Quebec Eastern Townships PDF

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QUEBEC’S
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Issue 10 SUMMER 2013
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FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO
, LOVE TO
AND LOVE TO
STEPHANE_LEMIRE
DESTINATIONS
CANADA
Quebec’s
EASTERN TOWNSHIPS
20
TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013
by
ANITA STEWART
DESTINATIONS
THIS SPREAD St-Venantde-Paquette.
CANADA
Quebec
W
WHERE ON EARTH
ITH MONTREAL GROWING
smaller in the rear view mirror, I
pointed the car down Highway
10 and drove into L’Estrie with a
healthy appetite. I was hungry
for the real food of the Eastern
Townships, one of the oldest
tourism regions of the province. With only two days available
to explore them, there had to be some careful planning. What I
savoured were historic ingredients, old-fashioned dishes and the
new creations of a dynamic culinary community that has sprung
up over the past decade. In short, I found the people’s cuisine.
This is the land of the Abenaki, a member of the Algonquinspeaking alliance that also included the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Passamaquoddy and Penobscot. They were allied with the
French from the very earliest times and were among the first to
teach the early colonists how to make maple syrup. It’s a land of
rolling, worn, forest-covered mountains and deep, cold lakes with
an abundance of fish. Berries, fiddleheads and wild herbs thrive
here as do game from deer and moose to ducks and geese.
The Eastern Townships have a colourful history. For nearly two
centuries the region has been the destination for tourists from
other regions in Quebec and also from the US. Just north of the
Vermont border, it provided a welcome, somewhat exotic escape
for families who treasured the airy open spaces, the great
climate and a welcome second to none.
North Hatley itself was founded by Loyalists after the
American War of Independence. The cross-border trend
continued over the ensuing decades particularly after the Civil
War. Ladies of means summered in the region after travelling
north in their private railway cars, shades drawn, with their
entourage of servants, children and nannies.
Among the ‘newcomers’ was industrialist Henry Atkinson, the
owner of Georgia Power in Atlanta. He built a replica of George
Washington’s Mount Vernon estate with its sweeping verandahs,
solid white pillars and terraced gardens. He named it The Birches
for indeed it was and still is surrounded by the trees. Such is the
birthright of Manoir Hovey, now a spectacular inn just outside of
North Hatley on the shores of Lake Massawippi.
Quebecers have a common birthright…
they love great food. It can be high
gastronomy or casual country fare
but no matter where one wanders
within this multi-regional province,
pride of culinary place flourishes.
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013  TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
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QUEBEC TOURISM
DESTINATIONS
t
i
Vis
CANADA
QUEBEC TOURISM
it
Four nights. Five Days. Bike from Inn to Inn
You’ll find innkeeper Jeff Stafford at the luxurious
Ripplecove Lakefront Hotel. The five-star, fourdiamond inn sits on a peninsula overlooking
the sparkling waters of Lac Massawippi and
absolutely exudes charm and luxury. The view
is spectacular. A grand hotel in its own right,
Ripplecove has teamed up with Hovey Manor to
offer five day/four night packages where guests
bike from one to the other. I have heard that it’s
also possible to kayak the distance as well.
www.ripplecove.ca
www.manoirhovey.com
La Route des vins de l’Estrie
A group of vineyards in the eastern region
of the Townships has founded a new wine
route — La Route des vins de l’Estrie (The
Eastern Townships Wine Route). Currently it
encompasses six vineyards, with more expected
to join.
www.routedesvinsdelestrie.com
Musée du Chocolat de Bromont
www.museeduchocolatdebromont.ca
Café Bistro Les Trois Grâces
www.bistrolestroisgraces.com
Saveurs & Gourmandises
39, rue Main
North Hatley, QC
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TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013
Manoir Hovey has always defined elegance and style. It is a member
of the prestigious Relais et Châteaux association where the genuine,
gracious hospitality of the Stafford family, who have lovingly owned it
since 1979, is so perfectly showcased. Without question, it sets the
regional bar for fine dining and vintage wines.
