Ironworks is a micro-distillery located in the old port of Lunenburg on Nova Scotia’s historic South Shore. We take our name from the 1893 heritage building we call home: a marine blacksmith’s shop that once produced ironworks for the shipbuilding trade. We craft our spirits with the same love of traditional methods and attention to detail.

Distilling by hand in small batches, at Ironworks we use only natural ingredients, as fresh and as local as possible, showcasing the remarkable produce of the Annapolis Valley. We produce vodka, rum, blueberry and cranberry liqueur, as well as eaux de vie.

To see what we’re up to, have a look around our site. Or even better, drop by our distillery shop and enjoy a taste.

We create delicious and nourishing on-the-go foods for people who are sensitive to what goes into their bodies. We believe the only way to make our tasty products is in small batches by hand, in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. And that’s just what we do in our one hundred percent gluten-free kitchen in a converted schoolhouse in beautiful Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

We produce gluten-free breads, granola, goodies, pies, tarts and more. Our products are available at a number of retail locations throughout Halifax Regional Municipality and the South of Nova Scotia. Our products are also available for purchase at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, the VG Farmers’ Market and the Lunenburg Farmers’ market. Felling better never tasted so great.

Where To Buy:
FARMERS’ MARKETS
RETAIL LOCATIONS

Roast Lamb

1 leg of Nova Scotia lamb (bone out)
2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic (purée)
4 sprigs of rosemary, bruised with blunt side of knife
salt and pepper

Push the garlic and rosemary into the cavity of the leg. Season the surface of the leg liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and then into a 300°F (180°C) oven. Roast for 2 hours. Finish the lamb under the broiler for about 15 minutes until the surface is nicely browned (a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 125°F (50°C) for medium rare). Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Potato Fricasee

¼ pound (115 g) bacon, cut into strips
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
2 pounds (900 g) new potatoes, cut into chunks
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
8 cups (2 L) chicken stock
½ pound (225 g) green beans

Cut bacon into small strips. Cook the bacon, keeping the fat and reserving the bacon for another use. Add potatoes to bacon fat, stirring the potatoes until coated. Add white wine, and cook out the alcohol. Add chicken stock to cover the potatoes. Cover and cook over med-low heat for 1 hour, until potatoes are tender. Add the green beans to the pot, stir and cook for 5 minutes more or until the green beans are tender. Serve with the lamb, garnished with a sprig of  rosemary (optional).

Serves 6-8 people.

Recipe provided by:

Chef Graeme Ruppel
Brooklyn Warehouse, Halifax

The 5th Annual Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival runs from September 16 – October 17, 2010 with  over 40 wine and food related events taking place throughout the province! The festival promotes Nova Scotia’s amazing wines and wineries. It also celebrates the harvest season and provides consumers with a month of entertaining wine and food events – including grape stomps, winemakers’ dinners, wine education seminars, cooking classes, accommodation packages and more.

For more information on the festival, including event listings visit:
www.nsfallwinefestival.ca

Seafood, wine, music and friends all in one place.Sounds like the best fish story ever.

If you enjoy fresh Nova Scotia seafood, then make your way to the Cunard Centre on June 19 and 20 for the Catch: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival. A festive, all-encompassing seafood eating experience, CATCH will be a showcase of Nova Scotia seafood products and the hottest culinary trends. If you love seafood, want to learn the latest culinary techniques, collect new recipes, shop, sample outstanding food and wine, don’t miss Nova Scotia’s premier Seafood event of the year!

Festival Highlights Include:
> Taste of Nova Scotia member booths
> Winery Association of Nova Scotia Wine Bar
> The Great CATCH Chef Competition
> The Food Network chefs Chuck Hughes (Chuck’s Day Off) and Anthony Sedlak (The Main)
> Fantastic fresh, local seafood
>  Recipes, recipes and more recipes!

For more information visit:

www.novascotiaseafoodfestival.com

The festival aims to encourage the enjoyment of our various local and seasonal food traditions. “There is a long, rich history here of making a living from the sea. We want to celebrate that and keep in touch with it – even as it changes…the goal here is to eat, drink and marvel at mussels.

• > Story-telling
  > Mussel farm tours
  > Wine tasting
  > Mussel samples
  > Touch tank
  > Restaurant specials
  > Indian Point farm grown live scallops
  > Oyster tasting

Click here for the complete event schedule.

