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Farmers in Chef Hats: Review

Recipes from l’Île d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada by Linda Arsenault

May 29, 2008

Farmers in Chef Hats, contains 124 pages of over 50 bilingual recipes made with seasonal fresh products and ingredients. Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2007.

Meet the farmers of l'Île d'Orléans as they share their personal seasonal recipes to promote the harvest of their island in the Farmers in Chef Hats cookbook.

The journey begins with an introduction to the agriculture and life of l’Île d’Orléans, situated 15 minutes from Quebec City, while the beautiful photography captures its beauty. The agro tourism map will guide you to the island’s farmers and their products.

The Farmers in Chef Hats Recipes

The recipes are listed at the beginning of each section with the products and ingredients such as maple syrup, berries, asparagus, endives, cheese, lamb, trout, bok choy, broccoli, pear tomatoes, poultry, wine, beer, apples, pumpkins, rhubarb, potatoes….….

Each recipe was tested by Chef and Innkeeper Philip Ray of L’Auberge Canard Huppé in l’Île d’Orléans including his own personal recipe tips and showcased by the artistic photography of Linda Arsenault.

De-boning fish or smoke salmon

Two pages are dedicated to demonstrating the step-by-step technique for de-boning fish while Victor Goodyer, resident of St. Pierre in l’Île d’Orléans, shares his method on how to smoke salmon.

The Farmers in Chef Hats and Their Products

An alphabetical listing of the farmers and their products along with the page numbers of their recipes is included at the end of the Farmers in Chef Hats cookbook.

Seasonal cooking - simplicity at its best

Farmers in Chef Hats is a unique cookbook of recipes made with fresh products and ingredients – simplicity at its best with a high dose of l’Île d’Orléans hospitality.

Recipe excerpt from the June, July, August section.

Raspberry and Blueberry Gratin

Gratin de framboises et bleuets

Serves 4 to 6

Pour 4 à 6 personnes

1 ½ cups (185 g) raspberries 1 ½ tasse (185g) framboises
1 ½ cups (185 g) blueberries ½ tasse (185g) bluets
10 egg yolks, beaten 10 jaunes d’oeufs battus
2 cups (500ml) warm milk 2 tasses (500 ml) de lait chaud
2 cups (500ml) 35% cream 2 tasses (500 ml) de crème 35%
2/3 cup (150g) sugar 2/3 tasse (150g) de sucre
4 tbsp (50g) maple sugar 4 c. à soupe (50g) de sucre d’érable
4 tbsp (50g)sunflower seeds 4 c. à soupe (50g) de graines de tournesol

In a bowl, mix the sugar with egg yolks. Dans un bol, mélanger le sucre avec les jaunes d'oeufs
Add milk and creamAjouter le lait et la crème
Cook gently in a saucepan and whisk continuously until cream thickens. Do not bring cream to boil .Dans une casserole, faire cuire doucement en fouettant constamment jusq'à ce que la crème épaississe. Ne pas faire bouillir la crème.
Cool immediately by setting the saucepan in a bowl iced water. Refroidir en déposant immédiatement la casserole dans un bain d’eau glacée.
Cover with custard and bake at 325 °F (160 °C) for 6 minutes. Couvrir de crème anglaise et cuire au four à 325 °F (160 °C) pendant 6 minutes.
Sprinkle with maple sugar and sunflower seeds and broil until crust is nice and golden. Saupoudre de sucre d’érable et de graines de tournesol et faire griller jusqu’à l’obtention d’une belle croûte dorée.

Title : Farmers in Chef Hats

Author : Linda Arsenault

Publisher: Linda Arsenault

ISBN: 978-2-9809721-0-2

List price: $25.00 CAD

For book orders outside of Quebec, Farmers in Chef Hats can be purchased at the Farmers in Chef Hats website.

Photographs and recipe printed with the permission of Linda Arsenault.

The copyright of the article Farmers in Chef Hats: Review in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Liliana Tommasini. Permission to republish Farmers in Chef Hats: Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.