The interiors are also exquisite. Every guest room has been
individually decorated by John Hay, who spent years in Hollywood as a
set designer before returning home to retire.
The Tap Room with its 10,000-brick fireplace is a great place to
ponder the recreational possibilities — fly fishing with guide Flo Hebert;
jumping into the lake for a great swim; kayaking or canoeing its
expanse, possibly to Ripplecove Inn, another Stafford-run property
about 20 kilometres away; mountain biking the lakeside trail; hiking
throughout the property or just enjoying an utterly elegant holiday.
The gracious dining room is the domain of Executive Chef Roland
Ménard and Chef de Cuisine Francis Wolf. These two men cook with
their hearts and their heads and their menus reflect the region’s
seasonal riches. They change constantly, but you might begin with a
summery cherry tomato salad, follow with smoked Wagyu beef, a salad
of Oxeye daisy leaves splashed with birch syrup vinaigrette or that
classic of Quebec dishes, grilled foie gras, au torchon with raspberry
syrup, pine powder, basil and brioche. There might be duck magret,
QUEBEC TOURISM
DESTINATIONS
FACING PAGE Cyclists
at Manoir
Hovey; Field of sunflowers;
Auberge Gallery. THIS PAGE StVenant-de-Paquette.
CANADA
Click
it
Blue, blue, blue — as
far as the eye can see…
YOU CAN GET LOST AMONG THE
cooked at a low temperature with roasted baby beets, or halibut
with sweet corn, black garlic and almond milk foam. Whether it’s
blueberry clafoutis with cow parsnip crème anglaise, maple pet de
sœur roll with gin granité, grilled marshmallow and salted peanuts
or the extensive selection of Quebec and French cheeses, desserts
shouldn’t be missed.
…Ladies of means summered in the
region after travelling north in their
private railway cars…
Manoir Hovey's wine list has been blessed with the Wine
Spectator's “Best of Award of Excellence” annually since 2003. In
2013 TripAdvisor placed Manoir Hovey among the Top 25 Luxury
Hotels in Canada and The Top Rated Quebec property on the list.
All across Quebec, tourism is such an important and
recognizably renewable asset, that innovation is encouraged within
the sector. Three years ago the association Cafés de Village was
born. Unique in Canada, it’s a loose association of small cafés with
1,000 lavender plants that form the new
Bleu Lavande labyrinth! This year Quebec’s
lavender pioneer is doubling the size of
its boutique to make room for even more
culinary produce, in collaboration with the
best food producers and food processors
in the region. Dishes incorporating lavender
ingredients will be offered on the new
terrace, as well as a white (wheat) beer
developed by Sherbrooke’s Boquébière
and an aperitif created by the Cep d’Argent
winery in Magog. Live jazz performed in
the fields, the Lavender Extravanza (Féérie
de la Lavande) in July and Family Days
(Journées de la famille) in August are added
attractions. www.bleulavande.ca
Search for and savour!
Brome Lake duck
Apple everything
St. Benoit du Lac cheese from the monks
at Abbaye St. Benoit
Maple products including maple vinegar
Micro-brewed beers
Excellent pork and legendary lamb
Quebec-grown wines and Ice Cider.
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013  TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
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DESTINATIONS
QUEBEC TOURISM
ok
Co
it
CANADA
SERVES 8
Warm Eastern
Townships Duck Salad
QUEBEC TOURISM
THIS SALAD IS LACED with maple syrup
and the duck which has made the Brome
Lake area so famous. Apple cider vinegar
is another regional speciality. Choose
duck breasts that are as lean as you
can but still have the skin on. Dried
cranberries or fresh wild blackberries
make a wonderful addition to this
delicious salad.
Mesclun, Belgian Endive and Boston Lettuce
for 8 servings
Duck Breasts 2, 150–180 g each
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Canola Oil 1 cup
Shallots 3, minced
Portobello Mushrooms 4, sliced
Quebec Cider Vinegar 1/3 cup
Maple Syrup 3 Tbs
1 ARRANGE salad greens on serving plates.
Refrigerate until needed.
