Recipe: Cucumber and Fennel Salad

a few thoughts
This recipe, created & entered by Stephanie Betts, garnered second place in our recipe contest. A recipe that introduces people to simple home cooking, we loved it for its sheer simplicity and audacity... just 2 market ingredients! (well.... not counting the dill and honey). It is simple and fresh and super easy to make. And it uses fennel... people hardly ever know what to do with this wonderful plant! 

Imagine a recipe this simple winning a recipe contest! It's like the intro I was reading to the Local Bounty cookbook that talks about a chef getting sneered at by other chefs at a cook off for bringing beautiful seasonal veggies and assembling a salad with a very simple vinaigrette... 

We live in an age of celebrity chefs and televised cooking competitions sporting elegant plates of expertly stacked entrées. But you don't need to create elaborate preparations or use complicated techniques in order to prepare wonderful food. The better your ingredients, the less you really need to fuss with them. There is a famous story about Alice Waters, founder of the venerable Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, long-term food activist, and pioneer of the fresh, organic, local foods movement. She travelled across the country to act as a guest chef for an event featuring various eminent culinary professionals. For her contribution, she brought freshly picked, heirloom salad greens and prepared a simple dressing. A fellow chef sneered, "That's not cooking, that's shopping!" And Waters responded, "Exactly!"

So with just fennel and cucumber and a simple vinaigrette, this recipe is sheer simplicity itself. And audacity. This recipe has it!

Ingredients for this recipe can be found at all four vegetable vendors at our market: Riverbend Gardens has fennel, dill and cucumbers; Dargatz Family Farm and Holden Colony have cucumbers and dill; Good Morning, Honey and Holden Colony both have honey. 

Thanks, Stephanie!

Cucumber and fennel salad
Eating this salad with fresh cukes and fennel from the farmers market is the best.
Veggies:
ingredients
1 fennel bulb cored and thinly sliced
1/2 a larger cucumber or 2-3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced (you could also add in some celery or radishes in here too)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar 
1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon mustard
instructions
Mix up the vegetables in a medium sized bowl. Place all ingredients for the dressing in a jar, seal and shake until it is all combined. Pour dressing over veggies and toss. Salad should be served within a half hour of dressing, but will hold up in the fridge overnight for leftovers in lunches the next day. Serves 4 when used as a side dish. 

It's light, fresh and easy to play with depending on what you have in your pantry or fridge. I've been making it all the time because it's so easy to put together! 

Recipe from Stephanie Betts, 2nd Placed Winner in our Annual Recipe Contest
Visit our website at http://www.swefm.ca
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/swefm.ca
Intro by Sheri Hendsbee

Fresh Sheet: August 28th Market

I LOVE STONES is a new vendor at our market (this is her second week as a vendor). She is passionate about polished stones and crystals and is turning that passion into a business. Kelley has many beautiful pieces that sparkle in the sun and she is very knowledgeable about minerals and crystals. Welcome, Kelley!

momstown will be back at the info tent doing a craft with the young children who come to our market, so Be sure to stop by and make a craft.

 
Sweet Stuff is now making delicious cookies, alongside her popular mini (as well as regular-sized) cupcakes. Lindsay's cookies borrow from her childhood favourites: classics like chocolate chip, oatmeal and raisin and ginger snaps, or try her big take on the 'Oreo' cookie. These cookies go quickly, so be sure to visit early.


   

Morrie's Hand Crafts makes beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations. He turns bowls out of corian and he creates words and signs that provide natural-looking, whimsical accents for your home. Corian is a composite material that is typically used in the making of countertops. It is very durable, and with its marble-like appearance, and the way in which it comes in a wide assortment of over 100 colours and patterns, it provides endless opportunities for Morrie to create and experiment with his designs

 
 
Sara's Korean Food is at the market each week. Have you had the chance to meet Hejong yet? Her Korean food is full of wonderfully fresh flavours. And Hejong makes very authentic Korean food for your meals-to-go. At her stall, you will be able to purchase green onion cakes, kimchi, spring rolls and bulgogi to take with you for your meals at home.

 Remember, if you see something on the lists below that you especially want to seek out, stop by the info tent. There we have a large map of the site that shows where vendors are located and we have volunteers who can direct you to help you find those treasured items.

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

The BC fruit trucks are bringing a wealth of gorgeous fruit. This week expect to see:

• Apples (Galas, Macs, Pink Ladies)
• Dehydrated apples, sparkling cider, 100% pure apple juice 
• Apricots
• Blueberries
• Cherries (dark cherries & yellow Rainers)
• Concord grapes (the seedless wine grapes, small & dark & ever so flavour-filled)
• Currants, red & black 
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears (green & red)
• Plums (yellow & purple & Dinosaur's egg)
• Raspberries
• Saskatoons (fresh saskatoons are no longer available, but frozen ones are)
• Strawberries
• Watermelon

As for veggies... they are now officially pouring in from the fields! Expect to see:

• Basil (fresh cut & plants)
  
• Broccoli (First of the Season!!)
• Beans... yellow & green & purple, field & hothouse long (incredibly, the purple beans change colour when you steam them or plop them in boiling water, going from purple to green... the second they're green, they're done!)
• Beets (red, purple, golden & striped candy cane)
• Butternut squashes
• Cabbages (green & purple, round and conical)
• Carrots, classic orange as well as purple.
• Cauliflower (white, purple, yellow and the wonderfully whimsical Romanesco)
• Corn - sweet corn 
• Cucumbers, field & hothouse, small pickling, small snacking, long English, and large field cukes
• Dill, long stalks & flowers (perfect for new potatoes & making dill pickles)
• Eggplants (long purple & yellow and small green oriental)
• Fava Beans
• Fennel 
• Garlic
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Herb plants (thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, mint, sage, rosemary, dill, sorrel)
• Kale
• Kohlrabi (purple & green)
• Lettuces (romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce)
• Leeks
• Onions (large field onions, red onions, small spring onions, chives)
• Pattypan Squashes (mini yellow or green squashes, great for sautéing) 
• Peas
• Peppers (small & large orange, yellow, red & green bell peppers, sweet thin-walled long red cubanelle peppers, red spicy chiles, mildly spicy green jalepeños, hot banana peppers, extremely hot wee little orange habeñeros)
• Potatoes (golden, white, purple, red)... don't forget to pick up fresh dill to go with them.
• Romaine
• Scapes (garlic tops) & fresh garlic
• Swiss chard (it comes in three colours: rhubarb red, peppermint stick pink and golden yellow)
• Summer Squashes (Zucchini and yellow summer squashes)
• Tomatoes, field & hothouse (large, small & on the vine red, the wonderfully flavourful & meaty green & red striped mini zebras, heirloom varieties, Romas, Big Uglies, etc.) 

PLUS…

• It's Simply Suppers last day at the market until October 2nd. 
• Delectable gourmet chocolate bars, chocolate dipped marshmallows, cocoa covered almonds and pecan clusters from Violet Chocolates. 
• Many different flavours of hand-made marshmallows in yummy flavours, that change weekly. 
• A variety of artisan breads, cinnamon buns, cinnamon breads, pies, muffins, sweet loaves, gluten-free loaves & baking, cupcakes, bagels, homemade cookies, cakes & other finger-licking good baked treats throughout the market
• Unbelievably authentic & delicious French style croissants (with chocolate inside, or with real raspberries)
• Brioche with raisins & coconut palm sugar crumble or with orange blossom and a hint of anise
• A wide assortment of flavours of banana bread
• Fresh & frozen meats (beef, bison, pork, chicken, lamb) 
• Farm-fresh eggs
• Jarred pickles (cucumber pickles, dill pickles, pickled eggs, pickled beets)
• Dehydrated garlic powder
• Fresh raw honey & bee pollen (Want to know more about bee pollen? Click here.)
• Specialty gelatos (great in this blistering summer heat!) They're packed on dry ice at the market, so they easily make the trip home without melting.
• Greek dips (humus, tzatziki, spicy feta & red pepper) and specialty Greek food items, like  Sagnaki (lightly breaded baked cheese, delicious served warm).
• Turkish Foods (from savoury pastries and dinner items to sweet dessert treats) will not be available.
• Korean Foods (green onion cakes, kimchi, bulgogi as ready to go meals )
• Indian Foods (naan & butter chicken as ready to go meals, Samosas, Indian cookies & salty snacks)
• Thai Foods (frozen & ready for your weekday meals)
• Ready-made meals and spice mixes and other items perfect for the BBQ season
• Packages of spices ready for appetizer dips or wine slushes
• Smoked meats (sausages, pepperonis, sandwich meats, jerkies)
• Perogies, including gluten-free varieties.
• Jams & jellies & condiments to compliment everything from your toast through to your meats and fish
• Sweet treats like cookies, mini cupcakes, snow cones & soft ice-cream to eat on the spot
• Gourmet chocolate bars and truffles in fabulously inventive flavours
• Kettle Popcorn

 

• Jewellery this week (necklaces, earrings, bracelets from Jewels By Amy & Gypsy Bird).
• One-of a kind word art, corian bowls and beautiful wood racks (Morrie's Hand Crafts).
• Bath & body items (lip balms, bath bombs, body creams)
• Polished stones, crystals and minerals (I love stones).
• the ATM will be in the centre of the market, beside Yellowbird Food Truck, should you need access to a banking machine 

• Barring high winds (forecasted at over 25km/hr and wild weather, the inflatable slide will be BACK on site 
• The balloon busker will be at the market, creating lively, fun designs out of his rainbow of coloured balloons. 
• The Dolphin Lady facepainter will be at the market, creating incredible works of art on wee little faces
• momstown will be at the SWEFM Info tent doing crafts with the kids that they're sure to enjoy, free of charge. 
• And as always, there are plenty of curbs and rocks to balance on along the avenue of trees that goes down the centre of our market!
  

 Come on out to the market for dinner. The food trucks will be on site, and you can grab a spot of shade under a tree (and perhaps even a spot at one of the highly coveted picnic tables, if you're lucky!) and then devour a scrumptious dinner. Choose from :

• Sailin' On (vegan), 
• Bully (gourmet comfort food) 
• Yellow Bird (Japanese fusion) 
• Fat Franks (gourmet hotdogs, sausages & smokies)
• Butcher's Bus (sausage on a bun, pierogies & soft ice cream cones)
• Pink Kernel (snow cones, mini donuts, popped carnival corn, cotton candy)

Visit our website at http://www.swefm.ca
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/swefm.ca
Contributed by Melisa Zapisocky

Recipe: Nova Scotia Hodge Podge

our 3rd place winner: peggy doyle 

We are posting our recipe winners out of order, because this recipe is one that should really be made right now... while the beans and peas are still in season and the potatoes can be found on the smaller side.

We love Peggy Doyle's recipe for its definite cheekiness, personality and attitude! This is a recipe filled with character! We love its language and the tone of its advice and comments... the way this recipe is written. We love its cultural background... its regional character and biases. And we love its educational angle... it has the potential to teach something to our market goers about the maritimes (and goodness knows there are a lot of displaced maritimers living here in Edmonton! Lol), adding another layer of richness and complexity to the market community that we are working so hard to build.

photo from eat-this-town.com

Hodge Podge is the best of traditional, home cooking: heavy dutch ovens, cream and the nuts and bolts of a farmers' market: potatoes, carrots, beans and peas. It is more like a soup than a stew. Using the freshest of vegetables selected at the market, and not allowing them to overcook is the secret to this being a health-filled recipe, despite its use of cream and butter. Notice that the lack of flour to thicken this recipe means that it is gluten free!

Many a maritimer would insist that this is a perfect summer recipe, best made when the beans just start appearing at the farmers' market and the potatoes are new and tiny and can be added to the recipe whole, or simply cut in half. But as long as the beans are in season... and at our market that means into the fall (with T.R. Greenhouses' green broad beans)... the recipe can be adapted & it can still be made! It is a celebration of fresh vegetables, and a winning combination of great taste, age-old tradition and wonderful comfort food.

