Braestone farm maple syrup is harvested by master sugar maker, Ken McCutcheon
As the Master Sugarmaker for Braestone Farm, Ken McCutcheon has been producing award-winning maple syrup since 1972. Each spring, Ken and his family harvest the sap from 6,500 maple trees on their family farm in Oro-Medonte near Braestone. More than 40 years of experience perfecting this uniquely Canadian tradition is behind (and in) every bottle of Braestone Farm Maple Syrup.
Braestone Farm jams are made with love & care.
Braestone Farm is all about traditions and one of our favourites is the timeless activity of turning our locally grown strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries into jam. We’re proud to offer the fruits of our labour behind (and in) every jar of Braestone Farm jam.
Braestone Farm honey is made right here on the farm.
Straight from Braestone Farm’s apiary, our bees are busy producing honey throughout the summer months as they gather pollen from the surrounding meadows and forests. This makes them a vital part to the local ecosystem. The sweet result of their labour is undeniably remarkable. The honeycombs are carefully collected and the work ethic from our bees can be(e) found in every jar of Braestone Farm honey.
Friend of the Farm, gastronome Trish Magwood, has personally selected four recipes
from her popular book In My Mother’s Kitchen, published by HarperCollins, to share.
A contemporary, busy working mom herself, Trish believes in the value of simple, delicious home cooking and the moments spent together in the kitchen. It is a personal collection of four generations’ worth of simple, delicious meals that work, inspired by family recipes from her mother and 96 year old grandmother, peppered by friends’ and her own children’s input. It’s all about preserving the family table in a modern context, no matter how busy our lives have become. According to Trish, these meals bring the biggest smiles, allowing us to have a quick chat and hold on to the connections, because it all goes so fast.
Trish’s mantra is ‘keep it simple and fresh, and focus on the gathering’. On her parents’ own farm, Trish’s dad grows endless fruits and vegetables, nurtures a vineyard and makes his own maple syrup. It’s a testament to Braestone life.
We’re proud of our association with Trish and her commitment to the family kitchen as a place where memories and meals are best shared.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
1 cup (250 mL) beer
1/4 cup (60 mL) maple syrup
1/4 cup (60 mL) soy sauce
1/4 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 tart apple (such as McIntosh),
peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme
2 pork tenderloins (each about 3/4 lb/375 g)
Salt and pepper to taste
“For an Asian variation, make sauce from 4 sliced green onions, 4 minced cloves garlic, 3 tbsp (50 mL) minced fresh ginger and 1/3 cup (75 mL) each of soy sauce, honey and dry sherry. Serve with steamed rice and sautéed sugar snap peas.”
STEPS
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a small saucepan, combine beer, maple syrup, soy sauce, onion, apple and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season pork with salt and pepper and put in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck thin “tail” under so each tenderloin is a uniform thickness. Pour sauce over pork.
Roast uncovered, basting with sauce a few times, 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F (70°C).
Let rest 5 minutes before carving. Slice into thick medallions and spoon sauce over top.
KITCHEN NOTES
Pork pairs beautifully with sweet flavours and with fruit. A great accompaniment is Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Also great with roasted peaches or pineapple or with applesauce.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6 TO 8)
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) chopped leeks
(2 large, white part only)
4 cups (1 L) chopped sweet red peppers (4 medium)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) chicken stock
4 cups (1 L) buttermilk
Chopped chives or basil, for garnish
“I have so many recipes for dressing up pork tenderloin, from Asian to Indian. But this recipe is one of my absolute favourites. It uses my dad’s apples and maple syrup—an ode to Ontario!”
STEPS
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add peppers and cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat. Using a hand blender, purée until smooth. (Or, using a blender, purée in batches.) Add buttermilk and stir well. Chill.
Serve garnished with chives or basil.
KITCHEN NOTES
Keep in a pretty pitcher in the fridge and enjoy with crusty breads and your favourite cheeses. When it’s chilly out, warm this soup—it’s great both ways. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
1/3 cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sole fillets, each 5 oz (150 g)
2 tbsp (30 mL) grapeseed oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
“Pan-fried with lemon is how my dad used to cook his freshly caught Georgian Bay bass. Later I discovered this was an age-old classic French dish. The first time I made this for my kids, I was nervous they wouldn’t go for it, since they were so used to baked fish sticks. But Fin fell in love with it, and it immediately went on his “Fin’s Dinners” list.”
STEPS
Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).
Combine flour with salt and pepper to taste in a large shallow plate. Pat sole fillets dry with paper towels.
Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter and quickly swirl. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides, carefully shaking off excess, and place them in the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until fish loosens from the pan and is lightly golden underneath. Add half the lemon zest and half the lemon juice, then turn fish carefully with a thin spatula. Cook for 2 minutes on the other side.
As soon as fish is cooked through, carefully transfer to warm plates and keep fish warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a good sprinkle of chopped parsley and lemon zest. (I have sometimes omitted the parsley—a classic ingredient for this dish—because the green flecks threw off the kids, but please add liberally!)
Serve with steamed rice and your favourite vegetable. I love this fish with grilled asparagus or grilled radicchio.
KITCHEN NOTES
Always ask at the fish counter when the fish came in—ideally, you want same day.
If you want a little crunch, mix 1/2 cup (125 mL) panko bread crumbs in with the flour. You can also add a little Parmesan.
You can make a quick sauce in the same pan, melting 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter and swirling in parsley and lemon juice to taste; pour over the fish.
Swap sole for another light white fish such as tilapia. Ask your fishmonger for local lake fish such as trout.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6 TO 8)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tsp (10 mL) butter, melted
1 tsp (5 mL) cayenne pepper
4 ears corn, husked
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 1/2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup (250 mL) shelled edamame,
blanched and cooled
1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 avocado, cubed (optional)
“This refreshing summer dish can be a salad, a side or a meal. Make it the day ahead – it’s best the second day.”
STEPS
Preheat grill to medium.
Stir together lime zest, butter and cayenne. Brush on corn. Grill, turning every 3 or 4 minutes, until soft and lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and let cool. Working over a large bowl, cut corn off the cob. Add red pepper, red onion, green onions, tomatoes, edamame, olive oil, salt and lime juice. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add avocado, if using, just before serving.
KITCHEN NOTES
I always buy edamame still in their shell for a quick snack, but for this dish, buy the shelled edamame to save time.