Great news for the Erin Mills area! On Saturday June 8, a new farmers’ market will be opening across from Erin Mills Town Centre and Credit Valley Hospital. The Backyard Farm & Market at Erin Mills will be bringing chemical-free, fresh produce from local farmers and delicacies from local artisanal producers right to our own backyard. According to Garden Coach and Project Lead, Deanna Berry, the market has sought out only organic or chemical-free farmers and producers and will host 17 vendors to start.

Located on 1.5 acres of land, the site will also include an urban educational farm, boasting a straw bale vegetable micro-farm, herb spiral, and compost demonstration site.  Kids will enjoy fun food education programs, a story telling circle, a picnic area, and play spaces (including straw bale forts and a labyrinth)! Wow, that sounds like fun! Olive labyrinths!

The project was initiated by The Daniels Corporation, who has donated the land and remain active partners with The Cutting Veg and Garden Jane in a collaborative effort to increase urban agriculture in the community. Their hope is that the site will become a community food hub that will encourage area residents to “grow, learn and enjoy local and sustainably sourced food in a fun community space”.

Oh how happy I will be on Saturday mornings this summer, getting up early to visit the Streetsville Farmers’ Market and then The Backyard Farm & Market at Erin Mills.

The Backyard Farm & Market at Erin Mills

Every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., June 8th to October 12th, 2013.

Located at the northeast corner of Eglinton Avenue West & Erin Mills Parkway, just outside of Streetsville.

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I can still hear the screen door slam behind me as I run into the loving embrace of my apron-adorned Grandmother where she stands, heart wide open, in her happy kitchen. She left us long ago but her twinkling smile still sparkles in my heart.

I can see her, clear as day, coming in from the backyard with an apron full of ripe cherries she just picked from her cherry tree. I can taste the tartness of the plump, ruby coloured, juicy jewels that she loaded in her cherry pie.

I will always remember the life lessons she taught me, like “two wrongs don’t make a right” or:

Or to share what you have whenever you can. During hard times homeless people knew that if they knocked on her door, they could always count on my Grandmother to share whatever food she had.

Her name was Miriam but they called her May for short, having been born on the 31st of May. Today would have been her birthday. In honour of May’s birthday, I am enjoying a mid-morning snack of a handful of luscious black cherries that are the perfect foil for a small, sinful smear of buttery St. André (a soft ripened cheese crafted in Normandy, France). Olive black cherries with St. André cheese. It’s dessert without the guilt. I will wash it down with a spot of tea in this pretty and very special tea cup that was passed down to me. It was May’s birthday tea cup. Look, it has lilies of the valley and the word “May” printed on it. Isn’t it lovely?

It’s as lovely as May. Love you Grandma…and I saved the tea bag.

St. André cheese: Ile de France (available at Longo’s)

Teapot: Available from cobistyle.

Bouquet of lily-of-the-valley: Thanks to my husband. He surprises me every spring with a hand-picked bouquet. He says I look like May.

Mother Nature and I have been very busy this week. Farmers’ markets are opening up all over our region in anticipation of the bounty of fresh, local produce that is starting to arrive at the markets. Olive shopping at farmers’ markets. During the growing season, I try to buy only local Ontario produce. Farmers’ markets and farm markets are the best place to find it. And the produce is often picked fresh that morning by farmers who are happy to give you some cooking tips.  I’ve been working hard on posting a listing of local farmers’ markets on my Farmers’ Market Directory page. Check this page often for updates. I will be adding farm markets and roadside farm stands, as I discover them.

I don’t have much of a green thumb but I really want my son to experience the euphoria of eating a freshly picked, sun-ripened tomato, beets just pulled from the soil, and the sweetness of peas eaten within seconds of being snapped from their vine. My most vivid and pleasant food memories include the sweet freshness of the peas that I ate, as a child, straight from the vine in my grandparents’ next-door neighbor’s garden or the tomato that tasted like golden sun the moment after my friend picked it off her backyard tomato plant and popped it into my hand.

As when learning to cook, one needs to be courageous and determined to try new things when learning to garden. So I reclaimed a very wild, but very sunny, tiny patch at the side of my house and have crammed in herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, chives, parsley, and coriander), tomatoes, peas, beets, red leaf lettuce, and kale. I don’t know how much will thrive. And I don’t mind if the backyard bunny, resident raccoon, or the boyz in the hood raid it. I have already gotten so much joy out of tending and nurturing them and watching them grow (the boyz and the plants). Wish me luck and tell me what you have planted this year.

