Food and Factory Merge at the Maltby Street Market

I don't know about you, but when I think of a food market, I usually picture rows of vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables in the sunshine with a sprinkling of craft stalls and prepared food vendors thrown in for good measure.

London's Maltby Street Market at Ropewalk isn't that. 

Citron Carpaccio and a Change of Heart

Every spring, I go on a bit of a citrus binge at the local markets, buying up bergamots, kumquats, grapefruit and citron whenever I spot them followed by a leisurely afternoon in the kitchen making marmalade and jam.  I've been getting some interesting results with poaching citron peel so I'm always especially on the lookout for them.

A Bright Spark on Sparks

VaVa Vegan's tempting vegan doughnuts at the Sparks Street Farmers' Market

When the new Sparks Street Farmers' Market made its début a few weeks ago, I power walked right over there like nobody's business to take a look.  

When I arrived, I felt like a tourist, with my camera slung around my neck, snapping pictures and staring up at the beautiful, imposing stone buildings, all goo-goo eyed like a foreigner visiting Ottawa for the first time.

The truth is that I can't resist a new farmers' market and Sparks Street has always held a special place in my heart.  

I grew up in Ottawa and when I was a little girl, my dad would pile my sisters and me into the car and off we'd zoom down town to pick up my mother who worked at Metcalfe and Sparks. More often than not, we got there early and my dad would treat us to some freshly roasted giant cashews from the now defunct Morrow's Nut House or if we were really well behaved, we'd score a trip to the Green Dragon Chinese Gift Shop to buy some cheap but fascinating Chinese do-dads. I'm heartened and somewhat amazed to see that it's still there, a bit dustier and more charmingly dishevelled than I remembered it.

 

As an adult, I grew to appreciate the architecture along Sparks Street and I think the buildings are some of the most beautiful and majestic in the city.  In my opinion, with these buildings as a backdrop and the peaceful luxury that only a "pedestrian-only" policy can provide, Sparks Street is a perfect place for a market.

 

An old postcard of Sparks Street, circa 1917.  Note the Vaudeville theatre on the right.  I found this at a flea market

On opening day, there was just a handful of vendors whose booths started at O'Connor and ended at Bank Street. I was happy to see some familiar faces had taken their chances and were giving the new market a go.  

The always charming Mike of Ottawa Valley Honey was there, and when I saw him at the Brewer Park Market a few days later, he told me that business had been both brisk and profitable. Just Farms, Hearty Bakery and Art is In were there as was Theressa Cummings of VaVa Vegan with her tempting vegan sweets and clever display.

Rob and Ken of Trie

There were two new faces, Rob and Ken of Trie who brought a portable crepe making cart along with a supply of fresh and dried mushrooms and unusual wood products.  When I arrived they were in the midst of whipping up some buckwheat crêpes filled with cheese and arugula. They told me that as the season progresses they will be selling their own home grown hazelnuts, nectarines and more mushrooms.  I bought some of their fresh shiitake which looked as though they'd just fallen from an illustration.  They were delicious grilled. 

I think the Sparks Street market is off to a good start.  I remember the Lansdowne Farmers' Market in its infancy when there were just a few stands and a handful of customers clustered  around the entrance to the Cattle Castle and look at it now.  Who would have predicted it would become the huge hit that it is today?

Will Sparks Street ever become a destination market?  Perhaps.  I think it's perfectly situated for residents who live nearby in the condos that are seemingly popping up everywhere in the down town core.  If it's to succeed I think it needs many more vendors.  

For now though, I imagine that curious tourists and people who work down town would be happy to pay a visit and buy all those good, locally made and grown goodies right on their stone doorsteps.  

You should check it out too.

Fresh, pristine, shiitake mushrooms

Trie's dried forest mushrooms

Popsicles and ice cream

Spring onions from Just Farms

Ottawa Valley Honey

Art is In bread

 

Sparks Street Farmers' Market

between O'Connor and Bank Streets

Thursday and Fridays 10am - 5pm

The Organic Farmers' Market at the Star Ferry Terminal

With about 100 Government-run wet markets in Hong Kong, traditional street markets sprinkled here and there and outstanding "western style" supermarkets, the average food shopper in Hong Kong is spoiled for choice with 'round-the-clock access to fresh fruits and veg.  Oh, how I envy them!

Hong Kong's official certificate of organic produce

Finding organic, sustainable produce grown locally on the other hand, is a different story.  

Over the years, I've sought them out like a hound and visited two in Kowloon, Mei Foo and Tai Po.  I'd have to say though, that the Star Ferry Terminal Market on Hong Kong Island stands out in my mind as the most engaging, family friendly and by far the easiest to find.  After paying 34¢ each to ride in first class, we jumped on the ferry in Kowloon, snapped a few pics while we bobbed up and down in the harbour, and "poof," we were there.

