Charlottetown Farmer's Market

Canadian Geographic magazine recently published its list of the ‘Top 10 Farmer’s Markets’ across Canada, and the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market made the list! To view the entire article, follow the link here.

Way to go, Charlottetown Market!

According to Farm Markets Canada, an advocacy group promoting local farm markets, direct sales from Canadian farm to consumer were valued at 3.09 billion dollars in 2008. That organization’s brochure describing the impact of farm markets can be downloaded here.

By next summer we have no doubt that the Summerside ‘Spring Street’ Farmer’s Market will join the list as well.

It just goes to show that people really do want fresh, local and organic foods and are willing to go out of their way to find them.

Well. We Used to Just Go

Handmade Bread from the Shipwright's Inn

Summerside steps up!

The one-year old Spring Street Farmer’s Market is keeping us closer to home these days. And by all measures, keeping lots of other western Islanders out of Charlottetown on Saturday mornings.

What a vibrant market!

Emmerdale Eden Stall

The Spring Street Market is a beautiful year-round space in the historic downtown Holman Building. Exposed brick and stone walls, upscale vendor display areas and plenty of space for shoppers to linger and mingle have created a Saturday morning destination for hundreds. (Really–hundreds!)

Greg Stavert Sells Eggs and Beef

This morning I picked up certified organic pork, a week’s worth of locally-grown root vegetables, 5 dozen free-range eggs and a big package of fresh hand-made pasta. Then I sat down to visit with people I haven’t seen since last Saturday.

Locally-Grown Vegetables

Ranald MacFarlane's Pleasant Pork

Sushi at the Spring Street Market

Guest Chef

The Spring Street Market just launched a new program–weekly cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs. And guess who got to be the first guest chef!

Chef Dianna in a Really Big Hat

My job was to offer some new cooking twists on seasonal foods…root vegetables, locally-produced meats–anything currently on offer by Market vendors. I met lots of our regular restaurant customers wondering when we are going to re-open (THIS TUESDAY!) and gave out samples and recipe cards.

We made two of our signature dishes, Apple Slaw and Country Mushroom Soup. (Cabbage is one of the “11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating.” See the whole article here.) In honor of the Chinese New Year, we tried a new recipe as well, Chinese Five-Spice Braised Pork Loin. What a hit with the crowd!

Thank you, Emmerdale Eden Farms, for the donation of organic pork loin for this demonstration.

We signed up a whole sheet of e-mail addresses for our monthly restaurant updates and recipes. It was a really fun morning and a great way to ease back into restaurant cooking after 4 weeks off.

Still Off to Charlottetown…Sometimes

We are still visiting our friends at the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market once in awhile. But most Saturdays we’ll be supporting local growers even closer to home at the Spring Street Farmer’s Market in Summerside. Hope to see you there, too!