Foodways in Quebec
I find foodways all over the world fascinating, but it’s even more so in places where you live.
Via HomeExchange, we’ve (really me) have now experienced shopping for regular meals in multiple places, from Stockholm, Sweden, Freiburg, Germany, to a rural part of Umbria, Italy to Kauai, with rural Ireland and Vancouver, Canada, added to the mix, too.
Traveling for many years prior to that, well, we’ve always visited markets and poked briefly around grocery stores, if they existed. In Cuba, they didn’t exist, aside from very small tourist-oriented places, with an odd offering of foods, to meager produce stands with long lines.
Here in Quebec, however, there’s a robust emphasis on local foods in spite of the harsh climate. Quebec-grown parsnips were an unexpected treat for last night’s dinner. Roasted, they were delicious. Parsnips are not an abundant vegetable in Southeastern U.S. markets, although they are available. I’d never actually cooked any before.
Via HomeExchange, we’ve (really me) have now experienced shopping for regular meals in multiple places, from Stockholm, Sweden, Freiburg, Germany, to a rural part of Umbria, Italy to Kauai, with rural Ireland and Vancouver, Canada, added to the mix, too.
Traveling for many years prior to that, well, we’ve always visited markets and poked briefly around grocery stores, if they existed. In Cuba, they didn’t exist, aside from very small tourist-oriented places, with an odd offering of foods, to meager produce stands with long lines.
Here in Quebec, however, there’s a robust emphasis on local foods in spite of the harsh climate. Quebec-grown parsnips were an unexpected treat for last night’s dinner. Roasted, they were delicious. Parsnips are not an abundant vegetable in Southeastern U.S. markets, although they are available. I’d never actually cooked any before.
The delicious potatoes that are grown in Quebec, well, I’ve written about those in the past.
These storage fingerling potatoes, also from the Ile d’Orleans, from a family farm, were equally nice with tonight’s dinner.
It is always fun to eat the local food from the local stores/farmers markets/ etc. I have not stayed at length in many places I have had the opportunity to visit. Many of my favorite "unordinary" foods I have eaten were at family homes.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy entertaining family and friends from other countries. It is a pleasure givng them a taste of the pleathera of local grown fruits and veggies.
It is so nice to see all that you have found in your second home area.
Local produce, prepared foods, cheese, breads, etc. are all interesting! The most amazing variety of things that we saw were in Asian street market, in Laos, in particular. I loved seeing all of the unusual vegetables there and in Vietnam. South American markets are pretty remarkable, too.
DeleteWe sure enjoyed those parsnips; they'll be on the menu again. Beets and carrots are common here, too, with bags of small beets widely available. They look a bit more fiddly to prepare because of their size (and an entire bag is a lot of beets...)
I love roasted root vegetables! I was excited to see your name on several upcoming classes at the arboretum. Might just see you there!
ReplyDeleteParsnips were a revelation. I knew people found them delicious, but it was a bit hard to imagine, based at the ones I see at Ingles. I'll have to give them a try back in NC, as well as keeping them on the menu here!
DeleteHope to see you at the Arboretum or one of the other venues that I'm at this spring. I'm doing quite a few programs!
Judy cooks parsnips occasionally, they can be very good. I remember the food in Quebec as being generally excellent.
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