Let's Go to the Water
July 18th, 2017 Missive from J.K. Farm
It is Sunday morning and it is the sound of the creek that brings me around. I remember that last year at this time the creek was dry. No sound. I like to hear the creek. It calms me. I muse about how there used to be a millpond just outside my window. The water held back to form the pond by an earth dam laboriously constructed by hand, one shovelful at a time. Little remains of the dam, built over a hundred years ago, or the millrace that controlled the surge of water required to power the turbine inside the mill just downstream from here.
I roll out of bed and head up to the barn. The thought of fresh coffee and Viennoiserie propels me forward. The sun is already beating down. I can tell it is going to be hot. It is cool inside the barn as I set the cafetière on the stove. A nice breeze passes through the loafing barn. People gather, waiting for coffee. I put on a larger pot. There are fresh strawberries and blackcurrant jam, just made from the bushes growing all around the building. There are the croissants. It feels good to drink coffee outside in the shade of the fairy tale Manitoba Maple that is sprawled everywhere, it seems, between the loafing barn and drive shed.
Let’s go to the water! We load up the cooler with cold drinks and snacks. Champ senses something is up and fearing being left behind, camps out at the car watching intently for next moves.
The drive to the other side of the county takes around 45 minutes. Along the way we talk about the dinner the night before. Trail Estates Winery was at the table, presenting their beautifully crafted small batch wines. The winery is truly a family enterprise. Owned by Anton and Hildegard with son Alex and daughter Sylvia. They take a unique approach by producing many different and interesting styles in relatively small quantity. We were treated to several examples of this approach last evening. Mackenzie Brisbois, Trail Estate winemaker gave us insight into the varietals and styles she is producing. The wines were lovely and I am excited to see how they evolve in the years to come.
As we drive I notice how much the topography has changed since we left Hillier. Now we are in the Southeastern part of the county, close to the lake. The water is high. In some cases so high that the trees that were once on land are now growing right out of the water. Inland in Hillier, the soil is full of gravel and slabs of limestone. Down here the soil is much deeper and sandier. It amazes me that such a relatively small landmass can offer up so much diversity in the topography. I step into the turquoise water and walk along the great shelves of thick limestone slabs. I look across the water of Lake Ontario and see no land on the horizon. This could be the ocean. I could be looking across the Mediterranean Sea. Such is the magic of this place. I feel fortunate to have found this place and so lucky to be a part of the gastronomical conversation going on here.
Saturday July 15, 2017 featuring Trail Estate Winery
Hors d’Œuvres on the Ridge
JK Fries with Two Sauces
Duck Confit Croquettes
Smoked Whitefish Canapé
Summer Savoury Arancini
Deviled Egg
Trail Estate Winery, 2015 Barrel-Ferment Riesling – Foxcroft Vineyard
VQA Niagara Peninsula
Menu in the Loafing Barn
Early Summer Salad with Seared Zucchini Blossom
Trail Estate Winery, 2015 Chardonnay Musqué – Foxcroft Vineyard
VQA Niagara Peninsula
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Quenelle of Pickerel with Green Peas and Lobster Sauce
Trail Estate Winery, 2016 County Chardonnay – TEW Vineyard
Debut Prince Edward County VQA
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Grilled Prime Rib of Tweed Beef With Chanterelles à la crème
Trail Estate Vineyard, 2015 Cabernet Franc, Unfiltered – Foxcroft Vineyard
VQA Niagara Peninsula
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Artisan Cheeses from Ontario and Québec with Salad from the Garden
Trail Estate Winery 15 Wild-Ferment Riesling – Hughes Vineyard
VQA Niagara Peninsula
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Elderflower Crèpe with Black Currant and Vanilla
Trail Estate Winery, 2015 Skin Contact Gewürztraminer – Wertsch Vineyard
VQA Niagara Peninsula
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Coffee or Tea
Photos by @chefjamiekennedy, @vtaylorlandarch & @cylinderstudio