Harvest Colours

Photos: October 3, 2016

Growing up, peppers only came in green. Later they started appearing in reds and oranges and yellow and even a dark purple. My preference goes to the red ones and I am glad of the choice available.



Radishes, too, have taken on new hues from two tone to some that are only white.

I think broccoli and cauliflower have been the most surprising with colours from purple to orange and the bright green, fractal-shaped romanesco.



Speckled and striped squash sit among the more traditional beige of the butternut and green acorn squash. Having more varieties means there is diversification; when one crop has difficulty perhaps their other-coloured cousins will thrive. I love the diverse colours of heirloom tomatoes and a salad with the many colours is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Vegetables from the Market

Photo: August 24, 2016

This time of year it is easy to buy too much at the market. Everything is so tempting. Today's dinner included yellow and green zucchini, red pepper and broccoli with pasta and pesto and some scallops thrown in to add some protein. These eggplant will be grilled along with more zucchini. Everything is doubly good after Newfoundland, where the vegetables featured at meals are boiled carrots, frozen peas and turnips. Grocery stores, especially in the small towns have little in the way of fresh vegetables other than cabbage or turnips. I'm enjoying all the fresh produce available here.

Restraint Amidst Plenty

A trip to Atwater Market in summer requires a lot of restraint. The stalls overflow with tempting fresh produce. I came home with only what was on my list which took a lot of will power. I have a busy week coming up. There will not be time to cook and freeze so I could only buy what we could consume in a short time.



Vegetables seem to come in multiple colours - things I had never seen as a child growing up with far too many tinned vegetables and fruit, especially in winter. The lure of trying new variations on a familiar theme. I guess this week, that will have to be via music!

Cooking

Vegetables chopped and ready to be cooked.



Add onion, garlic and ginger.



Stir fry in the wok. A great way to eat vegetables!

Stirfry

Stirfry, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I think we are always full of great intentions in January - healthy eating, healthy lifestyle in general. My feeling is it is always a work in progress. These stir fried vegetables were destined to be served with lentils and rice.

But as the temperature plummets, my thoughts go to those substantial meals that warm from within - soups and stews. My proxy Scottish grandmother would have said the food that "sticks to your ribs." Unfortunately they often stick to my hips and other places. So I try to find warmth in herbal tea.

Where are you From

Where are you From, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I love to shop at Atwater Market. It is so much more personal than going to a supermarket. At each stall, each store, you start to develop a relationship with the merchants and you have an opportunity to talk about your purchases. With more awareness about freshness, genetically modified food, our carbon footprint, there is a quest for more local food. Now you even see these handmade signs pointing to produce from Quebec or other parts of Canada. Summer, the season of abundance, provides us with many local delights, but later in the year we will be back to relying on food shipped in from warmer climates.

Fresh Bread

Fresh Bread, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

To quote Gilles Vigneault "I went to the market, mon petit panier sous mon bras..." (my basket under my arm). Sometimes I need a pick me up in winter. I needed some groceries, but supermarket shopping is certainly not a pick me up. So off to the market I went to soak in the colours and the atmosphere. At the market, each stop is an interaction with a person - a little chit-chat along with the transaction.

First stop was the bakery. I steered clear of the exquisitely rich pastries and bought a fresh organic bread. And then off to the butcher. There are at least 10 butchers in the market. My favourite is the organic butcher. Good food for the weekend.

Everything tempted me, but I managed to keep my purchases to a reasonable amount. Root vegetables were tempting. Maybe next time I'll think about making a pan of roasted root vegetables.



There was every kind of fruit available. Some must have travelled a great distance to get here. We are fortunate to be able to partake of such bounty, but I do worry a bit about the carbon footprint.




And in winter - I need flowers. I bought an orchid (to be seen another day) - the first since my infestation of aphids. At least it was grown in Canada, so I can enjoy its double green-ness.

It was certainly a mood boost setting the stage for  a delightful weekend.

Something for Every Taste

Something for Every Taste, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

This time of year it is a treat to go to the market. It is a real feast for the eyes - to say nothing of the real feast that follows a trip there. I came home with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner (this weekend in Canada). On weekends there are often tastings and this week it was beer - with tables lined up with bottles and tiny glasses so you could sample one of the many offerings from the local breweries. Not my drink - so I passed on that.

The pumpkins are stacked up, ready for Halloween. There is a festive air at the market - a last celebration before the outdoor stalls get packed up until next year. 

Market Madness

Market Madness, originally uploaded by susanvg.

As Halloween approaches the local market fills with pumpkins and crazy decorations. This year I've noticed more decorations that, though made with vegetables, are painted and shellacked. I love the way this one incorporates the vegetable display with the decorations.

I like the whimsy I see at the market - the creative ways they use the seasonal vegetables to create. The market always makes shopping more delightful.

Day 227: Variety

Day 227: Variety, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Anyone who follows my blog knows I spend time in a small town in rural Ontario. Casselman, with a population of about 3300, is part old town and part bedroom community for Ottawa. I think it is the latter that has had an influence on what is available in the supermarket. Many varieties of lettuce can be found, including radicchio and Chinese lettuce.

I remember, as a child, about the only lettuce available was iceberg. Now you rarely see it on the shelves. Green is in, in more ways than one.

Day 97: An Abundance

Day 97: An Abundance, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I was at the market today. There are stores that operate all winter. The outdoor stalls won't be open for another few weeks. Much as I would love to buy local produce, most of what we have is imported, especially this time of year. But what an abundance! With a weekend of holidays coming the stalls seemed stocked more than ever, with varieties of vegetables rarely seen, from miniature cauliflower of different hues, to exotic eggplants. There are tomatoes of every colour and potatoes of every shape. As usual, I carried home too much and will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking. But what a pleasure to set a table with freshly made food.

And, of course, I bought flowers - fresh cut tulips from Holland. The man at the stall swore he had been there and back this morning. That is the other part I love about going to the market. The sales people are friendly, not just efficient. I often go back to the same stall for my vegetables. They know me know and there is always time taken for a friendly hello and a chat. A trip to the supermarket is a chore; a trip to the market is an adventure.