Veggies for this recipe can be found at the booths of any one of three vegetables vendors: Dargatz Family Farm, Riverbend Gardens and the Holden Colony. And don't forget that Peter's Lakeview Farm also has beans... they're not just about saskatoons. Delicious bread for sopping up its juices can be found at Prairie Mill Bakery, or if you'd prefer something gluten free, at Celebrate, Gluten Free. Perfectly in season as fall approaches, now is the time to explore a well loved Canadian maritime tradition... Dig in and enjoy!

nova scotia hodge podge 

- a traditional recipe 

Peggy writes, Simple. Fresh. Delicious. No hiding behind fancy schmancy ingredients, or over seasoning. Just a little salt and pepper to round things out. If you’re looking for a recipe that is brimming with complex flavours and seasonings, this isn’t it. Hodge podge is all about the vegetables. We like to let ‘em shine.

Once you’re done eating the veggies, I think most Maritimers would tell you to sop up the extra broth up with some hearty bread. I’m also betting that most would like me to mention that hodge podge is just as good – if not better – on the second day. And that it tastes mighty fine alongside a juicy steak.

Makes enough for 4-6 people.

ingredients
10-12 new potatoes – scrubbed/not peeled, and halved – quarter any large potatoes, and don’t cut the small ones – you want the potato pieces to be about the same size
2-3 cups chopped new carrots – scrubbed/not peeled, cut into bite sized pieces (you can peel them if you like)
1 cup chopped yellow beans – 1 inch long pieces
1 cup chopped green beans – 1 inch long pieces
1 cup shelled pod peas – you want just the peas, not the pods
1 cup blend – you want something around the 10% fat mark (FYI – some people
use a higher fat cream, and up to 1.5 cups of it)
1/4 – 1/2 cup butter (I use 6 tablespoons)
salt and pepper to taste

instructions
Note: the cooking times listed below are what I use. Generally, you want the veggies – especially the beans – to be tender crisp. Some people like their veggies softer, and will cook longer – thus the frequent use of the word “about.”

1. Fill a Dutch oven about halfway with water, and salt lightly (about 1/2 teaspoon of salt). Bring to a boil.
2. Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Cook for about 7 minutes.
3. Add the carrots to the pot, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
4. Next add the yellow and green beans to the pot, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
5. Finally, add the peas, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
6. Drain off most of the water – leave about an inch of water (no more) in the bottom of the pot with the vegetables. Return the pot to the stove, and reduce burner heat to low. Add the blend and butter, and some salt and pepper (I start with a 1/4 teaspoon of each). 
7. Gently stir to combine, allowing the the blend and butter to heat through. As you’re stirring, the potatoes might break up a bit. Not to worry. As the the blend and butter heat through, the broth may begin to thicken. This is normal. Don’t allow the mixture to boil. 
8. Once the mixture has heated through, it is ready to serve. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread to sop up the extra broth.

Store any unused portions in the refrigerator, and re-heat before serving. 

Recipe from Peggy Doyle, 3rd Placed Winner in our Annual Recipe Contest

Visit our website at http://www.swefm.ca

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/swefm.ca

Intro by Sheri Hendsbee (in maritimer speak, a true CFA... Come From Away)

Fresh Sheet: Augsut 21st Market

Birds & Bees Organic Wine and Mead will be at the market this Wednesday! They make brilliant organic fruit wines, with fruit grown on their family farm and meads. The wines range from sweet to dry, and are light and tantalizing on first taste. Little Flirt Rhubarb and Big Teaser Raspberry wine come highly recommended.

Just a reminder that we have an entirely new look for our website. It is crisp, clean and contemporary and filled with animated slide shows and photos of all of the gorgeous things that are available at our market for you to purchase, enjoy and experience. Check out this link: SWEFM Website!


Greenstein Farms is bringing their sustainably raised farm fresh bacon and ham to the market. Also, they will have boneless leg of lamb & lamb shoulder chops ON SALE! Greenstein farm humanely raises lamb, pork and beef on their family farm near Camrose. 

