadian diet and, boiled in meat or fish stock, made a wholesome and satisfying dish called FRICOT.

They supplemented their diets with wild game such as black bear, moose, snowshoe hare (rabbits) and partridges, Canada goose, ducks, plover marsh birds and the now extinct passenger pigeon. They also fished for salt water cod, salmon, shad, stripped bass, eel, smelt and a variety of shell fish.

Following the expulsion of the Acadians, those who escaped the deportation and those who returned and resettled mostly along the coastal areas, found themselves in a completely different environment that they had been accustomed… isolated culturally, the Acadians had to respond to new and different circumstances, forcing them to make the most of what they had. Unlike their forebears who had continued agrarian traditions brought from France, the resettled Acadians living by the sea, lost their agricultural and culinary traditions and put new ones in their place. By necessity, they learned to tap the rich resources of the sea. Over time, the struggle to put food on the table developed into a unique culinary tradition and imaginative response to the land and the sea.

Unlike the staples of the Acadian diet, the gaspereau and shad which served as important secondary sources of protein, required less cooking but higher temperatures. Hence, fish were usually fried in oil… probably bear oil (much to the chagrin of French travelers) because butter was practically unknown in Acadia.

On the whole, Acadian cooking was uncomplicated, keeping the number of ingredients to a minimum and the method of preparation simple. In fact, many dishes were a one-pot meal, such as FRICOTS and CHOWDERS. If there is one dish that could be called “typically Acadian”, it would be FRICOT, which is a soup containing potatoes and meat (usually chicken), fish and/or seafood. Although a fricot may vary from one region to another, to this day the dish will always have the same basic ingredients… meat and potatoes in a hearty broth, with dumplings called poutines or grand-pères. Fricots are rich in calories and, with fresh bread… “a meal in themselves”! Fricots and poutine rapées continue to be a central part of today’s Acadian cuisine, together with meat pies and paté à la rapures… followed by poutines a trous.

Ordinary meals did not usually include a dessert and the main meal was often followed by bread and molasses, or included pancakes and dumplings (called POUTINES).

The morning meal (breakfast) was usually the heartiest and was served after they had worked-up an appetite from the morning chores and would BOUDIN (blood pudding), CRETONS, GRILLADES and TOURTIERES (meat pies) as well as leftovers from the previous day’s meals. The three meals of the day were called déjeuner (breakfast), dîner (dinner) and souper (supper).

Age-old Acadian cooking techniques remained fundamentally unaltered throughout the late eighteenth century, despite radical changes in their diet. The Acadians utilized two main cooking techniques; boiling or frying in chaudrons (black cast-iron pots). Turnips and cabbages were cooked by boiling together into a “soupe de la Toussaint”, an extremely popular pre-expulsion delicacy during Winter months.

In general, cooking techniques for fish were quite simple… salted herbs, a combination of onions, chives and green onions cut into 1/2 inch cubes and layered with coarse sea salt and pepper in a glass crock, and boiled until a brine formed. The fresh fish (caught daily) were then simmered in this seasoned water and then fried.

Except for a few dishes, frying was restricted to fish and baking was restricted to bread. Whole wheat or mixed grain bread was served at major meals, according to eighteenth century observers, and loaves were inevitably consumed with molasses and locally produced maple syrup.

*Pictured here is Rapure Pie and Baked Apple

The first Acadians to settle in Canada were mostly farmers, soldiers and craftspeople. Many came from rural areas of mid-west France and brought with them the agrarian and culinary traditions of their native France. Their diet resolved around the agricultural products that they brought with them from France and those introduced to them by the Amerindians such as, seasonal fruits of nature, fishing and hunting. During the Spring and Summer months, wild game and fish provided settlers with a steady source of protein, while the family gardens provided peas and a large variety of other vegetables.

Among the agricultural products that the Acadians adopted from the Amerindians were corn, beans, and squash, known to the Amerindians as “The Three Sisters”. These products were the result of the companion-planting of corn, beans and squash each beneficial to the other. The sturdy corn stalk gave the beans vine support; the beans produced nitrogen for the corn and the squash nines; shaded the grounds, keeping down weeds and conserving moisture in the soil. Not only did the Amerindians plant the Three Sisters crop together, but they believed that these vegetables were supposed to be eaten together. One dish that resulted in this concept was SUCCOTASH.

