Ahh June... depending on where you are in your life, this month can be as hectic as the December holidays! Graduations, garden work & planting, wrapping up school and other activities, getting homes and cottages ready for outdoor living and if you're lucky, making vacation plans. Strawberries and all the other good things are coming to our Farmer’s Markets and cooking outdoors becomes the norm. Is this the summer you will entertain more? Some of you are already there but many of us have let our hosting duties slip. You don't need a reason (Summer's arrival works) or how about a FIFA watch party (not like we know about soccer around here but who doesn't love a bandwagon)? Engagements, graduations or celebrating the return home (or departure) of loved ones. Keep it simple so you can enjoy yourself -- find a few tried and true recipes you can make without too much effort and/or supplement your menu with a couple store-bought items. Whatever you decide we say JUST DO IT!
At PCE we have transitioned to warmer weather fare in our prepared meals freezer. Even without summer travel plans we can take you around the world for dinner! Think Beef Provencal, Brazilian Moqueca, Korean Bulgogi, Lamb & Phyllo from Morocco or Sicilian Squash Stuffato to name a few. So many countries and no cruise ship ticket (or quarantine) required! If your tastes skew closer to home, we welcome the return of BBQ ready meats like skewers, flattened chickens and burgers. Check out our weekly board for new selections (which we sometimes don’t know about until they show up at the checkout desk!) Whatever you choose rest assured it's all made from scratch in house by our dedicated cooking team. Let the summer dining begin!
TEACHER GIFTS! Our teacher friends tell us they LOVE consumables which happens to be right up our alley. Let us help you with some personalized selections or a Gift Card in a little bag that always fits!
Father’s Day is June 21st – a time to honour the father figures in our lives. Somehow a BBQ theme is never wrong whether it’s the ready to go meats to eat on the day (ribs, marinated flank steak, burgers) or the tools or accoutrements to give as a gift for that hard to buy for guy (knives, flippers, tongs, favourite ingredients, a great apron). Cast iron items also seem to fit the bill - a cast iron pan, an enameled cast iron Brasier or a reversible griddle/grill pan (aka a "Plancha") can all be used on the BBQ, stovetop or in the oven. Pre-order your Father's Meal Kit by June 12th! See details below.
We end the month with Canada Day – technically in July but the holiday falls awkwardly in the middle of the week. This means we are left with another “Canada Day-ish Weekend” (a label we made up last year). Is the long weekend in June (June 27-28) or is it in July (July 4-5)? Or perhaps a Wednesday, July 1st hump day celebration is just fine. Only you can decide. However you salute Canada's birthday we'll have lots to choose from in the freezer and our pastry case and the odd predictable nod to our Maple Leaf.
JUNE EVENTS:
Saturday, June 11-14th - Springtide in Uxbridge
Sunday, June 15th - Father’s Day
Saturday, June 20th – Gardens of Uxbridge Tour
June 27th-28th / July 27-July 1st – The Canada Day-ish Weekend
Wednesday, July 1st – STORE CLOSED
STORE HOURS:
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Don't just walk by, drop in and say Hi!
Lisa
Father’s Day is for all men who love with a father’s heart.
—Linda Barnes
2026 Mid-Summer Cooking Classes!
"At press time" there was still room in the following summer classes:
Best of the Passionate Cook #1 - Tuesday, June 9th (7:00-9:30pm)
Best of the Passionate Cook #2 - Thursday, June 11th (12:00-2:30pm)
Feel free to be put on the waiting list for classes you really want. There are often cancellations and we always call waiting list parties first.
IN THE STORE
BACK IN TOWN!
CIPRIANI Bellini Mix
The Cipriani Bellini is a famous sparkling white peach cocktail invented in 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. The classic recipe blends EXACTLY 1/4 fresh white peach purée with 3/4 Prosecco. I don't think the Italian police would object to less precision -- it is just as lovely with sparkling water and a raspberry or fresh sliver of peach to garnish. (Though it does taste better in a beautiful glass ...)
FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL
Father's Day Shawarma Meal Kit
Celebrate Dad with our exclusive Father's Day Meal Kit! Featuring our always premium ingredients, each kit includes everything needed to prepare a restaurant-quality meal at home. Mona's signature marinated chicken shawarma skewers, perfectly seasoned and ready to barbecue, along with delicious Toum (garlic sauce) and Middle Eastern salad. Serves 4. $85
Please PRE-ORDER BY JUNE 12TH
(A limited number of kits will be available on Father's Day weekend so to avoid disappointment, pre-orders preferred).
Whether he'll be the grill master or not, this delicious meal makes the perfect gift to show your appreciation.
L'Artisan Boulangerie will be re-stocked June 9th!
exceptional french Dijon mustard
Edmond Fallot Mustard
Edmond Fallot is a mustard steeped in tradition and history. You may not care that the seeds and white wine from the Burgundy region used in its making have earned it the 'PGI' designation (protected geographic indication) or that the process has been handed down from generation to generation since 1840. You just need to know it is good and available in Dijon, Provencale Dijon and Green Peppercorn Dijon.
Dijon mustard...a critical ingredient in every cook's arsenal!
SO SAUCY!
Maison Potier Sauces
These small batch, ready to heat "mother sauces" from Provence, France are the perfect item to have in your pantry when you lack the time or energy to make them from scratch! Sauce Hollandaise and Sauce Beurre Blanc & Lemon cover (pun intended) all the bases. Asparagus or other fresh market veg, fish, meats, rice or eggs benny would all be great. While we are talking sauce, there's also a Sauce Dijonnaise from Fleur D'Olive. Check them out on our back wall with all the other culinary treasures!
Compound Butters are back!
In our quest to bring you seasonal offerings, we have resumed making small batch compound butters which correspond to what's happening in nature. Last month had our chefs foraging for ramps in the woods and this month's selection will be Beurre du Printemps - an infusion of chive flowers, garlic, lemon, tarragon, salt and pepper. Such an elegant finishing touch on the season's asparagus or anywhere else a little "somethin somethin" is called for.
CHEESE NEWS
You choose what you want or we are happy to make the choices for you. Prices are based on the weight of the products chosen and we can work within whatever your budget is. Are you looking for crowd pleasing favourites for 12 or a higher end curated board for a small gathering with foodie friends? Either way we will make it look fabulous with the addition of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, olives, chutney and garnish. All you need to do is remove the lid and it is ready to roll! Let the nibbling begin!
NEW CHEESES:
FONTINA from Italy - made from the Valdostana cows that graze at the foot of Mont Blanc. This cheese dates back to the middle ages and is said to take it's name from the family "Fontin". Taste mild, nutty flavours from the herbaceous pastures on which the cows graze. Use in pizza, pasta, polenta or risotto. Pairs beautifully with full bodied red wine.
EWEPHORIA from the Netherlands - This sheep's milk extra aged, gouda style cheese is from the Friesland region. Celebrated for its buttery mouthfeel, rich butterscotch and caramel notes, it has a satisfyingly crunchy texture created by crystalized milk proteins. Pair with Merlot, port or hearty beer.
QUESO COTIJA - El Senor Quesero - this delicious salty and crumbly cheese is used in many Mexican dishes. Get that authentic flavour on tacos, beans, enchiladas. Available in our Grab'n'Go refrigerator.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
