Flavourful Saskatoon, May 20, 2013


Forestry Farm Centennial Fair, May 26
Head on out to the Forestry Farm Park and Zoo from noon to 5 pm on May 26 to celebrate the Farm’s 100th Anniversary. The Centennial Fair will include concessions, wagon rides, old-fashioned games and contests, an artisan marketplace, and demonstrations.

Out with the Old, In with the New
Souleio is closing, effective May 25. Fortunately, the beautiful heritage building will house a new culinary business. Chef Dale Mackay, who won the Top Chef Canada competition, is returning to his hometown and opening a restaurant that will emphasize local food. I met Dale last evening. He is planning a 100-seat restaurant with a focus on French bistro-style food. He'll be preparing his own charcuterie and operating a small butcher shop. Dale hopes to open in mid-July.

Let’s Start Truckin’ 
Food trucks should arrive soon in Saskatoon (finally!). Dan Walker of Weczeria is ready to go. His truck will be called Joy Ride and will feature global fusion/global street food (via Savour Life).

Cake in the Garden
The Cake Witch will be selling her cakes and goodies every Saturday from 9-5 in the garden of the Garden & Architecture store on Avenue A and 19th Street.

Barbara cooks from scratch with real butter and organic fair trade cocoa.

BBQ Bonanza, May 25
SaskMade Marketplace is hosting a BBQ Bonanza on May 25 from 10:30-4:30. The guest chef is Jenni Willems, and there will be lots of meaty samples from J & J Sausages and Bluestone Farms.

March Against Monsanto
There will be a March Against Monsanto on May 25 at noon, meeting at Kinsmen Park across from the Mendel Art Gallery. There will be a talk on May 22 at 6:30 pm at the downtown library entitled The World According to Monsanto, with special guest speaker Percy Schmeiser.

Rhubarb is Priceless
There is no surer sign of spring than rhubarb. But what we now take for granted as a common garden plant was once a valuable medicine.  

“In 17th-century Russia, rhubarb was so valuable that much of the country's treasury was derived from the medicinal sales of the imported rhubarb root. When Chinese emperors and Russian czars had a border dispute, withholding rhubarb was China's biggest weapon.”

Good Stalk: Rhubarb by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl provides more history of the valuable rhubarb as well as some suggested recipes.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

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