Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market

More than simply a way for you to connect with local food producers and buy incredibly fresh produce and beautiful handicrafts, the SWEFM is a fun destination! A place where you can learn about your community, where the kids can enjoy activities and where families can grab a bite to eat while visiting with friends, neighbours and family. It is a place where community bonds are strengthened. Where the local economy is supported in a significant way. And where the community spirit comes alive.

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Fresh Sheet: September 11th Market

Raspberry & Cocoa make delicious, small-batch & hand-made french pastries like chocolate or raspberry croissants and crunchy buttery cookies, called arlettes. OJ continues to amaze us by coming up with new surprises to satisfy the imagination and the palette. This week OJ brings SWEET & SAVOURY items: Bostock Brioche with with almond cream, orange aroma, crunch from toasted almond AND Gruyer Brioche with Rosemary. Brioche pastry is tender, and slightly sweet with a buttery, fluffy texture.

Everything Cheese's Tania will have terrific cheese on hand made with goat and cow milk. This week's Canadian varieties include: Les Metayeres - Holstein cow's milk semi-firm cheese (Quebec), Chevre Noir - goat milk cheddar (Quebec), Iles aux Grues 2 Year Cheddar (Quebec) Italian Style Gouda (Alberta) & Old Grizzly (Alberta). Have a question on cheese? Tania is the lady to ask. Get creative this weekend, and make your own cheese platter - like the one Tania shared in the photo here - perfect for entertaining, and a sunny weekend brunch.

Moonshine Doughnuts will bring a quartet of beautifully crafted, fluffy, baked doughnuts to market. This week the guys are bringing Fall inspiration to their baking. Their fantastic flavours are Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cinnamon, Hibiscus Rose and Raspberry Balsamic. Don't forget, they sell Gluten Free too. Moonshine Doughnuts will be at the Market on September 11th, and October 2nd.

Capiluv Creations makes adorably cute, on-of-a-kind accessories that you can wear (earrings, bracelets and hair pins) or use to decorate your home office with (check our her cloth coloured push pins). Many of Judy's creations are made with Cabochan, which refers to a method of shaping and polishing gem stones into their distinctive shapes, rather than cutting them (as you would for a diamond). Here, Judy uses resin to achieve the same effect. Her cabochan styled hairpins, especially the resin flower hair pins, are wonderfully vintage in their styling, elaborately detailed and would brighten up a cold winter day!

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 - this week, peas in pods!

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

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

Acorn Squash
Broccoli
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)

Hot peppers from Dargatz Family Farms
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, round yellow, 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.
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…

Simply Supper is not at the market in September. Visit her store on Rabbit Hill Road.
Delectable gourmet chocolate bars, chocolate dipped marshmallows, cocoa covered almonds and pecan clusters from Violet Chocolates.
The Mallow Fellow will be back the following market (September 18th)
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)
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 & Capiluv).
Dazzling polished stones, minerals and crystals (It's in the Stones)
Bath & body items (lip balms, bath bombs, body creams)
Beautiful, one of a kind cheese platters made out of wine bottles (Shilo's Glass)
Specialty soap (Ada's Soap is back)
Great seating, picnic tables, patio & deck furniture from BREEZESTA Patio Chairs
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

Friday, 6 September 2013

Recipe: Pasta with Grilled Market Veggies

a few thoughts

Lorraine Turchansky submittted this recipe for our recipe contest. Tying for third place, we loved this recipe for the variety of veggies it uses from our market, for its use of fresh herbs, and for its summer time use of the barbecue.

Barbecuing vegetables is not something that people immediately think of when it comes to summer time grilling adventures... but it can add a wonderful smoky flavour to the vegetables, and the intense heat can sear in the juices nicely, so that the vegetables don't become dried out. What is surprising about this recipe is that it barbecues tomatoes... a vegetable that people often think of as being far too soft and wet and fragile to grill But it works beautifully in this recipe.

Right now, the market stalls are overflowing with vegetables that are perfect for this recipe. Lorraine's submission to our annual recipe contest is a healthy & creative one that makes a perfect summer evening meal.

pasta with grilled market veggies

This is a great recipe for summer because it is good hot, room temp or chilled the next day.

ingredients

2 red or orange bell peppers

1 medium onion, halved

4 tomatoes

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and halved

¾ tsp salt

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar or white balsamic

¼ cup chopped fresh basil and/or flat-leaf parsley

1 large garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

170 grams (about half a box) rigatoni or rotini pasta

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

instructions

Rub peppers, onions and tomatoes with olive oil, about a tablespoon, and place on hot or medium-hot barbecue grill. Remove jalapeno as soon as it starts to blister.

Grill the tomatoes, turning them, until skin is beginning to split and tomatoes are slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes.

Keep turning the bell peppers until they are blackened all over, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and place the bell peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes.

Grill the onion, turning occasionally, until the cut sides are browned and the onion is softened, about 15-20 minutes. Times will depend on how hot your barbecue is and whether you close the lid while cooking.

Remove the charred skin, stems and seeds from the bell peppers. Dice the peppers and onions, and finely chop the jalapeno. Remove the skin and cores from the tomatoes and dice.

In a large bowl, combine the peppers, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender but still firm, about 8-10 minutes, Drain well, add to sauce in bowl, and toss.

Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side. Serves 4.

Recipe from Lorraine Turchansky,
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

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Fresh Sheet: September 4th Market

Heather de Kok Flower Design is an Edmonton-based florist who works with farmers in Canada to source local flowers. We grow a ton of flowers in Western Canada, so it only makes sense that one should seek out locally-cut bouquets. Heather will be at the market in September selling beautiful bouquets of cut flowers from farms in Alberta and BC. This week she is bringing Gladiolus, Sunflowers, Veronicas and Chinese Lanterns.

Theo's Greek Kouzina is certainly known for this authentic greek dips: like hummous, tzatziki & melitzano salata, a tangy, lemony roasted egg plant salad that is terrific with pita bread (featured in 'The Avenue's 25 best things to eat 2013 addition) - all of which are very good. Recently we saw Louie bringing something special to market - Saganaki. This is

Louie's favourite... a lightly breaded & baked cheese that is delicious served warm from the oven, and eaten with a knife and for for dinner. His come ready to pop straight in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Sagnaki is made with sheep and cow's milk, and unlike halloumi cheese, it is not salty. Come early, the Saganaki sells quickly, and be sure to ask for a sample of his famous melizano salata.

Dargatz Family Farms ...With fall just around the corner some of us begin to rejoice for Winter Squashes. Don't get me wrong, I certainly love the summertime vegetables, but this time of year I begin to look forward to hearty and savoury dishes made with the versatile winter squash. Keith and Colin Dargatz have the first Butternut Squash of the season. Butternut squash have a sweet, nutty taste and their flesh is a gorgeous tangerine colour. Perfect in soups, roasted with herbs or added to a casserole. Yum!

Jenny's Gems makes beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets with stones, gems and silver. Jenny told me the last market that she's working on her craft and is taking more silver smith classes, so she can create more and more pieces. Even more exciting is the news that she recently inherited many new stones and gems from a family member. So much to look forward to as Jenny shows off her new creations.

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 - this week, POPSICLE BARNS!

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.