The market is run every Sunday by LOHAS Square or Lifestyle-Of-Health-And-Sustainability.  Simply put, their mission is to educate people on ways of sustainable living.  Organic farming, networking within the community and recycling being three of many.

About 10 or so certified local organic food vendors were gathered in the centre of the terminal. Around the perimeter, a few other vendors were selling non-food items made from recycled materials.  I bought a charming cat key chain made from recycled fabric.  There was also a soap making demonstration under way. 

While we were wandering around the market munching on carrots and strawberries, I stopped at one of the booths where they were making little lanterns and candy dishes from used red  Lai See packets so of course I had to jump in and give it a try.  

I sat next to an adorable 5-year-old girl and together we followed detailed instructions from the teacher while the little girl's mom generously translated for me.  I made a gold fish.  She made a beautiful candy dish.  Clearly she'd done this before.

A second life for Lai See packets

After trying my hand at that, next to the Lai See booth was another craft booth, this one, Chinese paper cutting or Jianzhi.  The Jianzhi instructor pulled out samples of the different patterns you could make.  Some of them were incredibly ornate and skilfully done.  After a brief consultation, he suggested I give "Double Happiness" a shot and traced an outline in pencil where I was to cut with my tiny, sharp scissors.  With yet another young girl beside me and Hubby encouraging me from the sidelines, we got down to it.

Like the other Farmers' markets, the vendors here were passionate about the food they grow, offered us samples of their products and were very gracious and patient even though we had no hope of ever conversing with each other. 

But the calm and communal atmosphere of the market and the lovely vendors drew us in and left us with a warm and lasting memory.  And a nice Lai See gold fish.

 

A Break in the Rain

I'm not sure if it's climate change or just a blip but the weather around here lately has been blah.

I enjoy a rainy day now and then but an entire month with rain, wind and storms is a bit much for me.

We moved here 13 years ago to escape this sort of weather.

To make matters worse, we had guests last week who had come all the way from Vancouver Island for a relaxing break under the sun and bright blue skies but instead they were trapped in doors most of the week because of the constant rain.  Poor darlings.

Out in the garden a bright green moss is growing in mounds on our paths, on the lawn and on our ancient olive trees.

Even stranger is the rubbery, paper thin brown fungus that's  springing up from the ground in big clusters here and there on our normally dry terraces. It looks a bit like the wood ear fungus I often see on Chinese menus.   If it's still there on Monday I think I'll dig up a few clumps and take them to the Pharmacie to see if it's edible.
 
Early this morning there was a delicious break in the rain so I bolted to the Saturday market in Menton before it started up again.

 

As you can imagine, the talk of the town was, bien sûr, the relentless rain, how weird it all is and the fact that everyone is looking a little pale from being indoors so much.

Along with the regular vendors who brought some spring goodies like sweet and tender petit pois, asparagus, fava beans, artichokes and fresh goats' milk cheese, there was a brave used book vendor who I imagine was hoping to do a brisk business selling books to people who were looking for some rainy day reading to pass the time while they were trapped indoors for weeks on end.

Well, it worked.  For only €2, I scooped up a fun little book called, "Le Savoir Cuisiner des Femmes d'Aujourd'hui" or "Cooking Knowledge for Today's Woman" and it's the 5th in a set of 6 cook books published in 1959. The first volume covered soups, sauces, hors d’œuvres and entrées, the 2nd was about fish, eggs and cheese, the 3rd covered meats and poultry.  The fourth was about vegetables, pasta and rice and the 6th was drinks, jelly and jam, and confections.  Mine is about desserts, pastry, ice cream and fruit.

I love the introduction that loosely translates as, "not only is dessert important from a health point of view but a menu should be planned, above all, with an agreeable ending."

I'd like to add... "and what could be a better place to pass rainy days in the south of France than in the kitchen baking desserts."

Amen to that.  

Food Fight. A Rally to Save New York's New Amsterdam Market

I was disheartened to read that the future of New York's New Amsterdam Market was in peril.

I visited the New Amsterdam Market in July and met up with talented vegan blogger and cookbook author, Hannah Kaminski. We both roamed around the rows of stands together, snapping photos and talking about food.  I loved the market and It's unique location under a highway overpass.  

If it were to close, I think we'd all be worse off.

Fans of the market have launched a campaign to save it and their request is a simple one:  restore and preserve the market's two landmark buildings as anchors and by doing so, create a premier destination for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.

They may want to talk to the managers of the vibrant St Lawrence Market in Toronto who in 1970 saved their market from destruction. The National Geographic Magazine in their book,  Food Journeys of a Lifetime voted the St Lawrence Market one of the top 10 markets in the world. 

If you're a fan of farmers' markets, please spread the word.  Blog about it,  facebook, tweet and talk. 

Here's some recent press about the Market and the fight to save it:

The Brasier

The New Amsterdam Market web site

If you live in or near New York, haul out your placard and go to City Hall  on Tuesday March 19 at 12 Noon.  Fight.