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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for June 15, 2006

Hello Market Friends:

I won't keep you guessing...STRAWBERRIES is the magic word this week! Both Greenfields and Ted Thorpe should have plenty, fresh picked for the market along with all their delicious greens. Yahoo! As we hit prime time, Alvaro of Plan B sends word that he has received his last apple delivery, and it will probably be the final day for the wonderful cider that we've enjoyed fall, winter, and spring. Anyone wanting over 4 jugs should place a custom order asap if possible: (planbof@execulink.com). Thank you to the Bousfields for keeping us so well supplied!

Angelos wants egg cartons, as many as you can lay your hands on!

From Colette of Urban Harvest:

"We will be at the market tomorrow but as the veggie farmers are gearing up we are winding down. We still have some lovely plants though. This week we will have some Red Russian Kale and English Cucumber plants from Foodshare and also some beautiful Violas. Did you know that besides being edible the leaves of violas are also good for the heart, hence the alternate name of Heartsease. I also use it in my Earthly Paradise facial steam. So, see you there if you can distract yourselves long enough from the scrumptious strawberries."

(Some of you may know Abbey Huggan as one of Colette's knowledgeable helpers. She's also the organizer of the Craft Fair being held at the park this Sunday, June 18, from 11-4.)

This week, we welcome Tim Clement(of Tasting Fair fame)with both sweet and savoury crépes made with organic whole wheat flour and fillings including fine herbs with cheese, savoury mushroom with rosemary and truffle oil, and fresh strawberries or bananas.

For younger market-goers, Daniel and April will be setting up near the picnic tables to tell stories from about 4:00 on.

And a big news submission from Jutta:

"1. This is the week of the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival, so every evening there's a supper by the oven, made with market food. '''Dan DeMatteis''', who went from cooking for the park, to apprenticing in Italy, to (nowadays) cooking for Jamie Kennedy , has taken a week off work to cook for the festival. Every evening this week from '''5.30 to 6.30 there will be supper at the park oven''' (including soup on an open fire nearby). Then comes an hour of outdoor theatre, then '''dessert at 7.30, then more theatre until 10 p.m. Groups from Halifax, New York, Victoria and Toronto'''. Sample menu from Wednesday evening: roasted onion and lentil soup with park bread, chicken pot pie or ricotta and asparagus pot pie; potato salad, green salad; and strawberry-rhubarb pies for dessert (made with Ted Thorpe's first strawberries).

Also: the Halifax play, called "Open Theatre Kitchen," is using onions donated by Plan B Organics -- these onions have a very active role -- not to be missed.

See the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival website (a subsite of dufferinpark.ca).

2. Two days ago two of the park bakers (Matt Leitold and '''Amy Withers) baked 180 loaves of bread for the Jane Jacobs''' memorial celebration organized by John Sewell, at Trinity St.Paul's Church, Bloor near Spadina. Park cook Mary Sylwester had made lots of spread for us to take along so we set all this up on long tables outside the church. A LOT of people came to eat some bread and spreads. This was a donation from Dufferin Grove Park, and here's why: about 8 years ago, John Sewell bought a loaf of park bread from the food cart. He really liked the outdoor oven idea and the next day he called. He wanted to broker a gift from an anonymous donour -- could we use $10,000 for the park?

The next day the cheque was in the mail, and it made a big difference in how the park and the ovens developed. This week it was so nice to get a chance to pay back a little, by bringing bread to the celebration. (Jane Jacobs liked eating the park bread, and read the entire "Cooking with Fire in the park" booklet with enthusiasm. (cookingwithfire.PDF)

After the celebration, John's wife Liz Rykert came over and gave us a present for the park. It was a jar of peach jam, made by Jane Jacobs last year. We'll have it at the market, for a snack with park bread -- everyone is welcome to try some.

3. This is the Thursday when Issie Chackovicz begins his weekly bike clinic. He'll be in the park every Thursday, to help get bikes tuned up and ready for summer: See the newsletter article Bike Maintenance Clinic So people can go home from the market with local, organic produce and adjusted brakes, all done in one stop."

One more thing to add to all this action...Mary Lou will be distributing a questionnaire to ask you for your feedback on various aspects of the market. Please help us with your comments, and put your completed forms in one of the big brown envelopes you'll find around the market.

See you there!

Anne

P.S. In the "better late than never" category, a mention of the CBC Ideas three-part series on organics. Part three airs next Tuesday night at 9:05, and interesting excerpts from the other programs are on the CBC website.

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