Category Farm, Farm Market, Farmers’ Market

Fabulous gourmet tacos from Orillia’s Fox Foods, at Gravenhurst Farmers’ Market. Be sure to arrive at the market before the lunch rush because these popular tacos, stuffed with a medley of mouthwatering flavours and wrapped in freshly made tortillas, sell out fast.

Vintage finds from Currie’s Music & Antiques in Gravenhurst. Don’t miss the back room which is an ultra cool, 1970’s vibe, recording studio filled with vintage finds.

Gourmet goodies from The Farmer’s Daughter in Huntsville, Ontario. Fresh produce, baked goods, fresh salads, gourmet pantry products, frozen goodies, ready-to-eat meals.

When in Huntsville, you must visit Belly Ice Cream’s little hut at the corner of Brunel and Main Street. Delicious, handcrafted, gourmet ice cream in creative and traditional flavours. The Blueberry Lavender ice cream is absolutely exquisite.

Hot breakfast and lunch, vintage treasures, and a few gourmet goodies (including some Farmer’s Daughter products) from Miss Nelle’s Antiques & Café in Baysville, Ontario.

Love, Olive xoxo

I thought I’d share a little inspiration with you – some photos of edible flower ideas that I have collected and pinned to my Olive Edible Flowers board on Pinterest. I haven’t tried the recipes yet but the photos give me an idea of how I can use edible flowers in my own cooking.

They inspired me to add flowers from my garden to a simple tomato mozzarella salad I saw on a Barefoot Contessa episode, prepared by a California chef. I think the yellow pansies look so pretty against the orange and red wedges of heirloom tomatoes. I love the casualness of the torn pieces of fresh mozzarella tucked in between the tomatoes. I didn’t have time to make the basil-infused olive oil they used on the show, so I drizzled the salad with my best extra-virgin olive oil and added whole basil leaves for drama and ease. I thought a jolt of black and a touch of saltiness would be nice, so I scattered on a few sundried black olives (you can find them at Adonis or Longo’s – check my grocery store directory for locations). Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

Here is a taste of some of the many pins I have collected on my board. Click on the photo/link and you will be directed to the original site for recipes or instructions. If you try any of them please let me know how they worked out for you.

Spring Bouquet Popsicles by Marla Meridith www.familyfreshcooking.com

I am definitely going to try the recipe for these darling Spring Bouquet Popsicles filled with pretty blossoms and flavoured with orange blossom water (I have the fondest memories of orange blossom water en Provence). What a sweet idea for a birthday party. I just love the messages that are handwritten on the popsicle sticks (click the link to see the full post and recipe). The recipe would make lovely ice cubes too. Thanks to Marla Meridith for permission to share her gorgeous photo and recipe from www.familyfreshcooking.com.

Zucchini Blossom Mini Quiches from www.emmadime.com

How about these adorable Zucchini Blossom Mini Quiches from www.emmadime.com?  Wouldn’t these be perfect for a baby shower? Thanks to Emma Dime for permission to share her stunning photo and recipe.

Zucchini Flowers from Hutchinson Farm

Look at these beautiful zucchini blossoms from Hutchinson Farm in Burlington (thanks for permission to share your photo, David). Find out why they are picked to order at dawn (call a day ahead), plus helpful tips here. Hutchinson Farm suggests using them in cheese quesadillas. I saw a great recipe for Squash Blossom Quesadillas on one of my favourite cooking shows, Pati’s Mexican Table, and have pinned the recipe to my Olive Edible Flowers Pinterest board, along with stuffed zucchini blossom recipes. Zucchini and pumpkin blossoms will be ready at Hutchinson Farm in Burlington near the end of July. In May, Hutchinson Farm also sells nasturtiums which David says are “an awesome edible flower”.  Contact Hutchinson Farm for more information.

Last summer, I found zucchini blossoms at Mississauga Central Farmers` Market. And Longo`s carries zucchini blossoms when in season (soon) and can get edible flowers in pretty much all year round. If you don’t see them in the produce section, speak to the Produce Manager; he may be able to order them in for you.

Your own garden can be a great source for edible flowers; just be sure they are organic and verify they are edible by checking with a reliable source before serving them.

To visit my other Pinterest boards and see all the inspirational photos and recipes I have collected, click here.

I adore Georgetown Farmers’ Market. It is a vibrant, bustling farmers’ market that runs right down the middle of scenic Main Street in historic downtown Georgetown, Ontario.

