The monsoon is making its way across India, and I’ve made my way back to summer in Vancouver, Canada.
Okay, let’s try that again. It’s summer, and we’re headed for one of Vancouver’s farmers markets, this one at Trout Lake.
Farmers and vendors from all over the region including the Lower Mainland, the Okanagan and Vancouver Island show up with some of the best that the province of British Columbia has to offer.
Unfortunately, it’s been a cold and wet spring. That, on top of last Fall’s heavy rains, has made it the worst growing season in decades and it has hit farmers hard.
Although it’s been rough, you wouldn’t know it from the smiles and friendly exchanges here, as always.
Browsing at the stalls and planning the next meal along the way, I join the line-up at Rise for the best bread around. They’re usually sold out by noon, so you need to get in early.
I swing by Lowland Herb Farm for fresh herbs, and Katie helps out.
Mary (known to everyone as Boni )is not in the pic, but she’s the lovely lady who owns and runs the farm.Here’s one of the exquisite salad blends she mixes up every week, featuring seasonal flowers and greens.
More salad stuff from the Organic Farm Connection. They have some excellent assorted greens, including my current favourite, pungent mustard greens.
What’s next? Some fish from Fresh Off The Boat. Great tasting fish and they have great recipes on their website too.
Or, if it’s to be chicken, a chicken baker by Billie Shauer might come in handy. Anything a beer can can can do, this can do better!
The first of the season’s garlic is showing up now.
A little later in the season, Stein Mountain Farm will have the most fantastic variety of garlic and peppers.
At Klippers Organics, Kevin Klippenstein and a friend wrestle some garlic scapes into a bag!
That’s going into a “spinach and scape pesto”, a recommended recipe, compliments of the Organic Farm Connection.
Nearly done, but some Rainier cherries would do nicely for dessert
While I wander on, mulling over the menu, , the spouse is heading purposefully to the area where the prepared food vendors are. Too late, I realise that the Chili Tank is here!( It just happens to be the serendipitous meeting of two of his favourite subjects on the planet – WW2 and chili!) My lunch plans are in serious danger of being derailed. Yes, I spy a pot of steaming chili and a cheery smile. And that’s just Steven, the chili guy! He also makes a delicious vegetarian chili, which includes (purists beware!) chickpeas.
Oh well, there’s always dinner!
Heading back home, and looking at the trees on the path to the parking lot. Some of them look back.
I’ve hope you’ve enjoyed your walk through the Farmers Market at Trout Lake. Do visit again.
Very Special thanks to Al and Bo!
Congratulations!
Thank you! And welcome, anjani7! 🙂
Very nice! Love the pictures too!
Chicken bakers seem like a wonderful idea. Have you tried one? Will make some if they work well.
Hi anjani,
i haven’t tried one yet but i’ve heard they work well. Now should I buy one or wait..?:-)
Dear Shalini,
What a lovely market. W/o naming names, some of the folk remind me of the Muppets show!
Re: the chicken cooker, my bad experience with the Steven Raichlen metal contraption is that the cylinder part is NOT TALL ENOUGH for the average 3.5 lb broiler. The hind quarters drag in the roasting pan and remain a sickly, rubbery white while the breast half cooks to a turn. A complete waste of money.
A 40 oz. beer can might have provided the correct height for the pan, and the necessary stability. I felt cheated. Anyone buying a poultry baker should assure themselves that both a 3.5 lb broiler and a larger 5-6lb roasting chicken don’t drag into the receptacle. To make the thing more versatile, it should accommodate a duck; otherwise it becomes a single-use gadget.
I feel that I can make MUCH better oven-roasted chicken with my own rudimentary methods. They satisfy me, which is the point.
!! Good point about the height of the cylinder, Gautam. A roasting chicken with a soggy legs sounds terribly unappealing. I wonder if trussing the bird would salvage the beer can gizmo, or would that throw the balance off ?
anjani, if you’re giving it a go, please make mine large enough for a sitting duck 🙂
Trussing is always a great idea, but for a lazybones like me, w/o Jacques Pepin’s mastery over twine or slippery bird, it is too much work when you actually want the device to save you time, energy/effort in some inscrutable way.
Like, coming home tired, quaffing half a beer or soda from a chilled can, tossing a bird over the remainder without fussing, and there you are! BTW, I don’t suppose Mittel America, the good folk who relish their liquids out of aluminum cans & are willing to cook WITH them, would go to the trouble of trussing! Their S.O. s, they would truss, and do other interesting things to besides, but their fowl? You know the answer!!!!!!!!!!
@Anjani,
Are you a potter/clay artist? Very cool! If so, I should like to ask you how difficult it is to fashion an unglazed clay roaster like a Romertopf (middle size), as well as the earthen “handis” of India? Thanks.
Shalini, perhaps you should wait! but god knows about sitting ducks!
Gautam, I’ve never done either but I would imagine they are reasonably easy/difficult to make. Where are you located?
OK!! One numbers chicken baker made and tried, straight out of the kiln into the oven! Mr RCK says the chicken was very good! I brought some home to Bombay from the village kitchen!
Excellent! More details, please- dimensions, glaze,recipe,breed of chicken…
And are you now taking orders? 🙂
breed of chicken – god knows – broiler from prabhat poultry at Rajanpada, Alibag..
recipe – just do something.. stock in the centre cup, with a whole onion, rub chicken with oregano, lime and salt.. (and i cant remember – perhaps some oil – i generally instructed;-))
dimensions… i need to fine tune the design a bit – i used glazed (food safe glaze i am told) terracotta… maybe i should try using stoneware in the oven too..
orders … why not?
Wot?! No rustic Kadaknaths,full of country goodness? Still,it sounds good- put me down for one number, to be customized. Details to follow.
Not much country goodness where i hang about.. only muddars and half muddars…but i am told the popti on the 31st of December is a must.. perhaps this year or early next year.. when the waal is ready… and the bhambroot fragrant…