Fresh Sheet: June 19th

After last week's surprising & disastrous weather, here's hoping that we get a little sunshine... or at the very least, calm, if overcast, skies for the market! If you're wondering why the market was cancelled last week when the evening turned out to be so lovely, this is what our market site looked like mid-way through set-up time!

Taken from Lillian Osborne School's main doors
(as the school was in lock-down mode with the
kids & staff gathered in windowless rooms
& corridors), looking out over the
SWEFM parking lot site!

Taken from my house as the storm approached and I
did a big "Whew! Thank goodness we cancelled
the market!" before heading to the basement.

However, given that it's looking like rain, please don your raincoats and come on out to support our creative & hardy vendors... our farmers, artisans and food producers who all work so hard to bring their products virtually to your back door at your local community market.

With any luck, this week's market should have a few good surprises in store for us (if not in the weather, then in other things!). There are new vendors, some back for the season, and some new to us for the first time. Stop by and see:

• Yellow Bird (A Japanese fusion, sandwiches & wraps food truck)
• Steve & Dan's and AIG Produce will be here, bringing fruit from BC to our market! Yup, fruit season is upon us at long last!
• Gourmet Girl Cookies... yes, I know we've promised her arrival for three weeks running (darn those unforeseen circumstances!!!), but this week will be it! The demand for her cookies is high, so be sure to catch her before she runs out!
• Violet Chocolate Company (gourmet chocolate truffles with incredible, air-brushed designs)
• Cravings Artisan Gelato (gourmet Italian ice creams)
• Orange Avocado is back (jewellery)
• Three Muffin Tops Charms (jewellery)
• Farmstead Bath & Body is back (soaps & bath products)

We have heard a rumour that Slow Food Edmonton will be organizing a "market mob" at our market this week, encouraging those who follow their philosophy to put their money where their mouth is and show up en masse.... 6pm @ the Bully Food Truck!

And we have also heard that Liane Faulder, the food writer from the Edmonton Journal, may be popping by to do a piece on "ready to go meals" for a weekly feature! (If not this week, then next.)

Barring high winds and wild weather, the inflatable slide, face painter and balloon creator will be at our market for the kids. Kids can also stop by our community/info tent and paint up a fun key hook for dad... albeit a little late for his special day... or for a special someone in their lives.

Fresh vegetables & fruits in season, and available now at this week's market:

• Red Cherries
• Strawberries
• Pears (D'Anjou & Apple Pears)
• Apples (Ambrosia, Pink Ladies, Gala-no wax added, McIntosh), dehydrated apples, 
• Sparkling apple juice & 100% apple juice
• Fresh cut basil & chives
• Field grown radishes
• Fresh, green onions
• Over-wintered potatoes (purple, pink, & white fleshed varieties)
• Over-wintered squashes
• Over-wintered carrots
• Long green hothouse beans
• Hothouse cucumbers (long English and mini varieties that are perfect for packing in lunches)
• Field-grown rhubarb
• Field-grown spinach
• Fresh herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, mint, sage, rosemary)
• Hothouse lettuces (green leaf lettuce and butter lettuce),
• Hothouse tomatoes (large, small & on the vine red, the wonderfully flavourful & meaty green & red striped mini zebras) 
• Hothouse peppers (small & large orange, yellow, red, green, & red & green spicy chiles)

PLUS…

•  A variety of artisan breads, cinnamon breads, sweet loaves, gluten-free loaves & baking, cupcakes, homemade cookies (Gourmet Girl is back!), croissants & other buttery, finger-licking good baking
• Fresh meats (beef, bison, pork, chicken, fish)
• Farm-fresh eggs
• Jarred pickles
• Fresh raw honey
• Specialty ice-creams (from Cravings Gelato, a new vendor to our market) 
• Specialty chocolate! Yup... the Violet Chocolate Company starts up at our market this week
• Gourmet marshmallows in a wide assortment of flavours
• Greek dips and specialty Greek food items
• Indian Foods (naan, butter chicken, samosas, Indian cookies & salty snacks)
• Thai Foods (frozen & ready for your weekday meals)
• Turkish foods (dinner options and dessert goodies too)
• Ready-made items perfect for the BBQ season
• Smoked meats (sausages, pepperonis, sandwich meats, jerkies)
• Jams & jellies & condiments to compliment everything from your toast through to your meats and fish
• Authentic Mexican tortillas
• Sweet treats like fudge, mini cupcakes, kettle popcorn, snow cones & soft ice-cream to eat on the spot
• Dinner at the food trucks! (Bully & Sailing On & Yellow Bird)

What else???

• Jewellery (necklaces, earrings, bracelets) 
• Artisanal Soaps
• Bath & Body items 
• Clothing 

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Contributed by Sheri Hendsbee