Your guide to Jiggs dinner

When we think about Jiggs dinner, most of us can recall going to Nan's house every Sunday for the delicious combination of food that steamed up the windows on those chilly mornings.

While there are variations of the meal, it typically consists of carrot, turnip, potato, cabbage, pease pudding, gravy, and, of course, salt beef. The main component is the turkey.

The preparation of the meal lasts longer than the meal itself. Preparation can start a couple of days in advance to thaw out the turkey. The turkey takes the longest to cook, and then when you cook the vegetables, the cabbage goes in the pot last. If you don't get up early enough, your guests will be quite hungry by the time dinner rolls around, but if you can't have a snack in the meantime, it'll spoil your appetite.

After the meal, the leftovers, if there are any, can be made into "hash", a mash of meat and vegetables.

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The meal is especially associated with Newfoundland and Labrador. In many cultures, however, dishes of boiled meat and vegetables exist under different names.

What makes Jiggs dinner distinct is the use of salt beef rather than fresh or smoked meat—the pease pudding is also specific to this province.

While everything you need can be found in a supermarket, there are several seasonal harvest stores and stands located across the province, most notably in the fall months, where you can acquire locally grown produce.

What do you put in your Jiggs dinner?