This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
There is no shortage of opportunities to discover our agricultural heritage through the belly in Quebec in the summer. More than ever, our regions are full of producers proud to show off their know-how, as well as country, farm or event-based restaurants that never cease to surprise us. It is therefore towards some of these nuggets of country pleasure, including new arrivals, that our hunger and thirst have led us.
You don’t come to Les Jardins de Sophie by chance, an organic market garden farm in Saint-Fulgence, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. A little isolated, it is discovered at the end of a road and stands on a small island surrounded by forest, between the fjord and the mountain, with pretty old-fashioned buildings. A bucolic setting that doubles as an original farmhouse table, the Saint-Sapin.
“We have been growing vegetables for over 23 years. We got into agritourism through events, then with this restaurant run by Jean-Paul Sabbagh, a talented young chef of Lebanese origin,” says co-owner Sophie Gagnon.
From the end of June to mid-September, visitors are invited to various experiences. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, they can enjoy wood-fired pizzas made with vegetables from the garden, freshly picked mushrooms and meat from local producers. Then come Fridays, when the Saint-Sapin opens at lunchtime and offers grills and salads.
“Then on Saturday nights, it’s the whole package!” Sophie Gagnon says cheerfully. “We take people on a tour of the farm before serving them a four-course blind gourmet meal that changes according to the arrivals, accompanied by food and wine/cider/beer pairings.” What do these dishes look like? Dishes crafted with various inspirations, such as a crab cake from the Saint-Laurent with Stimpson’s surf clam, a salsa tomatillo green and a buttermilk sauce. In short, something to have a lot of fun with.
Zero waste country table
The great strength of Ferme Les Petites Écores, located in Pointe-Fortune, in Montérégie, lies in the diversity and complementarity of a family’s know-how. It all started in 2009 with beekeeping, sea buckthorn cultivation and food processing carried out by the Laflamme father, mother and son. Then in 2019, the partner of Eric Bélanger Laflamme (the son) grafted her organic market gardening production to this whole.
“We have different fields of specialization, but we all have a common vision,” explains Mr. Bélanger Laflamme. “We want to give our customers and visitors an authentic experience by showing our agricultural reality and inviting them to awaken all their senses.”
This is what kicked off this summer at La cabane à miel, a country-style restaurant that will be offered from July 19 to August 24. After a tour of the farm accompanied by appetizers, 50 guests will gather under a large outdoor marquee. They will enjoy a four-course gourmet meal prepared by chef Isabel Gariépy, a fan of local products and zero-waste consumption.
“It’s part of our values, not wasting anything. So we use all our plants from stem to leaf, and our animals from nose to tail,” confirms the farmer. This vision is reflected in the menu at La cabane à miel, where the farm’s 50 or so vegetables, pastured chickens, sea buckthorn and honey are in the spotlight. This is particularly the case in a brown butter cake with beets and sea buckthorn powder, accompanied by mustard caramel, carrot sorbet and sea buckthorn jelly. For those interested, a vegetarian option as elaborate as the omnivorous one will also be offered at the cabin.
From restaurant to vineyard
The Arvi restaurant in Quebec needs no introduction. Named Best New Restaurant in Canada by the magazine on the way In 2019, Julien Masia’s project attracted many epicureans from here and elsewhere. However, the pandemic shutdown of activities allowed the chef and his partner, Ariel Pinsonneault, previously a pastry chef, to add a string to their bow: they became winegrowers in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, at Domaine Bel-Chas, which they have since renamed Domaine Arvi.
In 2024, the couple shaped the vines in their image and, this year, launched their first personal vintages. They have also just opened a refreshment bar on the estate. “We want visitors to be able to take the time to taste our wines and nibble on good little things, like a local sausage and a Grondines cheese washed with our wines, as well as lacto-fermented vegetables in the restaurant.”
Chef Julien Masia also has a few activities planned for the summer, including a six-course gastronomic evening on August 15, 16 and 17 with another award-winning Quebec establishment, Battuto. Needless to say, tickets are selling out very quickly… “But on August 24, people will also be able to attend a reggae concert at the vineyard during the day, with glasses of our wines at low prices,” adds the winemaker. Tempting invitations, aren’t they?
This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.