Farmer's Market

We finally made it down to the Alberta Ave Market (93st and 118ave) earlier this evening. Visited with Amy (OFRE and fruit mob fame) and checked out this small, but diverse, market hidden away in downtown Edmonton.

And I realized I'm a bad market shopper. All these great local vendors with fresh veggies, breads made with grain, homemade pastas and cookies and art... And I hate buying things that I can make myself.

It's true.

I go to markets to buy the base of my baking and cooking (flour, grains, meats, etc), not the finished products.

But I want to support the other local vendors as well. So, I spread the word to my friends to go buy from these great and incredible people instead :)

And thus, I shall continue to go the markets, buy a few things here and there, and continue to make my own foods using ingredients from my favourite farmers and gardeners and my mother's garden that she works so hard on all summer...

To eating local and preparing your own food!

Market Adventures!

Alberta has been seeing a lot (I mean, A LOT) of rain lately, mostly in the evenings when I'm trying to get out to the farmer's markets.
Yesterday at Baseline, downpour! I didn't even stop because I didn't see Nelson there... I'll see him tomorrow though at the Garrison Canada Day Market.

Today I finally found a vendor that sells fresh cream and butter. yes, BUTTER! Johnson Family Farms attend the Salisbury Greenhouse Market in Sherwood Park Thursdays from 4:30 till 8pm. So, Londyn and I took a trip down there, in the rain, to go get FRESH BUTTER!

And they weren't there.

Just a sign that said, "Due to care troubles Johnson Family Farms won't be here until 5:30pm."

Londyn and I were home through all the rush hour traffic by then.

Next week. Next week I shall have FRESH BUTTER! Or make fresh butter from their cream... and then I'd have buttermilk to make biscuits from! :)

- DJK

The Garden is Up and Growing!

Spinach up, check.
Lettuce up, check.
Beans up, check.
Peas up, check.
Carrots up, check. (though some silly person ended up planting them all in a clump...i still dont know how that happened...)
Beets up, check.
Onions up, check.
Potatoes up, check.
Tomatoes planted and making fruit, check!

YAY! by the end of July I should be able to start getting a nice little haul out of my garden plot.

There was thunderstorms and big fat raindrops and a little bit of hail yesterday evening... my spinach has thus been pinned to the dirt and the lettuce looks a little beaten, but I see a full recovery in their future. The rest of the garden was none the worse for wear this morning.

Here's some pics of my upcoming bounty :)

Almost ready to eat!

The fat raindrops and a touch of hail flattened my spinach... but it'll recover.

Mmmmmmm... peas :)

Tops of the onions growing high to the sunshine! And some wicked tall (in need of larger hills...) potatoes in the background.

Fresh beans are one of my favorite summer treats!


My sister Kristy and our aunt attended the Summer Mushroom course last weekend. Ate puffballs and whatnot :) We'd all like to take the Fall course as well, but it wasn't on the list yet when we were registering and now it's all full up... next year maybe...

Nelson of Rose Ridge Land and Cattle is attending a Market at the Edmonton Garrison tomorrow. Londyn and I will make a stop there to sample some wares on our way out to see my parents for the long weekend. Mmmmmmm, farmer's market goodies...

- DJK