Your Belly will Thank You

Your Belly will Thank You

Note: We’re open Thursdays from 3pm to 7 pm, whatever the weather, whatever the season. However, since Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on Thursdays this year, we’ll have a break then.
Last market of 2015: December 17th
First market of 2016: January 7th

In the ‘everything old is new again’ category, awareness of the benefits of fermented foods is spreading far and wide. In case you haven’t heard, these foods are not only good for digestion, they’re also immune-boosters and all-round protectors. The great thing is, fermenting is a simple, wonderful way to store the local harvest for winter, too.  Whether you stick to a favourite or try a wide variety, including fermented foods in your meals is a tasty way to look after yourself, and our selection just keeps on growing.

This week in their ferments department, Shared Harvest Community Farm will have hot and Mild Kimchi, Dilly Beans, Hakurei Crunch (dilled turnips), and dilly eggplants. (Kevin Hamilton says they’ll also have parsley, red mustard greens, turnips, daikon, black radish, watermelon radish, celeriac, leeks and assorted squash.)

For a full tour of ‘foods with benefits’, be sure to ask Culture City, Spade & Spoon, Marvellous Edibles and Plan B about what they’ve been fermenting as well, and then drop by Ying Ying Soy Food for some miso, and Kind Organics for some water kefir.

Philosophical discussion at the market, circa 2009
Philosophical discussion at the winter market, circa 2009

Welcome back, Angelos! Country Meadows has indeed been missed. Time for olives, oil, eggs and cheese!

Yesterday Natasha Akiwenzie wrote, “We should be down Thursday as long as all goes as planned. We’ll have smoked fish and if the waters have been good to us, some fresh too. Tomorrow my childhood dream comes true; the horse will be delivered in the morning.  Also, we have a new yellow fluff ball in our flock of chickens. Didn’t expect it but it hatched this morning. Busy time but it is all good.”

Some customers who forgot their knives last week put in a special request for Mike Fohr to bring his knife sharpening tools once more,  and he kindly agreed. So that his fingers stay nice and warm while he works, we’re going to tuck him inside the garage.

It’s not too late to pick up one of our Loyal Eaters Cards and start collecting stamps to earn rewards.  We didn’t know how much fun it would be to talk to so many loyal fans every week!

This is our second last market of 2015. You may be thinking about upcoming holiday celebrations; there are many lovely gift ideas and special treats at the market. Skip those crazy stores, and go local! Which reminds me, the Dufferin Grove Craft Fair is on Sunday from 10 to 4 around the rinkhouse.

See you at the market,
Anne Freeman

Here are the vendors we expect this week. (Rinkhouse = North end, Garage = South end)

Akiwenzies’ Fish & More WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Ali Harris RINKHOUSE
Bees Universe WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Beretta’s Meats GARAGE
Chocosol GARAGE AREA
Culture City GARAGE
DeFloured WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Dufferin Park Bakers RINKHOUSE
Everdale Organic Farm OUTDOORS
Forbes Wild Foods RINKHOUSE
Southbrook Winery, OUTDOORS
Kind Organics RINKHOUSE
Marvellous Edibles Farm RINKHOUSE
Mike Fohr Knife Sharpening, GARAGE
Pine River Organic Farm RINKHOUSE
Plan B Organics WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Shared Harvest Community Farm OUTDOORS
Spade & Spoon RINKHOUSE
Thorpe’s Organic Produce GARAGE
Urban Harvest RINKHOUSE
Ying Ying Soy Food WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS

Driving? Please take advantage of the special Thursday parking hours across from the high school at the north end of the park. It’s a hop, skip and a jump from there to the market.