Salads & Skates

Salads & Skates

Just three more markets for 2015, and the market still has plenty of choices to fuel the imagination as well as the fire within!

Right now there is an excellent selection of produce for seasonal salad-based meals. You can start with a base of flavourful cool-weather greens, or try a grainy salad using wild rice, spelt –whatever tickles your fancy. Then consider one or more items from each of these categories:

Roasters: squash, small beets, winter radish…peeled, cubed, tossed in oil and roasted until tender
Crunchy ones: thinly sliced carrots, daikon, watermelon radish…
Kickers: finely chopped red onion, shallots, garlic…

What to put on your salad? Use any salad dressing you like, or blend a pesto from parsley, cilantro or arugula, nuts or seeds, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Season well with salt and pepper, and put dibs on the leftovers for the next day’s lunch!

2015-11-26 21.26.49

Have you noticed the nearly glow-in-the-dark colours of Pine River Organic Farm’s root vegetables? Bob Felhazi takes great pride in thoroughly washing his produce, and it does show off nicely. We expect to have Pine River at the market for just a few more weeks before Bob and helpers Charles and Ilil take a winter break, so now is the time to enjoy all their goodies.

KyleWarren writes, “Everdale Organic Farm has roots galore, among which sweet carrots, watermelon radish, rutabaga and jerusalem artichokes are some highlights. There will also be lots of spinach as well as black, green and purple kale. Those beautiful musque de provence squash are still a must-try if you haven’t gone there yet. (This week’s photo features one on the cutting board: delicious!

Mike Fohr has agreed to bring his tools to the market one more time, so you can get all your best knives sharpened up for chopping and slicing all these hearty vegetables! I suggest bundling your knives up safely right after you finish reading the news, so you don’t forget.
While you’re at it, remember to bring your Loyal Eaters Reward card  (or pick up one if you haven’t yet) and collect your stamp for the week! Nick and I will be stamping, and so will the friendly folks in the rinkhouse snackbar.
From Urban Harvest: “Hi all, hope to see you at the market this week. We are only there for 3 more markets and then we will be gone till April. Not on holidays unfortunately; pre-spring is a very busy season for seed companies. All the Seedy Saturdays will be starting in Feb. Hopefully we will see you at one of those too. ​Seeds make great stocking stuffers and they are on sale at 50% off!! Also, lots of very natural and organic body care. ​Cheers Anne, Colette and Pablo
If you plan to work up an appetite skating, John from Bees Universe will have the barbeque going, and all around the market there will be choices for snacks or meals to eat on the spot.
Blythe from Spade & Spoon is sending in a big batch of soup in jars to take home, and she hopes to be in to introduce the baby very soon.
Looks like a good one.
See you at the market,
Anne Freeman
P.S. From Michelle Webb at the park: The Dufferin Grove Craft Fair is happening Sunday, December 13, 10AM-4PM around the rinkhouse.  Local vendors!  Lots of affordable items for the holiday season!

Here are the vendors we expect this week if all goes according to plan. (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
Reimer Vineyards WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
JK Fries WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
Kind Organics RINKHOUSE
Marvellous Edibles Farm RINKHOUSE
Mike Fohr, Knife Sharpening, WEST SIDE, OUTDOORS
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

 

We’re open every Thursday from 3pm to 7 pm, whatever the weather, whatever the season!