Flavourful Saskatoon, December 5, 2011

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – Food Sovereignty, Hestia Organics, Christmas Macarons & Rainbow Carrots

Food Sovereignty in Canada, December 9
Attend the launch of Food Sovereignty in Canada: Creating Just and Sustainable Food Systems on Friday, December 9, from 7:30 to 10 pm at Caffe Sola. Several of the authors and editors will be at the event – Nettie Wiebe, Annette Aurélie Desmarais, Darrin Qualman, Kevin Wipf, Rachel Engler-Stringer.

“In case studies of practical action, Food Sovereignty in Canada provides an analysis of indigenous food sovereignty, orderly marketing, community gardens, the political engagement of nutritionists, experiences with urban agriculture and the strengthening of links between rural and urban communities. It also highlights policy-related challenges to building community-based agriculture and food systems that are ecologically sustainable and socially just. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in holistic, healthy and sustainable food production and consumption.”

Winter Wonders Handmade Market, December 9 & 10
The Flock and Gather Craft Collective is hosting the Winter Wonders Handmade Market on December 9 and 10 at St. Joseph’s Hall, Broadway Avenue. The curated handicraft market will be open from 6 to 9 pm on Friday and from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday. The list of participating artists is pretty impressive.

Hestia Organics, Saskatoon Farmers’ Market
There was a new vendor at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market this week. Hestia Organics has a 1400-acre, certified organic family farm north of Saskatoon. They are currently selling hemp hearts, small red lentils, beluga lentils, flax seed, and wheat berries. They plan to add a small production facility to their operations with stone-ground floors (wheat, rye, oat), cracked three-grain breakfast cereal, and rolled oats and oat groats in 2012.

Winter Cooking Classes, Simon’s Fine Foods
Simon Reynolds, Simon's Fine Foods, has posted a list of the cooking classes he will be offering in 2012. Here are some of the options: Food for the End of the World, Gluten-Free, Winter Salads, Homemade Pasta, A Trip to Asia, and Culinary Boot Camp.

Prairie Harvest Café
I’m looking forward to the opening of Mike McKeown’s restaurant, Prairie Harvest Café. Mike is currently selling ready-made meals at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Prairie Harvest Café, at 2917 Early Drive, will maintain the focus on local, seasonal food. Mike is hoping to hold a soft opening in December (to be announced on Facebook) with a full opening in January.

In the meantime, check out Mike’s ready-made meals, such as the Paddock Wood Veggie Pot pie (local veggies braised in Paddock Wood beer with local organic barley and a homemade buttermilk biscuit topping).

Christmas Macarons & Rainbow Carrots
Michelle Zimmer of Wild Serendipity Foods is offering two holiday macaron flavours – Spiced Cranberry-Orange and Chocolate Mint. I tried the Spiced Cranberry-Orange this past weekend, and they’re fabulous.

While you’re at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, don’t miss the rainbow-coloured carrots from Wally’s Urban Market Garden – from white to blood-red to purple.

Salayview Farm Goat Cheese
I was one of the fortunate few to pick up some locally-produced goat cheese from Salayview Farm this past week. I’m enjoying both the chive and herbes de provence flavours. They hope to be able to sell their cheese in Saskatoon next year. But for now, the goats are getting a well-deserved winter holiday.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. Email me (penny@axonsoft.com) if you have products, events or places that you would like me to include.

See also:
Flavourful Saskatoon November 28, 2011
Brit Foods: Saskatoon’s Very Own British Food Store
Choo-It: Craig’s High Octane Oatmeal