Speaking of courage and determination in the garden, I just had to share this link with you about two Hamilton kids, Oliver 8 and Piper 7, and their truly inspiring urban gardening initiative (Oliver’s Garden Project) that supports local youth charities in Hamilton and encourages kids to plant their own vegetable gardens to eat and share. After Oliver spotted some kids rummaging through curbside blue bins to get money for food, he and his family started a backyard garden fundraising effort to help. The project has quickly grown from there. Way to go Oliver and Piper (Mom and Dad too)! You may be little but you stand real tall in my view. “Plant it forward” everybody! Happy gardening!

GIANT VIDEO ALERT!! Have you ever wondered what Oliver and Piper think about Oliver’s Garden Project? Well, get… fb.me/14Qi7rlrO

— OliversGardenProject (@OliversGProject) April 9, 2013

Sherway Farmers’ Market opened May 3, 2013. Farmers’ markets in Peel region open in June but there are quite a few in Halton opening in May. I am working on a local farmers’ market, farm market, and farm 2013 directory that I will post on my website soon. I’ll let you know when it’s up.

As the season progresses, Sherway Farmers’ Market will continue to grow. Here is a glimpse of some of the wonderful treasures I unearthed while visiting Sherway Farmers’ Market last Friday. There is a delicious recipe for rhubarb at the end of this post.

Sean and Shannon Declerc’s Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms, from Shelbourne, ON

Husband and wife team, Sean and Shannon Declerc, offer an impressive bounty of foraged, wild mushrooms (when in season) and specialty cultivated mushrooms including Portabella, Shitake, Enoki, Crimini, Beech, Oyster, and these beauties, Cinnamon Caps, that are named for their cinnamon colour. Shannon described the Cinnamon Caps as their earthiest mushroom with a beautiful, rich, woodsy flavour. They are delectable in omelets, risottos, or in roasted meat gravies.

Lion’s Mane is Shannon’s favourite. It has a milder, very fresh flavour, and a different texture than regular mushrooms, which Shannon says is appealing even to those who don’t like mushrooms. It’s very versatile and is great grilled, on pizza, or in soups.

Mushrooms are porous and absorb liquid quickly. The Declercs grow all of their cultivated mushrooms on wood chips, so they don’t require washing. If you really feel you must, please just wipe them with a damp paper towel so you don’t disturb their delicate disposition.

Ralph & Emmy Lise’s Farm Fresh Produce, from Holland Marsh, ON

Ralph Lise’s stand was brimming with fresh produce on Friday, including field asparagus,

colourful Ontario greenhouse peppers, and Ontario greenhouse tomatoes. Ralph’s tomatoes are grown in soil and picked at a riper stage, making them more flavourful than most grocery store tomatoes (which are picked under-ripe to make them less fragile during transportation). Having been raised by a mother who grew up on superb Kent County tomatoes, I always search out the finest tomatoes I can sink my teeth into. I did a side-by-side taste comparison between some vine-ripened tomatoes I bought at a grocery store (and left sitting on my counter for a couple of days to ripen) and the Lise Farm tomatoes I bought on Friday. Compared to Ralph’s tomatoes, the grocery store vine-ripened tomatoes were still under-ripe and had a mealy texture. Ralph’s tomatoes were juicier and more flavourful, even though I ate them as soon as I got them home. It was a refreshing snack – a plate of Ralph’s tomatoes (adorned with nothing but a light sprinkle of sea salt) and a little bit of protein just to keep me ticking.

I could not resist this sign, Freshly Dug Small White Potatoes. Doesn’t that sound fresh? These deserve to be boiled in their skin, smashed a touch with a potato masher, then tossed with my favourite extra virgin olive and some fresh mint that has been chopped in a dash of kosher salt to bash it all up and coax out the flavour.

Abraham and Judith Piets’ Quality Bakery, from Norwich, ON 

Abraham and Judith’s tables were laden with lots of delectable looking freshly baked goods including bread, sausage rolls, pies, squares, tarts, strudels, and these Dutch cookies that I have been searching for since my friend first got me hooked on them. They are called “Stroopwafels” (Syrup Waffles), a toothsome cookie consisting of sweet, chewy syrup sandwiched between two delicate waffle wafers. Lovely when placed over a hot cup of tea to soften the syrup.