The market offers plenty of fresh, seasonal produce from some of my favourite local farmers, such as Allison’s Farm Market (who are literally located just down the road). I love everything from Allison’s; I am crazy about their corn, which they expect will be ready mid-July.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres, another one of my favourites, brings in their delicious produce from their farm in Halton Hills. The air around this booth was perfumed with the sweet fragrance of these juicy strawberries. Mmm, I could be happy with a baguette, a wedge of St. Andre’s cheese, a basket of cherries, and a shady spot to share at a river’s edge.

There is lots of really good baking, including butter tarts from Andrews’ Scenic Acres and fruit strudel from The Strudel Lady.

Even the Glen Oven Tea Room gets into the spirit and spills out onto the sidewalk with their scones, cookies, and artisanal bread. A friend told me their Whole Wheat Muesli – a breakfast bread with raisins, cranberries, walnuts, and sunflower seeds – is “sooo delicious”. My son loves their Hearty Seed bread so much, he polished off a loaf in one day (we do feed him regularly, I promise).

Georgetown Farmers’ Market is the only market west of Toronto where I can find Toronto-based Saha International Cuisine products (though they are available at a few stores in the region). Made following traditional recipes, Saha’s sauces and marinades are all-natural, additive-free, preservative-free, gluten-free, trans fat-free, and cholesterol free.

Mixed with a bit of yogurt their Shish Taouk marinade yields succulent, flavourful chicken (I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs). Thai Red Curry is a warm, fragrant base for a delicious chicken stir fry; simmer with some coconut milk for a little taste of heaven – Thai style.

Here’s another reason why I love Georgetown Farmers’ Market. There is a great little butcher shop, McMaster’s Meats & Deli, right beside the market on Main Street. Old fashioned butcher, friendly service, great range of fresh meats, deli meats (they cook their own preservative-free beef, turkey, pork, and ham), and gourmet products. Their Stuffed Chicken Breasts are wonderful.

And midway through the market, just a couple of steps down a side street, is the fabulous Mill Street Cheese Market. Read why I love this pretty little fromagerie here. Be sure to stroll in on market day for samples of their wonderful products. Pick up some cheese and bread to go along with those cherries and you’ve got the makings of a great picnic.

Georgetown Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., June 7th to October 18th, 2014.

Located on Main Street South between Church Street and James Street, in historic downtown Georgetown (Halton Hills). Please note: the East lane is empty because the Fire Department requires a Fire Lane for access to buildings and quick response routes. DO NOT BLOCK the lane for any reason or amount of time. You can be ticketed.

www.downtowngeorgetown.com

Unearthed at Streetsville Farmers’ Market: local strawberries (oops I got so excited I forgot to take the photo), asparagus and garlic scapes,

and – drumroll please – fruit strudel from local legend The Strudel Lady!! My friend has been raving about these strudels for ages.

What makes The Strudel Lady’s strudels so special? Fran’s Mom’s recipe, a special oven, and lots of homemade fruit filling using wild blueberries from Muskoka, or apples and cherries from Niagara.

Thanks to help from Fran’s siblings and their children, The Strudel Lady strudels can be found at Aberfoyle, Georgetown, Milton, Mississauga Central, and Streetsville Farmers’ Markets (check my Farmers’ Market Directory for locations). If you don’t see Fran’s face at the market, just ask for The Strudel Lady.

Once the farmers’ market season is over, The Strudel Lady sells at a few local craft shows, like Iroquois Ridge High School Annual Holiday Marketplace (Saturday November 1st, 2014). Loyal customers arrive in droves to pick up strudel to freeze for Christmas or winter enjoyment. Fran says it is a beautiful, juried craft show.

The Strudel Lady strudels are dairy-free, dye-free, and preservative-free. They will last about two days (including market day) on the counter or four to five days in the fridge. If well wrapped, they should last up to six months in the freezer. When ready to eat, warm the strudel for a few moments in a preheated 325ºF oven if you have stored them in the fridge or 4 to 5 minutes if they are frozen; it will crisp up the pastry nicely.

Streetsville Lions Friends’ and Farmers’ Market has moved to Centre Plaza (downtown Streetsville across from Shoppers Drug Mart). Thanks to the work of Christine Simundson, the market offers a good selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, baked goods, antibiotic/hormone-free meats, sausages (including bbq lunch), as well as dried seasonings, gluten-free goodies, jams, vintage treasures, handcrafted lip balm (olive the almond flavour), and the nicest Avon lady you’ll ever meet. And more, including weekly special guests.