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 28, 2017

Image
The Next Great Food Business Public Tasting, Sept. 7 The Local Kitchen is hosting a public tasting with samples from each of the finalists in the Next Great Food Business competition. Finalists are: King’s Jerky, Kind Condiments , Smoke and Salt BBQ, Bannock Express , and Voodoo Van . Wine Tastings Guess the most expensive wine (Sept. 8), sample some Rhône wines (Sept. 22), or attend the 2017 Premier Showcase Wine Dinner (Sept. 28) sponsored by Saskatoon Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Premier Showcase is also offering a Portugal with a Splash of California wine seminar (Sept. 29) and a Women & Whisky seminar (Sept. 30). Refresh and Renew I had a chat with Trent Loewen about his plans now that he has sold Earth Bound Bakery. He is heading east to visit chef friends in Ontario and then off to New Zealand to explore what's happening there. After 9 years with a single focus, it's time to explore new ideas. Interestingly enough, the bakery's new owner is a business
Read more

Flavourful Saskatoon, August 21, 2017

Image
Prairie Harvest Café I was sad to learn that Prairie Harvest Café has closed its doors. It’s been one of my favorite Saskatoon restaurants since day one, and I really appreciated the fact that the chefs focused on cooking with local ingredients, many supplied by the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. All the best of luck in your new adventures. We’ll miss you. Hug a Farmer This has been a tough summer for many farmers. Prairie Sun Orchard lost their entire cherry crop to insects. Drop by their stand at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, tell them you care, and have an ice cream. My favorite is the chocolate cherry fudge, but Clare Pearson, the principal ice cream maker, says her new favorite is the salted caramel. Peppers If you’re like me, you assume that all small, skinny peppers are super hot and avoid them like the plague. But that’s a big mistake. Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering two long, skinny peppers – one can be hot, but the other isn’t. Padron chile pepper
Read more

The Golden Towns of Beaujolais

Image
Heading north out of Lyon, you pass through a long tunnel and exit into a lush green countryside leaving the city far behind. You then turn and head up the hill onto winding roads between a patchwork of vineyards. Many of the vines are really old with short, thick, twisted trunks and a thin stem of green leaves and buds. These are the Gamay vines of Beaujolais, interspersed with a few fields of greener, leafier Chardonnay vines. South Beaujolais, just 45 minutes northwest of Lyon, encompasses 25 medieval villages of orangey-gold stone (limestone and iron) that is surprisingly vibrant (I had been expecting something lighter, similar to the Cotswolds in England). Some of the villages still have the remains of 14th century castles. Oingt is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France and it really is lovely. You can take a walk around the town on the former ramparts and the church is austere and beautiful. I was on a half-day tour , which combined stopping to
Read more

Petra Market: A Mediterranean Grocery

Image
Tucked away in a strip mall on Primrose Drive (north of Lawson Heights Mall) is Petra Market, a treasure trove of food products from the Arabic countries in the Mediterranean. I’m fascinated by grocery stores full of unknown-to-me products but also a little nervous about trying things, so I was really happy when Nour Dabbour, the owner of Petra Market, showed me around and told me about the different items. Nour is trying to stock products from as many Middle Eastern countries as possible. He even stocks the same product from a number of different countries because he says that each country’s product tastes slightly different. Za’atar , a spice mix, is a prime example with packages from Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and each one is a slightly different colour with a slightly different taste. The most popular areas of the store are the nut and treats bars with an amazing assortment of Middle Eastern candies and mildly spiced nuts. Nour gave me a variety to try and I’m real
Read more

Spelt and Millet: Ancient Grains for Today's Healthy Diet

Image
When I was growing up, whole wheat flour and rice were exotic options. Now we have a whole range of intriguing choices – buckwheat, spelt, millet, kamut – the list goes on and on. My problem is that I don’t know very much about some of these grains, so I arranged a phone call with Nicole Davis, the Owner/Manager of Daybreak Mill near Estevan. Daybreak Mill grows and processes approximately 18 different kinds of flour, whole and de-hulled grains, flakes, cereals, and legumes. They are 100% organic. “We want people to have access to healthy, wholesome food,” Nicole explains. Two of Daybreak’s products – spelt and millet – have been nourishing people around the world for over 9,000 years. Spelt Spelt was cultivated by ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t require fertilizer. It’s resistant to frost and the thick husk protects the grain from insects. However, spelt requires more processing than wheat as
Read more