Bert Nieuwenhuis, Lamb & Wool Producer, from Orangeville, ON

Bring your cooler to the market because Bert offers a great selection of his locally raised and processed, government inspected lamb products. According to a great article on Bert (The Amiable Shepherd: Bert Nieuwenhuis by Nicole Ross, June 19, 2012 http://www.inthehills.ca/2012/06/departments/the-amiable-shepherd-bert-nieuwenhuis/), Bert’s products are popular with chefs and locals in the Headwaters region, so we are really lucky that he brings them down to Sherway Farmers’ Market. He sells lamb shanks, racks, legs, chops, burgers, roasts, organs, and even lamb heads. His lamb liver pâté sounds enticing. Next time I run into Bert, (perhaps at the Orangeville, Inglewood or Caledon Farmers’ Markets) I will be sure to have my cooler with me because olive Ontario lamb.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres, from Milton, ON

I was so happy to see local field rhubarb at the Andrews’ Scenic Acres stand. I can’t wait to visit Andrews’ Scenic Acres farm to pick my own asparagus, on the first sunny day that is available to me. I will tell you all about it on an upcoming post. As we move further into the growing season, the Andrews’ Scenic Acres stand at Sherway Farmers’ Market will be brimming with all sorts of fresh produce. I can’t wait for the berries.

This little gem of a recipe is a delightful way to enjoy rhubarb. The recipe comes from The United Churches in Canada Let’s Break Bread Together cookbook, a compilation of tried and true, treasured recipes submitted from United Churches across Canada.  The cookbook was compiled and published by the United Church in Meadowood, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1988. It is still available for purchase from Derksen Printers. Please see the full details and the link at the end of this post. It is well worth purchasing and would make a great addition to a novice cook’s library.

The Rhubarb Torte recipe was submitted by Brooks United Church in Brooks, Alberta. It’s an easy recipe that will make a confident baker out of an apprehensive one and a rhubarb lover out of anyone. Olive it!  Thanks very much to the United Church in Meadowood for permitting me to share this recipe with my readers.

Rhubarb Torte

The tartness of the rhubarb is tamed by the creamy custard filling, which sits atop a rich, buttery shortbread crust and is topped with a soft and billowy meringue. The recipe calls for a 9″ x 9″ pan but if you only have an 8″ x 8″ pan, it will still work out beautifully. In that case, you will have to cook only the filling a little longer than directed.

Crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix, by rubbing between your finger tips, until mixture turns crumbly. Press into a 9″ x 9″ pan. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Filling:

3 egg yolks, beaten (separate the whites and reserve for the meringue)

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup cream

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into bite-size pieces

Mix the first four ingredients well. Stir in the rhubarb. Spread evenly over crust. Bake 40 minutes, or longer, until filling is set.

Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Meanwhile, prepare meringue.

Meringue:

3 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Beat the egg whites, slowly adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time, just until soft peaks form and whites look glossy. Spread gently over filling. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F until meringue is golden brown. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe may be doubled for a 9″ x 13″ pan.

Rhubarb Torte, page 169: The United Churches in Canada Let’s Break Bread Together (Compiled and published in 1988 by the United Church in Meadowood, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed by Derksen Printers Ltd., Steinbach, MB). Available for order on-line at http://www.derksenprinters.com/store/cookbook_catalogue.shtml

www.sherwaymarket.com

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Spring is in full bloom at Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market. After a long winter, I thought I’d treat you to a little eye candy. Look at the beautiful rainbow of colours on these cut tulips,

and the gorgeous orange and pink on these potted tulips. I love orange and pink together. It somehow seems very French.

I love tulips the most when they are closed up like this, in graceful modesty.

Friendly, furry pussy willows always bring back fond childhood memories of my mother cutting a few branches for me to bring to my favourite teacher, Miss Russell. Miss Russell still sends me birthday and Christmas cards. She’s the best.

What olive about Herridge’s is that it is so easy to breeze right in, through the sea of beautiful flowers (like these happy pansies),

into a quaint little market filled with local, farm fresh produce, fresh bread, and friendly faces.

These brussel sprouts are absolutely perfect – firm with tight, bright green, shiny, unblemished leaves. I brought home a basket to roast in the oven. It makes them taste so delicious. I’ll teach you how to do that sometime.

The first treasures of spring: rhubarb and asparagus. Ontario field asparagus arrived this week at Herridge’s! It’s a little early yet for local field rhubarb but this is Ontario greenhouse rhubarb. Field rhubarb will be coming very soon. I have a wonderful recipe for rhubarb that I am going to post in a couple of days.

If you have a green thumb, you can grow your own asparagus. Herridge’s sells asparagus rocks and potato seeds. They also sell hanging baskets, potted flowers, annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.  Look at these adorable babes of spring – baby lettuces, so tender and sweet,

waiting for a loving gardener to tuck them into a bed of soil.

At its present location since 1972, Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market and surrounding farm is family owned and operated since 1950. Availability changes everyday, according to Mother Nature and the season. Be sure to visit often to enjoy Herridge’s own harvest and other locally grown treasures.

Olive Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market. It’s a little farm market that’s big on fresh and friendly.

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