Wanderlust and Words

Local News  I plan to try some of the cleaning products produced by Nikihk , a local Indigenous company that got its start distributing household cleaning kits to First Nations communities to prevent the spread of Covid. They have 7 different cleaning products, 6 of which include scents of plants and herbs which are significant in Plains Cree usage.  The Saskatoon Public Library is offering an archival slideshow on Saskatoon homes from sod houses to boom-time mansions from 4-5 pm, May 6, on Facebook and ongoing on YouTube.  Food  I’m going to give tea-flavoured rice a try. Here’s a recipe for green tea rice with loads of green vegetables .  It’s time to start adding fresh herbs (from Bergamot & Basil ?) to your dishes. Here are 17 ways to use mint – from mint pasta to mint julep as well as a spicy herb and noodle salad and a lemon thyme and leek tart .  Anas Attasi, author of Sumac: Recipes and Stories from Syria , wanted “to show the world a side of ...

Food  “Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns” Well, they’re not quite that cheap at The Night Oven Bakery , but they are certainly delicious and organic. Night Oven is also selling sour cherry walnut challah on Apr. 2 and 3. If you believe English folklore , you’ll be happy to learn that a hot cross bun baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or go mouldy for a full year and will protect against shipwreck, fire, and illness.  Herbs  If you’re eager to purchase herb bedding plants, you’ll be glad to learn that Bergamot & Basil will be set up at various locations this spring, including the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.  History  There were rumours that Dhaka muslin was woven by mermaids, fairies, and ghosts. Or perhaps it was woven underwater. It was all the rage in 18th century Europe, although it inspired alarm as it was so fine it was almost transparent. Dhaka muslin and the plant from which it came disappeared enti...

Local News  Two Saskatoon women have started a new business, Bergamot & Basil , and plan to sell the most interesting variety of herb bedding plants around. The list of herbs they hope to sell is long and exciting (5 kinds of mint, 5 kinds of basil, epazote, huacatay). Lemongrass is already planted and sprouting.  Saskatoon Seedy Saturday has gone virtual with online gardening workshops and presentations from Mar. 20-27.  I’m looking forward to celebrating the spring equinox with a Middle Eastern/North African dinner from Nest Saskatoon . Nest has been supporting refugee settlement in Saskatoon since 1997. Art & Architecture   The pandemic has created a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to reimagine our built environments – if we care enough (and dare enough) to take it [comic]  Travel  This cartoon speaks for itself.  Food   30 brilliant condiments to liven up your meals. I’m not sure how many of these are available in Canada, but I’m s...

Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Open for Business The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market will remain in its current premises until the end of 2019 . The City of Saskatoon cancelled its search for new tenants when they realized the roof needed major repairs. It’s good news for Farmers’ Market shoppers, but I don’t understand why it took so long for the City to recognize that the building needed repairs. Job Opportunity Jackson Wiebe, Collective Coffee , is looking for a new team leader. Recommend the successful applicant and you’ll get free coffee for a year. Coffee and Donuts Venn Coffee Roasters has Darkside donuts every Saturday and Sunday. Darkside Donuts got a great review in The Globe and Mail this week: “Darkside Donuts uses a blend of Saskatchewan organic flour and heritage-grain flour, the latter of which the baker grinds himself several times a week. . . . ‘There’s an emptiness to regular, bleached white flour,’ the baker says adamantly. ‘I truly believe in the flavour of grai...

What could be nicer than sunshine and brunch with a good friend at City Perks Coffee Shop! Living Sky Café Reopens, May 4  Living Sky Café is re-opening at a downtown location (245 3rd Ave. S) on May 4. Saskatoon Berries, Food Carts, and Spoken Word, May 5  Join AKA Artist-Run and CHEP Good Food Inc. for the launch of Locals Only on May 5. Locals Only is a multi-year art project exploring food security, community-led resource development, and intergenerational exchange. This summer’s activities include re-indigenizing Riversdale’s ecology by planting Saskatoon Berry shrubs and mobile art and food carts. The launch includes an afternoon spoken word and Indigenous plant teachings workshop . Mother’s Day Tea Party, May 13 The Glen at Crossmount is hosting a Mother’s Day Tea Party with a Mary Poppins/Alice in Wonderland theme (music, costumes, special guests) from 2-4 pm , May 13. Such an elegant way to serve tea from Camellia Sinensis, my favorite provider of...

Sept. Wine & Spirits Tastings Saskatoon Co-op’s Liquor Store in Blairmore is hosting a variety of tastings in September – from gin on Sept. 16 to Venetian wine on Sept. 23 . Some Like It Hot, Sept. 24  Grandora Gardens is hosting its second annual chile tasting event on Sept. 24 at 11 am . Taste some of their spicy peppers as well as hot sauces and food samples made with their chiles. Fermentation Mob, Sept. 24  From the Earth to the Crock: a Fermentation Mob on Sept. 24 will go through the entire lacto-fermentation process from harvesting vegetables to processing and packing into jars and crocks. Everyone who participates will be able to take home some ferments to enjoy. Power of Food Workshop, Sept. 27 Caitlin Peiris, Registered Dietitian, is offering a day-long workshop for collective kitchen leaders, staff and parents of Nutrition Positive Schools, Community Peer leaders and volunteers, and Good Food Box volunteers on Sept. 27. Topics will include fin...

Adopt a Plot at the Garden Patch Registration is now open for teams of green-fingered gardening enthusiasts (or not so green but eager to learn) to adopt a plot at the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre’s Garden Patch . Coteau Hills Cheese I was very sad when Herschel Hills Cheese shut down, so I’m delighted to see that Coteau Hills Creamery will be opening soon in Moose Jaw. I look forward to trying their cheese. Urban Ag in London, UK  London isn’t known for its urban agriculture, but a new generation of farmers is starting to change all that by transforming the city’s underground tunnels, industrial warehouses, and rooftops into urban acreage . Za’atar  I’ve often wondered how I could use za’atar, a Middle Eastern herb or herbal mixture that combines Syrian oregano, sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Yotam Ottolenghi’s za’atar recipes include a Levantine flatbread, amaranth-stuffed mushrooms, and a pâté/dip. Barolo Wine – Truth or Fiction?  Th...

Herbal Drinks & Elixirs, Sept. 5, 6, 7  Yarrow Willard, Harmonic Arts Botanical Dispensary , will lead a session on making herbal drinks to increase energy and address health imbalances on Sept. 5 . On Sept. 6 , he will lead a walk to look at some of the common plants that grow in the Saskatoon area and how they can be used as medicine and food. On Sept. 7 , he will lead a session on preparing herbal medicines (sponsored by Intuitive Path Superfoods). Solstice Celebration, Sept. 20 As the days get shorter, we’re reminded that the seasons are changing. Join Chef Jenni at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market dinner on Sept. 20 as she celebrates the abundant summer harvest from the fields and shield. Healthy Food for Saskatoon Food Bank  Good food helps keep us healthy, but sometimes we forget that when we make donations to a food bank. The Saskatoon Food Bank is working hard to provide nutritious food – over the past 4 years, the Garden Patch has produced over 70,000 po...