A close second to loving all the fresh local food I buy at my favourite Farmer's Market, are all the wonderful conversations I joyously participate in with the people I meet. There's something rather magical about communities coming together to buy local, fresh, *real* food from farmers in Ontario.
Have you been to a farmer's market in our city yet? If you haven't, you don't need to walk, bike or drive very far to get to one. In fact, if you can't make it out on the weekend because you head up to the cottage every Friday night, I have compiled a little list of farmer's markets for the urbanites of Toronto:
Brick Works: Saturday 8-1pm
Liberty Village: Sunday 9-2pm
Sorauren Park: Monday: 3-7pm
SickKids Hospital: Tuesday 9-2pm
Nathan Philip's Square: Wednesday Noon-2pm
Woodbine & Danforth: Thursday 3-7pm
High Park: Friday noon-7pm
If none of these locations suits your fancy, check out NOW mag's list that sorts market's by day - a very useful tool.
A few tips to make your farmers market visit more joyous:
Bring a reusable bag (or two) to carry your groceries. Many farmers will provide plastic, but let's love mama earth and avoid plastic please!
Scope out the market before you make your purchases. You might find a better deal at the other end of the market. So don't do all your shopping in one place.
Check out what's in season this time of year: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/availability.html and plan your meals accordingly. Meaning, if you know that peaches are in season, then you might want to grab some spelt flour while you are there for a peach crisp!
This past Saturday I went to the Brickworks Farmer's Market on Bayview for what has become my favourite weekend errand on my to-do list. However, it feels more like an indulgence - an errand I actually look forward to all week long. Here are some photos of my tasty finds. EnJOY!
Organic peaches, wild blueberries, shiro plums
Arugula, sprouted beans, organic carrots, green & yellow beans
Mmmmm olives (not local obviously, but from an Ontario farmer nonetheless), crackers that are to die for. I buy these almost every week!!
Need I say more?
Wild Blueberry Spelt Pancakes I made for brunching with my parents this past long weekend (with ingredients I bought at Brick Works of course). I will post the recipe this week.
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ReplyThank you for your latest post. All those wonderful foods look so tasty. However, I don't live in the Toronto area so I can't access the farmers' markets you mentioned. Is there a website or somewhere that I can find out where other farmers' markets are? I do live in Ontario, so that might help you.
ReplyHi Dorothy! Yes definitely, try http://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/ for other markets in Ontario. Thanks, Joy
Hi Joy, Wonderful post! The Sorauren Market is one worth checking out -- great vendors, great vibe. Just thought I'd mention another way to get your organic veggies and fruit, if you don't always have time to hit the markets - home delivery! We use Mama Earth Organics for a weekly bin delivery here in Toronto (mamaearth.ca). The produce is local, always fresh, and it's very convenient. Kristina
ReplyMama earth - love that name! I used to get a delivery from Front Door organics, but I will check out mama earth just because their name is so cute!
Wonderful post! The Sorauren Market is one worth checking out — great vendors, great vibe.
ReplyYou are the second person to mention it this week. That means I must check it out on Monday - next week. Thanks! I mentioned it in my previous post. :)
Good post! You have so much fresh food in Toronto! Byw, you may want to add in the Tweetmeme button - makes it easier for ppl to tweet your post. More eyeballs! :)
ReplyThanks Kelly! And thanks for that tip. I don't think I have that widget available to me, but I'm in the process of redesigning my blog, so I will definitely have it then. Thank you!
[...] off to work. Even better when you have ingredients you bought from your trip to the market – see a previous post about what I bought and tips for [...]
ReplyThank you very much my friend, you are very kind in sharing this useful information with? others.... The details were such a blessing, thanks.
ReplyYummm all of this looks great! I love fall produce and am absolutely obsessed with pumpkin and squash right now. I think markets are one of the best things about living in Ontario! :)
ReplyLove this blog post! I just posted my own Farmer's Market Haul where I talk about all the delicious, in season and local produce I picked up this week! Check it out: http://tryingtobealady.weebly.com/blog--recipes/farmers-market-haul
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