The Acadian farmers found the land in Acadia, protected by mountain ridges and suitable for growing wheat, buckwheat, corn, turnips, cabbage, potatoes and beans. They grew fruit such as pears, apples, plums, and cherries. They supplemented their diet with wild game such as moose, bear, rabbit, partridge, geese, ducks, teal, plover, pigeons and marsh birds and they fished for cod, salmon, shad, bass, eel, smelt and a variety of shell fish. Staples of the Acadian diet included herring, cod, potatoes, pork (mostly in the form of salt pork) and local grains made into pancakes (plogues), biscuits and bread.

During the months of August, the Acadians harvested wheat, barley and rye… and transported their grain to local mills for grinding. Although the Acadians raised a lot of cattle, sheep and pigs, they did not eat a lot of meat, especially veal or any other young animal. In Autumn, the most surplus livestock were allocated for trade, or sold outright. They slaughtered their animals only when they were no longer fit to use as work animals or able to provide them with milk, eggs, wool etc.. When they did, the choicer cuts of meat were sold, Some beef and pork was consumed immediately, but most of the meat salted for use during the approaching Winter

The Acadians had an affinity for salt pork. Turnips and cabbages were staple of their Winter diet. The cabbages were allowed to remain in the snow-covered field until they were gathered in small amounts for immediate consumption. The turnips were harvested and stored in cellars.

A portion of the apple crop was made into cider. Alcohol was available (both imported and smuggled rum) and home-made wine and cider however, the beverage preferred by the Acadians, was spruce-sprout beer.

Like in other areas of French Canada, some of the recipes brought to Acadia from France generations ago, are still made exactly as they were in Europe. Others were adapted to the foods and the way of life in Acadia, resulting in a combination of true French cuisine, Acadian-French alterations and many dishes that were born in Acadia and had never been served in any other country.

Traditional recipes evolved mainly from the use of foods that could be stored for the long cold Winters and every home maintained a supply of dried salt codfish, potatoes and salted pork fat and, a favourite dish was a combination of these ingredients. Some other favourites were GROSSE SOUPE (a hearty soup of beef shank, onions, herbs, beans, peas, green beans, cabbage, turnips, corn, carrots and potatoes; RAPURE (a baked casserole of a mixture of salt pork, pork fat, onions, grated and mashed potatoes); and MIOCHE AU NAVEAU (mashed potatoes and turnips). Buttered bread spread with molasses often served as dessert. Pastries and cakes were reserved for Sundays, but dishes such as pancakes (plogues) and poutines (dumplings) would be considered ’special’ desserts today. Potatoes provided the staple of the Acadian diet and, boiled in meat or fish stock, made a wholesome and satisfying dish called FRICOT.

They supplemented their diets with wild game such as black bear, moose, snowshoe hare (rabbits) and partridges, Canada goose, ducks, plover marsh birds and the now extinct passenger pigeon. They also fished for salt water cod, salmon, shad, stripped bass, eel, smelt and a variety of shell fish.

Following the expulsion of the Acadians, those who escaped the deportation and those who returned and resettled mostly along the coastal areas, found themselves in a completely different environment that they had been accustomed… isolated culturally, the Acadians had to respond to new and different circumstances, forcing them to make the most of what they had. Unlike their forebears who had continued agrarian traditions brought from France, the resettled Acadians living by the sea, lost their agricultural and culinary traditions and put new ones in their place. By necessity, they learned to tap the rich resources of the sea. Over time, the struggle to put food on the table developed into a unique culinary tradition and imaginative response to the land and the sea.

Unlike the staples of the Acadian diet, the gaspereau and shad which served as important secondary sources of protein, required less cooking but higher temperatures. Hence, fish were usually fried in oil… probably bear oil (much to the chagrin of French travelers) because butter was practically unknown in Acadia.

On the whole, Acadian cooking was uncomplicated, keeping the number of ingredients to a minimum and the method of preparation simple. In fact, many dishes were a one-pot meal, such as FRICOTS and CHOWDERS. If there is one dish that could be called “typically Acadian”, it would be FRICOT, which is a soup containing potatoes and meat (usually chicken), fish and/or seafood. Although a fricot may vary from one region to another, to this day the dish will always have the same basic ingredients… meat and potatoes in a hearty broth, with dumplings called poutines or grand-pères. Fricots are rich in calories and, with fresh bread… “a meal in themselves”! Fricots and poutine rapées continue to be a central part of today’s Acadian cuisine, together with meat pies and paté à la rapures… followed by poutines a trous.

Ordinary meals did not usually include a dessert and the main meal was often followed by bread and molasses, or included pancakes and dumplings (called POUTINES).

The morning meal (breakfast) was usually the heartiest and was served after they had worked-up an appetite from the morning chores and would BOUDIN (blood pudding), CRETONS, GRILLADES and TOURTIERES (meat pies) as well as leftovers from the previous day’s meals. The three meals of the day were called déjeuner (breakfast), dîner (dinner) and souper (supper).

