Old-Fashioned Kitchen

08/24/2026

Nova Scotia Hodge Podge

There are dishes you can find almost anywhere, but there are dishes that belong to Nova Scotia. Hodge Podge is one of them.

Despite its unusual name, Hodge Podge isn't simply a jumble of vegetables. For generations, it marked one of the happiest moments of the gardening season. It was when the first new potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, and other fresh vegetables were finally ready to harvest.

The word hodge-podge has been around for centuries in Britain, describing a mixture of foods. But here in Nova Scotia, it became something entirely our own. A rich, creamy vegetable supper that celebrated the abundance of midsummer gardens.

Every family had their own version. Some added turnip, some preferred more peas than beans, and everyone seemed to have an opinion about how much cream belonged in the pot.

This is a thicker, creamier version, the type I remember from my childhood. The kind that coats every vegetable instead of swimming around them.

Nova Scotia Hodge Podge
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1½ lbs new potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large
2 cups fresh shelled peas
2 cups yellow string beans, snapped into pieces
2 cups carrots, sliced
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream (35%)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

In a large pot, cook the potatoes and carrots in lightly salted water for about 10 minutes. Add the string beans and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the fresh shelled peas and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until all the vegetables are just tender. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the reserved cooking liquid, then the milk and cream. Stir until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.Stir in the salt and pepper.

Gently fold the vegetables back into the cream sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is heated through. Finish with the parsley and, if using, add the fresh dill.

Serve with warm homemade biscuits, fresh bread, or alongside baked ham if you're feeding a crowd.

Some meals fill your stomach. Others remind you exactly what time of year it is. For many Nova Scotians, Hodge Podge does both.

What always went into your family's Hodge Podge? Was it just the garden vegetables? Or was there one ingredient that made your version special?

08/23/2026

Old-Fashioned Dilly Beans

Before freezers filled every basement, preserving the summer harvest wasn't just a hobby. It was how families made sure the taste of the garden lasted well into winter.

So, when the bean rows were producing faster than anyone could eat them, out came the canning kettle, the vinegar, the dill, and the jars. A few hours of work in August meant crisp, tangy dilly beans on the table months later.

If you've never made them before, here's a classic recipe that's as dependable today as it was generations ago.

Old-Fashioned Dilly Beans
Makes: About 4 pint (500 mL) jars
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh yellow string beans, washed and trimmed to fit the jars
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 fresh dill heads (or 4 tsp dill seed)
2 tsp pickling salt (½ tsp per jar)

For the Brine
2½ cups 5% acidity white vinegar
2½ cups water

Wash 4 500 mL (pint) canning jars. Prepare the new lids according to the manufacturer's directions. It used to be boiling them, but some shouldn't be, so please read the instructions on your jars.

Bring a large canner of water to a boil. Place one garlic clove, one dill head (or 1 tsp dill seed), and ½ teaspoon pickling salt into each jar. Pack the string beans upright into the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.

In a saucepan, combine the vinegar and water. Bring the brine to a full boil. Carefully pour the boiling brine over the beans, maintaining the ½ inch headspace. Remove any trapped air bubbles with a non-metallic utensil and adjust the headspace if needed.

Wipe the jar rims clean, apply the lids, and tighten the bands to fingertip tight. Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start timing once the water returns to a full rolling boil). Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check that each lid has sealed before storing.

For the best flavour, let the jars sit for at least two weeks before opening. Stored in a cool, dark place, properly sealed jars are best enjoyed within a year.

So, what's the first thing you preserve each summer? Beans, cucumbers, beets, or something else?

Old-Fashioned Kitchen note: if you live above 1,000 feet (above sea level), you may need to adjust the standard 10-minute processing time.

08/22/2026

Buttered New Potatoes with Garden Parsley

There are few things that taste more like a Maritime summer than the first new potatoes dug straight from the garden. Unlike storage potatoes, new potatoes are harvested while they're still young. Their skins are so thin they rub off with your thumb, and their sweet, delicate flavour needs little more than butter and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

But, how do you know they're ready? You don't have to wait for the whole crop to mature. Once the plants begin to flower, or shortly after, they're usually producing small, tender new potatoes underground. Simply reach into the side of the hill with your hand or a small garden fork and gently lift a few potatoes, leaving the rest of the plant to continue growing if you'd like a later harvest of full-sized potatoes.

Sometimes the best meals come from just digging what you need for supper.

Buttered New Potatoes with Garden Parsley
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh new potatoes
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp coarse salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper

Gently wash the potatoes. There's no need to peel them, the tender skins are one of the best parts. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold, salted water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into the largest potato. Drain them well and return the potatoes to the warm pot for a minute to let any excess moisture evaporate. Add the butter and gently toss until every potato is coated. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve alongside grilled pork chops, fresh fish, roast chicken, or simply enjoy them on their own with an extra pat of butter. Sometimes the freshest ingredients need the fewest additions.

