Jan
01

Great Canadian farmers' markets from East to West

Farmers’ markets are a great place to pick up fresh, local produce, enjoy live music and help support your community. We reached out to our viewers and did a little research of our own to find some of the best across Canada. Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market Location: Fredericton, N.B. Best known for: Its history, food made to order, and knowledgeable vendors The Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market in New Brunswick's capital is 64 years old and features more than 250 suppliers — many of which have been there since the market first opened. Organizers pride themselves on having homemade products made by knowledgeable vendors. "When you buy an item, you can get any questions answered from the person who has produced the product," coordinator Leslie Morrell told Cityline.ca. The market, open on Saturdays, is also a great spot to have breakfast. "You can see the vendors preparing the food for you — from fresh lobster being shelled, sausage being cooked or mini-donuts being fried," Morrell said.7345210940_4056e69c85_kEvergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market  Location: Toronto Best known for: Certified organic and ecologically produced products, live music and local food There are so many amazing farmers' markets in Toronto, and Evergreen Brick Works is one of the best. It's open year-round on Saturdays and from June to November on Sundays. Plus, unlike some markets, no re-sellers are allowed and there's only local produce from southern Ontario. "Evergreen — together with southern Ontario farmers, food artisans, chefs and eaters — is building a more sustainable food system for all," said food programming manager Marina Queirolo. The market also has live music and a food court with seasonal dishes. The market's main goal? "We believe that [by] promoting family farms and local producers, we can help preserve the health of our cities, the integrity of our environment and the strength of our communities," Queirolo said. FMOutdoors_Banner_498_310_s_c1Trout Lake Farmers Market  Location: Vancouver Best known for: Food trucks, artisanal alcohol and location in an urban park This 20-year-old market is on the edge of Trout Lake Park, where you can swim and attend the festivals that come through. It's no wonder it attracts around 5,000 people a day! Great for lunch, the market has a choice of food trucks and will soon carry local and artisanal beer, wine, and spirits. It also boasts 60-plus farmers, prepared food, handmade crafts and food trucks, said spokeswoman Jen Candela. "Everything at the market is make, bake, grow by the folks who sell it." troutlake Le marché du vieux-port Location: Quebec City Best known for: View of the Louise Basin, local produce and exotic imports Le marché du vieux-port is in the heart of downtown Quebec City with a view of the Louise Basin. Along the water, vendors line up with seasonal, exotic and imported goods. (Check the website to see when they have a particular fruit, seafood or cheese!) "The real experts are at the market," said spokeswoman Anne Julie Bouchard. "Come in and let them help you. They are really passionate." The marché is an excellent place to walk along the water and try local Quebecois delicacies! 543271_353341128072670_937490687_n11 St. Jacobs Farmers' Market Location: St. Jacobs, Ont. Best known for: Canada's largest year-round market, goods from Old Order Mennonite farms and kids' activities After a devastating fire in September 2013 that burned down the main building, the community came together to rebuild the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market. The new market barn opened the following summer, and the market was back in full swing, attracting tourists from all over Canada. Vendors supply everything from meats and cheeses to maple syrup and flowers, alongside products brought by horse and buggy from Old Order Mennonite farms. The market is great for kids, with rides, barnyard animals and farm tours via horse-drawn trolley. This market has it all and is a Cityline viewer favourite! St Jacobs Farmers Market Buggy Shed Vendors Saskatoon Farmers' Market Location: Saskatoon Best known for: Being open most days, events and a focus on cooking with local foods The Saskatoon Farmers' Market will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, making it one of the longest running markets in western Canada! Over time, the market has morphed from a weekly market into one that's open six days a week (alternating with farmers and merchants). It even has a chef-in-residence, who shows marketgoers how they can use local produce. Events include a salsa cookoff and craft beer festival. saskatoon Your top picks: We also reached out on Twitter and Facebook to find out which markets you visit! Here are some of your responses: Here's what you said on Facebook.
  • Karen Mueller said: St Jacobs outside of Kitchener. It has everything under the sun, including great Mennonite baking, preserves, meats, crafts, as well as beautiful fresh farm produce in the summer. It's worth the drive, and makes a wonderful day trip. There's also the village, and Elmira nearby for alternat shopping and sightseeing.
  • Vicki Gray said: I love the Wednesday markets in downtown Peterborough! I can always get red pepper jelly, Crosswind Farms goat cheese, lots of veggies, and fresh wood fired pizza from C'est Chaud Pizza
  • Ron Forbes said: We have a nice local one BUT the BEST one is traveling to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market, in Mennonite Country just at the top end of Kitchener-Waterloo. Amazing local and area produce, crafts and everything in between. I think its the atmosphere, and it's SO good to see it rebuilt and NOW open after that horrific fire two years ago.
  • Christy Andrews said: The Salt Spring Island Farmer's Market because our little Island has the most amazing artisans! After you have been to the market you can drive around the island doing studio tours. Oops I remember one more reason...because Ceri Marsh grew up here. Hi Ceri!
  • Kathleen Marie said: The Thursday farmers' market in Simcoe, on located in Norfolk County, local produce in abundance including#jensencheese#townsendbutcher,#fiedlersmeats#burningkilnwinery, the garlic grower who also makes amazing soaps and many more, Also #wholesomepickins located in Delhi, seasonal market with amazing fruit, veg and pies to swoon over! Markets are so amazing! #norfolkcountyontario#love food. I love to visit markets!
 
