Farmers Markets

[demiglace]

Has anyone gone to any markets this year? I heard the Trout Lake Market is good..is it open all weekend? Any info is appreciated. Bev

[Sam Salmon]

http://www.eatlocal.org/

[Daddy-A]

Care to elaborate Sam?

The Trout Lake Market is open Saturdays from 9am until 2pm. The Market at Nat Bailey Stadium (parking lot) opens on June 15 and runs from 1pm to 6:30-pm. The West End Market (Nelson Park) starts on June 18 and runs Saturdays only.

We've been to the Trout Lake Market twice this year. So far it's a bit early for the produce ... although Heimat Farms had shiso plants last weekend! Strawberries were available last weekend as well ... tasted good but you can see where this is going to be a short season this year. Too much rain I suppose ... the berries were a bit soft and bloated.

We bought a couple loaves of bread from Brothaus Bakery, as well as English Peas for a risotto we had on Saturday. Like I said, produce pickin's are slim right now. Still too many craft-people IMO. Cheese vendors like McLennan and Moonstruck are back ... as is Kelly from Bad Girl Chocolates!

How about some of the other markets? Coquitlam? Mission? Gotta be something near Chilliwack!

Let's hear about them!

A.

[seanw]

Bev,

Go to the Island, they seem way ahead of the mainland so far, just hop into a tardis & go island hopping.

[Badiane]

Sadly, Farmer's Markets of the 'stalls in a parking lot' variety are few and far between out here in Chilliwack. A few years ago we had a thriving market in Chilliwack, but then they hired a 'consultant' and that effectively killed it. The market has not made an appearence yet this year at all, and last year seemed to consist of a lady selling wool, two plant vendors selling hanging baskets and the odd veggie vendor, primarily with one or two items, like tomatoes or peppers. We have far better luck driving about Yarrow and pulling into driveways with signs up. Wisbey's, a farm vendor with a store, is opening on the 15th, and they are a good source of fresh food items. We also make frequent forays to the Aldergrove area for farm fresh produce, including sour cherries. We have excellent artisnal cheeses out here, and both places have stores, so it's easy to stop in and get cheeses, plus they have baby goats to play with! I do all my own baking and my hubby is a bread expert, so we have that covered, but there a couple of excellent artisnal bread places out here, as well as home baking to be had.

It's a bit early, but this weekend we did get all the strawberries we could handle and I made three batches of jam, as well as cheesecake topping. Also made and jarred lots of snappy pineapple ginger sauce from a two for one deal on those super sweet pineapples from the grogery store. It's the start of preserving season for us, and as the product rolls off the field, our kitchen will be jam and chutney central. We are going to have to move to a bigger place soon, running out of room for all our jars!

[demiglace]

Thanks for all the imput...Arne I appreciate the details..(soft and bloated eh!) I heard Bad Girl chocs were great..can't wait to try them. I'll have a car this summer for the first time in a long time so I'm looking forward to checking places out. It's too bad the growing season is starting out so lousy. Seanw..I hope to get to the Island this summer so I'll be taking notes on where to go! Don't know what a tardis is though. Badiane..I guess taking a drive to the valley and just following the locals signs will work..there was a pepper stand near the Aldergrove border that we used to go to..hope it's still there. I heard there was a drive thru corn barn out there somewhere too!!! Again thanks..oh and thanks for the link too Sam. Eat local...think glowbal.

[Badiane]

Don't know what a tardis is though.

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Clearly you aren't a Dr. Who fan...the Tardis is the Doctor's time travel machine

Since you have a car, if you are interested in adventure, you might like to check out Vista D'Oro in Langley...grand opening is this weekend and I hear Jamie Maw will be on hand, as well as the chef from C.

Then there are the Krause Brothers, who seem to grow everything under the sun, and have a market store at the farm.

Vista D'Oro

20856-4th Avenue

Langley

Krause Brothers

6179-248th Street

Aldergrove

The two places are only 12 miles apart, so we are hitting both this weekend.

[seanw]

THanks Badiane, your weekend sounds like a good idea! Yet the bloody weather could decide to play along. How were the strawbs?? I am chomping at the bit to get out to the countryside, it's funny because i am also looking to make some jams! could you tell me a little about the artisan bread bakers. Damn if only i could find my own Policeman's Box ,it would simplify things................IMHO Tom Baker was the best!

[Badiane]

THanks Badiane, your weekend sounds like a good idea! Yet the bloody weather could decide to play along. How were the strawbs?? I am chomping at the bit to get out to the countryside, it's funny because i am also looking to make some jams! could you tell me a little about the artisan bread bakers. Damn if only i could find my own Policeman's Box ,it would simplify things................IMHO Tom Baker was the best!

