GOOD TASTE EDITION
Eat your(micro) greens
They’re more than a garnish
Plus:
The baking queen’s cookbook
Why sardines are suddenly in fashion
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by HOFASHDO HFOSAIDHFOI
Fresh for the taking
In store prepared burgers and kabobs crafted fresh for BBQ season
Fresh Beef & Chicken Kabobs With Vegetables
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Big flavour in small packages
Microgreens are local, delicious, and healthy by JODI
DeLONG
The pub as a living room Why folks still gathers at the local by COLLEEN THOMPSON
18 ‘East Coasters support East Coasters’ Social media star Andy Hay champions Atlantic Canadian flavours by JODI DeLONG
22 From cupboard afterthought to quiet luxury
The oft-maligned canned sardine is back in fashion by COLLEEN THOMPSON
26 In the court of the baking queen Evelyn Strong’s new cookbook reflects a lifetime of experience by JODI DeLONG
Big flavour in small packages
Microgreens are local, delicious, and healthy
by JODI DeLONG food styling by ERIN PETTIPAS
Tiny locally grown microgreens — the bright and flavourful seedlings of plants like arugula, peas, sunflowers, and beets — are becoming a big deal in Atlantic Canadian homes and restaurants.
And they aren’t just for garnishes, so don’t ignore them like you might the parsley on a restaurant plate. There’s a whole world of flavour waiting for you in those packages of tiny sprouts.
Petrina Flynn went from being a mail carrier in Cambridge, Ont., to a microgreen farmer outside of Kentville, N.S. The owner of Steadman Road Market Garden says she always wanted to have a farm and grow food. She and partner Craig Robertson planned to someday retire to Atlantic Canada, then the COVID pandemic happened and “we decided to just go,” making the move in August 2022. “I wasn’t planning on doing
If you have a sunny window ledge, you can grow your own tasty microgreens.
Grow your greens
If you have a sunny windowsill, Annie Rousseau-Bridle says you can grow microgreens. She and husband Max run Microfarmers in Summerside, P.E.I. They sell everything a microgreen enthusiast needs to get growing: seed mixes, plus mats and trays on which to germinate the seeds.
The couple only sell seeding units, not the actual greens, but before they moved to P.E.I. from Milton, Ont., just before the pandemic, they sold live greens to a few restaurants and markets. “Growing microgreens on a mass scale is a business,” Annie says. “You grow them, you cut them, and they’re only good three to five days maximum. So we chose when we moved here to encourage people to buy kits to grow their own.”
Annie and Max sell kits for cat grass, wheatgrass, and garden starters, plus their popular microgreens. Annie says customers “really like our sweet greens mix, with broccoli, green kale, rapini, and red clover.” She adds that people with children often buy pea kits which kids easily recognize and enjoy watching grow. In winter, people are juicing and want fresh greens, plus treats for their cats.
microgreens or hydroponics,” she says. “We were only going to do field vegetables but we learned that the greens were very popular and could be grown year-round.” Seasonally, she grows a variety of market vegetables, but harvests hydroponic lettuce, basil, and microgreens year-round.
Since launching in 2023, Petrina has been steadily growing her business, selling out at farmers markets in Kentville and Wolfville. The allure of microgreens is the flavour and health benefits. “Kids in school are learning about them so young,” she says. “They and their parents are coming to me wanting pea and radish shoots, they watch others growing them in their classrooms.”
Petrina throws the tasty greens on almost everything.
“I dehydrate them and add them to smoothies,” she says. “You can freeze them like you do herbs, and we grind them up and add them to our dog’s food.” She adds customers especially
love broccoli microgreens, which some researchers say have more nutrients than mature broccoli. Her own favourites are arugula, broccoli, purple kohlrabi, and fava beans. Ever conscious of buying local, Petrina sources seed from Canadian companies, including several in Atlantic Canada.
In the Humber Valley community of Pasadena on Newfoundland’s west coast, Richard Butt operates Birchbark Farm. Since 2020, he’s grown a selection of microgreens, including a sweet and spicy mix of pea and radish shoots, and pure pea shoots, year-round. Additionally, he raises an assortment of greenhouse crops, kale, spring mix and other leafy greens. Richard also works at Food First Newfoundland coordinating the Newfoundland Food Hub, a social enterprise linking customers and producers to help reduce food insecurity, and markets many of his products through the food hub online store.
