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Today is day 2 of converting the blog (you’ll see no changes here, yet) so it’s busy times here. The conversion kept me up until 2:00AM (because I was having so much fun, in truth) and I was out of bed at 7:00. The dog and I went for a walk and then I took a quick spin to the farmers market to get some leeks and to help inspire/ remind me why we work on this project. I’m getting excited to geek out!
The Brickworks is a reclaimed industrial area that time forgot and has been converted into this amazing community space that hosts, amongst other things, a year-round market.
The market has a new website that’s just launched today. It includes information on different food regions in Ontario, their vendors, principles and more. It’s awfully neat, check it out here.
Part of the mission of this blog has been, since it’s conception, to share news about people and projects that we value. Our food system needs to change and we want to share our excitement for people and products that we meet as we discover more about our food, where it’s from and the people who help bring it to us. We also promise to only share about those we genuinely adore and will always tell you if we were paid or gifted anything in return.
Cubit’s Organic Living is an online retailer of Organic Seeds. Laura is the driving force behind it but her entire family all roll up their sleeves as needed. We’ve gotten to know her family over the last year or two and are always delighted to run into them at the local markets, seed swaps or, more often than not, in the various online communities that we share.
Cubit’s exists through selling seeds but it doesn’t end there. It’s also a tireless blog and Laura’s posts are always filled with fabulous photos, how-to’s and the occasional awesome video like this stop motion video showing 8 hours of cider pressing in 3 minutes of real-time. Cubit’s doesn’t merely sell ‘into’ the community; it is a vibrant part of it.
The seeds are 100% organic and every aspect of the business is deeply considered – from its use of recycled or re-used packaging where possible through their supply chains. Laura’s commitment to her vision of affordable and sustainable food is uncompromising.
You can check out their website above, find them at Seedy Saturday at the Evergreen Brickworks tomorrow or find their awesome seeds (which I’ve purchased in the past and will again this weekend) on their Etsy store as well.
I woke up this morning and went up to the Evergreen Farmer`s Market at the Brickworks. It`s an amazing indoor-outdoor space that is essentially converted industrial wastelands.
This is the same space that we preserved 1,000 tasting samples for the SlowFood Toronto picnic last year (that`s the last post in a 10-day series that showed what we were doing). We`ve comitted to cooking again this year and I can`t wait to find out who are farmed will be and what ingredients we`ll get to work with.
There are all sorts of things to discover at the Brickworks – a farmer`s market on Saturday, art installations, nature trails, garden center, events, kitchen studio, and so much more. It`s just a fantastic place to walk and get lost in.
Rather than just spewing about the market and this amazing place, I thought today should be a photo post. If you have the chance to go, head early – it`s an amazing place that gets busy fast…
It’s been a while since I’ve posted about the availability of winter produce in our fair region. I am excited to report that our CSA (from Kawartha Ecological Growers) continues to be exceptional.
Our $70 order last night included:
a dozen government inspected eggs from a small farm.
Dried celery leaves (an awesome herb)
Giant Yukon potatoes
Ontario Garlic
Celeriac (6 sizable roots that I will dehydrate and turn to powder for BBQ rubs and sauces although we could make a soup with or roast it)
1 large squash (we’re not overrun by squash as people often claim local winter eating can be)
Carrots
2 small lamb shanks (optional)
A small beef roast (optional)
A bag of greenhouse greens
A jar of radish sprouts
A big ‘ol parsnip
I am sure there was more.
Of course there were other options as always – preserves, honey, maple syrup, duck, pork, other veggies (including pop corn) and more.
The bounty will be enough for 8-10 meals when combined with staples from our pantry (such as cornmeal, rice, sauces and preserves from our own stock). 8-10 is about the most we’ll at home eat in a two-week period and we’ll be ready for more.