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The Bread Lady - some really nice stuff...'Sour dough breads are our specialty along with assorted sweet baked goods that are baked fresh daily in our country bakery. All bakery products are made with certified organic flour. We also feature granola, English toffee, peanut brittle, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate truffles and other rich gourmet specialties. Purchase organic produce and herbs or pick flowers in our U-pick flower garden. '

Carol and Stuart Robson

47888 Prairie Central Road

Chilliwack

Phone:604.792.6240 Fax: 604.792.6240

The strawberries were just okay...fine for jam and a batch of ice cream, but not much good for eating out of hand...a little squishy for my liking. They weren't all that sweet, either. The jam turned out really well. Also made a pineapple ginger that is really great. Will see what I can pick up this weekend to mess with.

We go in all kinds of weather...I figure if they have a store, then there is shelter and I am going anyway I was raised in the rain, and my husband is British, so it's normal weather to him as well.

I'd like a Tardis myself...and am quite enjoying the new Dr. Who, Christopher Eccelston....although I could give Billie Piper a miss

Maybe we will see you on the farm this weekend!

[Foodie in Vancouver]

What is Vista d'Oro? It sounds more like a winery than a Farmer's Market.

[Badiane]

http://www.vistadoro.com

As far as I can tell, the only thing the DON'T have is a winery. They have a cooking school, farm product, jam, a woodcraft artisan...

We are really looking forward to it.

And later in the season they sell all kinds of heirloom tomatoes. REALLY looking forward to that.

[FannyBay]

I tried to paste this article by Angela Murrills in but I gather that's not allowed. I am going to try and send a link to it as it's a great article on farmers markets.

Dining Dining Archives

Spring means a surge of fresh produce and farmers markets too

By angela murrills

Publish Date: 12-May-2005

http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=10094

also see www.bcfarmersmarket.org

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Wow - thanks for the tip on Vista d'Oro. We will really try and get there this weekend - it sounds absolutely wonderful. But the 1 hour+ drive out to Langley isn't exactly eco-friendly.

I want summer tomatoes NOW. I am so sick of the same old winter vegatables.

[Daddy-A]

Wow - thanks for the tip on Vista d'Oro. We will really try and get there this weekend - it sounds absolutely wonderful. But the 1 hour+ drive out to Langley isn't exactly eco-friendly.

This weekend would be a great time ... they're hosting their Grand Opening! Details in the claendar HERE

A.

[BCinBC]

N and I went to Trout Lake last Saturday, picked up odds and ends like...

Peas for risotto (nice and crisp, but at $1.99/lb they are not as cheap as I've seen at small produce stores - in fact I just saw some on Fraser and 49th for $0.99/lb).

Mushrooms, crimini and dried porcini, from the mushroom guy. Dude, these were gooooood (sorry, Canucklehead moment!). They went into the risotto also. Fresh criminis were $1.50 for a small container, ie 1.5-2 cups, but they had an assortment of different shrooms, the most expensive being $2.50/small $5/lg. The porcinis were $6 for 3 x 15g bags for I think. About competitive with what I usually buy except the quality is better.

Baby salad greens, incl mustard, peppercress, arugula, some I've never heard of. And I just remembered, garlic scapes because of the other thread in cooking. But I don't think N knew what they were; when washing the greens she must have tossed them because we sure didn't eat them! Anyway, mix & match for $2.30/100g. (Expensive but you know what, 100g of salad is a lot of salad.)

Some micro-basil, can't remember the name but it starts with F. Super fragrant little buggers.

And this was the highlight - a full grown bay tree for $18. What a steal! Someone told the guy that they were selling them at Van Dusen for $100+, which I think is a load of BS (I would have guessed $40-50), however he may very well up his prices next weekend.

They also had frozen at sea fish and prawns (from the Charlottes) which I was tempted by, but did not get. Same with frozen organic beef, lamb, other stuff... There are honey vendors, the cheese guy, and yes some crafts that I could do without. But all in all it's not bad; I am planning on checking out Nat Bailey tomorrow, but I expect the same booths there.

PS - I totally forgot to check out Bad Girl Chocolates. I don't even really love chocolates, but with a name like that, damn!

[snacky_cat]

I LOVE the mushroom guy. A friend of mine makes an amazing pasta sauce that uses nothing but butter, one of the mushroom guys' assorted-bags-o'-fungus, and some seasoning. Goes great over gnocchi.

The West End market begins this Saturday, June 18th, at Nelson Park. Despite this being mere blocks from my place, I've yet to go. I'll try and stop by this weekend to check out the vendors.

[Keith Talent]

Peas for risotto (nice and crisp, but at $1.99/lb they are not as cheap as I've seen at small produce stores - in fact I just saw some on Fraser and 49th for $0.99/lb).

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The peas at Trout Lake, organic. On Fraser, not.

[Sam Salmon]

Made it to Nat Bailey this aft-quite a convivial setting it was for the first Market of the season.