“We also sell to boutique-style restaurants, a couple of local grocery stores including Colemans (a Newfoundland chain), but most orders come through the food hub,” he says. “They go on everything, on a sandwich, on our pea soup, on butter chicken … Everything’s better with microgreens.”
INGREDIENTS
Pea Shoot Chimichurri
Makes 1 cup
3 cups (750 mL) packed pea shoots, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, microplaned
2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
3/4 cup (190 mL) olive oil
1 lemon, zest only salt to taste chilli flakes for heat (optional)
METHOD
Combine ingredients. Serve immediately over grilled chicken, flank steak, or vegetables.
Coconut Curry and Pea Shoot Broth with Rice Noodles, Chicken, and Herbs
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Broth
1 tbsp (15 mL) neutral oil
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white ends separated
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh garlic, grated
2 tbsp (30 mL) green curry paste
1 can (398 mL) full fat coconut milk
1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock
1 tsp (5 mL) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 cup (250 mL) packed cilantro
4 cups (1 litre) pea shoots, loosely packed
1 lime, juiced
For serving
6 oz (170 gm) rice noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed
2 cups (500 mL) rotisserie chicken, shredded or tofu, sautéed
fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint and/or pea shoots thinly sliced red chili (optional) lime wedges
METHOD
1. In a pot, sauté white end of scallions in oil until soft. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in coconut milk and stock. Simmer 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and blend with pea shoots and cilantro until smooth and vibrant green. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice.
3. Divide noodles and chicken into bowls. Ladle hot broth over top. Finish with herbs, chili, scallions, and lime.
Browned Butter and Microgreen Relish with Grilled Trout
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp (60 mL) butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
1/2 lemon, zest only
2 tsp (10 mL) white vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) dijon mustard
3 cups (750 mL) packed microgreens
1 tbsp (15 mL) pistachios, chopped flaky salt
4 salmon or trout fillets (5–6 oz each) olive oil salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Pat fillet skin side dry and rub with olive oil, place skin side down on a grill heated to 400F/200C. Season flesh generously with sea salt, close lid, and grill 5–8 minutes until cooked through.
2. In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat and cook until amber and nutty.
3. Whisk in shallot, vinegar, flaky salt, dijon, lemon juice, and zest. Toss with microgreens and chopped pistachios just before serving over grilled fish.
From Our Waters to Your Table: The New Compliments Canadian Seafood Collection Arrives at Sobeys
Atlantic Canadians understand seafood not as a trend, but as a tradition—one shaped by saltwater, skill, and stories passed down through generations. Now, that heritage is being celebrated on shelves across the country with the launch of the new Compliments curated seafood collection, cra ed to honour the region and the diverse set of people who de ne Atlantic Canadian cuisine.
Sobeys, a grocer deeply rooted in Canadian communities for over a century, has introduced four exceptional products sourced directly from our coastal waters. Each carries the proud mark of its place of origin, and each is Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certi ed, ensuring sustainability meets culinary excellence.
A Taste of Atlantic Canada, Coast to Coast
e collection showcases four premium o erings, each meticulously selected to re ect the unique character of its home province:
• Compliments Newfoundland & Labrador Wild Cold Water Shrimp
• Compliments Newfoundland & Labrador Snow Crab Clusters
• Compliments New Brunswick Wild Lobster Claws
• Compliments Nova Scotia
Wild Sea Scallops ese aren’t just ingredients—they’re expressions of Atlantic cra smanship. Cold, clean waters create seafood of remarkable sweetness and texture, and the shers who harvest them bring generations of knowledge to the task. With this collection, Canadian consumers nationwide can enjoy an authentic taste of the East Coast, whether they’re preparing a re ned seafood pasta, a celebratory holiday platter, or a simple weeknight indulgence.
Sustainably Sourced, Proudly Local
More than 99 percent of Sobeys’ Own Brands seafood (by weight) meets rigorous sustainability standards, highlighting the company’s longstanding commitment to responsible sourcing. is new Compliments assortment continues that tradition, o ering clarity and traceability customers can trust while strengthening relationships with local coastal partners.
