Sundays are for Markets: French Quarter Farmers’ Market

Not all farmers’ markets are created equal. Case in point, the three new markets that have more than doubled the Sunday scene are all quite different. Eden’s Market (which I recognize is still in its early stages), needs to attract more produce and protein vendors to make it a worthwhile grocery stop (instead of just a charming stroll-through). This is what makes the French Quarter Farmers’ Market so impressive by contrast.

French Quarter Farmers’ Market

Mack and I stopped by on Sunday. Situated at La Cité Francophone, the market has taken full advantage of the site. Vendors are located both indoors and outside, with picnic tables scattered in the grass. A busker was performing when we arrived, with a number of people enjoying the music under shaded seats.

Seating

In the short three weeks they’ve been open, they’ve managed to accumulate nearly thirty different vendors. All sell food products, something that sets this market apart from others. Though a select few only vend every second week, those who visit regularly will still have the pick of staple products from Steve & Dan’s, Skyline Greenhouses, Greens, Eggs and Ham and Serben Free Range (I am hoping the website is updated soon with the complete list).

Vendors

We were reminded by market manager Jean-Michel Dentinger that it is a French market after all (we noticed several producers greeted customers in both French and English), so it is no surprise that good cheese (The Cheesiry and Smoky Valley Goat Cheese) and bread (Bonjour Bakery/Treestone) are to be found here.

For those looking for something sweet, Passion Sucre offers baked treats. We were lucky enough to score a care package, featuring not only chocolate croissants, but éclairs and even a #yeg chocolate-dipped strawberry!

Treats from Passion Sucre

Though Eden’s Market definitely takes the food truck cake, the French Quarter Farmers’ Market boasts The Crooked Fork, one of Edmonton’s newest truck. They had run out of their hickory-smoked pulled pork, so we opted for their poutine. It hit the spot!

The Crooked Fork

Poutine

This market also features cooking classes by Chef Elaine Wilson, of Food You Can Cook. Cooking demos are an excellent way to highlight to consumers how they can transform the ingredients they pick up at the market, and are common elsewhere.

We took part in Elaine’s second class (she runs two classes per session, one at 12:30pm and another at 2:30pm). We learned how to make Thai Massaman sauce, a base which she transformed into a delicious beef and potato curry as well as a spicy tamarind soup. Elaine always amazes me with her knowledge, but also her ability to juggle answering questions with the prep tasks at hand!

Elaine is passionate about food!

Elaine normally charges $20 for the class, but for the past two weeks, classes have been by donation, with all proceeds going to Alberta flood relief. Next week, watch Elaine cook up appetizers, a main and dessert for what she terms an “elegant dinner party” – all in forty-five minutes! Sign up in advance on her website, or drop-in if you’re feeling lucky!

Mack enjoys his sample of Massaman curry

In short, the French Quarter market is thoughtful and well-rounded. I’d be interested in seeing how it progresses in identity as a year-round market (especially through the winter, given they are reliant on food producers), but it is a wonderful addition to the city’s market scene.

French Quarter Farmers’ Market
8627 Rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 Street), La Cité Francophone
Every Sunday from 12-5pm

City Market 2013: Week 6

With mostly underwhelming weather so far in June, it was great to see sunny skies this morning for the City Market!

City Market

There was a great selection of produce, and one that will only get better with the weeks to come!

Asparagus from Edgar Farms (June 29 will be the last day for asparagus this year!)

Pea tendrils from Edgar Farms

Radishes from Kuhlmann’s

Onions from Kuhlmann’s

Dill from Kuhlmann’s

Mustard greens from Sundog Organic Farm

Mixed heritage greens from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Swiss chard from Erdmann’s

Kale from Erdmann’s

Lettuce from Erdmann’s

Berries from Steve & Dan’s

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

Gorgeous planters from Springfield Growers

Cookie Love was also out with their bicycle cart today, selling refreshing ice cream sandwiches. Love the decals!

Cookie Love

See you at the market next week!

Sundays are for Markets: Eden’s Market on 124 Street

Sundays are coming up markets – almost overnight, three markets have joined the fray, giving shoppers even more alternatives to the Saturday mainstays of Old Strathcona, City Market and St. Albert.

