From farm to table, we meet up with Andre from Greenbelt farms along with his daughter Emma at Chartier restaurant in Beaumont. We were welcomed in to the warm, barn wood atmosphere by owner Sylvia and her little one Rowan. It’s hard not to feel at home in the comforting space, dotted with colourful vintage dining chairs. The mustard yellow ones are my absolute favourite! The girls make their way to a perfectly set tea party where Chef Steve tells us about what we’ll be making: chicken tenders, chicken and dumplings and a lemon chicken sandwich with fresh sourdough.
Chariter is a charming example of a family-run restaurant that embraces farm fresh French-Canadian cuisine. For owners Darren and Sylvia Cheverie it’s all about experiencing food moments with their diners. Rustic, scratch made recipes are in no short supply and they even make their own bread, and pastries in-house. During our visit, we use Greenbelt chicken to begin fixing some crispy chicken tenders. Chef Steve even slips in a little bit of carrot puree into the egg mixture used to bread our chicken tenders. Chicken and dumplings is another favourite recipe of mine. I can remember sitting around my grandmother’s table eager to enjoy the roast chicken, veggies and soft doughy dumplings. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Chef Steve’s recipe would certainly make GiGi proud, with a homemade stock made from the best chicken bits and fresh aromatics.
We finish our tea party spread with an assembly-line of little chefs, sweetly putting together the delicious lemon-chicken sandwich, held together by the fresh and tart Chartier sourdough. Cela sweetly offers to lend little Rowan a hand as they work together to put the finishing touches on their culinary masterpiece. These girls had the best time helping Chef Steve make these delicious recipes, please check out our recipe cards for instruction on how to make them in your own kitchen:
From a third-generation Alberta farm, to a family-run small-town restaurant I couldn’t think of better examples of the GetJoyfull philosophy. By connecting directly with the faces behind the food we put on our tables, we build a stronger sense of pride in the meals we feed our own families. I want to thank Chartier for welcoming us in and Greenbelt Farms for teaching us about the care that goes into raising happy, healthy chickens. This GetJoyfull adventure wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Alberta Chicken Producers. Until next time don’t forget to Fill up on Family Time.
