Agribition food pavilion celebrates homegrown Saskatchewan cuisine

When you hear the word Agribition, you might immediately think of rodeos, cowboy boots, horses and milking machines.

But this year, the people behind Agribition are also trying to make us think about food especially homegrown food.

The food pavilion at the show features demonstrations by Saskatchewan chefs who celebrate the variety of food our province has to offer.

It's also a chance for people to get tips on how to make the most of local ingredients found in your own kitchen.

Chef Aimee Schulhauser was one of the culinary minds taking part.

"Comfort food is where it's at," Schulhauser told Saskatchewan Weekend host Shauna Power. "Especially now [that] we're getting into winter."

Schulhauser, who runs Schoolhaus Culinary Arts in Regina, said education is everything.

"Doing the research and finding out what we have and what's out there," she said. "I was in Turkey eight years ago and I ate lentils that were from Saskatchewan. It was mind-blowing ... I had to travel 13 hours in a plane to eat something that was probably harvested an hour away or even closer."

Every hour between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. there's a different demonstration on the stage that celebrates Saskatchewan-grown food.

"You just get a real appreciation for what we actually have here," Schulhauser added. "You sometimes take it for granted and you import stuff or you buy exotic things. Well, over there, we're the exotic ones."

Pulse crop chili

On Saturday, Schulhauser took to the Agribition demonstration stage and made a pulse-crop chili.

"I find most people don't miss the meat," she said.

Schulhauser said the pulse crops (from the legume family) carry flavour very well.

In her recipe, she uses black, red, and green lentils. If you're feeling unsure about trying a new chili, Schulhauser shared a secret.

"Spice, spice and spice," she said, laughing. "The spices should be bold. What we do is buy them whole and grind them as we need them. They're going to be fresh. They're going to pop."

Schulhauser said she also likes "a good acid" in her recipe so either a tomato product or a squeeze of lime juice.