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Weekly Market Notes Library

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Weekly Market Notes for June 25, 2015

Hello Market Friends:

The produce lists are very inspiring this week. Have a look below the vendors' news for a few ideas using the many wonderful herbs, greens, veggies and berries of early summer. The more you eat, the younger you'll feel when it's this fresh and healthy!

A great list coming in from Shared Harvest:

• Fresh Herbs: Dill, Parsley, Peppermint, Spearmint, Licorice mint, Sage, Savoury, Oregano
• Veggies: Zucchini, Garlic Scapes, Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, Kohlrabi
• Greens: Kale, Mizuna, Mustard, Romaine Lettuce (Huge), Red Lettuce, Salad Mix, Arugula

Kyle at Everdale writes: "After all the recent rain, the last week has been spent saving crops from the weeds and getting caught up on our planting! This week we'll have those beautiful purple and white salad turnips again along with Kale, Spinach, Green Onion, Lettuce and Salad Mix, Radish, Cilantro and Dill. Our Peas and Zucchini are so close they might even make an appearance in small amounts."

Sosnickis' contribution: "Fall planting continues when its not raining! Cucs sustained wind damage but we have two plantings so we are hoping at least one turns out this year! Definitely lots of highs and lows, like every year! Tomorrow Ben will be bringing lots of PEAS! Sugar Snap and sweet shelling! Patty Pan Zucs again, Kale, Swiss Chard and all those awesome lettuces! Romaines, leaf, butterhead and minis!! Happy summer everyone!" Jessie, Ben, Sadie and Nate :))

"Garlic scape season is upon us, break out those pesto recipes! Knuckle Down Farm will also have lovely little radishes, butterhead lettuce, everyone's favourite spicy salad mix, cilantro, tender young collards and baby kale."

Abundant strawberries from Feast of Fields, and if we're really lucky, the first few cherries and raspberries, too!

Andrew Akiwenzie will be absent this week. Congratulations to Chris on his graduation from Grade 12 on Thursday!

Jason Kun will be visiting with fresh oysters.

Nothing wrong with heading for a hammock and eating your way through your market produce without doing any cooking, but if you have some left after that, here are a few suggestions:

Lettuce and Scape Tart: What's that, you say, cooked lettuce? Absolutely, it's very tasty in soups, too! Prepare or purchase a tart shell. Prick the bottom and bake it for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees while you make the filling.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 small lettuce hearts, cut in quarters (use the loose outer leaves for salad)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 bunch tender garlic scapes, chopped (substitute green onions if you prefer)
• 100 grams hard cheese (goat or sheep)
• 2 large eggs and 2 extra yolks
• approx 1 and 3/4 cups half-and-half cream (or a mix of milk and heavy cream)
• salt and pepper

Heat the oil and saute the lettuce quarters about 5 minutes, until golden, adding salt and fresh-ground pepper. Add butter and baste the lettuce with it as it melts. Put the lettuce into the tart shell. Gently saute the scapes in the same pan for about 5 minutes. Scatter in the tart shell and crumble the cheese on top.

Beat the eggs and cream together, add lots of salt and pepper, and pour into the tart until nearly full. Bake for about 35 minutes, til set. May be eaten warm or at room temperature.

June Beauty Salad: (Vary the quantities according to how many eaters you have around.)

Wash and dry some colourful lettuce and arrange it on a platter.

Choose any or all of: small kohlrabi, radishes, purple and white or hakurei turnips, patty pan squash, or cucumbers. Slice these as thinly as possible, so they are almost transparent, using a mandoline, wide peeler or knife. Mix and scatter the slices over the lettuce. Add a few shelled, raw peas, edible flower petals, and/or chopped fresh herbs if desired.

Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon mustard, salt and pepper.

Put all in a jar and shake well. Drizzle onto salad.

Strawberry Jam or Sauce with Herbs: Make your jam even better by throwing a handful of fresh spearmint and basil leaves into the food processor with the sugar and blending it well before adding it to the berries. I'm still experimenting with no-pectin, no/low-cook, low-sugar freezer jam variations, which sometimes turn out to be more saucy than set, but are always delicious.

If you've got a favourite recipe for this time of year, drop me a line and I'll include it in the news!

See you at the market!

Anne Freeman

Vendors this week:

• Afri-Can Food Basket (organic produce)
• Alli Harris (fish sandwiches, fritters, hemp pesto, beverages, salads)
• Bees Universe (honey and bee products)
• Beretta Farms (organic and naturally raised meats)
• Best Baa (sheep's milk, cheeses and yogurt)
• Brixton Grill (vegan barbeque and ice cream treats)
• ChocoSol (coffee and chocolate, tortillas cooked at the market)
• Country Meadows (olives, oil, eggs, cheese, vegetable and herb seedlings)
• Culture City (fermented condiments, tempehs, gluten-free pasta)
• DeFloured (gluten-free baking)
• Dufferin Park Bakers (wood-fired oven breads, soups,and snacks)
• Earth and City (raw foods, smoothies, rice bowls)
• Evelyn's Crackers (baking made from ON whole grains)
• Everdale Organic Farm (organic produce)
• Feast of Fields (organic fruits and berries)
• Forbes Wild Foods (wild veggies and mushrooms, nuts, maple syrup, preserves)
• Island Oysters (fresh oysters, shucked at the market)
• JK Fries (fresh-cut french fries with choice of mayos)
• Kind Organics (sprouts, salad mixes, teas, chocolate)
• Knuckle Down Farm (organic vegetables)
• Marvellous Edibles (organic vegetables, meats, poultry, baking, fruits)
• Pine River Organic Farm (organic vegetables)
• Plan B (organic produce)
• Sosnickis' Organic Produce (organic vegetables)
• Spade & Spoon (jams, pickles, soups, maple syrup)
• Tapioca Gourmet (gluten-free Brazilian pancakes with seasonal fillings)
• Ted Thorpe (berries, veggies and herbs)
• Urban Harvest (plants, seeds, body care, soil amendments)
• VQA Wine (Tawse Vineyards this week)
• Ying Ying Soy (tofus and miso from ON organic soybeans)

We're open from 3 to 7 pm every week. Parking is available across from St. Mary's High School (at the north end of the park) from 2:00 pm on Thursdays, and there are stops for north and southbound Dufferin buses at our corner.

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