Chefs We Love
December 13, 2023
Whip Up A Holiday Feast To Remember With Recipes From Michael Smith’s Latest Cookbook
This year, consider updating your classic holiday menu with new dishes that deliver robust flavors using farm-fresh ingredients. Arriving just in time to inspire you is Michael Smith’s latest book, Farmhouse Vegetables. He shares everything he’s learned about growing, then cooking vegetables from The Inn at Bay Fortune farm in P.E.I., and packs the pages with delicious veggie recipes and hearty, rich mains for meat lovers, too.
Michael started working at The Inn at Bay Fortune in 1991. In 2015, together with his wife and business partner, Chastity Smith, they purchased the property. The hotel’s culinary farm includes acres of greenhouses and gardens, and it keeps hens, pigs, chickens and bees.
Over an impressive career of writing bestselling cookbooks and hosting countless TV shows, Michael has made a name for himself as a farm-to-table chef who’s all about sustainable, in-season ingredients.
We’ve selected four of Michael’s best recipes to cook for the holidays — scroll down!
Beets, Fire Grains and Fresh Ricotta with Rosemary
For a great starter salad, try the stunning Beets, Fire Grains and Fresh Ricotta with Rosemary. Don’t hesitate to make your own ricotta; it’s quite simple to do and worth the effort when you taste your fresh cheese combined with beets and nutty grains.
Get the recipe here.
Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese
For a savory casserole, Michael puts a veggie spin on a classic with the Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese. An entire head of cauliflower and rich cheddar make the sauce thick and creamy with minimal butter and milk, and the caraway rye crust has a satisfying crunch.
Get the recipe here.
Slow-roasted Duck and Winter Vegetables
The Slow-roasted Duck and Winter Vegetables is a standout, one-pan main course. Rich duck meat, harvest vegetables and apples are all roasted together, creating big flavors and a built-in jus. “This dish shows the versatility of duck and how easily it can flavour a huge pan of root vegetables,” says Michael.
Get the recipe here.
Pan-roasted Cauliflower, Leek, Apple and Cinnamon-crusted Pork Tenderloin
If pork is more to your taste, Pan-roasted Cauliflower, Leek, Apple and Cinnamon-crusted Pork Tenderloin is a lighter, all-in-one dish that won’t take hours to cook.
Get the recipe here.
“By far, my favorite thing about the holidays is filling a long dining table with family and friends and spending time together,” says Michael. Gather with your loved ones this year and enjoy a fabulous dinner packed with farm-fresh veggies.
Recipes from Farmhouse Vegetables by Michael Smith. ©2023 Michael Smith. Photography by Al Douglas. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved