New West Farmers Market

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August 18th Market Day

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market-tomatoes

It’s going to be a hot one this week so make the right (and cool) choice of popping down to the farmers markets this Thursday. Have dinner with one of our Eat on Site vendors to save yourself from getting over heated in the kitchen and then treat yourself to ice cream from Take a Fancy Chocolates!

There are plenty of cool places to sit and enjoy the market within our gorgeous park, bring a blanket and enjoy the shade. If you are feeling up for it give yoga a try with our free class from Diane Haynes Yoga at 5:15pm.

What’s happening at the market this week?

Entertainment

Yoga

For the Kids

  • Have fun in our Mini Farmers Market play area (free)
  • Chill out in our Baby/Parent “lounge” on the grass (free)
  • Fun crafty craft with Music Box (free)

For our Furry Friends

  • Me & Monty will be at the market selling pet wellness products as well as showing off their doggy kissing booth!

For information on where our market is located, how to find parking and transit directions visit our Summer FAQ page.

Download the Ultimate Farmers Market Shopping List to help with your meal planning and purchases for the week.

Farm Fresh Produce

  • Greendale Herb and Vine – herbs, mini cucumbers, eggplants, greens, sweet red peppers, garlic, apples, heirloom tomatoes
  • Ripple Creek Organics – chard, kale, beets, nugget potatoes, zucchini, brocoli, green onions, green beans, fresh garlic, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes (Certified Organic)
  • Ossome Acres –  artichokes, pea shoots, oak leaf lettuce, eggs, raw walnuts, parsley, green onions, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, rainbow chard, purple cabbage, broccoli, scallopini, scallions, sunflower shoots, wheat grass, transparent apples, kohlrabi, potatoes, cucumber, castile soap (Certified Organic)
  • Bose & Sons Family Farm – lettuce greens, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, kale
  • Harvest Direct Farms – Cherries, apricots, peaches, plum, apricots, apples
  • Fresh Quality Produce Ltd – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries zucchinis, nugget potatoes, green beans, wax beans
  • Zaklan Heritage Farms – Cherries, pac choi, Leaf lettuce, head lettuce, mini gem head lettuce, baby beets, hakurei, radishes (all sorts), salad mix, mustard greens, arugula, swiss chard, kale, baby kale, spinach, mint, sage, oregano, thyme, brocoli, napa cabbage, green onions, baby cucumbers, zucchini, fava beans, snap peas, carrots
  • Country Village Market – blueberries, strawberries
  • Rancho Los Andes – tomatoes
  • Nutrigreens – microgreens, potatoes, zucchini
  • RCFM Merchandise Stall – Dried morel and porcini mushrooms

Cut Flowers

  • Rancho Los Andes – expertly made bouquets for you to enjoy

Cheese & Dairy

  • Golden Ears Cheesecrafters – Cheddar-Aged Medium, Brie, Jersey Blue, Cultured Butter, Havarti-Aged (Flavoured), Gouda-Aged Medium (Flavoured), Feta (Plain, Cranberry, Garlic Scape), Curds, Neufchatel (Plain, Herb & Garlic), Quark (Plain, Cranberry), Emmental, Velvet Blue
  • The Local Churn – hand churned gourmet butter
  • Greendale Herb & Vine – goats cheese

Beef, Eggs, Poultry and Seafood

  • Rockweld Farm – BC SPCA Certified frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – seafood pasta and crab cakes, frozen salmon and spot prawns
  • Local Beef & Eggs – wild blackberries, purslane, onions, chives, rhubarb, eggs, kale

Artisan Breads

  • A Bread Affair – breads, baguettes, ciabattas, rolls, scones (Certified Organic)

Gluten Free Breads & Baking

  • Delish Gluten Free – bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Baking – bread, cookies, pizza dough and snacks

Bakery

  • Sweet Thea Cakes – tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
  • Feeding Change – decadent raw treats
  • Simply Scones – traditional English style scones
  • Sable Shortbread – tasty yummy specialty shortbread
  • Take a Fancy Chocolates – delicious hand made chocolates and ice cream

Coffee & Snacks

  • Handworks Coffee Studio – pour over iced coffee
  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – kettle corn (traditional and caramel)

Food Trucks & Eat On Site

  • Cheeses Crust – gourmet grilled cheeses and raspberry lemonade
  • Community Pizzeria – pizzas made in a wood fired oven
  • Country Village Market – delicious pakoras
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – salmon burgers

Prepared Food (Dry Goods & Seasonings)

Prepared Foods (Pantry Staples)

  • BobAli – your favourite dips and spreads
  • Jam Shack Preservery – savoury spreads and jams
  • KICS Lemonade Syrup – syrups and salad dressings
  • Honeybee Zen Apiaries – honey made from New West hives
  • Aji Gourmet – salsas and delicious condiments
  • Old Country Perogi – frozen perogies (gluten free and vegan options available)
  • Sidney Smoke House – jerky made on Vancouver Island
  • Muy Rico – salsas, mayonaise, mole sauces, tortilla chips and corn tortillas

Health, Beauty & Services

  • Purely Clean – an all natural way to clean your home
  • Tanner’s Massage – chair massage for $1 a minute

Jewelry & Artisan Crafts

  • Quality Oak Accents – hand crafted cutting boards by Louie
  • Ildiko Jewelry – handforged sterling silver jewelry
  • Faye – The Art of Melissa Mary Duncan, prints, paintings and more

Wine, Beer & Spirits

  • Pacific Breeze Winery – wine made here in New West!
  • Dragon Mist Distillery – locally made vodka and gin

Special Thanks to our Music Stage Sponsor Roland Kaulfuss:

rolandkaulfuss logo

Farmers Market Challenge: The Greens are Greener at the Market

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Let’s talk about salads.

I eat a LOT of salads. And not because it’s the trendy thing to do, or because it’s the healthy thing to do, I genuinely like the taste of greens and raw veggies. I eat salads for lunch, I eat salads for dinner, and sometimes I even have salads for breakfast.

This isn’t new. I’ve been loving on salads for years. But what is new is the level of super tasty greatness that market greens have added.

Seriously, the salads I’m creating these days are so crazy rich with flavour, I’ve stopped adding dressing. Salads before the market always had balsamic vinegar or oil and vinegar. Market salads get a squirt of fresh lemon, or parmesan shavings, or nothing at all.

They are that good.

What’s the difference?

Before the market, my greens were either solely spinach, or a mixed container variety. I have no idea when they were picked, how they were picked, where they were picked. I have no idea how long they were in transport, how long they were in a cooler or freezer, or how long they were on the floor before I grabbed them.

At the market, my greens have either been picked that morning, or at the latest, the day prior. It is the ultimate freshness.

On top of that, I’m getting varieties I’ve never had before. I’m mixing my straight up lettuce greens, with kale, and spicy mustard greens, and red spiky lettuces, and microgreens, and purslane, and rainbow chard. On average, I’ve got four or five different greens in my salads at once – plus all the fresh veggies and herbs, and pretty much anything else I can find in my fridge too!

It’s like a Whole Foods salad at a fraction of the cost!

Market salads: so rich in flavour, they don’t need dressing!
Market salads: so rich in flavour, they don’t need dressing!

This week’s loot:
• 1 bag of ruby streaks mustard greens: $3 (Zaklan Heritage Farms)
• 1 head of green leaf lettuce: $1 (Bose & Sons Family Farm)
• 1 green pepper: $1 (Fresh Quality Produce Ltd.)
• 1 bunch rainbow chard: $3 (Ossome Acres)
• 2 cucumbers: $2.50 (Yarrow Ecovillage)
• 6 eggs: $3.25 (Rockweld Farm)
• 1 block of smoked cheddar cheese: $8 (Golden Ears Cheesecrafters)
• 1 bottle of 2014 pinot gris: $20 (Blind Tiger Vineyards)

In total we spent $41.75, but had $1 leftover from the previous week, leaving us over budget by 75 cents.

This week’s market meal was centred on the celebration of me completing a chemistry course I had dreaded/avoided for 1.5 years. It was a hard slog this summer, and pass or fail, I deserved a reward. As such, the brunt of our expenditure went to the bottle of pinot gris from Blind Tiger Vineyards, an organic-certified vintner located in the Okanagan.

To compliment the wine, my husband cooked up a peasant-style French meal of simple omelettes with basil, green onion stems, and sharp cheddar, and a side of boiled nugget potatoes drizzled in browned butter.

Market Meal: a French-inspired peasant’s meal of omelettes and boiled potatoes.
Market Meal: a French-inspired peasant’s meal of omelettes and boiled potatoes.

The only thing missing from the meal was we should have been eating it on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean in the south of France.

Ahhh, dreams…

The great thing about eggs, they’re a surefire win with the toddler age.
The great thing about eggs, they’re a surefire win with the toddler age.