Holden's Colony has a has a new crop of Clover honey to bring to market. Eli said they have fresh honey from their 40 hives that are surrounded by seed clover.
Riverbend Gardens is bringing their famous sweet corn to the market. This corn is grown on a 3rd generation family farm located in NE Edmonton, and travels less than 50 km from farm to SWEFM. Now that's local!
   
momstown will be back at the info tent doing a craft with the young children who come to our market. This week, they'll be making rock art. It's sure to be lots of fun! 

Farmstead Bath and Body Lisa, of Farmstead Bath & Body packs a little bit of their farm into each bar of soap. Together, Lisa and her husband have farmed for twenty-two seasons on their property near Boyle, Alberta. According to Lisa, their farm includes a little bit of it all, “cows, hay, grain, oil seeds, horses, sheep, chickens, llamas, emus, ducks...you name it, we enjoy it!”
 
Remember, if you see something on the lists below that you especially want to seek out, stop by the info tent. There we have a large map of the site that shows where vendors are located and we have volunteers who can direct you to help you find those treasured items.

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

The BC fruit trucks are bringing a wealth of gorgeous fruit. This week expect to see:

• Apples (Galas, Macs, Pink Ladies)
• Dehydrated apples, sparkling cider, 100% pure apple juice 
• Apricots
• Blueberries
• Cherries (dark cherries & yellow Rainers)
• Coronation grapes (the seedless wine grapes, small & dark & ever so flavour-filled)
• Currants, red & black 
•  Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears (green & red)
• Plums (yellow & purple & Dinosaur's egg)
• Raspberries
• Saskatoons (fresh saskatoons are no longer available, but frozen ones are)
• Strawberries
• Watermelon

As for veggies... they are now officially pouring in from the fields! Expect to see:

• Basil (fresh cut & plants)
• Broccoli (First of the Season!!)
• Beans... yellow & green & purple, field & hothouse long (incredibly, the purple beans change colour when you steam them or plop them in boiling water, going from purple to green... the second they're green, they're done!)
• Beets (red, purple & golden)
• Butternut squashes
• Cabbages (green & purple, round and conical)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower (white, purple, yellow and the wonderfully whimsical Romanesco)
• Corn - sweet corn 
• Cucumbers, field & hothouse, small pickling, small snacking, long English, and large field cukes
• Dill, long stalks & flowers (perfect for new potatoes & making dill pickles)
• Eggplants (long purple & yellow and small green oriental)
• Fennel 
• Garlic
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Herb plants (thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, mint, sage, rosemary, dill, sorrel)
• Kale
• Kohlrabi (purple & green)
• Lettuces (romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce)
• Leeks
• Onions (large field onions, red onions, small spring onions, chives)
• Pattypan Squashes (mini yellow or green squashes, great for sautéing) 
• Peas
• Peppers (small & large orange, yellow, red & green bell peppers, sweet thin-walled long red cubanelle peppers, red spicy chiles, mildly spicy green jalepeños, hot banana peppers, extremely hot wee little orange habeñeros)
• Potatoes (golden, white, purple, red)... don't forget to pick up fresh dill to go with them.
• Romaine
• Scapes (garlic tops) & fresh garlic
• Swiss chard (it comes in three colours: rhubarb red, peppermint stick pink and golden yellow)
• Summer Squashes (Zucchini and yellow summer squashes)
• Tomatoes, field & hothouse (large, small & on the vine red, the wonderfully flavourful & meaty green & red striped mini zebras, heirloom varieties, Romas, Big Uglies, etc.) 