The best thing about the food is the quality is just so much higher than what I can buy at the grocery store at the same (or lower) price when you consider the entire bill. Individual items (such as garlic) are certainly more pricey than what you can buy from China but picking and choosing where we choose to be “decadent” allows us to keep the budget for 2 people very reasonable. I am confident that buying food for the two of us for 2 weeks would easily run $70 or more at a large grocery store.
Other than the occasional quick visit to specialty stores (mostly ‘bulk’ , cheese, beer or other such shops) when I am out or the odd vegetable), we haven’t shopped at a large grocery store in months. The only major exception to this was a very odd experience for both of us and rather than simply ranting about what we experienced (which could have just been a ‘bad’ night and not the regular grocery store experience) it certainly pales in comparison to the warm smile and hug that often greets me and the fact that I pick up my groceries in minutes (there are always 30-60 options on two tables as opposed to 100,000 square feet) and the location allows me to sip a beer should I choose to do so.
The CSA is not as convenient as a location that’s waiting for you 15-hours a day, 7-days a week but the quality of the food in my fridge is notably higher than the alternative. Last nights pickup was in a bit of a tent and the dreary rain falling around us made the experience less than romantic but just as efficient.
I’m not saying that you should switch nor am I trying to be a food-elitist (something that local food often gets criticized for). I am simply trying to say that you can eat locally, seasonally and affordably in our city. At $35 a week for two it’s not an option for everyone but it’s a far cry from buying organic peaches for $4 a piece as was reported in New York City last year (their city also has some very approachable and affordable local food markets that we had the privilege to visit as well).
The most pleasant surprise came last night when I asked about the “end” of the CSA season. This is our winter share and I figured that we must surely be coming to a near end. I bounced with excitement to find out that last night was just the half-way mark and that it continues until mid-late May.
Looking back at those articles, the most important aspect of choosing a CSA specifically for winter is determining if they are intentionally growing for winter or if it’s a collection of ‘leftover’s’ from the summer. Proper storage, variety and care are all massive features of intentionality that may be lacking with the ‘leftover’ variety. Related to this is a diverse farm or co-op so that your variety can be significant.
Click Kawartha Ecological Growers to find out it they have any remaining shares (they sell them pro-rated and we are not advertising for them – simply raving fans). If you have a similar CSA that you adore (regardless of where you live), feel free to shout about it in the comments!
There`s not a whole lot to this post this morning – then again I`ve just gotten back to Toronto from California and it`s the equivalent of 2AM in my inner clock so we`ll just have to all agree that simple may be better. Besides, the definition of `not a whole lot` is likely dependant on interpretation because I was super excited to see this in our CSA bin from Kawartha Ecological Growers 2 weeks ago:
Beans, glorious beans.
I don`t recall ever seeing beans dried in the shell – which says more about me and our food system than it does about the little legumes. I realized that I`ve had blinders on when buying them – they just sort of come in bags or in bulk and never in a shell.
The shells were also…dirty. As so many organics or near organics are, these came with dirt in tact. The first step was to pull them apart and find the little prizes hidden on the inside. It was a dirty process and one that proved to be a lot of fun. It was the first time in a long time that my hands felt dirty like I had been in the garden and it was a great feeling.
THe end result was far cleaner:
It is a good reminder that not all dehydrating and preserving has to be done in a machine in a house. The process to air dry (an assumption that these were done with by this technique on my behalf that could be totally wrong but I`m in love with the idea so you`ll have to let me have my fantasy). My appreciation for the simplest preserves and techniques continues to increase – there`s something inherently romantic about the simplicity of technique and purity of the results compared to the original produce.
We`ve really eaten and cooked a lot more beans than ever this year. Our friend Massimo Bruno opened my eyes that there were many more uses for beans (including blending them in to a sauce) than I was aware. Finding these in our CSA bin was an exciting discovery!
What do you like to make with dried beans (feel free to link to your recipes or blogs if you`d like)?
I was so excited to be heading back to the Ceili Cottage last night. The cozy Irish pub in the East end of Toronto is also the dropoff for our CSA. And, yes, that means we can have a beer (including a rotating selection of local taps) while we do our grocery shopping.
