July 1st is Canada Day. A holisY to celebrate all that makes Canada the best place to live. But since 2004, food activist  and passionate advocate for Canadian food, Anita Stewart has been promoting the Saturday of the August long weekend as "The World's Longest Barbecue". How can it be the longest barbecue? Simple, Canadians are lighting their barbecues from coast to coast to coast, grilling Canadian-produced food to recognize and support our farmers, fishers and everyone else who delivers our edibles. And drinkables. Stewart's yearning to make the day more than a barbecue, Canada Food Day, if she succeeds, is a more focused name. And of course, this tribute is not just about firing up the grill and celebrating local and seasonal foods to keep farmers et al in business. It's about community, getting together to share what we  have plenty of - lucky, aren't we! To be part of Canada Food Day, aka The World's Longest Barbecue, all you have to do is go to Stewart's website, sign up and describe the menu you're having on Saturday. (I suspect if  you have the party on Sunday or Monday Steward won't quibble. But there is something electric about people sitting down together all over Canada. A virtual picnic without all the technology.) On Stewart's site you'll see the outline of what she would like to know about your dinner so write about what's on the menu, andy regional food or special dishes worth mentioning, where the food came from with information about the producers if you know them. It's the stories that will make the difference, so be sure to include details. Canada Food Day sounds like fun, and the good part is that it will help make a difference. Log onto www.anitastewart.ca. To quote Anita, "Large or small, every celebration is important!" So...what am I planning? Well, as I'm from Stratford in the heart of Perth County, good food and farming, I'm grilling (or roasting) a loin of pork. Not with thyme, mustard, salt and pepper as my mother would have done as befitted her era and Celtic roots, but porchetta-style, with herbs of an Italian provenence - less Stratford than Toronto where porchetta sandwiches are widespread, and wonderful. To go with, Island Potato Salad from Anita Stewart's Canada, The Food/The Recipes/The Stories, (Harper Collins, 2008, $34.95), see above,  and since I know we need vegetables, corn on the cob - straining to be the Canadian national vegetable. Again, not just butter, salt and pepper, but with a wash of exotic spices as discovered in Toronto's Little India by Andrew Chase, food editor of Homemakers Magazine. All the recipes follow. Barbecue Loin of Pork with Porchetta Flavours To make sure the herb and fennel flavours penetrate the whole loin, the meat is butterflied, then rolled. The instructions may seem long, but if you're looking for great flavour, press on! The step-by-step photos should help - just leave yourself enough time when you're tacking the recipe for the first time.  1 pork loin centre roast boneless (single loin), about 3 lb (1.5 kg) 3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh rosemary 4 tsp (20 mL) minced fresh sage 3/4 tsp (4 mL) fennel seeds, crushed 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp (15 mL) dry white vermouth . Place roast, fat side up, on large cutting board. Starting at right side with knife parallel to the board, cut loin in half almost but not all the way through. . Open like a book. . Starting in centre of opened loin, and with your knife parallel to board, cut in half on left side almost but not all the way through. Open the flap like a book, extending the surface of the meat. . Repeat on right side. Open flat. Cover with waxed paper; pound with mallet or rolling pin to as even thickness as possible. Set aside. . In small skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat; fry garlic, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl; stir in rosemary, sage, fennel, salt, pepper and vermouth. . Spread about three quarters of the garlic mixture over inside of loin, leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) border along 1 short end. Starting at the other end, roll up firmly toward border. . Tie with kitchen string at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals.  . Place in the large bowl with the remaining garlic mixture; turn to coat all over. Cover and marinate in the fridge, turning occasionally, for 2 hours or up to 1 day. . Place drip pan over 1 burner of 2-burner barbecue or over centre of 3-burner barbecue. Add enough water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up side of pan. Heat burner or burners not over drip pan to medium. Grease the grill over the drill pan.  .  Place the rolled loin on the greased grill over the drip pan. Grill, turning every 20 minutes, until meat thermometer registers 160° (71°C), about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  . Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil; let rest for 15 minutes. Snip and pull off the string; slice across the grain. . Makes 8 servings. Tip: You can also roast porchetta on rack in small roasting pan. It takes about 1 hour at 375°F. (190°C). Skim pan juices and serve with slices of porchetta. Tip: This roast is almost better cold - and it slices more thinly.    [caption id="attachment_469" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Bilingual, and trusting signage at a P.E.I. roadside potato trade."][/caption]     Island Potato Salad Stewart credits Joy Shinn who developed the recipe when she was working with the Prince Edward Island potato marketing board, Food Trust.  To go with the porchetta that serves 8, I made one and a half of the recipe written below, and because it is going with pork, substituted 2 roasted sweet red peppers for the prosciutto. I did not use honey.  2 lb (1 kg) P.E.I. potatoes (5 to 6 medium) 4 slices prosciutto 3 green onions, sliced diagonally Dressing: 2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey 1 tbsp (15 mL) grainy Dijon mustard 1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil Salt and freshly ground pepper  . Place washed potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cook, covered, over medium heat until fork tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and let cool Peel and quarter or, if large, dice coarsely. Place in serving dish. . Arrange prosciutto on rimmed baking sheet; place under broiler and broil until crisp, about 6 minutes, turning partway through cooking. Let cool, then break into small pieces. . In serving bowl, combine green onions and prosciutto to potatoes. Dressing: Whisk or shake together the vinegar, honey, mustard and oil until blended. Pour over the potato mixture; toss gently. Season to taste with salt and top with a good grinding of pepper.  . Makes 4 to 6 servings.   Indian-Spiced Corn on the Cob 8 corn cobs, husked 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander 3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and ground cumin Pinch cayenne 1 lime, halved . Brush corn cobs with oil. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning frequently, until kernels are tender and lightly grill-marked, about 10 to 15 minutes. . In small bowl, stir together coriander, salt, cumin and cayenne. Rub corn with cut sides of lime; sprinkle with spice mixture. Makes 8 servings.    For a little inspiration - here are some top notch Canadians and Canadian products. Enjoy them all. [caption id="attachment_462" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Chef Chris Aerni, owner with his wife Graziella of the Rossmount Inn near St. Andrews New Brunswick. The Inn's renowned food starts with the large garden Aerni cultivates on a sloping hill behind the Inn."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_463" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="A shore lunch beside Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. Those are whitefish fillets browning on the griddle. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_464" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="The historic building that houses the Saint John market makes it one of the most handsome markets in the country. Lots of inspiration here for your Canada Food Day menu."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_465" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="By the Bay of Fundy shore there's a great choice of seafood."][/caption]    [caption id="attachment_466" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Quebec has been a leader in artisanal cheesemaking, but across the country there has been a renaissance in small cheese operations. "][/caption]   [caption id="attachment_467" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="These red onions for sale at the Charlottetown P.E.I. market are so handsome it's hard to know whether they're art or edibles!"][/caption]     [caption id="attachment_468" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Edythe Diebel continues a Canadian tradition of pie making using peaches from the Niagara area. Her creamy peach pie has Waterloo and Perth County influences."][/caption]                                 <