Make your Labour Day Weekend one to remember!

For 10 years, from 2011 to 2020, Merrickville’s Jazz Fest (MJF) proudly presented its “little gem of a festival” to enthusiastic audiences from the Village and nearby communities as well as from Ottawa and further out-of-town. For a lot of people, this was their first visit to Merrickville, and many of them happily returned every year to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the Village and the varied program of music. MJF was committed to presenting an almost exclusively jazz program that featured excellent concerts by up-and-coming and established Canadian artists from Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City as well as by some favourite local musicians. Entirely volunteer-run, and supported by ticket sales, donations and sponsorships, MJF eventually grew to become a respected and well-attended event that put Merrickville on the jazz festival map.

Although the pandemic and other circumstances led to the closing of MJF following the 10th Anniversary virtual presentation in 2020, a small group of MJF volunteer organizers have been working on an idea for a music event in the Village, and are now pleased to announce Jazz In Merrickville, an afternoon of jazz as a formal farewell to our beloved festival, and as a thank you to its many volunteers, supporters, audiences and artists.

Jazz In Merrickville takes place on Sunday, September 4, 2022 from noon until 4 pm. All the performers will use the same stage — the Lions Club Bandstand in Blockhouse Park — and there will be a number of MJF fan favourites as well as some new artists who will perform together throughout the afternoon. The event is FREE and all are welcome.

Save the date, Sunday, September 4, 2022, and help us celebrate MJF with a wonderful afternoon of jazz and community.

More information on the lineup of artists, concert schedule and anything else related to the event, is available on the MJF website at merrickville'sjazzfest.com and on social media.

The Food Corner

by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

For those of you who love sweet corn, this is a great time of year. Canning season is also an opportunity to lock up some of that great flavour in a sealer jar. So, continuing on from last week’s Cucumber Relish, this next recipe makes use of corn kernels, onions and red and green peppers, all great produce that is available from your garden or from your favourite grocery store. You are sure to enjoy Corn Relish as a condiment for a wide variety of foods come the fall and winter.

Corn Relish

Dressing Ingredients

2 cups of white vinegar

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of dry mustard

½ teaspoon celery seeds

½ teaspoon of Turmeric

½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

3 tablespoons of flour

Relish Ingredients

5 full cups of corn kernels

1 ½ cup of onion, finely chopped

1 cup of celery, finely chopped

1 cup of red pepper, diced

1 cup of green pepper, diced

Preparation

1. Bring all the dressing ingredients except the flour to a boil in a largish saucepan

2. Stir in the corn, onions and celery

3. Lower the heat and simmer for about a half hour while stirring frequently

4. Whisk the flour into 3 or 4 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the relish mixture

5. Add the red and green peppers, bring to a boil, stirring often until thickened (so, 5 –10 min)

6. Pour into sterilized canning jars (the 1 cup or 250 mL versions are common and work well)

7. Leave about a ½ inch of head space, seal and cool till the lids pop

This colourful relish can accompany pork and lamb dishes very well and is also nice with Tourtière around the festive season.

I do hope you are canning! Best from pcormier@ranaprocess.com.