Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Vancouver Winter Farmers Market

If you ever need to find me on a Saturday morning this is where I'll be. Every. Saturday. Freezing rain, slushy snow or lack of sleep, I won't miss it! These are the potatoes I can't stop talking about. Get your butt outa bed if only to come for these.


The stand is called Helmer's Organic


Purebread, artisan bread and baked goods brought down from Whistler.


Get the lavender earl grey scone, rosemary chocolate cookie or pudgie pie (croissant type dough stuffed with goat cheese and caramelized onions).


Chanterelles! Probably my fave mushroom. Saute w/ butter, garlic, splash of white wine or marsala, cream, s+p. Spread on crostinis, stuff in an omelette or eat straight out of the pan.

Maple syrup! I was talking to the guys here about the maple syrup process. From extracting the sap from the tree, to boiling it down, to what it yields after its been reduced to a syrup, it's pretty crazy how much it takes just to fill one bottle. They also have maple syrup hot chocolate. Soo good, very similar to the hot chocolate I had in Spain, it's thick and rich. My friend and I shared 1/2 a cup and it pretty much filled my daily chocolate quota!

Squash season. My fave way to eat it right now: cut in half, scoop out seeds, roast cut side down at 375 degree F until a knife can easily be stabbed through with no resistance, scoop out the inside and add a spoonful of coconut oil and salt and pepper.

This farmer has the nicest carrots and the best kale, it's slightly sweet which he told me is because of the freezing temperatures we've had.

The only place I buy salmon. Local, wild, sustainable and flash frozen at sea. Really the best I've ever had. Fish should never have a fishy smell when you cook it, if it does...then you know it's really not that fresh.

Sunchokes! Roast with s+p or mash with the Sieglende potatoes and a drizzle of truffle oil.


I don't trust a vegetable that doesn't have a little dirt on it. If you find a bug in your salad don't freak out, be glad those greens came from the earth! Unless it's an Asian restaurant, then it might just be bad handling...I once found an animal tooth in my sweet and sour chicken, but that's a whole other story.

Best handcrafted local sausage of all time.

Saltspring Island Cheese, love the lemon chevre. (Bought 3, one to bring back home for Christmas, and the others for wine night or a last minute dinner party)


My good friend who had never been to the market came with me one time and was in total aw as a local musician played and kids danced around, he said "everyone is so happy here..!". I said, yeaa! Surrounded by food, how could you NOT be!?

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