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Attendance tops 250 as record $48,000 raised to help animals at society
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SEP 01 13 – 11:30 AM — Last Sunday’s annual Summer Harvest Garden Party to raise money for the Ottawa Humane Society in memory of the late chef, Kurt Waldele, saw a 25-per-cent increase in attendance, as well as record money raised at the 13th edition — this time held on the rooftop of the iconic National Arts Centre where Waldele served as its executive chef 31 years before he passed away in 2009.
As estimated 250 supporters at $125 each ($75 tax receipt was given) were treated to varied and high-end gourmet food and drink. And, oh, what a tasty afternoon it was.
“The chefs absolutely outdid themselves this year,” says Bruce Roney, society executive director. “If was by far the best garden party yet.
“Of course, the real winners in this are not just the guests but the animals what will be helped by the proceeds.”
The humane society, which each year assists an estimated 11,000 animals in distress, was the charity beloved by the late chef Waldele, who hosted fundraising garden parties with his wife, Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin, at their home in Cumberland beginning in 1997. Over the years those parties have raised more than $450,000 — a tradition that was continued by Waldele’s friends following the chef’s death. In 2011 and 2012 the late-summer parties were held at the society’s new headquarters on Hunt Club Road, but this year moved to more expansive and impressive space with a view of the Rideau Canal at the NAC.
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Above centre, executive chef Tim Wasylko of the prime minister’s residence prepares albacore tuna lettuce wrap with watermelon salsa and avocado dressing.
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Top, Tim Wasylko’s albacore tuna lettuce wrap with watermelon salsa and avocado dressing. Bottom, from chef John Morris at the NAC, brown butter-seared wild BC halibut, Acorn Creek Farms rainbow swiss chard, melted leek and crushed pink peppercorn.
At the same event, NAC executive chef John Morris also unveiled a plaque in Waldele’s memory that will hang at Le Café restaurant, which the late chef oversaw for more than three decades.
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Left, Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin started the humane society fundraising parties with husband Kurt Waldele in 1997 at their home in Cumberland, Ont. Right, NAC executive chef John Morris unveils plaque that honours Kurt Waldele to hang at the NAC’s Le Café restaurant.
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In all, I counted $17,000 raised for six items auctioned by Ryan Watson (photo, right) of Raising the Bid, which specializes in charity and benefits fundraising. Most expensive was $4,500 paid for what was billed as a “Head of State Dinner” for 20 people hosted by former Canadian ambassador Larry Dickenson and his wife, Margaret Dickenson, an award-winning cookbook author, served by some of the capital’s official chefs that folks don’t ordinary get to meet. Executive chefs include Tim Wasylko of the prime minister’s residence; Louis Charest of the governor general’s residence; Neil Dewan of the British High Commission residence; and Matt Cook of the Australian High Commission residence.
Many among the 25 chefs (plus volunteer helpers) Sunday have been with the annual garden party for years, dating well back to its Cumberland days. Among them is Cory Haskins, executive chef now 14 years at the Rideau Club, who served as line cook under Waldele in 1992-93.
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Top, Rideau Club staff plate Cory Haskins’ riff on a popular dish he used to help Waldele serve in the early 1990s. This version is pan-seared prawns and ancient grain cake, shaved fennel, sweet pepper puree and Pernod emulsion.
“Kurt and I always used to do shrimp Pernod together at various NAC events — I was his helper at the time — and it was very popular at the annual Wine & Food Show,” Haskins says.
“We used to serve it with steamed white and wild rice, so what we doing here today is a risotto cake with red rice and quinoa topped with deep-fried wild rice. Then we’ve got sautéed shrimp and added piquillo pepper coulis and a little tri-coloured carrot salad with baby fennel.”
Check out the fine food served, below, and be aware of my dilemma — I simply cannot show them all.
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Top left: From chef Louis Charest of the governor general’s residence, also partner in The Big Easy Seafood & Steakhouse, yellow perch fillet on injera flatbread, piri piri seared perch fillet morsels, wild leek mustard rémoulade, edamame sambal, tomato basil olive oil, serrano cilantro pesto, coconut aioli, Ontario Woodland’s masala. Top right, chef Louis Charest plating his dish. Bottom right, from K W Catering and Events at the National Gallery, doughnut dipped in coffee ganache with Irish cream sphere, coffee milk foam, mikado stir stick and coffee sugar snow. Bottom left, K W executive chef Ian Carswell plates with cook Tessa Turcotte.
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From Natasha Kyssa at SimplyRaw Express, spicy Thai salad with cabbage, cashews, lime, sesame, hot pepper.
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Unique to Ottawa from Heinrich Stubbe of Stubbe Chocolates: raw single-origin Colombian cacao beans, caramelized and coated in chocolate, then rolled in 100-per-cent cocoa. Highly recommended, chocoholics can try them at the store on Dalhousie Street at $6 for 50 grams, or $12 for 100 grams.
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Top, from chef Kyle Mortimer-Proulx at ZenKitchen, salad of beets, pickled heirloom carrots, olive oil and cruched cucumber, cashew cheese, kale, blueberry mostarda and Harvey & Vern’s ginger beer. Bottom from chef Michael Blackie at NEXT in Stittsville, crispy aromatic green papaya salad, fried vermicelli, miso ginger vinaigrette, peanut.
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Spicy salmon tartare maki roll from chef John Leung at Steak Modern Steak & Sushi. Bottom, sushi servers L-R Isabelle Boutet and Seline Leclair.
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From top: From chef Nippi Chhatwhal of Ishina Indian Cuisine, chicken on naan with pickled daikon chutney, cilantro, homemade paneer. Centre, by chef Simon Bell of Oz Kafé, smoked wild haddock, buttermilk biscuit, crème fraîche, sumac, sorrel, marinated heirloom beets and poppy seeds. Bottom from chef Danny Mongeon of Hooch Bourbon House, duck carpaccio, sponge toffee, house queso, pickled peach, edamame purée, beet vinaigrette.
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Top, by chef Connor McQuay at Back Lane Café, smoked duck pastrami, fennel-onion pickles and date compote on curried shortbread. Bottom, from chef Kenton Leier at the Weston Ottawa, melt-in-your-mouth roast Black Angus tenderloin with caramelized shallot and tomato jam . crumbled Quebec blue cheese.
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Twitter: @roneadeée
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