The week in meals:

• 3 breakfast smoothies – with rainbow chard
• 1 breakfast portobello and egg “sandwich” – with ruby streaks, purslane, smoked cheddar
• 1 breakfast frittata – with rainbow chard, Italian onion, smoked cheddar
• 4 full-plate lunch salads – with green lettuce, rainbow chard, kale (from last week), pizzo mustard greens (from last week), purslane (from last week), cilantro (from last week), ruby streaks, cucumber, onion stems (from last week), and Italian onions (from last week).
• 1 full-plate dinner salad
• 6 half-plate dinner salads
• 2 1/4-plate dinner salads
• 2 servings grilled green pepper
• 2.5 servings shrimp quinoa – with rainbow chard stems and leaves
• 3 servings omelette – with 6 eggs, basil (from last week), green onion stems (from last week), smoked cheddar
• 2.5 servings boiled potatoes (from last week)

The lesson learned this week: get to the market early.

In week’s past, my husband and I have arrived at the market around 3:30, shortly after it opens. Parking is ample, atmosphere is relaxed, and booths are stocked full. This week, however, we arrived closer to 5. Several vendors had sold out of items we wanted.

Farmers’ markets aren’t supermarkets; they don’t have an endless supply of product in storage; they’re going to run out. If you snooze, well, you lose.

Duly noted.

Farmers Market Challenge: Best Laid Plans

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Going into market day, I try to plan as much as possible. I research the website, price out as much as I can, and plan our meals and shopping list accordingly. We only have $40 to spend, I want to make sure we’re spending it wisely, getting everything we need, and hopefully a couple extras on the list too.

But sometimes, plans just don’t go according to plan.

Because the products at the farmers’ market are so reliant on weather and crops, you’re not guaranteed the same stuff week in and week out. What you loved last week may not be there the next week. Something new may be stacking those tables instead – throwing your plan completely off kilter.

And that’s the adventure of it.

For us, purslane was the culprit this week.

It wasn’t on my list, and before last Thursday, it wasn’t even in my vocabulary. But when I was under the Zaklan Heritage Farm tent picking up my 2 for $5 greens, and saw those pretty leaves of purslane, I asked owner Gemma McNeil for details.

It’s a fast-growing succulent that’s super high in Omega-3 fatty acids and contains vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. It’s grown all over the world, and adds a lemony flavour to your salads.

She had me at Omega-3.

FM5purslane
Purslane

You know how sometimes when you discover something you’ve never heard of before, suddenly you’re hearing about it everywhere? This weekend my son and I went into the valley for a family birthday party. I packed along a lunch salad, and when my mom saw the purslane atop all the greens, she told me the old farm garden was full of it.

She had never tasted it until she took a bite of my salad. She liked it!

A few hours later we were in Chilliwack, and my great nephew’s grandma was giving me a bag full of freshly picked zucchini, cucumber, carrots, and pears (I don’t turn my nose up at free food). She told me she’d normally have beans ready to go too, but they got sacrificed in her effort to blow out the “annoying” purslane.

Yes, folks, although super healthy, and, in my opinion, super tasty, many farmers look at it more as a weed than a crop. Lucky for us, though, a few vendors at Royal City Farmers’ Market treat it as the latter.

Yet another market-great discovery.

This week’s loot:

  • 4 red peppers: $5.90
  • 1 zucchini: $1
  • 1 lb. green beans: $3
  • 1 bag each of kale and pizzo mustard greens: 2 for $5
  • 1 head red-leaf lettuce: $3
  • 1 oz. basil: $1
  • 1 bunch purslane: $2
  • 1 bunch cilantro: $2
  • 2 cucumbers: $2.40
  • 1 bunch Italian onions: $2.70
  • 3 corn on the cobs: $3
  • 1 handful each of mint and rosemary: free
  • 1 bag tortilla chips: $3
  • 1 container pico de gallo: $5
This week’s greens: pizzo, purslane, kale, and red-leaf lettuce.
This week’s greens: pizzo, purslane, kale, and red-leaf lettuce.

Every week we try to incorporate at least one full market meal into our meal plan. This week, we did stuffed Mexican peppers – no meat – with a side of fresh tortilla chips and pico de gallo (made that morning!!!), and a mix of market greens. It was a bit out of our comfort zone, as we are very much meat eaters in this house. I had been wanting to try to make stuffed peppers for quite sometime, but all the recipes I saw were filled with ground beef, and while we are meat eaters, we’re not so much beef eaters. So when I saw a recipe with quinoa and black beans, and saw that we could incorporate several ingredients from the market, and we had all others on hand, I thought it was perfect.

