Wanderlust and Words

We wait so long for spring to arrive on the Prairies. But when it does, oh, what a delight! Lilacs and caragana always remind me of the early European settlers who used them in shelterbelts and farmyard gardens – they must have been desperate for colour and shelter. Where will this path lead me? Age brings strength as well as wrinkles. New life. It’s windy on the Prairies! Buckeye – a happy reminder of the candles on European horse chestnuts. Life should always contain a few surprises. The University of Saskatchewan's Patterson Arboretum was established in 1966. It's open to the public, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset all year round.

Local News  Congratulations to 9 Mile Legacy Brewing who are launching a brewing and canning facility a few blocks from their current location. The current nanobrewery will focus on creativity, collaboration, and innovation. “This will not only give us more brewing capacity but it will help us add jobs, continue to work with local suppliers such as @prairiemalt @makersmalt and @saskatchewanhops and be a second sizeable investment by us in @riversdaledistrict. Plus it will get our beer to more people! . . . Grateful for the thirst everyone has for local, craft beer and excited to keep building the legacy with you!” Botté Chai Bar is now serving food for pre-order and pickup. It’s an interesting menu with appetizers (dolmeh, pickled vegetables), mains (vegetarian and carnivore), and desserts. Pickup is between 4:30 and 8 pm with 24 hours advance notice. Food for Thought  I was somewhat surprised to read that a large international study has found that “eating at least ...

Odd Couple Restaurant I went to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative ’s first live market since the Covid lockdown this morning. I was a little concerned that masks, social distancing, and one-way traffic would take all the joy out of going to the market. But that wasn’t the case. Behind the masks were farmers, producers, and shoppers – happy to see each other again, happy to be able to buy and sell local food. The next challenge will be reopening restaurants. Some bakeries, restaurants, and coffee shops have done an amazing job at pivoting to online orders and curbside pickups. That creativity and willingness to adapt will be badly needed as restaurants try to stay in operation while maximizing employee and customer safety. From what I’ve been reading, we’re going to see a wide variety of different approaches. Remain Closed Calgary's Prairie Dog Brewing has chosen to remain closed until they feel ready and able to address all the challenges , which they outline ve...

Local News  City Perks Coffee Shop is reopening for curb-side pickup (updated info) on Thursday, May 21 , from 9 am-3 pm . The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative is re-opening live and in person on Saturdays starting May 23 from 8 am to 2 pm . Individual vendors are providing a variety of payment options and all health and safety precautions will be followed. The University of Saskatchewan is offering a variety of online gardening workshops , including Compost 101: Scraps to Soil – May 19, 7 pm; Growing Herbs – May 21, 7 pm; and The Growing Buzz (bees) – May 26, 7 pm. I had a great sandwich from Earth Bound Bakery last week. It was packed with roasted yams, cumin lime black bean spread, spinach, jalapeno pickled in house, and avocado. I’m Reading   I’ve signed up to receive three email newsletters about food. Here’s a sampling of the articles I’ve started receiving. Vittles newsletter published an article about providing delicious food wit...

Local News  I’ve realized that it’s a lot easier for me to support local businesses when they stock a variety of different products. Sparrow offers coffee, cakes, sandwiches, and soups. The Night Oven Bakery has jam, kombucha vinegar, flour, honey, coffee – and all the different bakery products. I’m pleased to learn that you can now buy pasta along with pies and soup at Scratch Provisions as they are stocking pasta from the Prairie Pasta Lady (also available from the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative ). I’m trying out a pasta that’s new to me this week – casarecce. Casarecce is shaped like a rolled-up scroll and is popular throughout southern Italy, although it’s originally from Sicily where it’s often served with Sicilian pesto (“a sauce full of the flavours of typical Sicilian produce; ricotta, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and pine nuts”). I ordered takeout from the Odd Couple Restaurant on my birthday. I particularly enjoyed the Tomato Pad Thai and the Sea Sal...

Local News The Hollows is closing and the historic Golden Dragon building will be torn down in the fall. The Hollows co-owner Christie Peters shares some of her memories . Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens expects to have fresh spinach for sale this coming weekend. I can hardly wait! I am so grateful that the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative went online so we can still get fresh produce. North Americans normally spend over 50% of their food dollars eating out. So when all the restaurants and coffee shops are forced to close, it has a major impact on all parts of the food chain. Small local businesses are struggling to pay the rent and all their other monthly bills. They’re innovating to the best of their ability with takeout and delivery options, but as Tony Naylor says on Twitter , “You know that restaurant/ bar/ brewery/ bottle shop near you which has started delivery? They’ve not done it for fun, like this is an episode of the Apprentice. They’re not making top dollar. ...