Fast, fervent and fun, the second annual Taste of Nova Scotia Cutting Edge Culinary Competition took place from April 30 to May 2 at the annual Saltscapes Exposition. Ten Taste of Nova Scotia chefs faced-off on the culinary stage and executive chef Alan Crosby of White Point Beach Resort took home first prize.

“We are proud to be a Taste of Nova Scotia member and I personally enjoy showcasing the amazing variety and quality of the products available to us in Nova Scotia through our menu and special events,” says Crosby. “This competition gives me another chance to promote our local products and answer interesting culinary questions from the audience at the same time.”

Chef Crosby, like all the competing chefs, was given 45 minutes to create plates for three judges using his black box of Taste of Nova Scotia ingredients. Crosby’s mystery items included Clearwater scallops, Smeltzer’s honey, Tideview apple cider, Nova-Agri cabbage and Farmer John’s summer savory.

“The Cutting Edge is a fun and educational culinary competition,” says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. “It is audience-driven…members of the audience participate as sous chefs on stage, everyone is invited to vote for their favorite chef and competing chefs respond to audience questions ranging from their biggest cooking disaster to the kitchen utensil they can’t live without.”

Chef Alan Crosby finished the competition in first place with a score of 90.1. In second place, Chef Les Stevens from Crown Bistrot and Chef Terry Vassallo from Trattoria della Nonna tied with 87.7 points each.

Dueling chefs over the three days of Saltscapes included Chef Luis Clavel (Café 101), Chef Les Stevens (Crown Bistrot, Delta Halifax), Chef Terry Vassallo (Trattoria della Nonna), Chef Alan Crosby (White Point Beach Resort), Chef Renée Lavallée (Five Fishermen), Chef Graeme Ruppel (Brooklyn Warehouse), Chef Earlene Busch (Chanterelle Country Inn & Cottages), Chef Peter Welton (Port Pub & Bistro), Chef Jacqui Grobler (Keltic Lodge) and Chef Mark Gabrieau (Gabrieau’s Bistro).

This delicious recipe is as very simple and is sure to impress your guests. Try using different coloured beets to add variety and interest to your presentation.

1 Lb Beets
4 2oz Portions of goat cheese
¼ Cup pistachios – Shelled, skinned, and lightly crushed
2 Cups local salad greens

Chutney
1 Lb. Cranberries
1 Shallot – Finely minced
3Tbs. Maple Syrup
20oz Sugar
¼ Cup of Port
½ tsp Orange zest – finely grated

Sachet containing 1 slice ginger, 1Tbs. crushed coriander seed, ½ of a cinnamon stick, 4 carpels star anise

Vinaigrette
3 sprigs thyme
2T Sherry Vinegar
½ Tbs Dijon mustard
½ Cups extra virgin olive oil
1T Fresh tarragon – Chopped

Directions

For the beets: Wrap beets and thyme in aluminum foil and roast in 350°F oven until a small knife can be inserted into them with no resistance. Remove, cool, and peel slice beets

For the cheese: Slice goat cheese and roll edge of cheese in crushed pistachios

For chutney: combine the ingredients in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave for 30 min. Refrigerate overnight.

For vinaigrette: Put sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard in a bowl and slowly whisk in olive oil. Add tarragon and black pepper and toss beets with the vinaigrette

Yield: Serves 4

Provided by:
Chef Scott Vail, Executive Chef
‘Stories’ at The Halliburton

Welcome to Governors Pub & Eatery, a superb Cape Breton seafood restaurant renowned for its fresh-from-the-ocean seafood, home-cooked meals and fabulous, friendly service. Known for great music, Governors plays host to Atlantic Canada’s most talented Celtic traditional and indie bands on the club circuit today. You’ll find a warm and relaxing atmosphere in either the traditional comfort of our lively Irish-style pub upstairs or the ambience of the casual fine dining restaurant located on the first floor, with two outdoor patios overlooking spectacular Sydney Harbour.

The Library Pub & Merchant Wine Tavern is situated on a marquee corner of beautiful, downtown Wolfville. Its cozy, inviting atmosphere is as pleasurable as its menu, which strives to use only local, farm fresh, organic products in all items. With only the finest selection of premium import and domestic draft beers on tap, the Wine Tavern specializes in local wines, and cellars a fine international selection of new and old-world wines. All presented and served by the friendliest of staff, for you.