There are many things about Kawartha Ecological Growers that make them the right choice for us. We adore them, love their farming practices, their selection is awesome, we adore them, the drop-off is close, they offer food from a network of more than 20 farms (and are farmers themselves), they provide food to some of the best restaurants in the city, we adore them and more.
The winter program is picked up every second week for 10 weeks. $35 of food is chosen for you and you receive an additional $25 of credit to mix and match from other items. You are also welcome to add additional items as you would at a grocery store.
I also appreciate that the winter market was planned for through the growing season. This means there is a lot of choice.
Here`s a partial list of things they had last night:
garlic
multiple types of onions
squash
carrots
potatoes
kale
multiple types of squash
leeks
beets
multiple jams
honey
popcorn
maple syrup
goat
beef
duck
duck stock
bok choy
sunchokes
celeriac
I am sure there was more and I`m simply forgetting. I didn`t notice flour, pasta or dried beans last night though these things often make an appearance with KEG – and in our home.
The singular use of `farmer`in the title is both intentional and applicable. Sort of.
When we wrote about How to Choose the Right CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) for You, we mentioned that we were signing up with Kawartha Ecological Growers (who we introduced here).
Kawartha Egological Growers is a farmer-run co-op of more than 20 farms who pool their resources to offer their product to the public. The diversity of the farms allow for great options – standard food offerings are complimented by meats, preserves, flour and pasta. We`ve known Mark and company for the last few years and we`re thrilled to support them and think a great deal of the team. We also got to join them in Burning a Piano so we may be a little biased.
The CSA drop off in Leslieville occurs every Tuesday from 4-7PM and is at the Ceili Cottage (Queen and Leslie). They set up their CSA booth in the corner and offer all of their products for sale to general public as well. We are seeing more and more people week after week. My Tuesday tradition is rapidly becoming groceries chased down with a cask-condtioned ale from the friendly crew at the cottage (which is well deserving of it`s own post).
We`ll add some pictures on the next good weather day that we`re there. In the meantime, pop bye for groceries and a beer and I`ll hopefully see you there!
This is, in no way, representative of all the diverse farms and farming regions within Ontario. It is, however, a feeling of the `pulse` of some of Ontario farmers – 10 of whom I chatted with on the weekend about our summer so far.
We are definitely turning the corner between spring and summer. Variety at the markets is expected to explode in the next week or two both with the arrival of new crops and more consistent delivery of early crops (for example a friend had arugula 2 weeks ago but couldn`t this weekend).
Asparagus is on it`s way out. It looks like there`s about 2 weeks left for many of our regional farms. It`s hard to believe it`s almost done already.
The climate has many cautiously optimistic. The spring started out incredibly strong but has become inconsistent. Water has been plenty (if not a little much) and heat has been erratic – including missing completely at times. There is an underlying tension around last year where cool temperatures anda lot of rain led to early blight and cost a significant number of farmers all of their field tomatoes.
Farmer`s markets continue to grow and become a more significant portion of family income for many. Next weekend (with the G8 and G20 summits that are clogging Toronto`s infrastrucutre) has many concerned. They are worried about hassles of getting to the markets (for themselves and their customers) and are concerned with how much product to bring next week – too little results in less income and cash flow while too much leads to waste and lost profit. It`s a greasy tightrope to cross in a regular week; our support is needed more than ever next weekend.
Heirloom crops and varieties of crops continue to become further diverse this year. Our latest discovery was bordeaux spinach that lit up dinner last night (spelt pasta with olive oil, spinach, peas, onions, bacon and lemon juice). The green leaves with purple-red veins added a wonderful color and the mild flavor rounded out the tartness of the lemon in wonderful ways.
