Wanderlust and Words

Local cheese, beautiful eggplants, a vegetarian restaurant - what a welcome home!  Thank you, Saskatoon. Herschel Hills Cheese I am so excited that Saskatoon has its first local cheesemaker. Herschel Hills – Saskatoon’s Artisan Cheese House is owned and operated by Sharon McDaniel, whose passion for cheesemaking has taken her to six different cheesemaking courses, including one in Scotland. She is still scaling up her operation but will soon be selling fresh and Valencay -style (mold-ripened) goat cheese, camembert and ricotta at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. I had the opportunity to taste the Farmer Fresh cheese I had watched her make earlier in the week and liked the smooth texture and fresh, clean flavour. The plain is sweet and mild, while the chive is full of onion flavour, and the peppercorn has a real bite. They all spread easily. Eggplant Bounty  There are so many gorgeous shiny, purple eggplants to choose from at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Floating ...

St. John’s Protestant Separate School Division #9  1918-1965  As I travelled home from British Columbia on Sunday, I tired very quickly of the Trans Canada Highway and turned off onto Highway 21 to take the back roads home to Saskatoon. Grain fields stretched to the horizon with very few interruptions from human settlements. South of Leader, I was surprised to come across a deserted school with a sign inviting me to stop and visit. According to the write-ups in the classroom, the Lutheran church came first and quickly became a hub for the far-flung community of farming families. The minister started a school in the church, but it outgrew the space, and the community built a separate school building. The one-room schoolhouse is on the honour system. Just lift the latch and enter through the cloakroom. The wooden desks are still in place, as if the students left just yesterday.  The original church is no longer standing, but there is a half-size re...

From Spicy Sensations to Saskatchewan Mustard and Quinoa  with some Propaganda Gardening thrown in for extra flavour!   Premala’s Spicy Sensations SaskMade Marketplace is hosting a tasting of Premala’s Spicy Sensations chili bites along with a variety of their sauces and chutneys on Thursday, August 23 from 4-8 pm . Mustard Festival  The Great Saskatchewan Mustard Festival will be held on September 16 at the Willows on Wascana in Regina. You can follow the event on Facebook or Twitter . Quinoa  I wrote an article about quinoa for SaskMade Marketplace ’s August newsletter. “ What do the Andes Mountains of South America have in common with Northern Saskatchewan? As it turns out, they are both good places to grow quinoa. Quinoa (keen-wah) has been grown in South America for 3000 years, but it has only recently become popular in North America. " [ read more ] Incredible Edible Pam Warhurt gives a powerful TED talk on propaganda gardening and the capa...

Celebrating local pies delivered to your doorstep, Simon’s ready-made meals, and WiFi at Souleio. Not to mention a talk by Frances Moore Lappe, an organic trade show, and a CSA in Harlem   Korean War Vets, August 14  Seoul Korean Restaurant is inviting Korean war veterans and their families to a dinner at 6:30 pm on August 14. Simon’s Fine Foods Ready-to-eat meals from Simon’s Fine Foods are now available at the SaskMade Marketplace. Here’s a list of Simon’s excellent products , all of which are made from scratch. Chef Simon Reynolds also offers an astonishing variety of cooking classes (Zombie Food???). The fall schedule is now available online. Pies from Fresh n Local Fresh n Loca l delivers local, organic food to your doorstep. They now sell fruit pies, fresh baked by Hounjet Orchards the day before they are delivered. Souleio has WiFi At last!  You can enjoy a drink or a meal at Souleio – and check your email. Organic Connections, Nov. 2 & 3 ...

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 30 years, and British Columbia has always had a stronger vegetarian focus than other parts of Canada. The Kootenay Co-op in Nelson, BC, is a prime example. The store is a member-owned co-operative that opened in 1975. They offer a full range of natural, organic foods and products. My favorite section is the deli, which has everything from salads to burgers, to burritos, to lasagna and wraps – and that’s before you even reach the dessert section! There is a large produce section as well as a dairy section. The emphasis is on local products as much as possible, so you can buy locally-grown vegetables, baked goods and deli items from local producers, and coffee beans from Nelson’s Oso Negro and Warfield’s Seven Summits . The Co-op continues to expand, and they have recently purchased the Extra Foods building at the end of Baker Street. For once, a downtown supermarket closure is a good news story! I’m looking forward to seeing ...

It’s looking good! Saskatoon’s first vegetarian restaurant, cooking classes for university students, and a sustainable gourmet feast   At Last! A Vegetarian Restaurant Turning the Tide bookstore is opening a cafe with a tentative opening date of August 10 in the old Encore (Cava) space in the Ideas Inc. building adjacent to the Saskatoon Farmers' Market building. The yet-to-be-named café will be a 'pop-up' for 3 months to give the workers’ cooperative a chance to get their feet wet at both running a cafe and functioning as a workers' cooperative. They will be serving vegetarian and vegan food with a focus on local, organic ingredients and excellent taste. Sustainable Gourmet, September 22 The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is hosting their annual fundraising dinner on September 22 at the Saskatoon Club. All the main ingredients are grown by local producers. Candace Savage is the keynote speaker. Start from Scratch – Saskatoon-style Start from Scratch...