Callingwood, 10am-3pm at 69 Avenue & 178 Street
South Edmonton Common, 10am-4pm at 151 Karl Clark Road
Eden’s Market on 124 Street, 10am-3pm at 10534 – 124 Street
French Quarter, 12-5pm, 8627 rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 Street)
Edmonton Petroleum Club Outdoor Market, 10am-2pm, 1110 108 Street

I haven’t had a chance to visit the latter two yet, but Mack and I stopped by Eden’s Market on 124 Street on Father’s Day. Located in a small parking lot, the market looks to build on the momentum of the Thursday 124 Street Grand Market, which has managed to attract its fair share of regular patrons with its eclectic mix of food trucks and homegrown and handmade goods.

Though we had noticed premature signs last September announcing a forthcoming market on that corner, Eden’s Market has been attributed to organizer Patricia Cheung’s desire to help the Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS) make up its funding shortfall by donating all vendor fees to the non-profit. It’s interesting to note that the South Edmonton Common market also trumpets its support for charities (unfortunately, without too many concrete details about the type or amount of support).

On that rainy Sunday, crowds were scarce. This could have easily been attributed to the weather, but more likely to the Dad’s Day conflict. There were less than a dozen vendors participating (not surprising given the growing competition), including three food trucks.

We picked up some peppered jerky from Andy’s Finest Jerky, and scored some waffles from Eva Sweet. Though it’s not quite big enough to linger for long, it sounds like Eden’s Market will continue to grow as it finds its footing.

They will be celebrating their grand opening on June 23, 2013, with five new vendors, five food trucks, and a lion dance. Here’s hoping for good weather on Sunday and for the rest of the season!

Eden’s Market runs 10am-3pm at 10534 – 124 Street until October 6, 2013.

City Market 2013: Week 3

It was a beautiful spring day at the City Market, the glorious sun highlighting just how much the trees have budded and bloomed over the last week.

Busy market day

Folks were snatching up the fresh produce left and right – given we’re already into June, it’s only a matter of time before the warm weather bounty is before us again!

Rhubarb from Riverbend Gardens

Pea tendrils from Sundog Organic

Bell peppers from Doef’s Greenhouses

Sprouts from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Bedding plants from Kuhlmann’s

Plants from Kuhlmann’s

For the second half of the market, I helped man the Downtown Edmonton Community League booth. We were selling league memberships and also promoting our annual toonie pancake breakfast, taking place on June 8, 2013 from 8:30-11am. Two bucks for a plate of pancakes and sausage at the intersection of 104 Street and 102 Avenue!

Ian at the DECL booth

The pancake breakfast will be kicking off a full day of activity downtown next Saturday: the market, Pride Parade, and the Centennial Street Celebration on 104 Street. The celebration marks the hundred year anniversary of several buildings on the Promenade, including the Phillips Lofts and Cobogo Lofts. 104 Street will remain closed after the market, and you can expect an outdoor barbecue, buskers, and salsa dancing!

I’m a little biased because I think downtown is the place to be, but this will indeed be true next week – enjoy the party!

124 Street Grand Market 2013 Kick-Off

While the City Market is my go-to destination for seasonal produce and other groceries, the 124 Street Grand Market is a great mid-week destination for a fun evening out. In its first year, it did a great job highlighting the fact that a market isn’t just a shopping hub, but also a place for people to meet, eat, and linger. Their “food truck alley” encouraged patrons to expect great dinner options, and an expanse of tables to enjoy supper al fresco. The musical buskers were a bonus, and created a lovely atmosphere in which to drink in long summer nights.

Welcome!

The 2013 season for the 124 Street Grand Market kicked off this evening. The skies threatened rain, but this didn’t deter the modest crowds from celebrating the market’s return.

124 Street Grand Market

The Misery Mountain Boys

Four trucks offered plenty of options, and included Drift, Nomad, Little Village and Sailin’ On. My sister and I took this opportunity to give Sailin On’s vegan dishes a spin, and ordered the BLT ($8), containing coconut bacon, lettuce, tomato, carrot, and a homemade garlic vegan mayo.

Sailin’ On

We weren’t sure what to expect from the coconut bacon, but after trying it, were shocked at how the texture and taste so closely mimicked meat bacon. We learned that the coconut bacon was comprised of roasted coconut flavoured with spices, but besides a hint of coconut, it was a pretty impressive stand-in!

Felicia was almost fooled!

