My stay in Canada was hosted by my boyfriend’s wonderful family who stay in this small area of countryside near Ottawa. We made a stop on the Main Street of Vankleek Hill to have lunch at Vert Fourchette and look around the little shops before making our way to the city.
I had big plans for this cabinet… Until my lunch left me too full for cake!
The cafe is within an old house, and inside the place is still very much like being in someone’s home for your lunch. We decided to have some of their famed wraps!
Chicken & Bacon Wrap with Quinoa Salad
Chicken, Mushroom & Cream Cheese Wrap
Rosemary Fries
I’m a huge fan of salad, and as much as I love fries, I’d 9 times out of 10 always choose salad over them. This was a huge regret on this occasion, as these fries were so delicious!
After lunch we browsed the local stores which are totally adorable – they remind me of shops in the Clydeside in Scotland.
We then moved onto the main event: The brewery which put the tiny village of Vankleek Hill on the map: Beau’s All Natural Brewery!
Obviously to brew a ton of beer you need lots of large machines. But these literally looked like rockets in real life. Wandering around I was totally amazed by the sheer size of everything!
As someone who doesn’t particularly like beer, I wasn’t as engaged in the sampling session as my other half. However, I have to say their Buenos Dias beer appealed to me! The girl serving recommended it to me based on my tastes and it worked -it’s essentially a beer version of a classic Margarita without the kick in the head of tequila! Very refreshing! But based on my poor beer palette I doubt I would finish a pint of it!
My final comment: how gorgeous is this wild flowered beer garden?!
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Vert Fourchette, 117 Main St E, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, K0B 1R0
@ChantalLascelle
Beau’s Brewery, 10 Terry Fox Dr, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, K0B 1R0
@BeausAllNatural
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The Plate Escapes 
I suspect you’re back in Scotland but this recipe pairs very well with the Buenos Dias you enjoyed.
Scallop ceviche with lime, chilies, & cilantro
This is a glorious summer recipe. Fresh, & citrusy it is a beautiful combination of impeccably fresh seafood, citrus & herbs. With just a little chili heat it is perfect to play with the citrus notes & freshness of the beer.
Scallops, like shrimp are sold by count. That is to say you will see 16/20, 31/40 etc. This indicates how many are in a pound. So for this recipe you want 8/12 scallops, nice plump ones.
serves 4 as an appetiser
prep time 10 minutes
“cooking” time 30 minutes
½ red onion, finely chopped
8 large fresh scallops, sliced in half lengthwise
½ tsp kosher salt, plus extra to season
Juice of 4 limes
1 red chilli, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh coriander, coarsely shredded
2 cups salad greens
2 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado, diced
In a bowl toss the scallops with the salt. Let sit for one minute. Add the red onion, lime juice, chili & mix to coat the scallops. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and lift the scallops out of the marinade, there will be some liquid left in the bowl.
Place the scallops on 4 chilled salad plates. in the bowl the scallops were marinated in, toss the salad greens & avocado with the olive oil, a good grind of freshly milled black pepper & a pinch of coarse sea salt. Arrange the salad nicely on the plates and serve.
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That sounds gorgeous! I’m sadly back in Scotland but I’ll keep this in mind for when I return! 🙂
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Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for having visited us at the brewery while you were in town! You’re welcome back any time :). Cheers!
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You’re very welcome! I’m looking forward to my next Canadian adventure!
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