There`s something addictive about time-lapse photography to me. It`s a short post today; the video below (found on Youtube – click it to be taken to the original) is less than 2 minutes – I find it fascinating to watch the date and time and see just how fast corn really grows:
Corn gets a lot of bad press these days, much of it with reason. Corn doesn`t hur people, people hurt people (obscure reference that I couldn`t avoid ).
It`s exactly 8:00AM as I write this on a Saturday morning. I know where I will be exactly 14 days from now. Here`s a hint from last year:
Brickworks Farmers Market (and many other Toronto summer markets) open in the next 2-3 weeks. I am bounding with excitement.
Toronto has a truly amazing Farmer’s Market “scene” going on. There were more than 40 last year and you could go to a different one every day of the week if you wanted. Here’s a few tips gleaned from years of exploring the markets:
1. Each one is different. Take your time to learn about the market; this is generally a lot easier on the web. Does the market allow resellers? Crafts? Is it all local? Organic? Single-farm only? Find what you are looking for – there are no “right” answers that apply to all.
2. Bigger is not better. Don’t be surprised if a market is small. A market with 7 or 8 vendors can contain a world full of treasures. We are conditions by our massive grocery stores to believe that massive choice is better. Some large markets contain less options than smaller as they have many vendors selling what is essentially the same thing.
3. Know where the farm is. Buy the same ingredient from different regions and compare. Mark Cutrara (Cowbell) did a taste testing of identical veggies from East and West of Toronto last year. Different soil, temperatures, sun and treatment can dramatically affect the taste of two carrots. Do your own side-by-side tastings and see what you like.
4. Go early. I used to go to markets around 9 or 10 and think that there wasn’t much to see or buy. I have found that 10-20% of a market’s finest stock can disappear in the first 30 minutes. For example, at the Brick Works you are not allowed to buy anything until 8AM. This is strictly enforced and each vendor waits for a bell to sound before they can take payment. On a crazy day many booths will have a lineup of 10-15 people with bags of their chosen produce and cash in hand to pay at 7:50. When the bell rings they will drop their cash on the table and dart to the next booth. It’s completely silly and completely fun.
5. Go late – especially to a new market. Going later in the day reduces your options but increases the time farmers have to talk to you about their offerings, philosophy and what they had earlier in the day. I go to markets later in the day to build relationships, learn all that I can and try things that are new to me.
6. Talk to the farmers. I’m often surprised to see people walk up to a booth and with no greeting start barking orders or comments. Many of the farmers standing before you woke up in the middle of the night because of their passion and committment to bringing us food. They’ve worked through the cold, the rain and the brutal heat to feed us. They are filled with knowledge and sometimes are treated like one of those automated cash registers that you poke and prod to pay and get away. Your day will improve with a few smiles and kind words traded back and forth.
7. Ask for cooking tips. Not only do they have plenty of experience but they hear all sorts of tips from other market attendees. Ask what others are doing with it.
8. Smile and make eye contact with other market goers. It’s surprising how easily one can engage in conversations at a market.
9. Ask about seasonality. There is nothing worse than thinking you will skip fiddleheads and get some more next week only to find out that you missed the boat on the final week. Find out what’s on the way out and what’s on the way in.
10. Try something you’ve never had before. If you don’t know what to do with it, ask. I have never cooked sunchokes until this year (also known as Jerusalem Artichokes) and learned to “chip” them this year. The results were spectacular.
11. Prices – if you don’t understand why they are what they are, tactfully ask. When a farmer told me that his 5 pound chicken was $25 I didn’t think I’d ever buy it. When I asked him to explain why this was so different from what I see in the store (notice the word “different” as opposed to “expensive”), I got an answer that surprised me and shocked me further than I came home with a chicken. Price can be a sensitive sore spot but I see it as an opportunity to learn and be sold on why I would spend a different amount than I am conditioned to. This doesn’t mean that I always do but it certainly leaves me with a greater understanding.
This is not the ultimate list – I’m sure we’ll think of more fairly easily (bring your bags, dress appropriately, bring the family, try the food…) but it’s a start. Any favourite tips out there?