We also indulged in an ice cream sandwich from Cookie Love. Over the weekend, they picked up their bicycle-powered cart from Portland, and though it isn’t quite finished (awaiting decals and an umbrella), it was ready for its first trial run at the market.

Mike from Cookie Love

I bought an ice cream sandwich ($5), made up of a double chocolate chip cookie, regular chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream. The cookies were thin enough to make it easy to eat, and were as soft as they could be having come out of a freezer. It was a nice treat on a warm night.

Ice cream sandwich

It was great to see some new vendors out as well, including Duchess. Giselle explained that although the shop was quite busy on market nights, it made sense to have an actual presence at the market. To sweeten the deal for shoppers, Duchess developed specific products that are exclusive to the market, such as marshmallow macarons and a line of bottled drinks. As you can expect from Duchess, everything was beautifully-packaged and gift ready!

Duchess iced teas and lemonades

This market is also a great place to find funky treasures and gifts. Tonight, we stumbled upon Kristine MacDonald’s “yeglaces”, silver/copper charms in the shape of our fair city, with a river etched through it.

Yeglaces

Although I don’t (yet) own a bike, it was such a novel idea to have a bike repair specialist on-site. Instead of park and ride, how about a tune-up and dinner?

Dusty Pedals

Congrats to Krista and her team on a great first day!

124 Street Grand Market
108 Avenue & 124 Street
Every Thursday evening from 4-8pm until October 3, 2013

The Year-Round City Market: In Need of a Better Venue

Most Saturdays in late fall and winter, you will find Mack and me at City Hall, visiting our favourite vendors at our neighbourhood farmers’ market. It has become a weekend tradition for us, and is one of the ways we support the local food scene and encourage a vibrant downtown.

City Market at City Hall

This is the second full year the City Market has operated inside City Hall, making the immediate transition from the treetop canopy of 104 Street after Thanksgiving to the glass canopy of City Hall. Unlike last year, the market has been able to operate in the City Room on a continuous basis, as opposed to the occasional shift to the parking level, affording the consistency of location and a better shopping experience.

That said, although there is no doubt the outdoor incarnation of the farmers’ market is a great success, attracting upwards of 17,000 people every week, its indoor home has not seen the same kind of foot traffic.

There are pros to its current year-round location. Access to inexpensive, heated parking for customers is a bonus in the face of our unpredictable winters, and the central location is within walking distance from the market’s outdoor home. Perhaps its most striking blessing, however, is the glass pyramid – the amount of natural light is unparalleled.

So why hasn’t attendance been better? Especially when the number of year-round markets is a fraction of the total number of farmers’ markets run in the summer? I think there are a few reasons for this.

Visibility

The most obvious (and possibly the most difficult to address) is the market’s visibility at street level (including on 104 Avenue). I mentioned this at the start of the indoor market in 2011, and in that time, nothing has changed.

Is there a market in there?

One would never know when passing the great glass pyramid on a Saturday morning that a farmers’ market awaits inside. The sandwich boards, though better than nothing, are only effective at directing already existing foot traffic to City Hall.

Go that way

Again, I am not certain of what the regulations are with regards to displaying outdoor banners on City Hall (especially if it could be seen as politically “favouring”one market over another), but given the City’s blessing in the building’s use for this purpose, one would imagine they would want the market (and local food initiatives as a whole) to succeed.

Example of great signage

Concession and Food Samples

Isn’t it a fact that when people smell food, they are more inclined to buy food? At least, that’s how I feel, inundated with smells from the various concessions and outdoor food vendors at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. From green onion cakes to breakfast bagels and kettle corn, OSFM not only tantalizes with its sights and sounds, but smells as well.

Market sammy from Toast at the OSFM

I recognize that Kids in the Hall, a wonderful social enterprise located in City Hall, is open for a portion of market days. But sequestered in the west wing of the building, and separated by several hallways, it doesn’t feel integrated with anything that takes place in the City Room.

City Hall also does not permit hot food sampling. It makes sense; grease stains should be avoided if at all possible in the home of our municipal government. But what is a farmers’ market without the enticing aromas to help draw in patrons to a vendor’s booth?

The outdoor incarnation of the City Market features several food trucks and stands, which can be a draw themselves for those who don’t attend the market to shop. I’m sure there are quite a number of people who come to buy a drink or a snack, and enjoy it while watching the market go by. The fact is: food vendors provide a good reason for people to linger, instead of just getting in and out with their groceries. The lack of widespread seating and people watching vantage points definitely makes the indoor City Market less welcoming as a general attraction.

