Wanderlust and Words

Local Happenings  I’m really enjoying the fresh gooey baklava from Farideh’s Preserves & Pickles at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. Not to worry - I’m balancing out the sugar with their pickled carrot sticks! They also sell all sorts of unusual pickles and jams. Our Farm hopes to be back in St. Joseph's parking lot on Broadway Avenue on Saturdays from 8 am to 12 pm , starting June 29 . The vegetables were a bit behind schedule, but Dennis hopes the rain will get them moving so he'll have produce to sell on Saturday. Update: Our Farm's first market is now scheduled for July 6. It’s wonderful to have an organic flower farm just outside of Saskatoon. Joanne and Pat Halter do such a good job of caring for the land and wildlife while also growing fabulous flowers. They’re hosting workshops on Aug. 9 and Aug. 24 to share what they’ve learned about flower farming and flowers . Both workshops will include a garden tour with advice on how to grow flowers on a l...

Local Happenings CHEP is offering a garden day camp for 8-12 year olds from July 29-Aug. 2 . The camp will include cooking, gardening, silk screening, volunteering, and swimming. Combine a cruise on The Prairie Lily paddleboat with a wine, scotch, or rum tasting with a sommelier from Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. The cruises sell out fast so book now for one of the events from June to August. I’m looking forward to visiting Prairie Sun Brewery in its new facility on Broadway. From solar panels and rainwater collection to 100-year old beams and heritage brewery tours, they’ve put a lot of thought into their new facility. Three reasons to head to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market next weekend – pointy cabbages from Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens , what may be the last of this season’s asparagus from Simpkins Market Garden , and cherries from Little Quail Ridge Orchards! Food for Thought  Fake meat is often highly processed and scientifically engineered – what effect w...

Local Happenings  Sandra Walker, author of The Path to Wild Food: Edible Plants and Recipes for Canada , will be hosting a workshop at The Garden Patch from 5:30-7 pm , June 12 . She’ll be sharing how to find and ways to eat native Saskatchewan plants. Community Farmers Markets of Saskatoon will be in place starting June 18 . They’re at London Drugs parking lot on 8th Street on Tuesdays and Fridays and at Peavey Mart parking lot on 51st Street on Thursdays . All markets are 9 am-4 pm . I’m looking forward to seeing Victor Cicansky’s current art exhibits in Regina – The Gardener’s Universe, a retrospective at the Mackenzie Art Gallery, and Sexing the Garden at Slate Gallery. His pottery vegetables look good enough to eat! Food for Thought  For a vacation with a difference, check out the Canadian Fair Trade Network’s upcoming trip to Honduras , Nov. 9-17 . Explore fair trade at its source: coffee and cocoa farms. Learn about agriculture, development, export, a...

Local Happenings  Knox United Church is holding a Strawberry Social from 2-4 pm , June 8 . Fancy hats are optional. (No strawberries as of yet at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, but I did pick up a lovely armful of rhubarb (Thank you Simpkins Market Garden !) Chef de Partie Catering is holding an open house to celebrate their fifth anniversary from 3-6 pm , June 9 . Be sure to RSVP if you plan to drop by and enjoy a taste of what they do. I’m looking forward to trying out two new restaurants . Odla , on Broadway Avenue, supports local producers, such as Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens . Yay! Thai on 2nd Avenue S offers plant-based Thai dishes. It’s owned by the folks from Karma Café . Churchill’s British Imports is now selling fresh sausage rolls, Eccles cakes, Chelsea buns, scones, and Bakewell tarts on Fridays. They’ll be opening a British café later this month and are inviting applications from bakers, cooks, and servers. In addition, they stock a good variety of...

Local Happenings  I’m looking forward to trying out Beppi’s Gelato , opening Tuesday, May 28, at #1 – 616 10th Street East. The owner, Paola Chiste, studied at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, Italy. The gelato will be made in small batches using local ingredients as much as possible. Gelato cups and spoons will be biodegradable and there’s an additional charge for take-away cups. Locals Only is a partnership between AKA Artist Run and CHEP Good Food Inc. For nearly two years Elders, knowledge-keepers, youth, artists, and food activists shared conversations, meals, and ideas for engaging on issues of food security and changing neighbourhoods. They’re launching the culminating publication, a project archive, recipe collection, and proposition for continued dialogue and action from 1-4 pm , June 1 . Chef Simon will be offering cooking classes at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. The first class is from 12-2 pm , June 2 , and will be an Italian menu using Farmers’ M...

I’m not a huge fan of big cities, but I fell for Lyon in a big way. Unlike Paris, it’s easy to orient oneself and move around and it’s not jam-packed with tourists. On top of that, it’s a very attractive city with lots to see and do. The city is located in the centre of France and has been a regional capital since the Roman era. You can visit two amphitheatres and a modern museum packed with Roman mosaics and statues. During the Renaissance, the city hosted large commercial fairs and Italian bankers set up business here. In the 19th century, Lyon was the centre of the silk-weaving industry and traces of this still remain in the Croix Rousse district. The old city is a Unesco World Heritage site and is fascinating to visit as your guide will lead you into and between buildings by various hidden passageways. For meat eaters, there are a host of small restaurants with an excellent reputation and there are 4 Paul Bocuse Brasseries to visit as well. The shoppin...

Shopping  River Layne Chocolate Couture recently opened a storefront at #39 – 1736 Quebec Avenue. The individual chocolates and bars are works of art and taste delicious too! (photo credit: River Layne) The Saskatoon Co-op Liquor Store on 8th Street has a wide range of wine, both Canadian and international. I was thrilled to find a large assortment of Parés Baltà organic, biodynamic wines made by women winemakers. I was treated like royalty when I visited their vineyard near Barcelona several years ago. NatureCity Festival  May 21-26 is the 7th annual NatureCity Festival with over 60 events organized by 50 different organizations – what an achievement! Here are a couple of food-based events. I’ve listed a number of other interesting events on EcoFriendly Sask . See you at the Festival! The Path to Wild Food – 1-2:30 pm, May 24  Look for edible wild plants, from licorice to sarsaparilla, with Sandra Walker, an ethnobotanist. NatureCity Beer Release...