PLUS…

• Delectable gourmet chocolate bars, chocolate dipped marshmallows, cocoa covered almonds and pecan clusters from Violet Chocolates. 
• A variety of artisan breads, cinnamon buns, cinnamon breads, pies, muffins, sweet loaves, gluten-free loaves & baking, cupcakes, bagels, homemade cookies, cakes & other finger-licking good baked treats throughout the market
• Unbelievably authentic & delicious French style croissants (with chocolate inside, or with real raspberries)
• Brioche with raisins & coconut palm sugar crumble or with orange blossom and a hint of anise
• A wide assortment of flavours of banana bread
• Fresh & frozen meats (beef, bison, pork, chicken, lamb) 
• Farm-fresh eggs
• Jarred pickles (cucumber pickles, dill pickles, pickled eggs, pickled beets)
• Dehydrated garlic powder
• Fresh raw honey & bee pollen (Want to know more about bee pollen? Click here.)
• Specialty gelatos (great in this blistering summer heat!) They're packed on dry ice at the market, so they easily make the trip home without melting.
• Greek dips (humus, tzatziki, spicy feta & red pepper) and specialty Greek food items
• Melodies Kitchen is away, their delicious Turkish Foods (from savoury pastries and dinner items to sweet dessert treats) will not be available.
• Korean Foods (green onion cakes, kimchi, bulgogi as ready to go meals )
• Indian Foods (naan & butter chicken as ready to go meals, Samosas, Indian cookies & salty snacks)
• Thai Foods (frozen & ready for your weekday meals)
• Ready-made meals and spice mixes and other items perfect for the BBQ season
• Packages of spices ready for appetizer dips or wine slushes
• Smoked meats (sausages, pepperonis, sandwich meats, jerkies)
• Perogies
• Jams & jellies & condiments to compliment everything from your toast through to your meats and fish
• Sweet treats like cookies, mini cupcakes, snow cones & soft ice-cream to eat on the spot
• Gourmet chocolate bars and truffles in fabulously inventive flavours
• Gourmet Doughnuts (Moonshine Doughnuts)
• Kettle Popcorn

 

• Jewellery this week (necklaces, earrings, bracelets from Jewels By Amy, Gypsy Bird and Three Muffin Top Charms) 
• Beautiful, one of a kind cheese platters made out of wine bottles (Shilo's Glass)
• Specialty soap and bath products (Farmstead Bath & Body)
• Bath & body items (lip balms, bath bombs, body creams)
• the ATM will be in the centre of the market, beside Yellowbird Food Truck, should you need access to a banking machine 

• Barring high winds (forecasted at over 25km/hr and wild weather, the inflatable slide will be BACK on site 
• The balloon busker will be at the market, creating lively, fun designs out of his rainbow of coloured balloons. 
• The Dolphin Lady facepainter will be at the market, creating incredible works of art on wee little faces
• momstown will be at the SWEFM Info tent doing crafts with the kids that they're sure to enjoy, free of charge. 
• And as always, there are plenty of curbs and rocks to balance on along the avenue of trees that goes down the centre of our market!
  

 Come on out to the market for dinner. The food trucks will be on site, and you can grab a spot of shade under a tree (and perhaps even a spot at one of the highly coveted picnic tables, if you're lucky!) and then devour a scrumptious dinner. Choose from :

• Sailin' On (vegan), 
• Bully (gourmet comfort food) 
• Yellow Bird (Japanese fusion) 
• Fat Franks (gourmet hotdogs, sausages & smokies)
• Butcher's Bus (sausage on a bun, pierogies & soft ice cream cones)
• Pink Kernel (snow cones, mini donuts, popped carnival corn, cotton candy)

Visit our website at http://www.swefm.ca
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/swefm.ca
Contributed by Melisa Zapisocky

Recipe: Ruby Fruit Salad with Pomegranate Glaze

about our recipe contest... We had no idea just how difficult it would be to choose our winners! The submissions we received were outstanding recipes, showing us that we have some very savvy foodies in our midst! Our contestants were people who know food, know how to create with food and are very talented when it comes to combining the fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey available at our market into satisfying, delightful, healthful and surprising combination dishes.

We will showcase our winning recipes over the next month, starting today with our first placed winner... When Margaret was notified of her win, she was thrilled and said, "I love your market - it has such a welcoming, homey, family feel while at the same time being very upbeat and buzzing with lots of energy. All the vendors are so friendly - it's what I imagine farmers markets to be like long ago, when life was simpler and our connection to food was much more direct. It's an honour to be connected with the SWEFM, even in this small way."

a few thoughts about new recipes, cookbooks & experimentation...