When you were growing up, did the first new potatoes of the season get served with butter, cream, or gravy?

08/21/2026

Mackerel Week – Day 5
Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta with Garlic, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes & Parmesan

Every summer, Atlantic mackerel return to our coastal waters for one simple reason. The table is set for them. As the ocean warms, life explodes beneath the surface. Tiny plankton multiply, feeding swarms of copepods and krill. Those, in turn, feed schools of baitfish like sand lance (often called sand eels), young herring, and capelin. Before long, the mackerel arrive to feast on this incredible abundance.

It's one of nature's great seasonal cycles. Healthy populations of small baitfish support healthy schools of mackerel, and healthy mackerel become part of the rich food web that has sustained Atlantic Canada for generations.

Today's recipe takes this remarkable fish in a Mediterranean direction, pairing its rich flavor with garlic, spinach, sweet cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and Parmesan for a simple supper that's both comforting and fresh.

Ingredients:
4 fresh mackerel fillets
12 oz spaghetti or linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.

Season the mackerel with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and gently flake into large pieces.

In the same skillet, sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted. Add the cooked pasta along with a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss everything together.

Fold in the flaked mackerel, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan at the table.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Tip: Mackerel has enough natural richness that a light olive oil sauce is all it needs. The tomatoes add brightness, the spinach adds freshness, and the Parmesan brings everything together without overpowering the fish.

Atlantic mackerel have followed this annual feast for thousands of years. Every summer, warming waters and abundant baitfish draw them back to our shores, it's a reminder that the Atlantic isn't just a body of water, but a living, connected ecosystem where every species plays its part.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Question: If you could spend one summer afternoon watching the ocean beneath a wharf, you'd be amazed at the life below. What's the most memorable thing you've ever seen while fishing or looking into the water along our coast?

08/20/2026

Mackerel Week – Day 4
Crispy Mackerel Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw & Lime Crema

Atlantic mackerel are built for speed. Their sleek, torpedo-shaped bodies and deeply forked tails allow them to travel great distances and chase schools of small baitfish through the Atlantic. Unlike many fish that can rest on the bottom, mackerel must keep moving almost constantly. As they swim, water flows over their gills, supplying the oxygen they need to stay active.

If you've ever hooked a mackerel, you've probably noticed that determination. Pound for pound, they're one of the hardest-fighting fish you'll catch from a wharf or small boat. That same active lifestyle helps create the firm, flavorful flesh that makes fresh mackerel so delicious.

Today we're taking this classic Maritime fish in a fresh direction with crispy fish tacos. It's proof that mackerel is just as at home in a modern kitchen as it is in a traditional one.

Ingredients:
For the Mackerel
4 fresh mackerel fillets, skin removed if preferred
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cabbage Slaw
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 carrot, grated
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt

Lime Crema
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon lime juice
Pinch of salt

To Serve
8 small flour or corn tortillas
Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Mix the flour with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pat the mackerel dry and coat each piece lightly in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Break into large flakes.

Toss the cabbage, carrot, herbs, lime juice, olive oil, and salt together. Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, and salt to make the crema. Warm the tortillas.

Fill each tortilla with crispy mackerel, top with cabbage slaw, drizzle with lime crema, and serve with extra lime wedges.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Tip: Fresh mackerel has enough natural richness that it doesn't need a heavy batter. A light, crispy coating lets the fish remain the star while adding just the right amount of crunch.

Atlantic mackerel have spent thousands of years racing through our coastal waters in tightly synchronized schools. They're among the Atlantic's fastest and most agile fish, and after one bite, it's easy to understand why they've been prized by Maritime families for generations.

Question: Have you ever caught a mackerel that surprised you with how hard it fought? Tell us where you were fishing!

08/19/2026

Mackerel Week – Day 3
Oven-Roasted Herb Mackerel with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Baby Potatoes

If you ask someone who fished for mackerel 40 or 50 years ago, there's a good chance they'll tell you, "The big ones were a lot bigger back then." I think personally, the largest one that I've ever caught was about eighteen inches, but I know my dad had caught bigger ones.

Atlantic mackerel can live for 20 years or more and grow to over 24 inches long, weighing more than 6 to 7 pounds under ideal conditions. Those truly giant mackerel are uncommon today. Most fish caught recreationally in Atlantic Canada are in the 10–14 inch range, with larger fish becoming much less common than they once were.

The biggest mackerel are generally older fish. Like many wild species, they need time to reach their full size, and protecting enough mature fish helps ensure healthy populations for future generations. But, whether they're large or small, fresh Atlantic mackerel remains one of the finest fish you'll ever put on the supper table.

Today's recipe lets the oven do most of the work, roasting everything together in one pan until the vegetables are sweet, the potatoes are golden, and the mackerel is perfectly flaky.

Ingredients:
For the Sheet Pan
4 fresh mackerel fillets
1½ pounds baby potatoes, halved
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the baby potatoes with half the olive oil, half the herbs, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and gently stir.

