Our Farmers are tops – and so are their veggies!

Hello Market Friends:

Are you as excited as I am for the first market, and subsequently first day, of August (2019)? Yippee, right? And fyi, it’s me Nicole sending you the market news, as Anne is away this week enjoying some precious time at the cottage. That means you may have to endure a bit more of my usual hip-hip-hooraying at market this week.

So last market as I was walking around to the different vendors, asking them how the day had been for them, I happened to stop and peer into the compost bin of Kevin Hamilton of Shared Harvest. What I saw, was something I’d also noticed from my many years of working with Ted Thorpe, (pictured with me above) – discarded veggie tops! Yes, it’s true. Hence the subject of this week’s news. However, this observation is not intended to turn this week’s newsletter into a shaming of any sort, but more a sharing of ideas – ideas of how we can better reduce waste, and perhaps be more creative and adventurous in our food preparation and consumption.

The usual “discards” I came across (as pictured above), were beet tops, carrot tops, celery tops, and fennel tops. So I looked up some recipes and found quite a few! Sadly, I’d run out of space if I listed full recipe details here, but I’ll have a good supply of printed copies at the info table tomorrow, (I’ll upload to the website as well). Now starting with nutrient-packed beet greens: great in a sautée, or even lightly steamed. Also delicious, beet-green chips – just add sea salt and slow-bake on low heat until crisp, or use a dehydrator if available. Or make it simple – a tasty beet-green salad, mixed with fruit (apple, peaches etc.), add walnuts, pumpkin seeds, feta, and of course, beets – yum!

Ok, next up, carrot tops: Pesto – just blanch the greens first, to reduce bitterness. The tops can be blended with other common pesto greens or used on their own, (in addition to other pesto ingredients). Soup broth is another great use for carrot tops, and so easy – just add them to boiling water, then (immediately) reduce heat, and let simmer for an hour or so. And finally, carrot-green chimichurri – chop the greens very finely, then add spices, herbs and garlic, vinegar and olive oil.

Next culprit, celery leaves: soup stock – celery has always been a great addition to soups! Ever made your own celery salt? Very simple – just a handful of dried leaves, combined with your favourite salt, (sea, Himalayan, kosher). For stronger flavour darken the leaves by drying them in the oven, (careful not to burn them). Salads – chopped celery leaves are great in a tabbouleh salad, or fold in the leaves with any of your usual salad greens.

And last but not least, fennel tops: their distinct anise-like flavour, are a nice addition to any pesto. (Closely resembling dill), they also make a lovely garnish. And finally, perhaps my favourite use for fennel tops – tea! On their own, or combined with some mint leaves, they make a great hot or cold tea. And there you have it! And if you’re worried about fridge space, remember that a lot of these veggie tops can be dried, or just made into stock, which you can eventually freeze. Ok, have fun!

 

News from our vendors for this week:

The Dufferin Park bakers will have: Sourdoughs: rye, caraway-multigrain, potato-rosemary, olive-onion – Artisans: baguette, multigrain, cranberry-walnut, potato-onion, kamut – Italians: rosemary, multigrain, whole wheat, raisin.

Jason of Island Oysters is back! He’ll be bringing a selection of summer oysters to feast on – yum! Pictured here (aside from wacky Jason), is my daughter Carianne, whom it seems, I can only get to visit me at market when Jason is there with oysters! She’s sitting next to 5-year old Nora, Rodrigo of Plan B‘s daughter.

Spade & Spoon also returns to us after an extended time away – so if your supply of preserves have been running low, now’s the time!

From Sosnicki Farms: Lots of Cucumbers now! Blonde cucs are so sweet and a new type of slicer is really yummy too! Lots of tomatoes of all shapes colors and sizes! Herbs and basil galore! Fresh dug Potatoes! ***New Sweet Onions and ****Carrots! Lotsa Garlic! Summer Cabbages! Still going strong as always is Kale and our Zucchinis too! Enjoy an amazing summer market! Our watermelons start next week!!

Helen Mends is our Special Guest this week. She will be offering a ‘Make do and Mend’ workshop on clothing repair. Bring along a favourite item and spend a little time with Helen!

Vasile of Green Florin is absent this week, as he going to Moldova for a few weeks, and will be back the first market in September.

And if you’ve been wondering what exactly makes Marvellous Edibles so marvellous (besides the wonderful bounty they provide us with each week), why not visit their farm? Jens is hosting his annual farm tour this coming Monday Aug 5 – a great way to close out your long weekend!

 

 

See you at market!

Nicole Jacobs

 

Here’s Who’s Coming:

Aldergrove Organic Farm (veggies and flowers)
Ali Harris (rotis, fish sandwiches, fritters, drinks, pesto)
Bees Universe (honey, bee products, eggs)
ChocoSol (chocolate and coffee)
Country Meadows (olives, oil, cheeses, herbs)
DeFloured (sweet and savoury gluten-free baking)
Dufferin Park Bakers (wood-fired oven breads, soups & snacks)
Dvourr (waffles with pork, chicken or mushroom toppings)
Earth & City (snacks, spreads and beverages)
First Fish (wild-caught Arctic fillets and hot or cold smoked fish)
Forbes Wild Foods (fresh and dried mushrooms, syrup, nuts and other wild foods)
Fressy Bessie (organic ice pops)

Island Oysters (fresh-shucked Canadian oysters)

Kind Organics (sprouts and salad mixes)
Knuckle Down Farm (veggies)
Marvellous Edibles (organic chicken, produce, preserves)
Mismak Zena (Ethiopian Cuisine)
Monforte Dairy (local cheeses from a variety of milks, tamales)
Niagara Lavender (certifed organic tender fruit)
Pine River Organic Farm (veggies)
Plan B (local and imported organic produce, ferments)
Reye’s Farms  (tender fruit (not organic)
Robinson Bread (sourdough baking from freshly milled grains)
Shared Harvest (organic veggies and herbs)
Sosnicki Organic Produce (organic vegetables)
Southbrook Vineyards (organic VQA wines)
Spade & Spoon (jams, pickles, maple syrup,)
Tapioca Toronto (Brazilian-style gluten-free crepes with market fillings)
Thorpe’s Organic Produce (veggies)
Urban Harvest (seeds, soil amendments, body care)