People-watching galore!

I doubt the City Room could be outfitted with food kiosks similar to Old Strathcona, or even better, the Calgary Farmers’ Market, so on this note, a different venue would have to be sought out to accommodate cafeteria-style service and room for seating.

Atmosphere

One of the reasons farmers’ markets can be considered an attraction is the atmosphere. The buzz and bustle created by large crowds is magnetic.

Busy day at OSFM

But without critical mass on many of the indoor City Market days this winter, the lofty ceiling only seemed to emphasize how empty and quiet it was.

On a particularly quiet day

That said, on the days when musical buskers were present, the room is absolutely transformed. The silences were filled with lovely melodies that flowed through the hall, and though it still couldn’t replicate the intangible energy of the street, it is a big improvement.

Mighty Peace were a wonderful addition to the City Market

The market needs to be more consistent and deliberate with that kind of programming, especially since the OSFM usually hosts at least several different buskers at one time. Of course, the amount of foot traffic at a market would be among top considerations for artists – so perhaps to attract the kinds of musical acts that engage large crowds, they will need to work on increasing attendance.

Selection

For all of its entertainment value, the core of a farmers’ market is the opportunity for consumers to connect directly with producers. To make it a worthwhile trip for those looking to support local farmers, the selection of fresh food is paramount.

To its credit, the City Market did attract a more diverse number of vendors these past two years, including Fruits of Sherbrooke, Allium Foodworks and Erdmann’s. But in terms of core products – vegetables and meat – there is still much to be desired.

Inside City Hall

Kuhlmann’s, Doef’s (and now Erdmann’s) are the only consistent vegetable vendors present, and if they happen to sell out of a particular item, you are out of luck. It is a bit better on the protein side, with a number of vendors offering meats (Serben Free Range sells pork and turkey, while both Nature’s Green Acres and Sunshine Organic have beef, for example). Still, Mack and I find ourselves visiting the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market once in a while, to stock up on products unavailable at the City Market.

I recognize that for vendors, it may not be lucrative to participate in markets that don’t have a large customer base. Case in point, both Irvings and Gold Forest Grains pulled out of the indoor market this year because of declining sales. On the flip side (the chicken-egg argument), it is challenging for a market to attract shoppers without a solid variety of products.

So why do I care? Why should you care? It’s a functioning market, why shouldn’t it continue on as is? While I don’t necessarily think we need to replicate the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market for those of us north of the river, I also don’t think that City Hall is the long-term solution. After rejecting the Mercer Warehouse as a potential year-round location, the Board was tasked with continuing the search. They have since signed a three year agreement to operate out of City Hall until the winter of 2015, and I worry that this has made them a bit complacent, with the lure of an inexpensive space trumping the desire to fulfill a vision of what could be. A mix of stalls for vending and concessions. Open spaces for buskers. Multiple seating areas. A children’s play space. The option to open for more than one day.

I want the year-round City Market to better reflect its outdoor self, and for that to happen, I think they need to seriously consider alternative spaces.

Weekend in Calgary: Airbnb, Burgers and Brunch

To celebrate our anniversary, we headed to Calgary in early March. Calgary is our favourite weekend getaway, and allows us to dabble with a few more players in their ever-changing food scene. We had to cut our trip short this time around because of the snowpocalypse that Sunday, but still managed to fit in quite a few eats!

Airbnb

Our go-to accommodation in Calgary has been the luxurious Hotel Le Germain in downtown Calgary. It’s an easy way to pamper ourselves, and we’ve always had such a relaxing time in their serene and contemporary rooms.

This time, we couldn’t justify the cost for a two-night stay, and used this opportunity to explore booking through Airbnb. A site that connects travellers with property owners who have an extra room or unit to rent, Airbnb offers a plethora of short-term stay options. The apartments are often at a fraction of the cost of hotel prices, with the added benefits of a fully-furnished home, such as a kitchen or in-suite laundry. Friends of ours have raved about their experience using the site in New York and Paris; why couldn’t it work a little closer to home?

Although the Airbnb selection on Calgary wasn’t as extensive as those of larger municipalities, they still have more property listings than Edmonton. We narrowed down our search to private lodgings in central neighbourhoods, and eventually settled on the Clean Central Modern Apartment located in Mission, just south of the 17 Avenue entertainment district. The photos had been verified by Airbnb (they have since been updated by the property owner, so haven’t yet been re-verified), and the comments for the listing were very positive.