Brush the mackerel with the remaining olive oil and season with the garlic, remaining herbs, salt, and pepper. Nestle the fillets in among the vegetables. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve immediately with the roasted tomatoes spooned over the fish and potatoes.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Tip: Mackerel is naturally rich in healthy oils, so it stays wonderfully moist in the oven. Roasting the fish with the vegetables allows all those delicious juices to mingle, creating a simple supper with very little cleanup.

There was a time when stories of "arm-length mackerel" were common along Maritime wharves. While fish of that size are rare today, seeing healthy schools return each summer is a reminder of why careful stewardship matters, so future generations can enjoy the same excitement of a fresh mackerel supper.

Question: What's the biggest mackerel you've ever caught? Or the biggest one you've ever seen? We'd love to hear your stories!

08/18/2026

Mackerel Week – Day 2
Maple Mustard Grilled Mackerel

It's just a bit about mackerel that you may not have known. One of the reasons Atlantic mackerel has been such an important fish for generations is that it's always on the move.

Mackerel are highly migratory schooling fish, travelling in enormous schools that can stretch for kilometres. Each spring, as the Atlantic Ocean begins to warm, they move north along the East Coast, following schools of small baitfish such as herring, capelin, and sand lance. By summer, they're feeding in the cool, food-rich waters off Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Come autumn, as the water cools again, the schools begin their journey south to spend the winter in deeper offshore waters before repeating the cycle the following year. This is kind of why you hear every year around this time, “are the mackerel back?” It's just a signal that they're repeating their cycle and they're back in our area now.

For generations, Maritime communities knew this rhythm well. When the mackerel arrived, people knew summer had truly begun. Families headed to wharves, beaches, and breakwaters with simple rods, hand lines, and shiny jigs, often catching enough fish in an afternoon for supper and to share with neighbours.

Today, we're giving this classic fish a modern Maritime twist with maple and mustard. Two flavours that beautifully complement mackerel's rich, buttery taste.

Ingredients:
4 fresh mackerel fillets
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon apple c***r vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of salt
Chopped fresh parsley

To Serve:
Grilled corn on the cob
Garden bean salad
Lemon wedges (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, both mustards, olive oil, c***r vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Pat the mackerel fillets dry and brush generously with the glaze. Preheat the barbecue to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill. Grill the fillets skin-side down for about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip, brush with a little more glaze, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately with grilled corn and a crisp bean salad.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Tip: Because mackerel is naturally rich in healthy oils, it stays moist on the barbecue. High heat also crisps the skin beautifully while keeping the flesh tender and flaky.

Every summer, those silver schools return to Atlantic Canadian waters, just as they have for thousands of years. Long before modern fish finders and GPS, experienced fishers watched the birds, the tides, and the shimmering water to know when the mackerel had arrived.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Question: Have you ever watched a school of mackerel flash beneath a wharf or beside a boat? It's a sight that's hard to forget.

08/17/2026

Mackerel Week – Day 1
Old-Fashioned Pan-Fried Mackerel with New Potatoes, Garden Carrots & Fresh Dill

If there was one fish that truly belonged to the people of Atlantic Canada, it was mackerel. Even me, as a kid, I remember going to the wharf in Pictou and fishing mackerel right off the wharf. I can also remember going out with my dad and his friends on a boat and fishing mackerel offshore. It was just part of what people did.

You see, long before salmon became the star of restaurant menus, families gathered on wharves, rocky shorelines, and in small boats each summer to catch Atlantic mackerel. They were plentiful, affordable, and delicious. A bucket of fresh mackerel could mean supper that night and enough left over for tomorrow's lunch.

Rich in healthy oils, mackerel has a deeper flavor than cod or haddock and a tender texture that becomes wonderfully crisp when pan-fried. It's one of those fish that doesn't need fancy ingredients. It just needs fresh butter, a hot pan, and vegetables straight from the garden.

Today's recipe is about as Maritime as summer gets.

Ingredients:
For the mackerel
4 fresh mackerel fillets
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the vegetables
2 pounds new potatoes
1 bunch young garden carrots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Scrub the new potatoes and simmer in salted water until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Scrub the young carrots and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with butter, dill, salt, and pepper.

Pat the mackerel fillets dry. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lightly coat each fillet in the seasoned flour. Heat the butter and oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the fillets skin-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin becomes beautifully crisp. Turn carefully and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, just until the fish flakes easily.

Serve immediately alongside the buttered new potatoes and dill carrots.

Old-Fashioned Kitchen Tip: Fresh mackerel is at its very best the day it's caught. If your fish is incredibly fresh, keep the seasoning simple and let its rich, clean flavor speak for itself.

There's a reason so many Maritime families looked forward to mackerel season every summer. It wasn't just about catching fish. It was about spending the day on the water, coming home with enough for everyone, and gathering around the table for a meal that tasted like the Atlantic itself.

Did your family ever go mackerel fishing? If so, where was your favourite spot to cast a line?

08/17/2026