Olive is happy to report that local field asparagus season has begun! Despite the looming storm clouds, I was determined to drive out to Andrews’ Scenic Acres yesterday morning to do something I’ve long wanted to do: pick my own asparagus. It turned out to be a beautiful morning.

It is early in the season and the asparagus has just begun to come up alongside the rhubarb. Farmer Bert Andrews says the asparagus season will run from now to about mid June; the first of June will likely be the ideal pick-your-own period. The pick-your-own rhubarb season will run from now to about the end of June.

The asparagus field looks like a a little comical with single spears poking up up from the ground, here and there. In the photo above, you can barely see them poking up along the horizon.

To ensure the asparagus will grow back again next year, cut the asparagus about one inch below the surface of the earth; it’s easy and Andrews’ will supply you with a knife. Wear rubber boots and protect yourself from mosquitoes.

You can’t get farm-to-table fresher than picking your own. I couldn’t resist trying a spear raw: it tasted green and robust and sweeter than the raw spears I have tasted from the grocery store. If you are tempted to try one of the many raw asparagus salad recipes that are trending right now, I recommend picking your own asparagus and eating the salad as soon as possible the same day.

I decided to treat my Dad to a bundle of ready-picked asparagus that Farmer Bert Andrews (below left) brings in from Simcoe County while his asparagus is still so early in the season. Manager Stephanny (below right) helped me pick out a bundle of Andrews’ ready-picked rhubarb; I’ll turn it into stewed rhubarb to eat with my breakfast yogurt. Oh my, how Olive loves spring!

Farmer Bert Andrews and Manager Stephanny

I prefer to eat my asparagus the day I buy it but it will keep in your fridge okay for a few days if you stand the stem ends in a jug of water or wrap them in a damp paper towel and cover the bunch in plastic wrap. I snap off the woody ends where they break naturally and wash each spear under cold, running water, paying special attention to the head where sand and grit get trapped. For tips on choosing, storing, and preparing asparagus visit Foodland Ontario.

My preferred method of cooking asparagus is oven-roasted. Oven-roasting caramelizes the asparagus and I find I don’t need to serve anything with it but a squirt of lemon juice. My Simple Oven-Roasted Asparagus recipe is here: http://olivetoeat.com/?p=858

But what better way to celebrate the start of the local asparagus season than with a splurge of hollandaise sauce? A dear friend (and fabulous cook) recently gave me a great recipe for an easy and delicious blender hollandaise sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the recipe.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres (established in 1980) and Scotch Block Country Winery (a fruit winery opened in 1999), is family operated and grows a wide variety of pick-your-own or fresh picked fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The barn market sells jams, jellies, pies, tarts, honey, maple syrup, juices and frozen fruit. House-made frozen yogurt and ice cream is made from farm-grown fruit. Family fun and harvest festivals.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres
9365 10th Sideroad
Halton Hills, Ontario

Telephone: 905-878-5807

Please call to confirm dates and time open.

Open daily: May 3rd to November 1st, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Open November 1st to December 31st, Saturday and Sunday plus the week before Christmas: 11am to 5pm.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres also sells their farm fresh produce at several local farmers’ markets. Click here for a list: http://www.andrewsscenicacres.com/farmmarket.php

Website: www.andrewsscenicacres.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewsScenic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewsScenicAcres

Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Makes 1/2 cup

This recipe was passed on to me by a dear friend and fabulous cook. Use a blender or food processor for best results.

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon of water
3/4 cup unsalted butter
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground white pepper, freshly ground black pepper, or ground cayenne pepper.

Directions:

1. Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat to melt.
2. Plop water and egg yolks in a blender or food processor; blend for about 90 seconds.
3. Turn the heat under the melted butter up to medium high, just until the butter starts to bubble.
4. With the blender motor running, slowly pour the hot melted butter through the feeder tube in a thin, steady stream (don’t include the milky, foamy bits); sauce will thicken at this point.
5. Again with the motor running, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper through the feeder tube. Unplug the machine and taste to adjust seasonings, if necessary.
6. Serve immediately with steamed asparagus, steamed artichokes, steamed new potatoes, poached eggs, or roasted fish.

Though the eggs are lightly cooked by the hot butter, as a safety precaution follow all food safety guidelines concerning the consumption of raw eggs.