Communication with the property owner Christoph was seamless, and in most cases, I received an instantaneous response. We arranged to meet up on Friday afternoon to access the keys and a tour. In this way, it is a little less convenient than a hotel in terms of a fluid check-in time, but it was a relatively minor hassle when compared with the cost savings.

The one-bedroom unit appeared exactly as advertised, though some furniture of equal quality had been swapped in. Everything was extremely clean, and the building was quiet. Best of all for that particular weekend, since most of our dining experiences clustered around 17 Avenue, the location was spot-on.

Living room/kitchen

Bedroom

A bonus of this unit was its direct proximity to the Elbow River walking trails. We stretched our legs after arrival, and could see how this unit would be well-suited to a longer-term stay.

Beautiful walking trails

We wouldn’t hesitate to stay at this unit again, and I am happy to say that our first experience with Airbnb was a positive one! I’ve booked another Airbnb unit for an upcoming trip to Toronto, so we’ll see how that one works out!

Clive Burger

Burger bars seemed to trend up in Calgary last year, with several establishments opening up within months of one another. Clive Burger was one we had read about during our last jaunt south, so we headed there for lunch on Friday.

It’s an easy-to-miss storefront tucked onto 17 Avenue. The order counter and open kitchen was pretty standard, but the rest of the decor was modern, fresh and fun. I loved the pop of the orange chairs, the pendant lamps, and especially the wall of cartoon Clive and friends “documenting” their world travels.

Interior

Fun cartoon wall

The menu was fairly standard, similar to other burger bars in Edmonton (Burger Joint, Rodeo Burger, Five Guys among them). A hamburger was $6, with less than a dozen free fixins to choose from. Fries (fried in peanut oil) were $2.50 for a small.

After we ordered, we were given a buzzer that would notify us when our order was up. Mack noted that this was less personable than name calling, but it was definitely more efficient.

Clive buzzer

The burgers themselves were nothing special. Mack found the patties to be disappointingly thin, but I found that to be on par with most other burger bars. Glaringly, Mack’s paid egg fixin was left off his order – he would have gone back to have it remade, but given we were both hungry, we just chalked it up as a loss.

Burger

The star of the meal turned out not to be the namesake burger, but the chipotle-mayo Clive sauce that accompanied the crispy fries.

Our spread

I’d drop by Clive again if I needed a greasy pick-me-up in the area, but it didn’t impress us enough to want to return again in a targeted way.

Analog Coffee

Two doors down from Clive Burger was Analog Coffee, Fratello Coffee’s new cafe on 17 Avenue. Similar to how Phil & Sebastian’s expanded after gaining popularity at the barracks location of the Calgary Farmers’ Market, Analog Coffee serves up coffee at the new CFM, and opened this standalone cafe at the end of 2012.

Analog Coffee

It’s a beautiful space, warm and rustic, with a beckoning bakery case filled with goods from La Boulangerie and Sidewalk Citizen.

Interior

We ordered a pour-over cold brew made with Fratello-roasted coffee (if course), but the best thing was the milk station also featured several different syrup flavours – I loved the opportunity to sweeten our drink to taste. Make sure you stop by if you are in the neighbourhood!

The Fine Diner

We hadn’t yet hit up The Fine Diner in Inglewood, so we planned to have brunch there on Saturday morning. When we arrived, we were a bit surprised that there wasn’t already a crowd in the lobby. It turned out The Fine Diner was blessed with a back room (which looked like it used to function as a private dining space) where brunch-goers were invited to sit and enjoy some coffee while they waited (until we have similar provisions for overflow, I’m not sure we can talk about Edmonton’s brunch culture in the same breath).

We had to wait about 40 minutes for a table, not bad considering the dining room was relatively small. The high-backed banquet seats reminded me of Dairy Lane, but the decor was cleaner and more sophisticated.

Hurrah for brunch!

The Fine Diner is notable for the fact that they cure their own bacon. So we both had to try the bacon for ourselves – I ordered the egg breakfast ($11), while Mack chose the bacon benny ($13).

The bacon didn’t disappoint – thick-cut, salty, with a hint of maple syrup sweetness. I did expect crispier potatoes though with the use of the term “hash browns” on the menu.

