One might wonder what could have lured me, a city-girl who is not an appreciator of country-life, to spend five hours (return trip) traversing an Ontario highway to spend the day at Littlejohn farm in Picton, Ontario.
They had made me an offer I could not refuse: an invitation to the Summer Harvest Celebration, a one-day culinary collaboration showcasing the province’s seasonal bounty and the people shaping its dining scene.
At mid-day we step off the bus into another world. An expanse of grass, trees and wildflowers indigenous to the landscape, and, like a scene in a movie, a toddler making mud-pies with all the seriousness of a French Pâtisserie. We stroll along, inhaling the fresh country air after a brief rain shower, and arrive at a vine-covered terrace, set with dining tables and chairs.
Eager to greet us is an acclaimed lineup of Ontario Chefs, hosted by chef, sommelier and farmer Zach Littlejohn, who has created an intimate farm experience featuring culinary talent from some of Canada’s most celebrated restaurants and bars:
· Lai Wah Heen, celebrated Toronto destination for elevated Cantonese cuisine and featured on Chinese Restaurant Awards Elite 30 CANADA 2025 Top 50 Honourees. Heyden Sin, Executive Chef
· Aburi TORA, known for modern Japanese dining and aburi sushi, and featured on Eater's 38 Best Restaurants in Toronto 2025. Young Son, Head Chef
· Miku Toronto, renowned for Japanese cuisine and refined waterfront dining, and 2025 OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award. Ben Nam, Sous Chef; Oliver Robles, General Manager
· Lyla Toronto, contemporary coastal Mediterranean restaurant inspired by the culinary traditions of Southern Europe, featured on Foodism’s 23 Best Restaurants in Toronto for 2026. Daniel Kim, Executive Chef; Seungho Jeon, Sous Chef; Walter Reis, Head Bartender and Bar Manager
· Radici Project, ranked No. 7 on Toronto Life’s 2026 Best New Restaurants list. Emiliano Del Frate, Co-Owner and Head Chef
· No Vacancy, named Canada’s 100 Best’s Best New Bar, ranked No. 14 on Canada’s 100 Best Bars list,and No. 82 on the extended North America’s 50 Best Bars list. Brian Kang, Head Chef
· 156 ONE FIVE SIX, Michelin-recommended Korean fusion restaurant. Myeongseok Jeong, Head Chef and Partner
· Odd Duck, Michelin-featured wine bar and farm-to-table restaurant. Jon Rennie, Culinary Director
· Lunch Lady Toronto, featured on Canada’s 100 Best Recommends List 2026. Allan Lu, Chef de Cuisine
· Littlejohn Farm, Zach Littlejohn, Chef, Sommelier and Farmer; Luhana Littlejohn, Curator of Experiences, Events and Business Development
Each participating chef is creating canapés exclusively for the event, interpreting ingredients grown and harvested at Littlejohn Farm through their own culinary traditions, techniques and perspectives.
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
Each Chef’s table offers extraordinary two-bite size, jewel-like delicacies that mere descriptive words could not do justice. What can one say about Lai Wah Heen’s glistening wine-colored jelly orbs filled with silken foie gras, or Lunch Lady’s crisp savoury tuna tartlets. We cross from one table to the next, eyes glazed, palates astounded and excited, balancing wine goblets in one hand and luscious morsels in the other. Words fail me.
I watch an enthusiastic social influencer run across the field to the big wooden barn, camera in hand, shouting “they’re milking the goats!” My advice would be, don’t startle the goats or they won’t give milk.
A momentary rain shower does not dampen our spirits as we duck under the covered terrace for an early dinner prepared by our host Zach Littlejohn.
A market garden of over a dozen fresh vegetables have been ever-so-casually arranged and presented on the dining tables by Chefs Heyden Sin, Peony Cen, and Jon Rennie with the thought that someone might want some munchies before dinner.
Zach LittleJohn begins his Dinner Menu with oven-fresh Sourdough Bread with whipped butter and tiny crystals of Maldon Salt. Bread is the classic mainstay of any country dinner, and it did not fail to satisfy. We beg for more to enjoy with the Farmhouse Terrine of Snow crab, bistro egg and tangy remoulade. Showcasing the farm in the main course, is a choice of roast chicken or roast Heritage piglet. There are those who ask for a bit of both, and who could blame them? We over-fill our plates with lush Linzer potatoes, a selection of summer vegetables picked from the gardens just hours ago, and an excellent condiment of peppercorn sauce. All this fresh air sure gives us an appetite.
Is there room for dessert? Of course, when it’s Goat’s milk and olive oil cake with juicy preserved fruit, a splash of crème Anglaise, and a sprinkle of toasted oats.
Delicious food and wine: grown, cooked and served in its natural habitat. A food lover could not ask for anything more.
At dusk, we make our way across the field to our awaiting transportation, where a soft blanket and a comfortable seat holds promise of a nap all the way home from Littlejohn Farm.