By prominently celebrating the place of origin—Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia—the collection creates an immediate connection between shoppers and the communities that bring these products to life.
The Heart of Compliments Canadian Seafood
While the collection is debuting with four Atlantic seafood SKUs, the broader Compliments Canadian Seafood Program celebrates the diversity of Canadian ingredients from coast to coast. It’s a tribute to the growers, makers, farmers, and shers who shape what we eat and how we gather.
For Atlantic Canadian readers—many of whom grew up cracking lobster on beaches, enjoying scallops seared in cast iron, or sharing seafood chowder at community suppers—this launch is more than a retail moment. It’s a re ection of home.
Available Nationwide
Shoppers will nd the new Compliments seafood collection in their local Sobeys, Foodland, FreshCo, IGA, Safeway, or ri y Foods, with availability varying slightly by region.
For Atlantic Canadians living in the region—or those who’ve carried the taste of home with them across the country— these new products help bring the East Coast a little closer.
The pub as a living room
Why Atlantic Canada still gathers at the local
by COLLEEN THOMPSON
photography by STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE
On a spring evening in Halifax’s North End, the front entryway of the Narrows Public House hums with chatter. Along the century-old walls, people stand shoulder to shoulder. The unmistakable smell of brown bread wafts from the kitchen. Someone leans against the bannister with a pint. I strike up a conversation with the couple beside me. No one seems in a hurry. If anything, the wait is part of the ritual.
Across Atlantic Canada, the pub is more than a place to drink. It’s where neighbours gather,
stories travel across generations, and cadences of life quietly unfold. At the Narrows, owner and chef Tyson McDow sees the pub as fundamental to neighbourhood life. “We’ve always seen pubs playing an important role as third spaces in the community (after home and work),” he says. “That was always our intention with the Narrows.”
The pub is in the 1896 home of H.R. Silver, the son of a Lunenburg shoemaker. Rather than opening on a busy commercial strip, McDow and co-owner Myles Baldwin chose a quiet residential street, a decision that raised eyebrows at the time.
Co-owners Tyson McDow (seated) and Myles Baldwin enjoy a quiet moment at the Narrows bar.
“People criticized our decision to open in a residential area because they doubted there’d be enough foot traffic,” says McDow. “But that’s exactly why we chose it. You must know where you’re going and consciously decide to come. And that intention brings us the best customers we could hope for.”
Inside, the pub retains its homey feel with small rooms, narrow hallways, and intimate, customized tables. There are no TVs or Wi-Fi.
“In a time where we use social media as our primary means of human connection, the pub is an important space which encourages connecting the old-fashioned way, person to person,” Baldwin says. That connection often happens before guests even reach a table. The entryway of the Narrows functions almost like an East Coast kitchen party. People waiting for seats run into friends or find themselves sharing a drink with someone they’ve never met. Baldwin remembers a couple who once chose to sit at a tiny transition table near the front door, a spot meant for waiting. “When we offered them a proper table, they said they wanted to stay. A year earlier, they had their first date at that exact table, and they came back to celebrate their anniversary.”
Another night, a father and son who hadn’t talked in years met there to reconnect. “We’ve also had families gather to celebrate the life of someone they lost,” Baldwin says. Soldiers and sailors from nearby bases regularly gather at the pub to celebrate a retirement after decades of service, sometimes to say goodbye to a colleague deploying overseas. “These are important moments in people’s lives. The fact that they choose to share them with us is incredibly humbling.”
If the atmosphere gives the pub its soul, the food provides its sense of place. The menu isn’t built around fads or reinvention. Instead, McDow looks back to the kinds of dishes that could have once been served in the very house the pub now occupies.
“H.R. Silver’s father was a shoemaker from Lunenburg. Naturally, we want to serve food that his family
would have eaten, the type of food that would have come out of the very kitchen we now call our own,” says McDow. Old Maritime cookbooks influence the menu. Salted, pickled, smoked, and fried fish appear alongside corned beef, roasted vegetables, sauerkraut, devilled eggs, and thick slices of molasses brown bread. Tavern staples like hot chicken sandwiches, fried pepperoni, and burgers feel instantly familiar.