Egg breakfast

Mack liked his eggs benedict, with soft poached eggs, and a bread base that did not get soggy. The fresh fruit was also a nice touch.

Bacon benny

While we enjoyed The Fine Diner, I have to say we liked our most recent experience at Blue Star Diner just a bit better. But in the grand scheme of the brunch scene in Calgary, The Fine Diner is another good addition.

Crossroads Market

Our typical farmers’ market haunts in Calgary include the Kingsland Farmers’ Market and Calgary Farmers’ Market, but from Mary Ellen and Andres of Greens, Eggs and Ham, we heard about the Crossroads Market. Since we were dining in nearby Inglewood anyway, we took the opportunity to stop by after brunch on Saturday.

Given our major farmers’ markets are situated in public transit-accessible locations, it’s always a shift for me when approaching the Calgary markets, which are usually challenging to reach with any means of transportation other than a vehicle. The Crossroads Market seemed to be the same.

Because we new Greens, Eggs and Ham was a relatively new vendor at Crossroads, we expected to be greeted by farm fresh products. Instead, our first visual was a wall of VHS tapes.

VHS, anyone?

We quickly learned that Crossroads was in transition, renovating so it would resemble the other large markets in Calgary. Wooden beams framed some of the food stalls already, but the flea market aspects will remain. Maybe it’s just us, but it is one thing to have hand-made arts and crafts for sale, but antiques and collectibles didn’t seem like the best fit alongside farmers’ market vendors.

Flea market

Inside Crossroads

After wandering through the merchandise stalls, we encountered a shoddy food court packed with weekend traffic. We’re certain a few of the vendors may have been hidden gems (most of them seemed to be mom and pop-run ethnic eateries), but we weren’t looking for a meal.

Food court

To be honest, we didn’t take time to explore the protein or prepared food vendors, as we were more interested in produce that day; I was hoping to pick up some fruit to snack on the rest of the trip. We finally found a major produce vendor called Chongo’s at the back of the market, but to our disappointment, none of it appeared to be local.

Carrots the size of my arm

We know Calgary markets permit imported produce like bananas to be sold alongside BC apples, but this was ridiculous. None of the items that could have been grown in Alberta that can be cellared for winter sale did not appear locally sourced, and worse, most of it wasn’t labelled with a country of origin. I had to wonder whether the customers in the long lines thought the produce was local, simply because they were shopping at a “farmers’ market”.

Produce at Crossroads

On the Crossroads Market website, it looks like their summer and fall seasons see more local vendors present. But I can imagine it can be pretty confusing to the average consumer, and unless questions are asked, assumptions could be made about the true origin of the produce.

We’d have to return in the heart of the local growing season to really assess this market, but based on this experience, it will take more than a superficial makeover to convince us that this Crossroads truly a farmers’ market. I’d stick with Kingsland and the Calgary Farmers’ Market on any day or season.

I’ll be writing more about our dinner outings in a separate post!

Portland: To Market, To Market

Whenever we’re travelling, we make it a point to visit the city’s markets – they are not only great places to shop for memorable souvenirs (edible or otherwise), but it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about the range of produce that can be grown, and the unique artisans and artists that call that city home. Things were no different when we vacationed in Portland.

Farmers’ Market @ Portland State University

I had been looking forward to visiting the Portland Farmers’ Market located at Portland State University since we arrived. It was easily among the first things to go on our itinerary, and with over 200 food vendors, we knew we would need a bit of time to explore the grounds.

Portland Farmers’ Market

Tempting

It was a beautiful location to start with, the paths lined with mature trees. Vehicle access was limited (as it is on our own campus), so it made the shopping experience even more pleasant.

I loved the trees

Mack enjoyed the didgeridoo

Peppers being roasted on site

We started our visit off with breakfast at Pine State Biscuits, an institution in Portland (I remember Filistix’s first What the Truck?! menu featured a Pine State-inspired dish). They had quite the set-up for a food vendor, complete with a griddle and an oven (they had to keep those biscuits warm somehow!).

Pine State Biscuits

Each oversized biscuit was a buttery indulgence, flaky and perfectly soft on the inside. The additional cheese and bacon was probably overkill at that point, but I can’t say we didn’t enjoy every calorie.

