American World Traveler Winter 2020-21 Issue

52
at the front desk. Taking a farm tour is a
good way to experience an understanding
of the family’s commitment to sustainable
farming and environmentally friendly farming
techniques.
On this summer’s afternoon, Culinary Team
Leader, Jay Nutt, prepared a memorable
gourmet farm-to-table lunch to host my
travel writers’ road-trip tour. A graduate of
the culinary program at the Northern
Alberta Institute of Technology, Jay is the former
owner of Nuttshell Nextdoor Cafe in
nearby Lakefield and co-author of several
cookbooks with his wife, Jennifer
MacKenzie, a food writer and recipe developer.
Find your farm-to-lakefront cottage getaway at Elmhirst’s Resort
Know someone with a cottage? Now
you do. Escape to Elmhirst’s Resort
on Rice Lake in the Kawarthas and
you’ll receive a warm, family style welcome.
This four-seasons cottage resort in Keene,
Ontario, a quick 20-minute drive from
Peterborough and only 90 minutes from
Toronto, has been a family affair for over a
century.
Elmhirst’s Resort offers a unique farm-totable
experience in a hybrid farm and lakefront
cottage setting. Cottages overlook Rice
Lake, each with a private balcony, barbecue
and dock. A recent round of renovations
included having the wood burning fireplaces
replaced with electric. There’s an indoor and
outdoor pool and fitness centre, and a fullservice
spa with DoTERRA essential oils. You
can even sneak in a round of golf at the 18-
course Bellmere Winds Golf Course next
door.
by Cherie DeLory
A private landing strip is accessible in the
nearby field for private aerial sightseeing
tours. There’s horse-back riding, and to
really get into the spirit of the cowboy way,
you can partake in a hearty, country “cowboy
breakfast” in the pasture.
An intimate, rustic wine cellar is tightly
stocked with local Ontario wines for tastings
and corporate events, and you can order
fresh vegetables from the garden and meat
from the farm to personally grill at your cottage.
Dine in the Hearthside Dining room,
with calming views of Rice Lake and the
soothing crackling sounds from the wood
burning stone fireplace, or settle in at the
Wild Blue Yonder Pub & Patio for a trip down
nostalgia lane where family aviation
mementos are on display. Elmhirst’s Own
Angus Beef is bred and raised on the farm,
as are turkeys, Pekin ducks and chickens.
Fresh eggs and honey are available for sale
Jay greeted us at the garden with a cool gin
cocktail from Peterborough-based Black’s
Distillery, blended with rhubarb ginger syrup
and lemonade. Lunch is “representative of
our farm, gardens and local suppliers,” he
says. And he’s certainly spoiled for choice
with veggies from the garden the likes of
squash, swiss chard, radishes, and asparagus
in the spring. “We plan on drying our
herbs later this summer and making relishes
and preserves with surplus vegetables.”
We were treated to a colourful medley of
grilled vegetables, wild rice salad, puff pastry
strudel of Elmhirst’s Own duck leg with
caramelized onions, a vegetarian friendly
strudel with southwestern black bean and
sweet potato, house-smoked Linwood Acres
rainbow trout with pickled onions and
horseradish mayo, and Elmhirst's Own
grilled and chilled rib-eye steak.
I could barely remove myself from the table
to head outside for Kawartha Dairy ice
cream sundaes topped with homemade
giant chocolate-coated peanut butter balls,
whipped cream, and chocolate and caramel
sauce. However, we were on a strict schedule.
No time to linger and wallow in the
pleasures of the moment. I’ll leave that for
next time. Perhaps a Thanksgiving feast set
amidst the fall foliage.
https://elmhirst.ca/
American World Traveler Winter 2020-21