“Maritimers have always had a sensible approach to food,” McDow says. “Our food has never been in or out of style, but it’s always dependable.” That reliability helps the menu resonate: food that feels at home on the Grand Banks or a coastal kitchen table.
Modern restaurant culture increasingly prioritizes speed: reservations, time limits, table turnover. The Narrows deliberately moves in the
Right: "Maritimers have always had a sensible approach to food," says McDow.
opposite direction. There are no reservations; guests wait for their turn and once seated, stay as long as they like. Baldwin says, “The idea of putting limits on how long customers can enjoy themselves in the pub feels unauthentic.”
Accessibility is central to pub culture. “We try to make sure there are affordable options for people who want to spend time in the pub without breaking the bank,” says McDow, whether it’s a bowl of fried pepperoni or a pint of local beer. The dining room reflects the neighbourhood: young families, students, tradespeople, retirees, and professionals sharing the same space. “Whether you’re covered in dirt and dust or wearing business attire, the treatment you’ll receive from staff will be exactly the same.”
Classic Atlantic Canadian pubs
The Red Shoe Pub
The Rankin Family sisters own this Cape Breton favourite, which rings with live Celtic music year-round. If you’re visiting during the Celtic Colours International Festival (Oct. 9–17), the energy is especially electric. Order the Red Shoe meatloaf with an oatmeal stout and join the ceilidh —music, dancing, and community fill the room. 11573 Trunk 19, Mabou, N.S. redshoepub.com
The Knot Pub
With a distinctly sea shanty charm, the oak-lined interior pays homage to Old Town Lunenburg and its storied shipbuilding past. The menu leans classic Nova Scotia: don’t miss the cod and bacon fish cakes. 4 Dufferin St., Lunenburg, N.S. theknotpub.ca
The Lunar Rogue Pub
A Fredericton institution, this downtown pub has an Old World atmosphere, with a dark wood interior and an impressive whisky collection. The kitchen turns out crowd favourites, such as butter chicken served over fragrant basmati rice. 625 King St., Fredericton, N.B. lunarrogue.com
Old Molly’s Bar
Named after Steam Engine #1, the locomotive affectionately called Old Molly that once ran between St. Martins and Hampton, N.B., this relaxed coastal pub celebrates local history alongside good food. Build your own board with cheeses, meats, seafood, charcuterie, and house dips. 14 Beach Street, St. Martins, N.B. oldmollysbar.com
Olde Dublin Pub
Vibe is lively, very much a classic, rowdy pub feel. They often have live music, usually traditional East Coast folk/rock. Décor is dark wood, cozy, standard Irish pub setup. They focus on local beer and spirits, plus the oysters/Caesar combo. 131 Sydney St., Charlottetown, P.E.I. oldedublinpub.com
The Duke of Duckworth
Famous for having been featured in The Republic of Doyle television show, this beloved pub is said to be haunt. ed. must-order dish is the steak and kidney pie, slow-braised and rich with Guinness gravy. Also has a good selection of Scotches and local craft cider. 325 Duckworth St., St. John’s, N.L. dukeofduckworth.com
Olde Dublin Pub.
The Knot Pub.
Molasses Brown Bread
Makes 1 loaf
An Atlantic Canadian staple, molasses brown bread pairs perfectly with salted butter, smoked fish, or chowder.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) rolled oats
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
½ cup (125 mL) molasses
¼ cup (60 mL) brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, melted
METHOD
1. Heat oven to 375F/190C and grease a loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, oats, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, molasses, sugar, and melted butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined.
3. Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Cool slightly and serve warm with butter.
