Flavourful Saskatoon, April 30, 2012

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – an edible alphabet, German wine, a farmers’ market in Hafford, Chef Jenni Rinnovo, and more

Foodshed, May 3 & 10
dee Hobsbawn-Smith and Dave Margoshes will be reading from their newest books on Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 pm at Atlantis Coffee, Regina, and on Thursday, May 10, at 7:30 pm at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon.

Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet by dee Hobsbawn-Smith introduces readers to 75 of Alberta’s farmers and producers, from asparagus growers to zizania cultivators. Hobsbawn-Smith, a chef and slow food advocate, also discusses some of the issues faced by modern farmers.

Foodshed is an important addition to the discussion around local food. I am so pleased that dee now lives near Saskatoon and will be lending a hand in establishing a Slow Food convivium in Saskatoon.

A Book of Great Worth by Dave Margoshes is a collection of scenes set among the Jewish community of inter-war New York City.

Friday Lunch Buffets, Saskatoon Farmers’ Market
The Friday lunch buffets offered by Garlic Guru and Riverbend Plantation at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market are back starting May 4. The full menu is available on the Garlic Guru’s website, but they promise lots of options for both vegetarians and carnivores.

Winemaker Dinner, May 26
Saskatoon POW City Kinsmen is hosting a winemaker dinner with German winemaker, Johannes Selbach, on Saturday, May 26, at the Prairieland Exhibition Park. Johannes will speak briefly to each of his wines, which include 3 different Rieslings and a Pinot Blanc (distributed by Doug Reichel of Fine Wines Sask). Tickets are available online from Picatic.

The Selbach Riesling Spatlese was a huge hit at Axon Development Corporation’s wine tasting last year.

Fresh at SaskMade Marketplace
SaskMade Marketplace is now carrying fresh produce. They currently have fresh cucumbers, green peppers, salad mix, arugula, basil, dill, cilantro and sorrel. And soon we can expect fresh fiddleheads and wild mushrooms.

Hafford Farmers’ Market
If you live near Hafford, you will be delighted to learn that the Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve is organizing a weekly community farmers’ market at the Ukrainian National Hall in Hafford. It will be held one Saturday a month from 10 am to 5 pm (June 9, July 7, August 18, September 8, October 6).

Everybody is invited to participate with fresh garden produce, jams and preserves, eggs, honey, baked goods, or art. Contact Rachel to register (549-4060, rturnquist@redberrylake.ca).

Chef Jenni – Rinnovo
If you were looking for great food in rural Saskatchewan, New Ground Café in Birch Hills was the place to go. Chef Jenni served creative dishes prepared from local, seasonal food. The restaurant is now closed, and Chef Jenni is focusing on catering, speaking, writing and a series of 12 food, music and art events to be held in unique venues across Saskatchewan from April to December 2012.

May 26 – Hazeldell Community Hall (across the river from Prince Albert) – a 3-course meal infused with spring’s earliest offerings

June 16 – Kerry Vickar Centre, Melfort – all things rhubarb (plus Saskatoon’s own Carrie Catherine)

The tour will also visit La Ronge, Saskatoon, Waskesiu, Bruno, and Regina. Events will be posted on Chef Jenni’s website.

Processing SK Fruit
The Food Centre has received provincial funding for juice processing equipment to provide further opportunities for the Saskatchewan fruit industry.

Bringing Eat Alberta to Saskatoon
Edmonton bloggers and local food enthusiasts organized the second annual Eat Alberta conference on April 14. It sounds like it was a huge success (here's one account on Only Here for the Food). Over 100 people participated in over 15 different sessions, ranging from cheesemaking and knife skills to sourdough breadmaking and spring rolls.

Calgary Eats!, organized by the Calgary Food Committee, was a one-day event with speakers and display booths designed to promote local food and share ideas on building a sustainable food system. Approximately 1000 people participated.

Contact me (penny@axonsoft.com) if you would be interested in organizing a similar event in Saskatoon.

Food Trucks
Food trucks are clean and they don’t take business away from restaurants – Toronto shows us how it can be done in Saskatoon.

Carrots and Politics
Carrots used to be purple, yellow and white. Then politics got in the way, and the Dutch started promoting orange carrots in honour of their ruler, William of Orange.

Slow Food Canada Here I Come! 
I leave on Wednesday, May 2, for the Slow Food Canada national meeting in Edmonton. I am super excited about this opportunity to meet other slow food advocates.

My thanks again to my four sponsors: DayBreak Mill, Earth Bound Bakery, Loiselle Organic Family Farm, and my Mystery Sponsor (Don't you wonder who they are? I hope to fill you in shortly!).

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook where I’ll be posting photographs from the farm tour, the market tour, the gala dinners, and more.

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

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

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

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