Wanderlust and Words

Whipping It Up in the Market Kitchen, June-August  Kids are invited to attend hour-long drop-in cooking classes at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market from 10 am-2 pm , June 3, 10, 17, & 24; July 8 & 15; and Aug. 19 & 26. Rhubarb Party & Contest, June10  The fresh fruits and vegetables are beginning to arrive at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market . I picked up asparagus, spinach, radishes, and red peppers on Saturday. June 10, from 12-2 pm , it will be Rhubarb Time!  at the Market. Sample the treats and enter the contest with prizes for biggest rhubarb leaf, tastiest rhubarb preserve, and tastiest traditional or non-traditional recipe. Chef Jenni  Jenn Sharp interviewed Chef Jenni for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Check it out. Picaro I had an excellent meal at Picaro on Thursday night. They have Parkerview Kombucha on tap along with lots of local beers, and the veg taco (roasted cauliflower, almond guajillo, ancho eggplant puree, sesame pickl...

U of S Fruit Program Plant Sale, June 1  The U of S Fruit Program is holding a plant sale from 9 am-2 pm , June 1. They’ll have everything from fruit trees to ornamentals. Food Not Bombs, June 2  Food Not Bombs Saskatoon will be serving a free vegan meal at City Hall from 11 am-12:30 pm , June 2. They're looking for plastic containers, and I'm sure they could do with more volunteers. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to social change . They serve free vegetarian meals to the hungry and protest against war and poverty. Yoga & Beer, June 16  Enjoy yoga and beer at a fundraiser for yoga in northern communities on June 16 at High Key Brewing Co. D & P Bakery  D & P Bakery were selling Venezuelan baked goods at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Saturday. I tried the Coconut Chocolate Cake and the Larense Cake (aka Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake). Both of them were moist and flavourful. I’m looking forward to trying mor...

Oh, Saskatoon! You are very lovely in the springtime. Golden Bean Our neighbours are professional engineers (beaver dam) Caragana - a homesteading favorite Saskatoon wouldn't be complete without its pelicans

I’m looking forward to the upcoming NatureCity Festival sponsored by Wild About Saskatoon from May 22-27. There will be  over 50 events hosted by over 40 different organizations. Quite a few of the events focus on the connections between food and nature plus a number of local restaurants are offering a “taste of nature.” Events  Plant the Saskatoon Seed Library – May 23, 7-8:30 pm (heirloom seed planting, saving, and sharing) Grow Where You’ve Never Grown Before – May 24, 12-1 pm (The askiy project engages both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in urban agriculture) All About Honey Bees, Urban Beekeeping, Pollination – May 24, 4:30-6 pm (Join Jeff Boone, urban beekeeper, and take a peek at a display hive) The Story of Soil: How Soil Biology Supports Life on Earth – May 24, 6-7:30 pm (Join Saskatoon Compost Coaches at the Garden Patch to find out what’s going on under the surface of the soil) Acres to Ales – May 24, 7:30-8:30 pm (Taste 9 Mile Legacy Brewin...

Orofino Wines, May 30  Sample a selection of Orofino’s wines with winemaker John Weber from 7-9 pm , May 30, at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Sukh in the melon patch Little Quail Ridge Orchards  Sarah Galvin, a vendor at the Swift Current & District Farmers’ Market visited Dhillon and Sukh from Little Quail Ridge Orchards in the Okanagan. Little Quail bring their fruit to both the Saskatoon and Swift Current markets. Sarah writes a regular column on food and agriculture for The Western Producer . (photos of Sukh and unripe cherries are by Sarah Galvin) Soon (but not soon enough!) we'll have fresh ripe cherries at the farmers' market Square Cup Café & Prairie Pie Company  Maduro Coffee is now selling coffee by the cup at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Square Cup Café. The Prairie Pie Company has switched to selling only frozen products – but that includes Mary’s full line of single-serving pies and 3 kinds of soup. Kombucha & Honey...

Books that combine food and travel are some of my favorites. Here are three that I’ve just finished reading and would highly recommend. My Beer Year  Lucy Burningham enjoys drinking beer and, living in Portland, she’s in the right place as there are so many micro-breweries. She decides to expand her knowledge and understanding of beer by spending a year studying to become a Certified Cicerone (beer expert). My Beer Year: Adventures with Hop Farmers, Craft Brewers, Chefs, Beer Sommeliers, and Fanatical Drinkers as a Beer Master in Training is very readable. You feel like you’re sitting down chatting with the author as she recounts her home brewing experiences, her visits to breweries and hop farms, and travels. My favorite part of the book was the last third which describes in detail her visit to Belgium and Germany where she tries to uncover the essence of Belgian and German beer. You don’t have to enjoy beer to enjoy this book. But if you do enjoy beer, be sure to ha...

Wild Serendipity Foods, May 12 Wild Serendipity Foods will be at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market on May 12 with scones, macarons, and gift boxes for Mother's Day. Mother’s Day Brunch & Plant Sale, May 13 Head to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Mother’s Day for brunch hosted by Riverbend Plantation Market Café, a plant sale, and various other activities. Jazz & Cider, May 30 Join Maurice Drouin, jazz pianist, at The Glen at Crossmount on May 30 for an evening of Jazz & Cider . Saskatoon Farmers’ Market The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is back outdoors. Be sure to get there early to pick up a bouquet of locally grown tulips from Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens . Don’t miss the sprouts from Green Cycle City Farm , and tomatoes from Grandora Gardens . If you’re planting a garden, take a look aat  Blazing Star Wildflower Seed Company ’s native plants and heirloom tomatoes. Around Britain by Cake If you’re an avid anglophile or a curious baker, this boo...