Creative Appliance Gallery 51 Raddall Ave., Unit 14 Dartmouth, NS (902) 481-3313 info@creativeappliance.ca
Lincoln Rd. Fredericton, NB (506) 458-9565 randall@daleysbrandsource.ca Dave’s Appliance 1 Sandy Point Rd. Saint John, NB (506) 634-1888 sales@davesappliance.ca
Kitchen Inc. 110 Chain Lake Dr., Unit 31 Halifax, NS (902) 450-5144 • 1-800-565-4044 dferon@feronkitchens.com
MacArthur Appliances Inc. 155 Belvedere Ave., Charlottetown, PEI (902) 368-2200 macarthur@macarthurapp.pe.ca
Furnishings
‘East Coasters support East Coasters’
Social media star Andy Hay champions Atlantic Canadian flavours
by JODI DeLONG photography by ANDY HAY
Of all the well-known people Halifax’s Andy Hay has cooked for, he maintains his favourite is still his wife, Jessica Chapman.
“She is my ultimate cheerleader and my greatest critic, and if she says something is good then I know it is,” he says. The affable and energetic host of Andy’s East Coast Kitchen has nearly two million Instagram followers, 1.3 million Facebook fans, and a thriving website of imaginative yet accessible recipes for all palates.
Three-ingredient bagels, savoury breakfast muffins, chicken-crust pizza (don’t laugh, it’s fabulous), brownbutter snickerdoodles, and hundreds more, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten- and dairy-free creations. Three times weekly, Andy and his team assemble in his home kitchen to create and shoot recipes.
He didn’t intend to be a chef or a social media sensation. After university and a stint selling insurance, he and then-girlfriend Jessica went to Southeast Asia for six months. “I liked food but I wasn’t really into making it or spent any time thinking about,” he says. “When we got home, I had this whole flavour craving I couldn’t solve.”
He began reading about Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, hit the local Asian grocers, and started cooking. Food media was just coming up, shows like those featuring Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey, and Andy and Jessica were hosting dinner parties every Saturday. “I became obsessed. I needed to cook.”
Master Chef Canada had tryouts and Andy auditioned although he’d never baked and was still “pretty raw.” A producer reminded him it was a reality show more than a cooking show. He finished second in the fifth season in 2018 and continued the journey on social media, growing in ability and enthusiasm. “It was blind ambition and stupidity and the ability to throw myself into the situation,” he laughs.
When COVID hit, just as a joke Andy shot a selfie, said, “welcome to the quarantine kitchen” and did a video while making gnocchi. It went viral, so he started doing live cook-alongs. He’d send out ingredients and then everyone would meet online and cook. Those were great for keeping up morale and spirits, for his fans and for himself, he says. “I owe a lot to COVID.”
He estimates he’s created at least 1,000 recipes, “some nostalgic, things my mother made, some riffing off something I made for my family. Or something’s on sale, so we make a few dishes focusing on a particular ingredient.”
His latest adventure is the TV show launched on the Food Network in April. Andy’s East Coast Kitchen Crawl is an adventurous tour through the Atlantic provinces, “showing Canada and the rest of the world how great the East Coast is,” he says. “It’s still a mystery to many people, our coast. We did 12 episodes. We were on lobster boats, at Inn of Bay Fortune (in Souris, P.E.I.), at the Noodle Guy (Port Williams, N.S.).”
To keep on the regional theme, Andy proudly focuses on local products. “East Coasters support East Coasters,” he explains. “We went all in, from menu creation to branding to our website, and it’s really important to reflect to others. Supporting others is just the right thing to do.”
Viral Dumpling Salad
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Dressing
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 Thai chilli, sliced (optional)
Salad
1 bag frozen dumplings (20–30)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) red cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, julienned
1 cup (250 mL) green onions, sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro, or if preferred, regular or Thai basil
1/4 cup (60 mL) sesame seeds
METHOD
1. In a large bowl mix olive oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and chilli.
2. Prepare vegetables and toss them into the bowl with the dressing. Add cilantro or basil, and sesame seeds.
3. Place a large pan over medium high heat and add a tbsp of olive oil. Put the frozen dumplings in the pan.
Fry for 2 minutes. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Allow the dumplings to steam cook for 4–5 minutes.
4. Remove dumplings from pan and put in the salad bowl. Toss everything together and serve.
West African Peanut Soup
Serves 6–8
INGREDIENTS
1 large white onion, diced
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh ginger, diced
4 large garlic cloves, diced
2 cup (500 mL) kale, chopped
1 ½ large sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato paste
4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock
2 cups (500 mL) water
3/4 cup (177 mL) peanut butter
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) chilli flakes salt black pepper
Garnish
1/2 cup (125 mL) peanuts, chopped fresh cilantro, or if preferred, regular or Thai basil
METHOD
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. When warm, add onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 2–3 min. Once translucent, add kale and sweet potato. Sauté for another 2–3 min.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook down for another 2–3 min. Once cooked down slightly, add in your peanut butter, stock, and water.
3. Allow the peanut butter to dissolve into the stock and bring to a boil for 15–20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft. Season with salt.
4. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, leaving some sweet potato whole for some added texture. Garnish with crushed peanuts and cilantro or basil.
From cupboard afterthought to quiet luxury
In Atlantic Canada, the oft-maligned canned sardine is back in fashion
by COLLEEN THOMPSON
Nudged aside for pasta, tolerated in power failures, eaten standing up — now sardines sit centre stage, lacquered in jewel-bright tins, spread across sourdough in candlelit kitchens. The same small fish, the same salty shimmer, only the mood has changed. Somehow, the humblest thing in the pantry has become its most alluring and finds itself improbably chic. Part of the appeal is visual. The tins boast paper wrappers illustrated with scallop shells and squid, cartoon fishermen with wind-burnt cheeks, glamorous women with kohl-rimmed eyes, ornate foils which shimmer in the light. They’re small, rectangular work of art you can prise open with a key.
On Prince Edward Island, the resurgence of sardines raises an eyebrow. Charlotte Langley, founder of Nice Cans, grew up with the Atlantic as both larder and livelihood. Her canned sardine brand employs a bold, bright pink font and feels like a modern, tongue-in-cheek approach, reframing a pantry staple as something joyful and contemporary, without losing sight of its coastal roots.
“Nice Cans came from a lifelong relationship with the sea,” she says. ‘I grew up in Prince Edward Island, where seafood wasn’t trend-driven, it was daily life. Sardines, mussels, and lobster were part of our table and our economy.”
Her grandfather built Langley Foods with that same respect for honest, hard-working food, and reviving the name felt, she says, “less like launching a brand and more like continuing a family conversation.”
Later, as a chef, Langley encountered the reverence afforded to conservas (gourmet tinned seafood) in Portugal and Spain, where tins were treated not as fallback suppers but as craft. “Nice Cans wasn’t about reinventing that tradition,” she says. “The gap I saw wasn’t in the product
itself. It was in how we spoke about it. Sardines deserved to be treated as the craft product they’ve always been.”
Her launch collection is disarmingly simple: sardines in tomato and peppers, accompanied with rosemary and fennel, smoked in organic olive oil and sea salt.
They’re hand-packed in Portugal in partnership with José Gourmet, producers known for restoring prestige to Portuguese tinned seafood. The fish are MSC-certified, laid neatly in their tins, bathed in good oil. “The goal is to let the fish speak first,” says Langley. “Each tin is deliberately prepared but never overcomplicated.”
The design is bold, graphic, giftable, and deliberate, “intentional but not to erase history,” says Langley. “The artwork and tone are modern, but the product inside follows time-honoured methods. If beautiful packaging helps someone pick up their first tin of sardines and discover the quality inside, then it has done its job.”
Chef and cookbook author Christine Flynn, based in Nova Scotia, has watched the tide turn with quiet satisfaction. “Tinned sardines and little fish in general are a nutritional powerhouse,” she says. “They are
convenient, taste great, shelf-stable, and come in sustainable, often charming packaging. I can’t think of another food that ticks all these boxes and remains affordable.”
Flynn grew up on Canada’s East Coast and in the U.K., where tinned fish was less curiosity, more commonplace. “We often had them on buttered crackers or brown bread as little hors d’oeuvres,” she recalls. Travelling, she relied on them for “an affordable meal that offered some tangible nourishment.”
There is, she suggests, no contradiction between humble and luxurious. “I think something can be humble while still containing very premium ingredients. In fact, often it is the simplest things which are hardest to get right.”
A good tin matters. “A good, tinned sardine will be plump, hand-packed and intact in the tin, paired with subtle but high-quality flavourings, and, critically, be preserved in a wellsourced oil.”
