Roasted carrots with rosemary honey, bacon, goat cheese and smoked almonds by Chef Pascal Turgeon of Restaurant Tandem

Need a little comfort to get through the cold snap ahead? The Tastet team met with Chef Pascal Turgeon of Restaurant Tandem to bring you a flavorful, colorful recipe showcasing local ingredients.

In 2022, Ericka Soleilhac and Pascal Turgeon, co-owners of restaurant Tandem, made a major decision: after more than 10 years in Montreal’s Villeray neighbourhood, they moved their restaurant to Verchères on the South Shore, onto a small piece of land where they now grow their own vegetables, edible flowers, and fresh herbs.

The importance of sourcing locally is nothing new for the couple. Proof of this is that their restaurant has been part of the Aliments du Québec au menu program since its very early days. Whether it’s vegetables, cheese, meat, or fish, they always seek to know the origin of the products featured on their menu.

“We really like supporting things that are small and accessible, in a way. That’s where the idea of having our own garden came from—to challenge ourselves in the kitchen and truly follow what the garden yields week after week,” Pascal tells us.

The carrot takes center stage!

It was in fact the late harvests from the garden that inspired the recipe Pascal shares with us. Last fall’s milder weather made it possible to extend the period of abundance a little longer. “These are carrots that I grew and harvested after the first snowfall. I also harvested beets, rosemary, cabbage, green onions… I harvested a lot of things,” he explains.

“In the spirit of garden-to-plate cooking, one of the challenges is making vegetables appealing,” the chef continues. “So we added pancetta to make it indulgent and basil for freshness.”

A challenge successfully met, since, according to Pascal, this dish regularly ranks among the restaurant’s customer favorites. “It’s fun to give vegetables the recognition they deserve,” he says proudly.

Enjoy!