Jan
01

Summer reads: 12 Canadian books to suit any mood

On a lazy summer day, there's not much we love more than losing ourselves in a good book. Whether you're planning to read on the beach, at the cottage, or in your living room, we've got a dozen great Canadian reads to suit any reading mood. Celebrate our amazing country with some of the best books our talented authors have published over the last few years! theblondesIf you're looking for ... a sophisticated thriller: Check out Elisabeth de Mariaffi's The Devil You Know or Emily Schultz's The Blondes. Like best-selling novels Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, these two books will keep readers on the edge of their seat right until the very end. In The Devil You Know, rookie reporter Evie Jones digs deep into the unsolved murder of her childhood best friend, in the wake of Paul Bernardo's arrest. It's a nail-biter of a read set in a frightening, anxiety-ridden time. In The Blondes, Schultz mixes satire and biting wit in a story about a strange illness that's transforming blonde women into rabid killers. Sure the premise is a bit absurd, but it results in a captivating look at the complex relationships between women. If you're looking for ... a good laugh: Read Up and Down by Terry Fallis. You might not think the world of international PR would be the perfect setting for a comedic novel, but with Fallis' trademark humour and creative storytelling, this clever story is an almost constant laugh-fest, especially as he delves into the messy yet hilarious waters of Canada-U.S. relations. If you're looking for ... a family drama: Pick up Heather O'Neill's The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, Saleema Nawaz's Bone and Bread or Marissa Stapley's Mating for Life. Both O'Neill's and Nawaz's beautiful novels take place in Montreal, while the former focuses on twins Noushcka and Nicolas, the children of legendary French Canadian folk singer, and the latter centres around sisters Beena and Sadhana who live with their uncle after being orphaned as teenagers. In Stapley's novel, the family structure is much more complex, but it still makes sibling relationships the focus in a story that explores marriage and motherhood. If you're looking for ... a wild adventure: Check out Caught by Lisa Moore. In a grand departure from her previous novels, Moore takes readers on a classic caper tale as we follow David Slaney's prison break and one of the most ambitious pot-smuggling adventures ever attempted. stationelevenIf you're looking for ... a post-apocalyptic tale: Try Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. This stunning novel moves backward and forward in time from the years just before the world collapses due to an unknown pandemic, to the strange world that exists twenty years later. This new world is both terrifying and mysterious, but also strangely beautiful as we follow a Travelling Symphony who performs concerts and Shakespeare plays in the settlements that have formed. If you're looking for ... something quirky: Read Andrew Kaufman's Born Weird. This hilarious and downright weird story follows five siblings, each of whom received a "blursing" (a blessing that's actually more of a curse) from their grandmother at the time of their birth. Now, as their grandmother lays dying, the far-flung siblings must come together and assemble in their grandmother's hospital room to have their blursings lifted -- but it won't be easy to get them all there. If you're looking for ... an escape to foreign lands: Pick up The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson. This romantic little tale of Ambrose Zephyr and his wife Zappora (Zipper) Ashkenazi chronicles their journey across the world in a "pilgrimage through the alphabet", travelling from Amsterdam to Zanzibar. The love story is as beautiful as the amazing destinations they visit, and reading this novel is a great way to travel without the high price tag. If you're looking for ... a collection of short stories: Try Sarah Selecky's This Cake is for the Party or Lynn Coady's Hellgoing. If shorter stories are your thing, you can't go wrong with either of these fantastic collections. Both give readers fascinating perspectives on relationships, both romantically and otherwise, and we love that even on a busy summer day, we can always make time to enjoy a short story! What are you reading this summer? Let us know in the comments!
Jan
01

Ultimate Canada Day pool party

Planning a pool party for Canada Day? Lifestyle expert Shoana Jensen shows us decor and treats that will make it one to remember! [embed]bcid:4324049469001[/embed]  
Jan
01

Backyard games for Canada Day

Wondering what to do on Canada Day besides fireworks? Lifestyle expert Shoana Jensen shows host Tracy Moore three games to play with objects most people have on hand. [embed]bcid:4324128771001[/embed]
Jan
01

Turkey caprese sliders

These tasty little sliders are big in flavour thanks to a homemade aioli and red pepper pesto. This recipe from Chef Devan Rajkumar is perfect for any summer party.

Turkey caprese sliders

Prep time 20 minutes Cook time 5 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients: Aioli:
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 4 basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Red pepper pesto:
  • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Sandwich:
  • 4 slices egg bread
  • 150 g smoked turkey breast, sliced
  • 1 orange tomato
  • 1 yellow tomato
  • 1 Roma tomato
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 8 basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Method: Aioli: Combine all ingredients for the aioli, except the oil, in a blender. Blend to incorporate and then slowly drizzle the oil until emulsified. Store in the fridge. Pesto: Combine all ingredients for the pesto in a mixing bowl and store in the fridge. Sandwich: Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4-inch slices and set aside. Pre-heat a grill pan to medium heat. Slice 2 x 2 inch squares out of the egg bread, saving trimmings for croutons, breadcrumbs or another application. Lightly butter the bread and toast on grill pan. Assembly: To assemble slider, brush bottom and top toast with aioli. On the bottom toast, layer one slice tomato, one slice mozzarella, one slice tomato, two slices turkey breast, one slice tomato and one slice mozzarella. Top with a basil leaf and pesto. Skewer and serve! [embed]bcid:4324128966001[/embed] Courtesy Devan Rajkumar http://www.thefooddudes.com/ @ChefDevan
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