I have a confession to make. I love reading cookbook introductions. They are full of intriguing information and inspiring creativity. They cajole, explain and refute standard beliefs. They develop your understanding of cooking and food science, and they are often teeming with thoughtful introspection and solid nutritional information. Reading them is like sitting down with a good friend and having a fascinating conversation. Cup of tea in hand, pondering the terrific recipes that we'd received in our recipe contest, I escaped for a bit and revisited an old favourite: Williams & Sonoma's Essentials of Healthful Cooking. 

There Mary Abbott Hess writes, We tend to appreciate food more when our sense of taste is stimulated and surprised. When we get bored, as often happens when restricting any part of our usual diet, we crave flavour, which can lead to bingeing on foods high in fat or sugar. Artfully flavouring food is an easy way to keep cravings under control.

Margaret Bose Johnson is the winner of our first placed recipe contest prize: Birds & Bees organic wine and a bottle set. In her recipe, she masters the art of flavouring food and surprising and stimulating our tastebuds with her recipe for Ruby Fruit Salad with Pomegranate Glaze. An artful take on the traditional fruit salad, we loved her recipe its beauty, for the variety of ingredients it uses from our market and for its versatility & adaptability (you can use any fruits that are available and change the recipe as things move in and out of season), and because it appeals to our inner artists (the colours! the textures! the shapes! the creativity that it allows the cook!).

Margaret Bose Johnson is a food blogger and a shopper at our market. You can read her blog at www.kitchenfrau.com. There she writes about the recipe she created with fruits purchased at our SWEFM market: 

a bowl full of sparkling jewels. This ruby red fruit salad expresses the bounty of summer with the rich palette of colours and tones only nature can provide. Just look at those wonderful shades of red and crimson and scarlet and burgundy (I love listing all the ‘red’ words.)

I’m sure you all make fruit salads many different ways, and many of you probably make them like I usually do – as a means of using up any unused fruits sadly lurking in the fruit bowl and crisper drawer. They make rainbow coloured fruit mixtures that are all delicious and refreshing. Anything goes when making fruit salads – there really are no bad combinations. Just peel, pit and dice the fruit into a bowl. Quick, easy – no thought required.

But sometimes, I want to make a fruit salad that I have deliberately planned, one with a purpose, and one that looks especially beautiful. Sometimes I want to feel like Monet or Cezanne or Van Gogh, and I want to play with nature’s brilliant colours. Sometimes I want to feed my soul. After all, we do feast first with our eyes.

This single-hued ruby salad is as stunning as a beautiful piece of art – but much better tasting!

It’s a still-life in a bowl.

and now, without further adieu, Margaret's recipe...
ruby fruit salad with pomegranate glaze
ingredients

6 cups assorted diced red fruits - use a combinations of watermelon cubes, quartered strawberries, diced red-fleshed plums, cherries - halved and pitted, raspberries, red currants, etc. (if using red currants, use no more than 1/2 cup of them as their flavour is very intense)

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon rosewater (optional)

instructions

Pour the pomegranate juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let gently boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. This will take from 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your saucepan and degree of heat. Watch it and reduce the heat as it gets nearer the end so that it doesn't start to brown and caramelize. 

While the pomegranate juice is reducing, prepare your fruit and place it in a serving bowl. Leave the raspberries out to add at the very end so they don't get broken up.

When the juice has reduced to about 2 tablespoons, stir in the honey and lemon juice. Pour the glaze over the fruit and toss gently to coat everything. Add the raspberries and toss once more, very gently, to mix them in.

Serve as is, or with a dollop of plain yogurt or whipped cream. The ruby fruit salad can also be served over ice cream, or pancakes, or angel food cake. It's great over a bowl of greek yogurt for breakfast. 

And it looks so beautiful.

Recipe from Margaret Bose Johnson, 1st Placed Winner in our Annual Recipe Contest
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Intro by Sheri Hendsbee