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...