No less than 100 chefs congregated in Melancthon township in northern Ontario on Sunday for Foodstock, an absolutely epic charity cook-off. Here's a look at some of the delicacies they whipped up.
The ongoing campaign against a proposed 2,400 acre limestone mine in the Melancthon township in northern Ontario got a massive boost of support from city folk Sunday with Foodstock, the 100-chef, daylong fundraiser to raise money for the Stop the Mega Quarry Campaign.
Chefs — mostly from Toronto — descended on the small town of Honeywood that windy and chilly morning, lugging equipment and ingredients to feed thousands of people. The set-up was in the middle of the forest on the property of one of the farmers who refused to sell his land to the people behind the quarry. Our shoulders hurt from just watching Buca chef Rob Gentile carrying a giant prosciutto leg while tramping through the mud to find his set-up spot.
There were performances by the likes of Jim Cuddy and members of the Barenaked Ladies, but since this was a food event, autograph seekers sought out chef Michael Statlander, who spearheaded the pay-what-you-can food festival.
Hey Meatball chef Rodney Bowers made 1,450 chicken meatballs for the attendees. Early estimates from organizers say more than 25,000 people attended, meaning that like most food festivals, the food was starting to run out within the first two hours of the event.
Which was fine since the ground got progressively muddier as the rain poured harder. While waiting in line for gravlax at The Gabardine booth, cheers erupted whenever someone lost their boot in the mud. It was a fun way to pass the time.
Here’s a sample of what the chefs served up using meat and produce from nearby farms.
Elk stew with vegetables, apples and dried cherries from Tesoro:
Potato, cabbage and Brussels sprout soup with pickled pumpkin from Eigensinn Farm:
Pasta with salsa verde and parmesan from Scarpetta:
Buckwheat crepe with smoked salmon from Scaramouche:
