Flavourful Saskatoon, December 14, 2015

Nathan on his own selling veggies last week

Night Market Before Christmas, Dec. 17 
The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is hosting an evening market from 7-10 pm, Dec. 17. There will be music, drinking, and shopping.

Griffin Takeaway 
The Griffin Takeaway has expanded its options. You can take home frozen pies, dairy-free/vegan cookie dough, and scones. They’re also serving curries (coconut lentil, aloo gobi) as part of an expanded lunch menu.

Coffee - Try Something Different 
City Perks has a great selection of coffee. There’s 49th Parallel – from Vancouver, Anchored from Dalhousie, Nova Scotia, and Pilot from Toronto.

Crack in Broccoli Form 
I know I’m a broken record, but I wish more chefs would realize what astounding dishes they can make if they start treating vegetables with respect. Dirt Candy’s Korean Fried Broccoli is #1 on the Zagat list of the best things they ate in New York in 2015.

Zagat says, “If you do finally manage to get a table, start with the gochujang-fried Korean broccoli ($6) — the menu describes it as "crack in broccoli form" and they're not kidding. The crispy broccoli fried Korean-style is glazed in the spicy Korean chile paste and yogurt and topped with scallions. Trust us, you'll be begging for a second helping.” 


Bread, Wine and Chocolate 
Simran Sethi, author of Bread, Wine and Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love, says that three-quarters of our food comes from 12 plants and five animals. We wouldn’t invest our money in such a narrow portfolio, but that’s exactly what we’re doing with food.

Sethi says that consumers must step up to the plate and support agro biodiversity. “If we don’t, she says, we are not only eroding genetic diversity by supporting monocultures, but also settling for varieties grown for productivity and resilience, not necessarily the best flavour. 

“If we want to settle, then just go to the grocery store, go to the supermarket now, and there are aisles of mediocrity.” 

Newport Market 
I was so excited to walk down the hill into Newport and find that Market Street was closed to traffic and lined with bright red and white canopied market stands. In addition to Nathan selling vegetables, there was a baker (individual quiches, vegetarian pasties, Christmas stollen) and a woman selling Welsh cheese, as well as some craft vendors. (No photos as it was raining and I didn't think there would be a market - hopefully next time.

Veggie Deli

On Saturday, I stopped by the Christmas Market at Newport Memorial Hall and was thrilled to discover a woman selling all sorts of vegetarian options from Veggie Deli. I picked up a package of Glamorgan sausages, a veggie sausage roll, a roasted aubergine & red lentil bake, and a bakewell slice.

Now I’m well stocked for Christmas! And it’s all made and purchased locally.

Newport’s Parrog 
In case you missed it, I posted some photos of Newport’s harbour this past week on my alternate (poetry and book reviews mostly) blog.

Market Street - there's a house inside the ruined castle at the top of the street

 Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products. 

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 21, 2017

Image
Prairie Harvest Café I was sad to learn that Prairie Harvest Café has closed its doors. It’s been one of my favorite Saskatoon restaurants since day one, and I really appreciated the fact that the chefs focused on cooking with local ingredients, many supplied by the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. All the best of luck in your new adventures. We’ll miss you. Hug a Farmer This has been a tough summer for many farmers. Prairie Sun Orchard lost their entire cherry crop to insects. Drop by their stand at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, tell them you care, and have an ice cream. My favorite is the chocolate cherry fudge, but Clare Pearson, the principal ice cream maker, says her new favorite is the salted caramel. Peppers If you’re like me, you assume that all small, skinny peppers are super hot and avoid them like the plague. But that’s a big mistake. Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering two long, skinny peppers – one can be hot, but the other isn’t. Padron chile pepper
Read more

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 28, 2017

Image
The Next Great Food Business Public Tasting, Sept. 7 The Local Kitchen is hosting a public tasting with samples from each of the finalists in the Next Great Food Business competition. Finalists are: King’s Jerky, Kind Condiments , Smoke and Salt BBQ, Bannock Express , and Voodoo Van . Wine Tastings Guess the most expensive wine (Sept. 8), sample some Rhône wines (Sept. 22), or attend the 2017 Premier Showcase Wine Dinner (Sept. 28) sponsored by Saskatoon Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Premier Showcase is also offering a Portugal with a Splash of California wine seminar (Sept. 29) and a Women & Whisky seminar (Sept. 30). Refresh and Renew I had a chat with Trent Loewen about his plans now that he has sold Earth Bound Bakery. He is heading east to visit chef friends in Ontario and then off to New Zealand to explore what's happening there. After 9 years with a single focus, it's time to explore new ideas. Interestingly enough, the bakery's new owner is a business
Read more

Spelt and Millet: Ancient Grains for Today's Healthy Diet

Image
When I was growing up, whole wheat flour and rice were exotic options. Now we have a whole range of intriguing choices – buckwheat, spelt, millet, kamut – the list goes on and on. My problem is that I don’t know very much about some of these grains, so I arranged a phone call with Nicole Davis, the Owner/Manager of Daybreak Mill near Estevan. Daybreak Mill grows and processes approximately 18 different kinds of flour, whole and de-hulled grains, flakes, cereals, and legumes. They are 100% organic. “We want people to have access to healthy, wholesome food,” Nicole explains. Two of Daybreak’s products – spelt and millet – have been nourishing people around the world for over 9,000 years. Spelt Spelt was cultivated by ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t require fertilizer. It’s resistant to frost and the thick husk protects the grain from insects. However, spelt requires more processing than wheat as
Read more

Beer: History, Trivia and War

Image
Brew North by Ian Coutts is a fascinating look at the history of beer in Canada. I particularly enjoyed the archival photos and beer labels. Here are some tidbits from Canada’s brewing history:           In 2007, Canadians drank 71.67 litres per capita with the Yukon leading the way at 139.75 litres per person, followed by Alberta at 98.54      The first criminal trial and hanging in Upper Canada was held at Finkle’s Tavern, which opened near Bath, Ontario, in 1793.      Two skeletons at the bar were props for Charles McKiernan’s tall tales (told in rhyme) at Joe Beef’s Canteen in Montreal. Customers shared the bar with a variety of animals, including a succession of beer-drinking bears.      Empty beer bottles were originally stored in crates filled with straw, a favourite spot for mice to nest. And the bottles were dark green, so it was hard to tell if the bottle was already occupied when it was filled with beer.      During Prohibition, many breweries switched to making soft dr
Read more

Artisan Cheese-Making in Saskatchewan

Image
Travel in Europe and you are immediately struck by the number and variety of local cheeses, but then you come home to Saskatchewan and there are next to no local artisan cheeses, but that situation is about to change. ( Salayview Farm south of Regina has just started making an excellent fresh goat cheese.) The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre) held a two-day cheese-making workshop this past week, and it was filled to capacity with people who were eager to start making cheese as a hobby or to sell commercially. The course was led by Margaret Morris of Glengarry Cheesemaking and Erin Hiebert, the Food Centre’s Manager of Skills Development and Food Safety Programs, while Brev Chesky, the Centre’s Processing Director, assisted with the hands-on portion of the workshop. I was fortunate to join the class at the end of the workshop and to get a first-hand glimpse at the cheese-making process as well as to meet some of the participants. The Course Margar
Read more