Age-old Acadian cooking techniques remained fundamentally unaltered throughout the late eighteenth century, despite radical changes in their diet. The Acadians utilized two main cooking techniques; boiling or frying in chaudrons (black cast-iron pots). Turnips and cabbages were cooked by boiling together into a “soupe de la Toussaint”, an extremely popular pre-expulsion delicacy during Winter months.

In general, cooking techniques for fish were quite simple… salted herbs, a combination of onions, chives and green onions cut into 1/2 inch cubes and layered with coarse sea salt and pepper in a glass crock, and boiled until a brine formed. The fresh fish (caught daily) were then simmered in this seasoned water and then fried.

Except for a few dishes, frying was restricted to fish and baking was restricted to bread. Whole wheat or mixed grain bread was served at major meals, according to eighteenth century observers, and loaves were inevitably consumed with molasses and locally produced maple syrup.

Acadians are French-speakers who live in the French-speaking areas of Atlantic Canada. This takes in parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Prince Edward Island, as well as parts of Maine in America. They have their own, very unique food heritage, which evolved away from that of France, while staying different from that of its larger French neighbour, Québec. They have their own flag to represent the Acadian nation.

Acadian cooking is country-style food, accompanied by lots of bread, with main dishes often being one-pot meals. The preferred method of cooking is boiling. Their traditional dishes remain very popular with them — traditional foods such as Poutine Râpée is available at fast food places now, and Pâté râpé (aka Chiard or Pâté à la râpure) can be ordered in restaurants there.

The main meat used is pork (fresh, salt-pork or bacon) and poultry. Fish may be boiled or fried. Crab and lobster are boiled; mussels are steamed. Domestically-raised foods were traditionally supplemented with game, fish and seafood. Meat pies are made for holidays, from usually a mix of two meats, pork and chicken, or pork and hare. Sometimes the pies are made with a yeast-dough crust. Pieces of pork fat are scattered throughout dishes, even desserts.

Dairy products used are milk, butter and cheese.

Popular vegetables are potatoes, cabbages, turnips, beans, and peas. Most vegetables are simply boiled, except potatoes which are prepared in a variety of ways. Potatoes are even used in making some desserts.

The Church calendar was very important traditionally; it also coincided with the Acadians agricultural year.

Poutine Râpée is served at Christmas Eve dinner after mass; goose is served on Christmas Day. The meal after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is called “réveillon”. Other North American practices such as Christmas trees, Christmas cards, and presents have also been incorporated into an Acadian Christmas, including teaching children about Santa Claus, called “Père Noël”.

On Epiphany, they hold large get togethers for singing, dancing, and card-playing. Pancakes are made at Candlemas. Lent was observed — not many parties held during it. On Palm Sunday, they used cedar or pine branches instead of palms. The branches that were blessed were used to decorate and protect houses and fishing boats. On Easter Sunday, boiled eggs are traditionally served for breakfast.

On the day of the Feast of the Holy Sacrement (aka Corpus Christi, aka “Fête-Dieu” in French), the towns would parade a consecrated host through their main streets up until the mid 1900s.

Their national feast day is 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption, marked also as Acadian National Day, with a large parade.

In some regions, a dish (called “blé d’inde lessivé”) is made from dent corn, similar to hominy in the American south. The dried corn is boiled in water with lye in it, then rinsed, then simmered with water, pork or chicken, onion, salt and pepper. It may be served with molasses.

Pork and beans (”fayots au lard”) are a favourite. The beans are sweetened with sugar and molasses at the table; the sweetener is never put in as an ingredient, as you would with Boston Baked Beans, for instance. Pea soup (”soupe aux pois secs”, or more commonly, just “soupe aux poix”) is made in the winter from dried peas, with salt pork in it. Turnip soup (”soupe au navet) is made with turnips, potatoes and salt pork.

The number one seasoning in Acadian cooking is summer savoury. Molasses is used both as an ingredient and a garnish — it can be served with any dish, savoury or sweet; some even like it with fried eggs. Brown sugar is also popular.

Acadians use some spices in ways that almost seem Medieval now in where they appear: for instance, in meat pies you might find coriander (called “poivre gent” in Acadian), caraway, cloves and mace. This hearkens back to their cooking splitting off from France in the early 1600s, before the last of Medieval cooking habits were thrown off. Other flavourings include thyme, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and salted herbs.

Breakfast was traditionally the biggest meal of the day. They call it “déjeuner” (even though in France that means lunch, which is the biggest meal of the day there). Now, breakfast might be just pork and beans, homemade bread, and tea. Lunch is called “dîner”; dinner is called “souper”.

