By Gabby Peyton
A sure sign of summer in the Maritimes is when there’s a pot of Hodge Podge bubbling on the stove. The veritable melting pot of seasonal ingredients celebrates the region’s best local produce, the changing seasons, and traditional family recipes — a real hodgepodge of nostalgia and love for local.
Summer stewing
Hodge Podge is a creamy stew made with the freshest of the fresh summer vegetables. New potatoes (the freshly harvested, smallish potatoes) are the most important component of the dish, with carrots coming in as a close second, followed by beans and peas. Some recipes call for green beans and wax beans, while others yellow beans or snow peas, but it really depends on what a cook finds in the garden or at the farmers’ market stall.
The milk-based broth is elevated with butter, salt and pepper along with fresh herbs like parsley, dill and chives — again it comes down to the cook’s kitchen. The ingredients are always a hodgepodge, a medley of freshness that varies from family to family and kitchen to kitchen. Many people make a pot and enjoy it reheated over several days. In fact, many people say Hodge Podge is better the next day as all the flavours have gotten to know each other better in the pot.
The history of Hodge Podge
Though Hodge Podge was introduced to North America (in particular the Maritimes) by European settlers, there are many early references to this summertime soup across Europe dating back as far as the 15th century. There are many variations of the stew (also known as a bunch of vegetables tossed into a pot) and many names for it in a variety of languages — in France the hochepot bubbles on the stove, the Dutch call it hutspot when they toss everything in the pot, and the Scottish slurp on hotch-potch.
Recipes for Hodge Podge started appearing on New Brunswick and Nova Scotian tables in the 1800s, particularly in rural areas and farming communities as more and more settlers arrived from Europe and the United States ready to farm. This coincided with the rise of farming in the Maritimes after the arrival of the Loyalists from the United States near the end of the 18th century.
These days most Maritimers whip up a pot of Hodge Podge when the seasonal veg is ready to go and they toss in whatever is fresh and available. Few follow a recipe. There are some recipes under the moniker Hodge Podge, but only in select community cookbooks, and in New Brunswick, many families actually refer to the dish as Albert’s County Goulash.
Regardless of the name, this seasonal stew is a comforting bowl for many Maritimers who look forward to eating it every summer. It tastes best in summer and at home.
Canadian Classic Dish: Hodge Podge
Ingredients
- 1 lb new potatoes, quartered
- 1 lb carrots, trimmed and cut in half (app. 4 medium carrots)
- 1 cup fresh green beans (30-40)
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- First, cook your vegetables. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Par-cook carrots and potatoes for five minutes until carrots and potatoes are fork tender, then blanch the peas and beans for about a minute in the same pot. Strain vegetables and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat, add vegetables, and cook to warm through.
- Add milk and cream and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and season with salt and pepper.
- Add dill and chives and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Hungry for more? Check out these Classic Canadian Dishes:
- In a Jam(Jam): The History of Jam Jams in Canada
- Triple Threat: A History of the Nanaimo Bar
- Delicious Squared: History of Date Squares
- The History of the Iconic Jiggs Dinner
- The History of Pea Soup in Canada
- The History of Baked Beans in Canada
- Meat Pie Magic: The History of Tourtière
- Classic Canadian Dishes: Pouding Chômeur
- Classic Canadian Dishes: The Lobster Roll
- Classic Canadian Dishes: Saskatoon Pie
- Classic Canadian Dishes: Cod au Gratin
- Dessert in a Bag: The History of Figgy Duff
- Canada’s Forgotten Dessert: The History of Flapper Pie
