Dear market friends,
The farmers are so tired from all the seeding etc. that market manager Anne Freeman sent word earlier today of a "market news blackout" -- nobody had sent her any news at all, except for Birds and Beans (they're not coming this week, but as of next week, Beata of Whole World Trading will be selling their coffee and chocolate, as well as her own teas).
The weekly market news called up a few of the tired (napping) farmers, asking them for just a little bit of news. This is what I got:
Ute Zell of Stonehenge Farms will be bringing fresh wild boar and goat, including lots of both kinds of sausages. She's also bringing Georgian Bay salmon (?who knew there were salmon in Georgian Bay?), and lots of dairy and her usual frozen meats.
Lorenz Eppinger of Greenfields is bringing the first chives from the farm, plus hydroponic local watercress, leaf lettuce, and Boston lettuce. He'll have onions from Joe Born and other root vegetables from Pfenning's (mainly local), and shitake mushrooms. Plus green beans, snow peas, collards and chard, and fresh strawberries (it's the season in California)) for a good price.
Alvaro Venturelli of Plan B Organics will have the first bounty of his own greenhouses: arugula and lots of his own salad mix. He's also bringing cider, the usual apples and fruits, fresh shitakes and Forbes' dried wild mushrooms, lots of root vegetables, herbs, and some more of the amazingly flavourful Mennonite frozen strawberries (he found another stash of them).
Everyone else wil be there too, Colette with her excellent seed and little plants, and bags of soil enrichments for people who want to feed their gardens something nourishing to get ready for growing things.
Note that the gremolata web zine has a bit on the market this week: gremolata.com/dufferingrove.htm
The park bakers are making extra pizza on market day, and here's why:
Long-time park friend and theatre actor/ director Ker Wells (he played the old Italian gentleman in last summer's Festival of Outdoor Theatre) is performing at the Great Hall Theatre Centre (Dovercourt and Queen) tomorrow (Thursday), right after the market at 7 p.m. Ker and Tannis Kowalchuk star in "The Confessions of Punch and Judy."
A farmers' market onion, a market cabbage and a very sharp knife are among the wonderful props in the show (I won't reveal more about the props). Besides the very entertaining and slightly hair-raising business around the vegetables, Punch and Judy is full of joyful/sad/mad/redemptive struggles between genders. The park bakers are making pre-theatre pizza, gnocchi, soup, and cinnamon buns for those of us market goers who want to eat at the market and go straight to the show from there. Join us! For reservations: 416-538-0988. If you can't make it tomorrow, it's on until May 8 (at the more usual time of eight p.m.)
See you at the pre-theatre market.
The Confessions of Punch & Judy
The Theatre Centre, Toronto, Canada
April 21-May 8, 2005
(Thursday April 28 - special time 7pm)
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8 PM, $15
Sundays @ 3 PM, Pay-what-you-can
The Theatre Centre
1087 Queen St. W (corner of Dovercourt) (map)
Tickets: 416.538.0988
