Field & Feast

Thank you for another successful Field & Feast event!

A big ol’ thank you goes out to our sponsors: The Taking the Lead Sponsor: Overbay Capital Partners, Best Drinks in Town Sponsor: Bushmills Whiskey, just Roll Away to a Half Sashay Sponsor: Irene Cameron, ReMax Affiliates Marquis, and Weave The Ring Sponsor: FMA designbuild and the Only place to shop for your tractor Sponsor: Green Valley Kubota, Put a pretty Tent over it Sponsor: Midnight Confetti Events and Couldn’t have made it to Dinner without these Sponsors: Beyond 21,
The Glengarry Market and Epicerie Henderson’s for helpin’ us put on this shin-dig. And we can’t tell our story without the great help of the press and our Media Sponsor: The Glengarry News! And as always, a huge thanks to our friends and collaborators at Mohawk Council of Akwesasne!
And if you are looking for a place to stay, our accommodation sponsor is ashna.ca

Chef Margaret McCormick, Glengarry

Read her Q & A

Please give a brief background on your Culinary career – and possibly is there someone who inspired you/or still inspires you in your work:

I started my culinary career working at Champions in Alexandria. I knew that I was meant to be in the culinary world and decided to attend Algonquin College and graduated with diplomas in Hotel Restaurant management and culinary management.

Worked at the Ritz on Elgin, Ramada Hotel, Executive chef at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Orleans, Tudor Hall, Craig Quay, Holiday Inn on Cooper and presently working as the life skill facilitator at Beyond 21 in Cornwall. A non-profit organization for developmentally delayed adults. Taught culinary part time at Algonquin College for almost 20 years.

Much focus is on Sustainable/Local ingredients – is this something you try to do in your own work and do you have an approach/philosophy that you follow in this regard:

I like food that is close to the earth, not overly processed. Fresh from the garden. My favourite ingredients are herbs, particularly basil, dill, parsley and cilantro.

I enjoy many different cuisines; Turkish, Asian, Indian and Mexican are my go to.

I’m excited to help showcase the local ingredients that we will be utilizing, giving everyone’s hard work a moment to shine.

Chef Jordan Phillips, Akwesasne/Cornwall

Read her Q & A

Please give a brief background on your Culinary career – and possibly is there someone who inspired you/or still inspires you in your work:

My biggest chef inspiration is Chef Drew Ferguson, who I met at Loyalist College while I attended in 2008. He had a local farm and shared his love of straight from the earth produce. He also said that working in the Bow Valley would be a culinary boot camp, and the notion stuck with me for a long time.
I worked in Cornwall and Akwesasne, learning lots as the years passed, but I always wanted to chase the mountains.

In 2017, I joined the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise pastry team and was finally part of the culinary boot camp that tantalized me. I worked all shifts of the pastry department, met with amazing colleagues and we together achieved Hotel of the Year for 2018.

Sadly, Chef passed away over a decade ago, but the knowledge he shared is carried on through the students who loved his hard as nails attitude.

What is your favourite ingredient(s) to cook/bake with:

Heavy Cream. No matter what it is you’re making, it’s going to be delicious.

Much focus is on Sustainable/Local ingredients – is this something you try to do in your own work and do you have an approach/philosophy that you follow in this regard:

I support local as much as I can and I often find myself searching for small businesses that are trying to grow and have the same mindset that I try to carry. Sustainable and low to no impact on the environment.

Farmers markets and going to local farms are my favourite summer activities. The SD&G area has an abundance of beautiful local growers and producers, we are fortunate to have so many hard working businesses close. We need to support local and help grow a sustainable mindset.

Finally, as you prepare for this year’s Menu – what are you most excited in sharing with the guests this year – a new recipe – a new ingredient:

I’m excited to help showcase the local ingredients that we will be utilizing, giving everyone’s hard work a moment to shine.

Ladies In, Men Sashay all around the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Cocktail Hour
• More than a mushroom, capped with savoury goodness
• Handmade Tortellini ricotta and herbs skewed together
• Potatoes from our fields brimming with cheese and bacon
• Savoury biscuits with a sundried tomato pesto with roasted red pepper

Do-Si-Do to Eat to your Heart’s Content
Pizza flatbread baked in the Happy Italian wood oven featuring: • Alfredo base drizzled with pesto topped with arugula, Jalapeno Jack and drizzled with Finbarr’s spiced honey
• A medley of marinated fresh vegetables, topped with goat’s cheese finished with a balsamic gastrique
• Where’s the Beef?! Shaved roast beef on garlic base, caramelized onion and Swiss Cheese, drizzled with Dijon Horseradish Aioli

Throw off those cowboy boots and Promenade with a snack!
• True French Canadian turned-over Tourtiere
• Traditional Mohawk Fry-bread and pulled pork braised in Cornwall Island BBQ sauce
• St. Lawrence Walleye Fish Cakes
•. Tender bits of skewered honey glazed chicken grilled and sprinkled with sesame seeds
•. Mini Dalhousie sausages: a herb spiced sausage topped with zucchini relish or a hot buffalo’d sausage drizzled with honey Dijon, nestled in a homemade bun

Swing to the sweet hereafter!
•. Cheese trays featuring local cheesemakers
• A cookie from Cowboy Country
• Opera cake that will have you singin’ • Mini Eclairs – a bitesized homage to France
• A Scottish Shortbread fit for a Queen
• Freshly churned old-fashioned Ice cream with a ribbon of rhubarb topped with a waffle cookie and sprig of mint
• It’s a Canadian thing!… Buttertarts… let no decent party be without!

