Life in Cowtown

I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite vendors at the Millarville Market, the great outdoor extravaganza that is 20 minutes from my house.  I wrote about them last summer, and it remains one of my favorite markets to visit, although a new one just opened up close to us too, and it’s wonderful so far. But visiting Millarville allows for a lovely drive into the country in the morning, and it’s great to simply walk around outside in the sunshine, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I shop here so often, that I have a game plan that begins with mini donuts (when the truck is around), and winds its way from the back to the front with ever heavier purchases picked up close to the exit. Which is lovely since I overspend every single time, but since summers are so short it feels like a necessary indulgence.

I always begin with fruit and veggies located at the far right of the market. Local farmers set up their stalls with many greenhouse ‘exotics’ of bell peppers, eggplants, cukes and tomatoes coaxed out of season but tasting great. Our outdoor climate is so dire that June often brings snow, while every u-pick farm has posted that nothing will be ready until early August due to a very late season. So greenhouses are a bit of a necessity for local veggies. The outdoor only farms have rhubarb, spinach and some lettuce going, but that’s about it.

This year a new tent is up: Worms at Work which sells worm castings. I have little experience with them, but they have some trial flower baskets grown with and without worm castings and the difference is dramatic. They can also mix up some compost tea for the enterprising gardener.

Along the way my eye was drawn to beautiful prairie bouquets of dried rye, wheat, grasses and poppy pods. I’d so love to have some for my huge vase, but life with three cats predicts disaster, so I refrained.

A totally odd but neat addition to the market is the folks who developed Beef Bacon. They had samples frying up on the griddle, and people, it was awesome. I could not tell any difference between bacon and beef bacon. Why develop beef bacon when we have perfectly good bacon in the first place? No idea, but I assume that people who don’t eat pork for religious or cultural reasons would be glad to try it out. I grabbed a package because it was truly delicious.

The Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch has many fantastic products, but I can’t wean myself off their Buffalo Pepper Salami and amazing Elk Hot Dogs. I love hot dogs for what they are – salty, juicy, slightly smoky meat processed beyond recognition, and these taste great, never mind that they’re healthier for you. CRMR is a local success, and they’ve recently opened up a store on 17 Ave, which is wonderful in the winter time.

Ridgeview Farms yielded some great llama pepperoni sticks and jerky. I’ve been taking their jerky to work as a protein rich snack or as a salty side to a bowl of cherries. Yes, I have weird tastes, but I love it.

I’ve been in love with Dietz Meatz’s garlic sausage forever and ever. It was one of the first things I tried at Millarville and it’s been a staple in my freezer since. It’s the only sausage that comes close to the amazing farmers sausage my girlfriend brings in bulk quantities from Saskatoon several times a year. It’s smoky, garlicky, a bit spicy and utterly delicious. And the little guy will probably be a fan for life.

Spragg’s Meat Shop provided awesome free range, home processed bacon, a few ribs to toss on the bbq, and a lovely roast to be had when the weather is cool.  I absolutely love these guys for their total dedication to customers and growing awesome guilt free food.

Bowden Farms chicken has also been a staple in our house for years. When we first googled free range, organic chicken they were the first on the list. This family owned farm is also a local marketing success story with their meat popping up on menu’s with increasing frequency, which is great as their chicken is great. They have some baked goods on their table, and oddly enough make the best double chocolate zucchini loaf I’ve ever had.

Towards the front, just near the exit are some wonderful crafts, as unique as the people who make them.  Like this metalwork – such interesting pieces. His fire grills seemed very popular with the public as well.

And these daisies just made me laugh… given my weeds this year perhaps I should just stick to these:

And I’ve left out quite a bit too, like the lady with the Polish food stand, that makes the best poppy seed rogaliki. They always sell out fast, so get there early to grab them. They are buttery, flaky and addictive. Or the lady with fresh ground Indian spice mixes. No more figuring out what goes into a garam masala, just grab a small baggy and cook. But I guess that’s why visiting the market to discover your own treasures is so much fun. What are your local gems?

On a last SECOND vacation to Cuba for a week. I got talked into it by my mother since the current prices were something in the realm of incredible.  We’re talking LAST SECOND, it’s midnight and I’m packing my bags, and thanking my understanding employer.

Visiting Cuba is always bittersweet for me, as I lived there for three years as a child, and have visited often since. Their tough political situation is always in contrast with the sweet, friendly, educated people that live there. I dearly hope they see real change soon, but am afraid that it will come in the form of McDonald’s arches.

So I’ll be back shortly with photos and stories.  Have fun y’all!

This weekend I braved the heat of the oven that added its special ambience to our south facing overheated house, because I had some tomatoes to cook. Some people sit by the fireplace, I sit by my oven, to each their own I say.  

Heat notwithstanding, summer is a great time to make the recipe below, and it happened to coincide with a huge bag of gorgeous, fragrant ripe tomatoes that had to get eaten, as well as Serious Eats’ Weekend Cook and Tell theme of tomatoes.

I’ve wanted to make this recipe ever since I read this article by Molly W. of Orangette fame, because it sounded delicious, and the reviews were adoring. We eat a great deal of tomatoes year round, typically in a pasta sauce with a hundred variations, and this recipe read like the elegant version of plain simmered tomatoes. Requiring literally five minutes of prep, it took no time to get rolling.

Wash, slice in half, and seed some tomatoes:

Pour a generous quantity of olive oil into a baking dish, line in tomatoes, pour more olive oil, sprinkle oregano and salt. I totally skipped sugar as the tomatoes were at their peak of freshness and were quite sweet themselves.

Bake, flip and bake some more.

About four hours later (I forgot about them), layer in a bowl with minced garlic and parsley. Drool for two hours.

At this point the fragrance was incomparable. It reminded me of grilled tomatoes at my favorite Persian eatery that I adore. Inspired by said Persian memories I made some rice to serve them on, since that’s how I eat them at the restaurant. Baguette and goat cheese would be awesome too, but I was hungry at that point, and needed more substance than toast. I served them over rice, cutting up the tomatoes and mixing in the juices. It was the greatest lunch of all time, and the tomatoes are everything they say and then some. Perfectly chewy, sweet and smoky, pungent with garlic and parsley they were a feast for all senses.

For the record, my SO is not enamored of the softness of baked tomatoes, and said these would make an incredible tomato sauce if they were quickly pureed. Weirdo. But he loved the flavor and ate every bite anyhow, so that tells you something.

Go forth and make Pomodori al Forno while the tomatoes are at their peak!