Red peppers: Greendale Herb and Vine; Stuffing: Roasted corn: Country Village Market; Italian onion stems: Yarrow EcoVillage; Cilantro: Zaklan Heritage Farm. Tortilla chips and pico de gallo: Muy Rico. Mixed greens: Zaklan Heritage Farm
Red peppers: Greendale Herb and Vine; Stuffing: Roasted corn: Country Village Market; Italian onion stems: Yarrow EcoVillage; Cilantro: Zaklan Heritage Farm. Tortilla chips and pico de gallo: Muy Rico. Mixed greens: Zaklan Heritage Farm

The recipe can be found at http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2015/10/mexican-quinoa-stuffed-peppers.html

We altered the recipe a bit. Instead of baking the peppers in the oven, we grilled them on the barbecue. We also grilled the corn, something my husband, the chef of the house, had been wanting to experiment with for quite some time. Both added a really nice, smoky flavour to the meal. And instead of the nutritional yeast, we opted for shaved parmesan. We made 4 peppers, and had leftover filling for two lunch salads.

Not only smoky, the sweetness really came through on the grilled corn too.
Not only smoky, the sweetness really came through on the grilled corn too.

In total, we spent $39, which means we’ve got an extra dollar to spend next week.

Happy shopping!

August 4th Market Day

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Photo courtesy of Rocky Point Ice Cream
Photo courtesy of Rocky Point Ice Cream

Rocky Point Ice Cream is back at the market this week… just in time to fulfill our frozen treat cravings! If you are craving something cold but on the lighter side check out Growing Fresh, Monika has gorgeous fruit popsicles ready for eating.

Sign up for our Pride Pie Contest on Thursday August 11th. Prizes and bragging rights to be won!

Need a break after a long work day? Tired of running after the kids? Let Tanner take your cares away! Tanner is providing chair massages at the market for $1 a minute. Treat yourself to ice cream and a massage… perfect way to end the day.

What’s happening at the market this week?

Entertainment

Yoga

For the Kids

  • Have fun in our Mini Farmers Market play area (free)
  • Chill out in our Baby/Parent “lounge” on the grass (free)
  • Fun crafty craft with Music Box (free)
  • Get your face painted by CVC Volunteer Connections! (free)

For our Furry Friends

  • Mindful Mutts will be at the market selling Pride doggy bandanas

For information on where our market is located, how to find parking and transit directions visit our Summer FAQ page.

Download the Ultimate Farmers Market Shopping List to help with your meal planning and purchases for the week.

Farm Fresh Produce

  • Greendale Herb and Vine – herbs, mini cucumbers, eggplants, greens, sweet red peppers, garlic, apples, heirloom tomatoes
  • Ripple Creek Organics – chard, kale, beets, nugget potatoes, zucchini, brocoli, green onions, green beans, fresh garlic, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes (Certified Organic)
  • Ossome Acres – pea shoots, oak leaf lettuce, eggs, raw walnuts, parsley, green onions, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, rainbow chard, purple cabbage, broccoli, scallopini, scallions, sunflower shoots, wheat grass, transparent apples, kohlrabi, potatoes, cucumber, castile soap (Certified Organic)
  • Bose & Sons Family Farm – lettuce greens, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, kale
  • Harvest Direct Farms – Cherries, apricots, peaches, plum, apricots, apples
  • Fresh Quality Produce Ltd – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries zucchinis, nugget potatoes, green beans, wax beans
  • Zaklan Heritage Farms – Cherries, pac choi, Leaf lettuce, head lettuce, mini gem head lettuce, baby beets, hakurei, radishes (all sorts), salad mix, mustard greens, arugula, swiss chard, kale, baby kale, spinach, mint, sage, oregano, thyme, brocoli, napa cabbage, green onions, baby cucumbers, zucchini, fava beans, snap peas, carrots
  • Country Village Market – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
  • Nutrigreens – microgreens
  • RCFM Merchandise Stall – Dried morel mushrooms, figs

Cut Flowers

  • Rancho Los Andes – expertly made bouquets for you to enjoy

Cheese & Dairy

  • Golden Ears Cheesecrafters – Cheddar-Aged Medium, Brie, Jersey Blue, Cultured Butter, Havarti-Aged (Flavoured), Gouda-Aged Medium (Flavoured), Feta (Plain, Cranberry, Garlic Scape), Curds, Neufchatel (Plain, Herb & Garlic), Quark (Plain, Cranberry), Emmental, Velvet Blue
  • Greendale Herb & Vine – goats cheese

