Farmers and Chefs from Thunder Bay to Ottawa to Sarnia Celebrating Ontario Garlic Week
Ontario Garlic Week October 29 through November 7, 2021
Interviews available with Ontario Garlic Week Founder Peter McClusky
Food and beverage establishments across the province are celebrating Ontario garlic with local garlic farmers during the inaugural Ontario Garlic Week. Restaurants, chocolatiers, breweries, theatres and drive-ins are preparing the best they have to offer to celebrate the universally loved bulb.
Garlic farmers are supplying garlic by the armful, from the hot, spicy Rocambole variety, to the sweet caramel flavour of Purple Stripe garlic.
“Covid made it logistically challenging to put on a large-scale event,” says Ontario Garlic Week founder Peter McClusky, and author (Ontario Garlic: The Story from Farm to Festival) “ I thought, why not do an event that includes restaurants across the province and invite garlic farmers to supply the garlic. The farmers didn’t hesitate for one minute and that’s how Ontario Garlic Week was born.”
There are more than 100 participating food establishments creating dishes inspired by the robust flavour of Ontario garlic and selling it to patrons via dine-in, patio, take-out or delivery. From the Temiskaming shores, L’Autochtone Taverne Americaine is serving Confit Garlic Frybread with Black Truffle Compound Butter, while the head chef at Beefcake’s Burger in Thunder Bay boasts that their House Caesar salad dressing is, “one third puréed roasted garlic,” with garlic sourced from a nearby farm.
But savoury food is just the beginning. Visitors to Ontario establishments during Ontario Garlic Week will also discover novel but delicious treats such as caramelized roast garlic butter tarts and Black Garlic Stout.
Restaurants register for free, thanks to the generous support from Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Live
Green Toronto, Maple Leaf Sports &
Entertainment, Ontario Beef,
McCormick and Pfenning’s Organic. During Ontario Garlic Week daily online contest prizes include Leafs and Raptors tickets, grill kits, spice blends and Ontario garlic.