Farm Visit - Neville

The Farmers' Market is opening so many doors for me. I am meeting local producers and really getting to know what is available right here. It is so nice to find farms like the one I grew up on.

Bill has a very special farm. It was developed previously by an ardent agriculturist who planted a forest of firs and deciduous. He planted several varieties of apples, acres of carraganas and built a quaint home.

 Now Bill is carrying on the vision and has planted a wide variety of perennials and fruits. He has Jerusalem artichokes, borage, comfrey, black currants, several varieties of garlic, heirloom tomatoes and so much more! I felt that I was constantly taking pictures but when I looked at them, I wish I had taken more.

Borage

Jerusalem Artichoke

The free range chickens will be harvested soon and  needless to say, he has no problem finding a market. He also has free range turkeys. I hope I am one of the lucky ones to taste these amazing birds.

Thanks for spending so much time with us to share your vision. Bill is so creative in so many ways. 

Sunday Morning and no food in the house

I am so so busy with the Farmers' Market and many times I have nothing to eat. Now that doesn't make sense, does it? This morning there is nothing I would like more than a proper weekend breakfast. No eggs. Hmmph. I would love to have an omelet.

So this is my take on an eggless omelet. Or in better moods I would call it potato hash. It is a lot like making a soup - just empty the refrigerator.

Sunday Morning Potato Hash

baby potatoes, 1/2" slice
yellow beans cut in 1" lengths
finely diced onion
mushrooms, sliced
Calabrese sausage, in small dice
duck fat

Heat duck fat in pan and add sliced baby potatoes and rest of ingedients. Stir until all are browned and turn the heat down. If necessary add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover pan with a lid to make everything tender. Serve immediately.

I Made Butter Tonight

I bought these antique butter parchment papers some time ago for a song.  They were so beautiful and I had no plan but they were so cheap that I could not resist.  Today I fulfilled a long time dream of making butter.  I was gifted some real dairy cream today and could not wait to work with it.

This is my first butter making experience so I do not want to extol the ease of which it is done because, actually, I have not even tasted this yet.  I have not stored it.  I have not made pastry with it.

But for what it is worth it was easy!  I beat my litre of heavy cream until it went beyond the stiff peak stage and began to curdle.  Only a few minutes later the curds became butter.

I removed the butter and kneaded it on a cutting board to remove as much water as possible.  Then I worked it in painfully ice cold water a while longer.

The result is....butter....tada!  These butter papers are so adorable and I wrapped it and refrigerated.  I can hardly wait for tomorrow when I will do something with it!

Yorkton Garlic in Swift Current

This is Anna from Yorkton Garlic.  I picked up my first batch from her today and it will be available at my table on Saturday.  I have 20 lbs but I know they are going to go fast and I will be bringing in more.

I spent a couple of hours at the Regina Farmers' Market and thought I would share some pictures.

It is an open air market and for a Wednesday it was bustling.

Buskers added to the fun.

I have been anxious to try this goat cheese made just a few miles south of the city.  I believe they may be the only cheesemaker in the province.

What a sweet baby!  They had cheese tasting, too.

Beautiful colourful swiss chard.

This gal's Mom is a friend of my sister, Gloria.  They gave me the great idea to make fruit smoothies.

Summer dresses would be popular on a hot summer day.

Liquor laws have changed and now boutique distillers can sell their product at the Market. 

On the square is a sculpture by one of my favourite artists, Joe Fafard.

Yum, I wish I had tried these.

No parking?  No problem.  It is a lovely walk on a warm day.

I had to share this picture.  Before driving to the Regina Farmers' Market I stopped at a Hutterite Colony and came upon this mother antelope with her baby.  I have never seen a baby antelope.  I wonder if it is called a fawn?  That little thing could run but Momma always stayed right with it.