Beef, Eggs, Poultry and Seafood

  • Rockweld Farm – BC SPCA Certified frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs, dog and cat food
  • Wheelhouse Seafoods – seafood pasta and crab cakes, frozen salmon and spot prawns
  • Vale Farms – Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Beef Broth, Pork all 100% grass fed (Certified Organic)
  • Local Beef & Eggs – wild blackberries, purslane, onions, chives, rhubarb, eggs, kale

Artisan Breads

  • A Bread Affair – breads, baguettes, ciabattas, rolls, scones (Certified Organic)

Gluten Free Breads & Baking

  • Delish Gluten Free – bread, scones, muffins, brownies and cookies
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Baking – bread, cookies, pizza dough and snacks

Bakery

  • Sweet Thea Cakes – tarts, pies, cookies and cakes
  • Solodko Bakery – Ukrainian bakery with sweet buns
  • Simply Scones – traditional English style scones
  • Sable Shortbread – tasty yummy specialty shortbread
  • Take a Fancy – delicious hand made chocolates

Coffee & Snacks

  • Handworks Coffee Studio – pour over iced coffee
  • Gary’s Kettlecorn – kettle corn (traditional and caramel)

Food Trucks & Eat On Site

  • Meet 2 Eat – Middle Eastern fare
  • Disco Cheetah – Korean fusion tacos and rice bowls
  • Country Village Market – delicious pakoras
  • Rocky Point Ice Cream – ice cream made in Port Moody

Prepared Food (Dry Goods & Seasonings)

Prepared Foods (Pantry Staples)

  • Aldergrove Jam & Preserves – jams, chutneys and preserves
  • BobAli – your favourite dips and spreads
  • KICS Lemonade Syrup – syrups and salad dressings
  • Honeybee Zen Apiaries – honey made from New West hives
  • Aji Gourmet – salsas and delicious condiments
  • Old Country Perogi – frozen perogies (gluten free and vegan options available)
  • Sidney Smoke House – jerky made on Vancouver Island
  • Chef T Catering – delicious wraps for you to take home
  • Mixers & Elixirs – shrubs perfect for drinking on a summers day
  • Growing Fresh – raw treats & snacks and now popsicles too!

Health, Beauty & Services

  • Purely Clean – an all natural way to clean your home
  • Tanner’s Massage – chair massage for $1 a minute

Jewelry & Artisan Crafts

  • Out Designs – hand made local jewelry
  • Quality Oak Accents – hand crafted cutting boards by Louie
  • New World Felting – beautifully made felted scarves & hats

Wine, Beer & Spirits

  • Blind Tiger Winery – organic wines from Lake Country, BC
  • Odd Society Spirits – small-batch craft distillery in the heart of East Vancouver

Special Thanks to our Music Stage Sponsor Roland Kaulfuss:

rolandkaulfuss logo

2016 Pride Pie Contest

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pride pie

On August 11th we will be hosting our fifth annual pie bake off. Entries will be judged by several categories. Whether you’re an experienced pie maker or need to look through recipe books for inspiration and direction, we encourage everyone to participate and make use of local and fresh ingredients.

Our pie competition will also raise funds for New West Pride!  All donations raised by selling slices of pie will go towards this wonderful community group.

The categories

Prizes will be awarded in five categories, and entrants can win in more than one category.

  • Best Flavour Combination
  • Best Crust
  • Most Unique Ingredients
  • Best Use of Local Ingredients
  • Best Overall Pie

Prizes

Each winner will receive $20 in market money and a fancy ribbon!

Judges

Julia Klymenko, RCFM Board Member
Peter Leblanc, BCAFM Coupon Program Manager
Mike Tiney, New West Pride Representative
Dale Darychuk, I Buy New West

Rules for Submission

  1. Fruit pies only please. No dairy filling.
  2. Register by filling out the online form or at the info booth during the market.  You’ll need to include a list of ingredients.  The ingredients will not be disclosed but are required  to comply with the Fraser Health Authority regulations.
  3. Register as many pies as you like.
  4. Bring your pie in a disposable pan or clearly label the baking dish including your phone number.
  5. Please submit your pie on Aug 11 by 5:00 pm.
  6. The competition is open to everyone, including board members, vendors and volunteers.

Judging will take place from 5:30 – 6:00 pm. The winners will be announced at 6:15 pm.  Good luck and happy baking!

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Land Acknowledgement

Our market is grateful to operate on the unceded land of the Qayqayt, Kwikwetlem, and other Halkomelem speaking Peoples. We acknowledge that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land. We acknowledge the incredible gift this land is to our market and BC Agriculture. We commit to the ongoing work of decolonization and allyship.