2 SCORE the fat side of duck breasts, sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over
medium-high heat. Sear breasts, fat side down
till deep golden. Turn breasts, searing for another
15–30 seconds and place into preheated 450’F
oven for 10 minutes.
3 MEANWHILE heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a separate
sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots, stirring
and cooking until transparent, but not browned.
Stir in mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes or
until beginning to soften. Stir in remaining oil,
vinegar and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
4 REMOVE duck from oven; slice thinly and add to
sauté pan, stirring carefully to coat slices evenly.
5 ARRANGE mushrooms and duck on salad greens.
Drizzle with warm dressing. Garnish with a few
more grindings of black pepper.
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TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013
THIS PAGE View from Abbaye de St-Benoît-du-Lac;
Abbaye de St-Benoît-du-Lac. FACING PAGE FROM TOP Manoir
Hovey; Lunch at Manoir Hovey.
the mission to serve local ingredients in a local style with on-site
local owners. What a concept! Like the owners, each has a different
personality. With Manoir Hovey as my base, I visited three.
The first, in Bromont, was Michel Bilodeau’s Musée du Chocolat de
Bromont (Chocolate Museum). He is more than passionate — he’s
obsessed with chocolate and has scoured the world for many of the
finest brands. Bilodeau has even founded a Chocolate Festival, held
every May. If you consume nothing else the hot chocolate is so good
and so rich that it could almost revive the dead. Locals come for the
chocolate mustard, chocolate-laced vinaigrette for summer salads,
an array of handmade truffles. Michel’s café, with its summer terrace,
is busy year round with locals and tourists alike who come for the
crepes, great sandwiches and homemade cakes.
In nearby Eastman Café Bistro Les Trois Grâces is a true local
eatery. Everyone in the village seems to take lunch here. The meats
come from the Boucherie J.L.Fortin, just down the street and the
DESTINATIONS
…Manoir Hovey
has always defined
elegance and style…
CANADA
SHARI SCHESKE
Cook
it
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
Wild Raspberry Maple
Ice Cream
THIS RECIPE COMES FROM my first trip
desserts are reminiscent of cafés across the province that serve up
Pouding Chômeur and Queen Elizabeth cake, which co-owner Eve
Rozon bakes herself. Her partner and co-owner is the most pleasant
Alexandre Ménard, son of Manoir Hovey’s Executive Chef.
Back in North Hatley, stop in at Justine Brassard’s Saveurs &
Gourmandises. Like the village, it’s laid back and comfortable, with a
couple of easy chairs and a porch that overlooks the town dock. Try
Brassard's carrot cake (a family recipe) or any of the handmade
pastries, including a to-die-for lemon and white chocolate pie.
d
Rea
it
ANITA STEWART, Canadian
culinary activist, consultant
and best-selling author of 14
books, was appointed to the Order
of Canada in January 2012. An honorary
lifetime member of the Canadian
Federation of Chefs and Cooks, Anita
was recently named the first Food
Laureate at the University of Guelph. In
2003 she founded the Canadian national celebration now known
as Food Day Canada. She broadcasts regularly on CBC Radio.
into the Eastern Townships in 1986.
Wild raspberries grow in profusion.
Combine them with maple syrup and
good cream and it’s hard to find a more
‘Quebec’ dessert.
Raspberries 4 cups, fresh or frozen and thawed
Eggs 2
Granulated Sugar ½ cup
Maple Syrup ½ cup
Whipping Cream (35%) 1 cup
Half-And-Half Cream (10%) 1 ½ cups
1 MASH the raspberries thoroughly and strain to
remove seeds if desired.
2 BEAT the eggs and sugar together in a medium
bowl, until thick and light yellow in colour, 4–5
minutes.
3 STIR in the raspberry purée, maple syrup,
whipping cream and half-and-half cream.
4 FREEZE in an ice cream maker following
manufacturer’s instructions.
Recipe from: Flavours of Canada: A celebration of the finest regional
foods by Anita Stewart (Raincoast 2000/2006).
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013  TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
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