Once you have such a tin? “If you pair good sardines with fresh bread and good butter, maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon or a dash of horseradish, you let them speak for themselves. And I think that’s enough,” says Flynn.
Nice Cans is a colourfully boxed line of upscale sardines developed by P.E.I.-raised Charlotte Langley.
Sardine, Olive, & Roasted Pepper Cavatelli
Serves: 2–3
INGREDIENTS
300 g (1 package) spiral pasta such as rotini
1 can sardines (Nice Cans in tomatoes and peppers)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp (2.5 mL) chilli flakes (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) mixed olives (Kalamata or green), pitted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) capers (optional) zest of ½ lemon juice of ½ lemon (to taste)
2 tbsp (30 mL) good olive oil small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped. freshly cracked black pepper salt
Optional additions
A handful of wilted arugula added at the end
Toasted breadcrumbs for crunch
A spoonful of ricotta or mascarpone for a creamy finish
METHOD
1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Tip in the entire can of sardines, including the tomato and pepper sauce. Break the sardines into chunks with a spoon. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
4. Stir in olives and capers. Let everything cook together for another couple of minutes so the flavours meld. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet. Toss well, incorporating splashes of reserved pasta water as needed. The ridges and small cups of the cavatelli will beautifully grab onto the sauce.
5. Turn off the heat. Stir in lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped parsley, and plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE
Smoky Sardine, Fennel, & Lemon Toasts
Serves: 2–4
INGREDIENTS
1 can sardines (Nice Cans in olive oil)
4 thick slices of sourdough or country bread
1 small fennel bulb, thinly shaved
1 tbsp (15 mL) fennel fronds (optional) zest of 1 lemon
1–2 tsp (5–10 mL) lemon juice (to taste)
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
1 tbsp (15 mL) capers, roughly chopped fresh dill or parsley, chopped freshly cracked black pepper flaky sea salt
METHOD
1. Grill or toast the sourdough until golden and crisp at the edges.
2. In a small bowl, mix Dijon and crème fraîche with half the lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season lightly with pepper.
3. Toss shaved fennel with a small squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of the olive oil. Spread the mustard cream onto the warm toast. Lay sardines on top in generous pieces. Spoon over a few chopped capers.
4. Top with the dressed fennel, herbs, remaining lemon zest, and another crack of black pepper. Drizzle with more sardine oil.
Practical, beautiful, enduring
Sustainability shadows every modern conversation about seafood, and here the sardine holds its head high. Small, fast reproducing, and often transparently sourced, it slips easily into a responsible diet. Langley speaks of certified fisheries, traceability, and equity along the chain from sea to cannery to shelf. “Sustainability isn’t just a feature in seafood,” she says. “It’s essential to protect the oceans and the communities which depend on them.”
In difficult times, we crave food that is both practical and poetic. A tin that waits patiently on the shelf, a meal that requires little more than bread and a knife, something firmly established in coastal and immigrant kitchens. “I believe appreciation for well-made food always cycles back,” says Langley. “Sardines are practical, nutritious, and rooted in culture. That isn’t trend-driven, that’s enduring.”
In the court of the baking queen
Evelyn Strong’s new cookbook reflects a lifetime of experience
by JODI DeLONG
Publishing,
Evelyn Strong can’t remember exactly when she first started to bake, but since 1965, she’s been entering her breads, cookies, and pies in the Hants County Exhibition in Windsor, N.S. Evelyn, who lives with her husband Leigh in Woodville, near Windsor, says she got the baking bug from helping her mother in the kitchen. Her parents owned a lumber mill and Evelyn helped as her mother baked for the workers. She was a teenager when she first entered baked goods to the exhibition. Over the past 60 years, she’s amassed hundreds ribbons for all sorts of sweets. Small wonder she’s touted as N.S.’s most decorated baker.
She recently gathered her favourite recipes from those years at the exhibition into a beautifully photographed book, Baking Queen of the County Fair. This is comfort food in a book, featuring pies, cakes, cookies, bread and rolls, puddings and more. There’s even a short chapter of desserts, which isn’t a category from the Exhibition but features treats she makes regularly for her family, such as cottage pudding and saucy hot fudge pudding.
