Recipe Round-Up: Twelve Days of Taste Holiday Edition
The holidays are the perfect time to gather, celebrate, and share delicious moments around the table. Our Twelve Days of Taste recipe roundup brings together festive favourites, comforting classics, and Nova Scotia–inspired creations to help you plan every bite of the season. From elegant appetizers and cozy brunch dishes to celebratory sips and show-stopping desserts, these recipes are designed to make holiday hosting and enjoying extra special. Read on and enjoy!
Photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 1: Pear & Blue Cheese Flatbread
A perfect balance of sweet pears, tangy blue cheese, and aromatic rosemary, this gourmet-style flatbread delivers rich flavours in every bite. Serve it as a standout appetizer or a delicious main that feels both comforting and elevated.
Local Source Guide
Pizza dough: Morris East Restaurant
Cheese: Annapolis Fine Cheese, That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm
Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms, Masstown Market, Local Source Market
Honey: Cornect Family Farm
Recipe and photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 2: Blomidon Inn Brown Bread
A signature offering from the Blomidon Inn, this molasses oat bread captures the warmth and simplicity of traditional Nova Scotian baking. Its rich aroma, soft texture, and subtle sweetness make it a comforting addition to any meal. Share it fresh from the oven with a slab of butter or savour it throughout the week.
Recipe by Blomidon Inn
Photography by Crissie Brenton – Phototype Halifax
Day 3: Ironworks Cranberry Salt & Sea Martini
A festive sip with a Nova Scotia twist, this Cranberry Salt & Sea Martini from Ironworks Distillery is bright, balanced, and beautifully bold. Finished with a cranberry salt rim, it’s the perfect cocktail to shake up your holiday hosting or toast the season in style.
Recipe by Ironworks Distillery
Photography by Michelle Doucette
Day 4: Smoked Salmon Strata
Rich, comforting, and beautifully layered, this Smoked Salmon Strata is a standout addition to any brunch or holiday spread. With brie, brioche, fresh herbs, and smoked salmon baked into a soft, custardy finish, it’s a crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll return to all season long.
Local Source Guide
Brioche Bread: Boulangerie la Vendéenne
Brie: Annapolis Fine Cheese, Skye Glen Creamery
Milk: Fox Hill Cheese House, Knoydart Farm, Masstown Creamery, Skye Glen Creamery
Smoked Salmon: Afishionado Fishmongers, Clearwater Seafoods, Comeau’s Sea Foods Ltd, Dory Mate’s Seafood Shop, Fisherman’s Market International, Willy Krauch
Recipe and photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 5: Classic Savoury Stuffing
This is about as classic as it gets – a delicious, herby, salty stuffing to make you come back for seconds!
Local Source Guide
Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd, Masstown Market
Grocery: Boulangerie la Vendéenne, Masstown Market
Recipe and photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 6: Jarcuterie
‘Jarcuterie’ is all the fun of a grazing board, but in a single, portable serving. These cute appetizers are easy to make and are filled with the local ingredients and produce of your choice! This version was brought to us by Aimee Bourque.
Local Source Guide
Cheese: Annapolis Fine Cheese, Fox Hill Cheese House, Knoydart Farm, Masstown Creamery, Skye Glen Creamery, That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm
Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms, Masstown Market, Local Source Market
Bread: Boulangerie la Vendéenne, Local Source Market, Masstown Market, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet
Meat: Masstown Butcher, The Pork Shop
Fish: Afishionado Fishmongers, Clearwater Seafoods Ltd., Comeau’s Sea Foods Ltd., Evan’s Fresh Seafood, Fisherman’s Market International, Willy Krauch
Jams & Preserves: Cornect Family Farm, Helen B’s Preserves, Tangled Garden
Recipe and photography provided by Aimee Bourque
Day 7: Eggnog Cheesecake
Bring a little holiday magic to your dessert table with this creamy Eggnog Cheesecake. With a gingersnap crust and warm flavours of nutmeg and cinnamon, it’s the perfect festive showstopper.
Eggnog: Knoydart Farm, Masstown Creamery, Skye Glen Creamery
Gingersnaps: Local Source Market
Butter: Masstown Creamery
Recipe and photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 8: Oysters Rockefeller & Jost Tidal Bay
Nothing says “treat yourself!” like spinach and gruyere Oysters Rockefeller, and nothing says “treat yourself more!” like pairing it with Jost Vineyards’ Tidal Bay. Savoury, cheesy, and rich, these oysters are the perfect Friday evening treat to enjoy with a well-deserved glass of wine.
Local Source Guide
Jost Vineyards: Available for sale directly from Jost Vineyards, NSLC, or private liquor stores.
Oysters: Available at fish markets like Afishionado Fishmongers, Clearwater Seafoods Retail Stores, Evan’s Seafood, Fisherman’s Market International or Masstown Market‘s Catch of the Bay.
Day 9: Maple Miso Mustard Carrots
Sweet, savoury, and full of seasonal warmth, these carrots are the perfect complement to any holiday table.
Local Source Guide
Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd, Masstown Market, Local Source Market
Maple Syrup: Sugar Moon Farm, Acadian Maple Products
Recipe and photography provided by Jess Emin
Day 10: Panna Cotta with Icewine Marinated Dried Fruit
Treat yourself! This scrumptious dessert will become your go-to dessert for dinner parties. With notes of vanilla, fruit and icewine, one bite of this will have you dreaming of an afternoon on the pergola at Le Caveau Restaurant/Grand Pré Wines.
Local Source Guide
Grand Pré Vidal Icewine: Grand Pré Wines, at the winery or online store.
Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd, Masstown Market, Local Source Market.
Recipe provided by Chef Jason Lynch, Le Caveau Restaurant at Grand Pré Winery
Day 11: Homestyle Cranberry Sauce
Who says delicious recipes need to be complicated and time consuming? All you need to whip up this holiday staple are local cranberries and twenty minutes! You can stick to a classic cranberry sauce, or add orange peel, cinnamon, or local maple syrup for a twist.
Local Source Guide
Cranberries: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd, Masstown Market, Local Source Market.
Day 12: Compass Distillers Mule-Tide Carol
A festive twist on a seasonal favourite, this Mule-Tide Carol puts a spin on the classic Moscow Mule. With pomegranate-infused Compass Vodka, warming molasses syrup, fresh lime, and ginger beer, this cozy cocktail is perfect for winter gatherings and festive toasts.
Local Source Guide
Compass Vodka: Compass Distillers
Ginger Beer: Propeller Brewing Company
Recipe and photography provided by Compass Distillers
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