Regional Variations
There are slight variations in recipes in various areas. For instance, in a few places, a chowder is the same as a fricot (a braised mixture). In other places, such as Cape Breton and in Îles-de-la-Madeleine, there is a clear distinction: a chowder (”Tchaude”) is with fish; a fricot is with meat.

Prince Edward Island

* The usage of rice did not make it into Acadian cooking on Prince Edward Island.

Nova Scotia

* There is a heavier use of cream and fresh butter;
* Sage is popular;
* A cheese would be made after a calf was slaughtered by saving its stomach intact, filling it with milk, and hanging it up for several days.The milk in the stomach would turn into cheese.

Cape Breton

* Caraway is used in savoury and sweet dishes, such as cranberry pie, rice pie, and raisin jam;
* Very large poutine râpées are made with no meat in the middle, wrapped in cloth and boiled in water.

New Brunswick (south-eastern)

* Poutine à trou is considered the most traditional dish;
* Acadians in this area eat a North American version of samphire (called “tétines de souris”, aka “mouse nipples” locally);
* Young turnip greens are very popular;
* Vegetable soup is called “soupe de devant de porte” (front door soup) because that was the site of the vegetable garden, and it implied whatever was ready to pick at that time.

New Brunswick (north-west)

* Land-locked area, jutting in between Québec and Maine;
* No direct sea access, so fish and seafood not really traditionally used;
* Cooking has been influenced by Québec;
* “Ployes” are popular in place of bread (see Maine below).

New Brunswick (north-east)

* Fricot is the most traditional dish, in at least 20 different forms, from meat to game to fish;
* Access to sea food through Chaleurs Bay and the Gulf of St Lawrence;
* Fish such as smelt, herring, trout, mackerel and salmon were important, but the single most important fish was cod;
* Bear, beaver, woodchuck and seagull were also eaten at one time;
* Grated potato dishes are not really made;
* Flavourings used include salted herbs, onions, and summer savoury.

Maine

* Acadians in Canada often forget about Acadians in Maine, who settled in the Upper St John Valley, particularly around Madawaska, Maine. They came from those who escaped deportation by ship; they either fled into Quebec or fled south, then met up here at a time before there was a Canadian-American border;
* The potato is very important and prepared in many ways;
* Priests still come into the buildings where potatoes are stored before shipping to bless them;
* Rice didn’t make it into the repertoire;
* Buckwheat was an important crop;
* Ployes are seen an important food symbol of identity;
* The only poutine made is as flour-based dumplings with no potato;
* Flavourings used include summer savoury, parsley, chives, thyme, peppermint, rosemary, and herbes salées;
* Meat pies are made for Christmas and New Year;
* Pot-en-pot is made for large family gatherings;
* Hog slaughter time in early winter was the occasion for big important social events;
* They hold Mardi Gras parades with snow mobiles in them.

History
The French started settling in Acadia in 1604. They created a dyke system called the “aboiteau” to drain marsh water back into the sea, to reclaim land from the sea.

Acadians were always fond of pork lard, going right back to the early 1700s. A man from Normandy, Monsieur Diéreville, wrote in 1708: “nothing seems as good to them as lard, and without a doubt, they eat it twice a day. They prefer lard to pheasant and rabbit.”

In 1672, Acadia had also been attacked and claimed by the Dutch under a Jurriaen Aernoutsz, who named the land “New Holland”. The Dutch had even named a Cornelius Steenwyck as governor of Acadia in 1676, but never got around to doing anything about it other than on paper.

The land came under British rule in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. The Acadians had sworn oaths that the wouldn’t fight the British, but the British military pushed harder and wanted them to go further and actively fight against the French, which they wouldn’t do. And in any event, the Acadian’s declaration of neutrality appeared dubious when some 200 of them were found by the British inside the French-held fort of Beausejour when they captured it in 1755. Britain wasn’t sure of its position in North America at the time, it was losing to the French in the Ohio valley. Subsequently, the British asked them twice to swear an oath of loyalty to the Crown; they refused both times.

In 1755, Britain decided to exile the population from the land. Of an estimated population of 15,000, around 75% were captured and deported; the rest literally hid in the woods when the British troops came to seize them. The exiles were even forced to leave the smallest of personal possessions behind on the shores in Acadia because the boats were so overcrowded.