Bacon and cheese biscuit sandwich

Satiated, we joined the throngs in exploring aisle after aisle of harvest goodness. Mack got a little sick of me fawning over all of the produce, but it seemed around every corner, there was another gorgeous display of heirloom tomatoes, greens, or fruit.

Fresh collard greens!

Gorgeous squash

Artichokes

Many varieties of apples I’ve never encountered before (including a sweet red-fleshed one)

Ginger

I heart heirloom tomatoes

Given the vast majority of vendors seemed to offer fresh produce (instead of prepared food), aesthetics were even more important, as a means to lure customers in and away from the competition. As a result, vendors used quantities and colours to their advantage, and I have to say, it was even harder for me to look and not buy everything around me!

More greens than we could handle

Tomatoes

So much colour

More tomatoes

In addition to the vendors, the Farmers’ Market had organized cooking demos, spread throughout the day, and had a “veggie valet” as an option (something that has been employed by the City Market for the last few years).

Chef in the market

If you’re visiting Portland, the PSU market is a must!

Portland Saturday Market

The farmers’ market at PSU did not feature any non-food vendors, so for our arts and crafts fix, we headed over to the Portland Saturday Market immediately after.

Portland Saturday Market

Located under the Burnside Bridge in Old Town, the market looked like tourist central, with attention-grabbing buskers and summer fair food stands vying for our attention in and amongst the great variety of jewellery, paintings and other handicrafts available for sale.

Busy place

It was certainly a festive atmosphere, and a great place to browse. I ended up with a beautiful acid-etched necklace from Heartstrings Studio.

Portland Farmers’ Market @ Pioneer Courthouse Square

Unlike Edmonton’s farmers’ markets, which are all individually-run, the Portland Farmers’ Market runs six different markets that take place in the urban core (not all of the area’s markets, but a significant number). We had the chance to visit a smaller collection of vendors run by the Portland Farmers’ Market at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Mondays from June to September.

Monday farmers’ market

The hours of 10am-2pm seemed a bit unusual to us, as only those who worked in the immediate area would be able to partake, but perhaps that was their target demographic after all.

Vendors

It was a modest market to be sure, but with several produce and meat vendors on hand, staples were well covered. We were also happy to see Olympic Provisions on hand again – we would never turn down an opportunity to sample their salumi!

“Meat Here”

There were also quite a few hot food vendors, so later that day, we were certain the business crowd would be descending to take advantage of the al fresco lunch possibility.

The markets all provided a peek into Portland’s agricultural and creative wealth. Make sure to check them out if you have a chance!

City Market 2012 Winter Season Kick-off!

Although the City Market shifted from its 104 Street location last week to Churchill Square (as a part of the Olde Time Fair on the Square), today marked its first date inside their winter home of City Hall.

Inside the City Room

Mack and I arrived at the tail end of the market, but the selection of fresh produce was still very good (we picked up the last of Steve & Dan’s blueberries, for instance). It also looks like there is a new vegetable vendor this year – Erdmann’s, who would be familiar to those shoppers who frequent the St. Albert, Callingwood, Festival Place and Mill Woods markets.

Erdmann’s

The City Market did a great job of posting vendor maps for the 104 Street market – I am hoping a similar list will be cropping up for the winter edition. The signage was also lacking today – no sandwich boards could be seen, either directly outside City Hall or at Churchill Square directing patrons towards the market.

Great to see a fair number of vendors!

The City Market inside City Hall runs from 10am-3pm every Saturday (except December 22 and 29, 2012) until May 18, 2013. Hope to see you there!

City Market Report: Week 21

The City Market’s final outdoor date in 2012 was a beautiful send off. A bit chilly to start, but the sun was in full cooperation, further highlighting the autumnal glow of the trees surrounding the 4th Street Promenade.

Creative bouquets from Sundog Organics

It was also great to see all of the fall-themed treats, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Beautiful cookies from Dauphine

But with this final post for the season, I just really wanted to pay tribute to some of our favourite producers. Thank you for helping me put food on our table this year!

Green Valley Farm

Sunshine Organic Farm

This isn’t the end of the City Market this year however. Next Saturday, on October 13, 2012, you can find select vendors at Churchill Square in conjunction with the City’s annual Olde Time Fair on the Square. Then, starting October 20, 2012, look for the City Market to once again take over City Hall every Saturday from 10am-3pm until May 18, 2013. See you there!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: