Great Scapes!

Great Scapes!

Hello Market Friends:

The longest day of the year is upon us, and the sun’s miraculous energy, combined with water and soil, is transforming the seeds our farmers sow into the array of plants which feeds us. I hope you can find a quiet moment to ponder this process, which is far too wonderful to take for granted.

We have an excellent market coming up, and don’t forget it’s the last until July 8th! In case you haven’t heard, we are taking July 1st off, so stock up this time!

One of our loyal fans, Valerie Bolduc, sent this sweet message: “It’s amazing how I have grown to love the market so much. Last time it was closed we missed it so much. But happy everyone is enjoying a bit of time off.”

Here’s our news:

Garlic Scape Bonanza! We have an avalanche of this early-summer gift from the garlic patch coming in!

If you aren’t sure how to prepare them, I heartily recommend making a big batch of pesto by combining scapesparsley and basil with plenty of olive oil and sunflower seeds or walnuts and blending everything into a smooth paste. Freeze meal-sized amounts if you want to be reminded of the taste of early summer when the snow flies. You can vary the proportions of the scapes and herbs according to how much of a kick of garlic flavour you want!

Scapes are also delicious sautéed with a little tamari to finish, or grilled on the barbeque.

Welcome back to Knuckle Down Farm, with (you guessed it!) scapes and more:
“Dufferin Grove we miss you! We decided to grow three new varieties of garlic this year, plus our beloved ‘music’, and that means we have garlic scapes in droves. Wonderful news, because we love garlic scapes and have enough to share with you. Despite the wacky weather we have been having this year, our garlic is looking great and our other early crops that suffered some late frost damage have now recovered. With the extra rain this week, they should be looking particularly lovely for Thursday’s Market.” Jenny and the Knuckle Down Farm crew.

Swiss Chard
From Marvellous Edibles4$
Curly Kale
From Knuckle Down Farm, 3.5$

We have a new vendor this week: a warm Dufferin welcome to Erick Lopez and Hola Alegrias! Inspired by favourite treats from his childhood in Mexico, Erick has developed healthy and delicious versions of these tasty bars as well as granola. All of his products feature amaranth, a beneficial grain you want to become acquainted with.

We are also bidding a fond farewell to one of our vendors this week. It’s your last chance to get items from Helen Mends before Helen heads to Montreal! We wish her every success mending a new city!

If you are a longtime Dufferin fan, you’ll remember the lively buzz that usually surrounded Jason Kun’s “oyster bar.” Jason could turn an ordinary 10 x 10 foot tent into a vacation destination! He taught me to love East Coast oysters, and when I heard he had opened his own shop on Bartlett at Bloor, I couldn’t wait to visit. Jason is one of the hardest people to see in a mask because it hides his mile-wide smile, but he is obviously happy in his new digs, and has dreams of developing an entirely Ocean-Wise certified seafood store as well as prepping trays of excellent quality oysters to go. Be sure to visit Island Oysters when you can! We love market success stories!

Garden looking a little patchy? Christine of Canadian Organic Seed Co. to the rescue! This week only she has 12-packs of herb and perennial flower seedlings ready to fill those gaps!

Strawberries!
From Reyes8$
Chocolate Amaranth Bar
From Hola Alegrias, 2.5$

Our fundraiser for TC’s Tibetan MoMos continues. If you haven’t already, please consider purchasing a gift to them with your order, or eve multiple. An excerpt from a note of appreciation Lhundup sent:

“We have been loved by so many of our well-wishers and regulars and we feel really happy and honoured.
Since my hospitalization from May/17- till June 03 we didn’t generate any revenue for our whole business. Our business location remains completely shut down for this long.
Currently, I  am still under medication. I am trying my best to recover back to normal. But these viruses took all my strength and energy.
We really thank you all from the bottom of our heart for your generosity. Looking forward to seeing you all.”

$15 Gift to Tsewang and Lhundup
Tote Bag
From Helen Mends, 15$

Last week’s Repair Café was a big success, and every second person asked when the next one will be. We don’t know yet, but we hear you! Keep reading the market news and you’ll be sure to find out!

A friendly reminder to pickup customers to come get your order no later than 5:30. We understand that things come up, and everyone is forgetful at times, but our team is very tired at the end of the day, and it is stressful trying to track down ‘no-shows’. I leave it with you to come up with the best way to remind yourself that it’s market day!

Happy Solstice, Happy Pride, and for next week (when there will be a news ‘siesta’), Have a great extra long weekend!

Anne & the Market Crew

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