Many were taken to Louisiana by the British, where the descendants of those who stayed there became known as “Cajuns”. Others were also exiled to other British colonies in what is now America, such as New York, Virginia, Georgia, etc. The provisions were limited on the ships: 5 pounds of flour, 1 pound of pork or beef per person for each 7 days they would be on board. But owing to overcrowding, many people got far less food than even that on the voyage. Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882) wrote his poem “Evangeline” about the expulsion.

In 1764, the British gave permission for the exiles to return. The English - French war in North America, part of the Seven Years’ War, was over, and they weren’t seen as a threat. Many when they came back went largely to New Brunswick, as their farms on Prince Edward Island and in Nova Scotia were occupied by Scottish settlers who moved in and took over their lands. They became a displaced people, with no actual land boundaries to call their own, like gypsies, or Jews until the establishment of Israel. For a time, they had to get by without priests. They’d hold “white masses” in which they’d just gather to sing and pray, with no consecrated host present. Whenever they did run into a priest, they would have the priest “regularize” the marriages that they’d held, and catch up on the baptisms.

The Acadians have been recognized by the United Nations as a distinct people and nation. They are still trying to survive in land that still essentially remains under English-speaking rule. They have never been compensated by the Canadian government, which took over from the British, for their loss of lands.

The Acadians grew field peas and corn in the fields, and in the vegetable gardens next to their houses, vegetables that could be stored such as potatoes, cabbage, turnips, dried beans, and carrots. Only after their return from the Expulsion, though, did they grow potatoes: they adopted the potato from their Scottish and German neighbours (some of whom had come up from the States after the Revolution.)

Beef wasn’t eaten much; the cows were kept for milk. They kept sheep, but didn’t eat much mutton — the sheep were kept them for wool. And chickens were valued and kept alive for their egg production. Consequently, up until the mid 1900s, pork remained the most important meat for them. The pigs were slaughtered around the start of December. Most of the pork would be salted, except for a bit eaten fresh as a treat, and some of the offal was made into “pig sauce”, and the rest made into sausages and head cheese.

Pork, fish and cabbage were salted to preserve them through the winter.

Farmers supplemented their food supply by becoming fishermen at times. Cod and herring were popular, because they could be easily preserved by salting. In season, they ate eel, mackerel, and smelt. Fish was usually braised, stewed or poached. The men also hunted bear, beaver, woodchuck, porcupine, squirrel, moose and deer to supplement their diets. And in the winters, almost all Acadian men in the 1800s worked in logging camps to make extra money.

Raisins and rice (sic) entered into their repertoire early through trade with the Antilles and Brazil; they also acquired their beloved ingredient, molasses, through trade up the eastern seaboard.

No written books about food came down, but the food heritage was preserved in hundreds and hundreds of recipes passed down in households.

Fiddlehead Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 ears corn (early corn adds a sweeter taste)
1 1/2 pound fiddle heads, chopped
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Cracked red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture).
Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add to the soup. Add chopped fiddleheads. Season with sea salt and pepper and simmer until the corn and fiddleheads are soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Give it another little drink of olive oil. (dash or so??). Garnish with cracked red pepper flakes when served.

A very interesting combination of flavours here. The sharpness of the partridgeberries balances out the sweetness of the vegetables and the earthy flavour of the rosemary goes well with the caribou. The recipe calls for the potatoes to be in the stew but I always like mine roasted on the side along with some roasted garlic.

Serves 6

2 lbs caribou meat cut in 1 inch cubes (or moose or venison)
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
2 litres caribou stock (or substitute beef broth)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 large parsnip & 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped in coins or sticks
1 ½ lbs small red potatoes in 2 inch cubes or use fingerling potatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup fresh or frozen partridgeberries (lingonberries) (or sub with cranberries)
1 cup chopped shitake mushrooms
Salt and pepper to season. (This recipe can take plenty of pepper.)

Begin by lightly browning the carrots and parsnip in a large skillet in 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are softened.

Remove the vegetables to a small covered roasting pan and then brown the caribou meat in the same skillet. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Add the browned caribou to the roasting pan. Add the bay leaf and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.

Cook in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the caribou pieces are very tender. Add the potatoes and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are almost fully cooked.

Thicken the stew with a slurry of about 3 tbsp flour mixed with enough water to make a pourable consistency. Stir into the stew using only enough to thicken the gravy to a relatively thin consistency.

Stir in the mushrooms, peas and partridgeberries. Top with a biscuit crust if desired and return to the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or if you have a biscuit crust until it is evenly golden brown. Serve.

Biscuit Crust

1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup butter
Pinch salt
½ cup milk

Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub the butter through the flour mixture then add the milk and mix until a soft dough forms. Roll out to the size of the roasting pan and lay over the top of the stew. Bake to a light golden brown.