Beverages included avec or sans alcohol and pure Springfield Farm water on tap!

Brennon Stephenson, Bushmills Whiskey

Brennon Stephenson is a Bartender, Spirits Enthusiast, and National Brand Ambassador for Bushmills Irish Whiskey. With a background in creative advertising, he found a passion in working with notable names in hospitality as The Gladstone Hotel, The Drake Hotel, BarChef, and Founder Restaurant, before stepping out from behind the bar to work with Proximo Spirits. He was born and raised in Northern Ontario, and currently lives in downtown Toronto with his cat, Gina.

Notes on the Whiskey being served: From Bushmills Distillery’s Head Master Blender Alex Thomas comes Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey, as rich celebration of Irish heritage and of the key ingredients in over 400 years of Whiskey Making Excellence. Combining 100% malted barley from hand-selected strains with fresh water from The River Bush, Sexton is aged exclusively on extra-old Oloroso Sherry Casks for a uniquely full bodied Irish Whiskey with notes of molasses, baking spice, dried fruits, and a dark, earthy finish. With over 20 years of experience with Bushmills, Alex Thomas is one of only a handful of Female Master Blenders working in Irish Whiskey today. Her expertise comes through in a Whiskey celebrating the heritage of Irish distilling, the hands which craft some of the world’s most celebrated Whiskies, and the land that lends its storied character to every drop. Slainte!

Field & Feast 2022 Recap

Watch the F&F 2022 Recap Film

Field & Feast 2022 was pure magic because you were all with us to welcome our three outstanding Chefs Dr. JP McMahon, Joseph Shawana and Chris Commandant. We enjoyed each other’s company and broke bread together over a meal that was created over the past months to honour traditions, cultures and the land upon which we live. 

Springfield Farm is located on Mohawk Territory. Our family is proud to be stewards of this land and are most grateful for the guidance of Grand Chief Abram Benedict and the Akwesasne community, the Irish Ambassador Eamonn McKee, and the incredible talented friends and family who made everything possible. We are extremely grateful to each of our sponsors who partnered with us on this memorable evening under the light of the Harvest Moon:  Government of Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Bord Bia, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Optimize Wealth Management, RTO9, Irene Cameron, ReMax Marquis Cornwall, FMA designbuild, Overbay Capital, Bushmills Irish Whiskey and our tremendous food purveyor The Glengarry Market. And a very special thanks to Sous Chef Darius White, and each member of the event team led by Anne Tardiff.

As your hosts, we approach organizing events from our family heritage of Irish, French, Scottish and most importantly large! As both of our mothers would have done…we did not turn anyone away as it is so important to gather in a large happy community – there is always room at our table. Thank you for your patronage, come and visit again! – Finbarr and Eleanor McCarthy and our children and son-in-law!

Field & Feast 2022 fut de la pure magie car vous étiez tous ici pour accueillir nos trois incroyables chefs Dr. JP McMahon, Joseph Shawana et Chris Commandant. Nous avons socialisé en bonne compagnie et cassé la croûte avec un succulent repas créé depuis les derniers mois et ce, afin d’honorer les traditions, les cultures et la terre dont nous habitons.

Springfield Farm est situé sur le territoire Mohawk. Notre famille est fière d’y habiter et reconnaissante des conseils du Grand Chef Abram Benedict et de la communauté d’Akwesasne, de l’ambassadeur d’Irlande, Eamonn McKee, ainsi que notre famille et nos amis qui ont fait en sorte que cette activité puisse se concrétiser. Nous sommes extrêmement fiers de nos commanditaires qui se sont joints à nous pour cette merveilleuse soirée sous la Lune des moissons. Merci au gouvernement de l’Irlande, Tourism Ireland, Bord Bia, le conseil Mohawk d’Akwesasne, Optimize Wealth Management, RTO9, Irene Cameron, RE/MAX Marquis Cornwall, FMA designbuild, Overbay Capital, Bushmills Irish Whiskey et notre pourvoyeur The Glengarry Market, Un merci spécial à tous les membres de l’équipe d’organisation dirigée par Anne Tardiff.

En tant que vos hôtes, nous accueillons l’organisation des événements issus de notre patrimoine irlandais, français et écossais et surtout de grande envergure! Tout comme nos mères auraient fait…personne n’a été refusé, c’est l’importance de se réunir en tant que communauté – il y a toujours de la place à notre table. Merci de votre appui et ne manquez pas de nous visiter à nouveau! – Finbarr et Eleanor McCarthy, nos enfants ainsi que notre gendre!

Photo Memories

from the cameras of Zhen Park-Vandal, Irene Cameron, Harold Dalkie, M. Eleanor McGrath

Copyright belongs to Springfield Farm. Please contact us directly for permission to use/share the photos/content. Your respect of our work and costs to hire photographers is appreciated.

~ Springfield Farm – Finbarr and Eleanor