The book opens with Evelyn’s chatty introduction to her love of baking and shows snippets of the excitement of the Hants County Exhibition in photographs. Each recipe has a little note at the beginning, perhaps indicating where she originally found a recipe and then tweaked it to make it her own. I had pangs of nostalgia as I read the cookbook, as Evelyn shares recipes I remember my mother and grandmother making.
One of the charming tips you’ll find in Evelyn’s cookbook is her note on ingredients, in which she stipulates butter is always salted and not
Baking Queen of the County Fair by Evelyn Strong. Formac
$29.95
Carrot Cake
Yield: A 9-by-13-inch cake
“My church often does take-out suppers, and this is the favourite dessert — a light, sunny coloured cake that almost feels tropical,” Evelyn says. “This cake is moist and flavourful enough to enjoy plain, but I usually ice it with a traditional cream cheese frosting.”
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (125mL) neutral oil
2 cups (384g) white sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (320g) white flour
2 tsp (8g) baking powder
½ tsp (3g) salt
2 cups (220g) finely grated carrots
2 cups (480g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup (250mL) crushed pineapple, drained
2 tsp (10mL) vanilla
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C.
2. Beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat into the batter. Fold in the carrots, coconut, pineapple, and vanilla.
5. Pour into a greased 9 by 13–inch pan.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 325/ nd bake for another 40 to 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when touched. Let cool.
margarine, baking powder is always Magic brand, brown sugar is light, and chocolate chips are semi-sweet, among other notes. Quality ingredients make for quality baked goods.
And as any great cookbook should include, there is a photograph of every single recipe, on the same page as the recipe, to help tempt bakers into trying out some of these sweet treats. Evelyn says that while putting the recipes together was time consuming, planning out all the photographs was even more of a challenge, but she accomplished it with her family’s help.
She bakes almost every week. “Sometimes I make stuff and put it in the freezer,” she says. “And if anything is coming up like bake sales at the church, I do a fair bit of baking.” She
has two electric stoves, and during the heat of last summer while she was making the recipes for the exhibition, “it was pretty warm.”
Over the years, Evelyn says she’s seen a drop in the number of entries in the baking competition at the exhibition, which claims to be the oldest continuously run agricultural fair in North America, starting in 1765. She’s hopes that her cookbook will spur other baking enthusiasts will want to enter the fair’s competition. There are still cash prizes awarded (the largest is $40 for the pie category,) although “it doesn’t pay for the baking supplies, but I enjoy doing it.” And she’s passed on the passion: “My seven-year-old granddaughter even has entered stuff in the exhibition, too!”
Rocky Road Squares
Makes 9-x-13-inch pan
“These squares are quick and easy so I often make them for bake sales at our local senior’s home, where one of my daughters works,” says Evelyn. “The flavour variations are endless, all depending on the flavour of baking chips and marshmallows you use.”
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (240g) chocolate chips
½ cup (120g) butter
1 cup (120g) icing sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups (90g) mini marshmallows
16–20 graham crackers
METHOD:
1. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, butter, icing sugar, and egg, stirring thoroughly. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Add the marshmallows and stir to coat.
3. Line a greased 9-x-13 inch pan with graham crackers and spoon the mixture onto the base, using a buttered spoon to smooth.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting.
Lemon Loaf
Makes 1 loaf
Perfect for afternoon tea, this bright and sunny loaf will lift your tastebuds. Topped with a sweet yet tangy glaze, its lemon flavour is the star of the show.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup (96g) shortening
1 cup (192g) white sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups (240g) white flour
2 tsp (8g) baking powder
½ tsp (3g) salt
½ cup (60g) chopped walnuts, optional
2 tsp (10mL) grated lemon rind
½ cup (125 mL) milk
Glaze
¼ cup (48g) white sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/190C and grease a 9-by-5–inch loaf pan.
2. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Beat eggs in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, then add to the creamed mixture and blend well.
3. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Add walnuts and lemon rind to the creamed mixture and blend well.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, until combined.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60 –70 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan.
8. While the loaf is still warm, mix together lemon juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour over loaf.
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