Features
Fresh Dishes
By Pamela Cuthbert
Aug 1, 2007

With the fall harvest around the corner, we begged some of the country’s most locally committed chefs to share their favourite farmers’ markets with us. And as they so often do with their addictive local cuisine, they over-delivered, revealing insider secrets that are sure to freshen up your recipes. Check out their handpicked produce and must-visit vendors from St. John’s to Victoria

With the fall harvest around the corner, we begged some of the country’s most locally committed chefs to share their favourite farmers’ markets with us. And as they so often do with their addictive local cuisine, they over-delivered, revealing insider secrets that are sure to freshen up your recipes. Check out their handpicked produce and must-visit vendors from St. John’s to Victoria


St. John's

Darren Jackman, The Rooms Café
( 709-757-8097; therooms.ca/cafe)
FRESH PICK Churchill Square Farmers Market

Farmers’ markets are as rare as pretense in St. John’s, but chef Darren Jackman of The Rooms cites Churchill Square, named for the former British PM and graced with a bust of the historic figure, as a great spot for finding local goods.

“People come here and they want to see, to taste, something of Newfoundland,” says Jackman. A highlight to satisfy visitors is the bakedapple, which the chef uses umpteen ways including in a Newfoundland Berry Buckle cake. He gets the bakeapples and “all my berries” from “a guy named Kenway at the market.”

From Hampers Farm come fresh beets and their greens, carrots and baby red potatoes. The local, greenhouse Lettuce Farm steps up to the plate with organic greens and other leafy goods. Most vendors sell here in the harvest season, but they vary from week to week.

Open most Saturdays year-round with variable hours
( Elizabeth Ave. near Memorial University of Newfoundland)

Where the vendors are:
The Lettuce Farm ( 709-579-0061; thelettucefarm.com)


Halifax

Craig Flinn, Chives Canadian Bistro
( 902-420-9626; chives.ca)
FRESH PICK Halifax Farmers Market

The year-round Halifax Farmers Market, North America’s granddaddy of the local food scene, bridges past and present with a typically Maritime sense of cheeky. The location is the historic Alexander Keith’s Brewery Building and wandering minstrels add a touch of atmosphere to the cornucopia.

Chef Craig Flinn attends regularly. “It’s where I get a chance to talk with the farmers,” says Flinn, who, with his own family orchard, brings a sense of camaraderie to the exchange. He makes a beeline for Ted Hutten of Hutten Family Farm for “awesome stuff” such as Asian greens, tender spinach and root vegetables.

That Dutchman’s Farm supplies the much-lauded Dragon’s Breath blue cheese, plus Flinn’s personal favourite, smoked gouda. Glen Richards Mussels of Indian Point take a top rating while organic vegetable grower Norbert Kungl brings “beautiful French filet beans, celery root and leaf lettuce.”

Open year-around, Saturday, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.; opening time in winter is 8 a.m. ( 1496 Lower Water St.; 902-492-4043; halifaxfarmersmarket.com)


Montréal

Carl Roder, Aix Cuisine du terroir
( 514-904-1201; aixcuisine.com)
FRESH PICK Atwater Market

Atwater, with its vibrant collection of gourmet goods and earthy producers, is one of the two top farmers markets in this gastronomic capital. (Jean Talon is the other.)

Chef Carl Roder says he has little time for shopping around at markets, but finds amid the wealth of bakers, butchers and florists “a lot of fine cheeses and fine meats” here.

In particular, the robust selection of Quebec cheeses from any of Atwater’s three cheese shops, La Fromagerie Atwater, La Fromagerie du 2e and Le Paradis du Fromage, makes shopping easy. Roder singles out Le Chevre Noir (a cheddar-style goat cheese), Fou du Roi (a raw-milk, organic cow’s milk cheese) and the famous Riopelle, which Roder simply calls “beautiful.”

Open year-round, Monday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ( 138 Atwater Ave.; 514-937-7754; marchespublics-mtl.com)


Ottawa

John Taylor, Domus
( 613-241-6007; domuscafe.ca)
FRESH PICK Byward Market

John Taylor’s menu at Domus culls ingredients from the surrounding neighbourhood. Lucky for him, it’s Ottawa’s popular, perennial Byward Market.

“I’ve seen this space up close for a long time,” says owner/chef Taylor. “I know exactly who brings what and from where.”

A woman named Madame Rochon is a must-see for the season’s first strawberries, and then for corn, peppers and melon as the summer heat rises. Orient Farm, a biodynamic farm in the area, brings in “some fantastic produce,” says Taylor, such as calvo nero, ratte potatoes and very tiny mixed greens. Mrs. Robinson’s “old school” herbs and Anne Cadotte’s “fantastic tomatillos” are worth seeking out, too.

Open year-round with various store hours, mostly closed Sundays ( 55 Byward Market Square; 613-562-3325; byward-market.com)

Where the vendors are:
Orient Farm ( 613-488-2097)


Toronto

Michael Caballo, Niagara Street Café
( 416-703-4222; niagarastreetcafe.com)
FRESH PICK Riverdale Farmers Market

There are many good markets to choose from in the Big Smoke, but chef Michael Caballo puts Riverdale Farmers Market in Toronto’s east end at the top of his list. It is outdoor and small and the pretty park setting draws hungry crowds for what has become a seasonal ritual for the community.

“I do have a favourite,” says Caballo. “It’s in my neighbourhood, which is part of the reason but it’s also because of the producers.”

The chef sources local goods for home and work, whether it’s heirloom tomatoes and “really great swiss chard” from Ted Thorpe ( Thorpe’s Organic Produce), “perfect carrots, potatoes and onions” from Ben Sosnicki ( Sosnicki Organics) or “the best cherry tomatoes, the best turnips and the best French beans” from Dianne Kretschmar of Grenville Farms.

Open May 8 – Oct. 30, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday ( Riverdale Park West; 416-961-8787; friendsofriverdalefarm.com)

Where the vendors are: 
Thorpe’s Organic Produce ( 905-689-2114)
Sosnicki Organics ( 519-443-5903; sosnickiorganics.com)
Grenville Farms ( 705-689-6431)


Guelph

Yasser Qahawish, Artisanale
( 519-821-3359; artisanale.ca)
FRESH PICK Guelph Farmers Market

This small city lies at the heart of Ontario’s agricultural belt, so it’s little surprise that the Guelph Farmers Market is a local gathering spot with its mix of foods and crafts. This year is the first harvest season for chef Yasser Qahawish, who recently moved from Toronto with his wife Allison Mitchell to open a new restaurant.

“This market is more of a social place,” he says. “It’s neat, with its craftspeople and foods from some very, very small farms.”

Look for John and his wife, an older Italian couple whose zucchini flowers, Sicilian eggplants, basil and other herbs and “really amazing” tomatoes sell out. Cortland, Empire and Ida Red apples from Brantview Apples & Cider and stone fruits—cherries, plums, apricots—from Lilles Orchards are other favourites.

Open Saturdays year-round, 7 a.m. – noon ( Gordon Street at Waterloo; 519-822-1260 ext. 2244; guelphfarmersmarket.com)


Thunder Bay

Jean Robillard, Bistro One
( 807-622-2478; bistroone.ca)
FRESH PICK Thunder Bay Country Market

The growing season might be short, but enthusiasm runs long at the Thunder Bay Country Market with its 65-plus vendors and an emphasis on supporting Northern Ontario producers.

Chef Jean Robillard enjoys the mix of amateur and pro bakers, farmers and other producers. “I support a few of them. I like keeping the money local,” he says.
Debruin Greenhouses offers great herbs and tomatoes (as well as bedding plants from spring through summer), and fellow producer Candy Mountain Herbs supplies Robillard with “a whole array of fine greens and herbs.”

Local strawberries are a hit from Mountain Fresh and Belluz as are the 25 different varieties of gouda from Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and Breukelman’s potatoes. Look for some of the smaller producers, such as Teresa Danieli and her homestyle pickles.

Open February to December, Saturdays 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.; ( The CLE, Dove building, 425 Northern Avenue at May St; 807-622-1406; thunderbaycountrymarket.com)

Where the vendors are: 
Debruin’s Greenhouses ( 807-475-7545; debruinsgreenhouses.com)
Candy Mountain Herbs ( 807-939-2636)
Thunder Oak Cheese Farm ( 866-273-3329; cheesefarm.ca)
Breukelman’s Potato Farm ( 807-935-4040)
Belluz Farms ( 807-475-5181; belluzfarms.on.ca)


Calgary

Scott Pohorelic, River Café
( 403-261-7670; river-cafe.com)
FRESH PICK Calgary Farmers’ Market

Housed in a former airplane hangar, the year-round Calgary Farmers’ Market at the Currie Barracks in the city’s southwest is a staple for Cowtown’s food lovers. Scott Pohorelic raves about the stuff he can find at the giant, weekends-only banquet.

“When the asparagus comes in we get as much as we can from Edgar Farm. It’s handpicked and purple, which means a high sugar content. It’s unbelievable, it’s so good.”

At the market, Pohorelic also finds eggs from Sunworks “from happy, healthy chickens” and top-notch duck eggs from Grazin’ Acres. Wapiti Ways supplies the elk; Pohorelic chooses a wide range of cuts from tenderloins to tongue and heart for the menu. “It’s really healthy, really good meat,” he says.

Open weekends year-round, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ( 4421 Quesnay Wood Drive SW; 403-244-4548; calgaryfarmersmarket.ca)


Vancouver

Andrea Carlson, Rain City Grill
( 604-685-7337; raincitygrill.com)
FRESH PICK Trout Lake Farmers Market

It’s a tough call, says chef de cuisine Andrea Carlson, since Vancouver has so many great markets. But if she had to choose, Trout Lake would be it.

“It’s the biggest on Saturdays and there’s a number of different growers who circulate throughout the seasons,” she says. Glorious Organics, a veteran in the trade, excels in tiny greens: their Celebration Mix packs together over 50 different herbs and stems—and not a bit of lettuce in sight.

Carlson looks to Moonstruck from Salt Spring Island for great cheeses, and appreciates the tasting booths set up at the market. Stoney Paradise brings “wonderful tomatoes and grapes,” and Denman Island Orchards stands out for cider and seasonal apples.

Open Saturdays from May 19 to October 6, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ( East 15th and Victoria Drive; 604-879-3276; eatlocal.org/eastvan.html)

Where the vendors are:
Glorious Organics ( 604-857-1400)
Moonstruck Organic Cheese Inc. ( 250-537-4987; moonstruckcheese.com)
Stoney Paradise ( 250-764-8828)


Victoria

Cosmo Meens, Mo:Le Restaurant
( 250-385-6653; molerestaurant.ca)
FRESH PICK Moss St. Community Market

The pioneering Moss St. Community Market in the heart of Victoria is a hub of neighbourhood activity, complete with live music and foods as colourful as the vendors.
 
Young chef Cosmo Meens of Mo:Le Restaurant, one of Victoria’s most popular breakfast, brunch and, lately, dinner spots, finds a brimming basket of great picks whenever he visits. “It’s right at the local school. It’s great for the whole family,” he says.

For both home and the restaurant, Meens looks to Saanich Organics, an island collective, for “super-fresh produce.” Although not available at the market, he also recommends David Wood’s Salt Spring Island Cheese Co., especially the “lovely raw-milk goat’s cheese,” a choice that’s in keeping with Meens’ personal penchant for raw foods.

Back at the market, Eagle Paws has “the most amazing heirloom tomatoes. ”

Open Saturdays from mid-May to mid-October; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ( 1330 Fairfield Rd; 250-361-1747; mossstreetmarket.com)

Where the vendors are:
Saanich Organics ( 250-818-5807; members.shaw.ca/saanichorganics)
Salt Spring Island Cheese Co. ( 250-653-2300)
Eagle Paws Organics ( 250-642-2595)


© Copyright 2007 by Up! Magazine