Nothing too outstanding-some lovely Arugula, Butter Lettuce, Soda Bread for brekkie tomorrow!

[Zucchini Mama]

Take Me Out to Nat Bailey

Yahoo! Our neighborhood market is open again. We popped in yesterday to pick up a chocolate pyramid for my son at Bad Girl Chocolates (always our first stop) and also bought some of her gelées for after supper treats. She's always got lovely strawberries dipped in dark chocolate at this time of the year. Next, we took a look around to see what was happening and chatted to grandpa who was giving out advice at the master gardener's table. I stopped at Langley Organic Growers first and got some mixed baby potatoes, purple radishes and a bit of dill. Ms. 'Petal Pusher' gave me a recipe for their potato and radish salad from the Vegetarian Gourmet by Roz Denny.

I picked up some frozen blueberry and grass-fed beef sausages from Pasture to Plate, which we're going to try tonight. We had to buy some pesticide free strawberries and cukes and I got some Welsh tea cakes from ...I'll have to call them "the bread ladies", because they're new and I can't remember their names. I convinced the woman in the Java Van to make me an unsweetened iced tea from a green tea with berries in it-very nice. She gets her teas from The Blue Teapot. We had a bit of change left, so we bought a dark chocolatey brownie from Blackberry Hill farm and I'd like another one right now if I could, but it didn't last long. (Mind you, they won't be as good as Ling's, which I plan on making for our Father's Day tea.)

We sampled some lovely Cuban salsa, but I told him I was out of cash, and would buy some next week. It's so easy to empty your pockets at the market! We missed Chris Brown-he's having some kitchen problems, so fingers crossed he'll be their next week.

I'm always in such a great mood after I've been to the market. We headed home and I made a big potato salad with organic green beans (from Stong's, which also has BC English peas already), the organic potatoes, radishes, and some leftover bits of sausage and crisped salami. I served the salad without dressing for my son, and without dill for my partner. I've become very nostalgic about dill of late because it reminds me of my mother's garden when it grew taller than me. P. hates dill, so I just sprinkled some on top of my portion. They've thrown in a few purple potatoes into the mix, so the final dish was very colorful and we had it with some of my brother-in law's decent homemade blush. For dessert, we had the jellies as well as strawberries with Little Qualicum Fromage Frais over the Welsh teacakes. I'm just so happy summer is here.

[Keith Talent]

I plan on making for our Father's Day tea.

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As a father, I can assure you your father would prefer a Fathers day everyone leave him the hell alone with a bottle of Dewars perhaps. Dad's don't drink tea. Dads don't have "teas". Don't torment the poor man. If you must do something to him other than leaving him in complete blissful silence, and belive me the prime option is not talking, barbecue great hunks of rare meat with him.

[Badiane]

IAs a father, I can assure you your father would prefer a Fathers day everyone leave him the hell alone with a bottle of Dewars perhaps. Dad's don't drink tea. Dads don't have "teas". Don't torment the poor man. If you must do something to him other than leaving him in complete blissful silence, and belive me the prime option is not talking, barbecue great hunks of rare meat with him.

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You really are a miserable SOB, aren't you? Geeez Louise. You are going to end up a bitter, lonely old drunk if you aren't careful.

I know I can get away with saying that because you have a finely honed sense of sarcasm, of course

[Mooshmouse]

As a father, I can assure you your father would prefer a Fathers day everyone leave him the hell alone with a bottle of Dewars perhaps.

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Lagavulin, Keith. 16 y.o. Lagavulin. Worse comes to worse, you could always put it in a teapot. But that would be blasphemous.

[Zucchini Mama]

Oh, come on, my guy loves a bracing cup of afternoon tea, and I'm going to be creative: gin and tonic gelées, Ling's brownies, smoked trout on homemade oatmeal crackers...etc.

We don't even own a barbeque!

But he does love a good scotch.

Zuke

[Daddy-A]

Ahem ...

Remember the Farmer's Market? That TOPIC thingy we should be talking about?

As in ..."I think I'm gonna go to the Farmer's Market this Saturday and buy something to grill for father's Day. Is the lamb from Jay Springs any good?"

Thanks.

A.

[Keith Talent]

You are going to end up a bitter, lonely old drunk if you aren't careful. 

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We all have goals.

And if we feel the need to add some local farmers market selections to dads day, to keep on topic and preventing Arnie from bringing out the ban hammer, the Mt. Kokeli by Little Qualicum Cheese Works would make, err scratch that MAKES a superb accompanyment to malted distilled beverages. Available at Trout Lake market, natch. Beware the roving hippies while purchasing. Why do they all feel the need to wear pants with pictures on them, or at very least strong geometric patterns? Yeah we get it, you feel a strong affinity to the agrarian maoist rebels of Gautemala. Put the pan flute down.