The gods of Olympus feasted on ambrosia, a name now bestowed on a different fruit. But I’d wager that taking a bite of a fresh strawberry would make even Greek deities weak in the knees.

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For me, strawberries always mark the true start of summer. I can easily gorge myself on an entire pint when they first appear in local markets. Their flavour is like none other; the watery imitators that appear like a deep blush across supermarket shelves in the winter boast size but lack tang. Nothing compares to the sun-ripened sweetness those scarlet beauties hold.

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The cover the 60^th issue of Edible magazine intrigued me; an excuse to buy more strawberries and eat cake? Sounds perfect. Despite the lovely article & photos, the recipe which accompanied them did not match the cover. With the mention of an 8” by 8” pan, I knew I had my work cut out for me.

Though, I didn’t re-create the exact cake from the cover, I did discover one that it as simple and satisfying as the berries that decorate it.

Vanilla Cake & Strawberries

For this post, I used the recipe from thespruceeats.com for Fluffy Homemade Vanilla Cake.

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened and divided into 2-tablespoon pieces)
  • I ended up using margarine as I did not have room-temperature butter on hand, and my attempt to microwave a bar ended up more a half-frozen-melted-blog. Butter will add more richness to the cake, but margarine works in a pinch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup 2 percent milk
  • I used 1% milk and the cake turned out just fine
• 2 large, room-temperature eggs (Rockweld Farm Ltd) – $6.25 a dozen
• 1 small box of strawberries* (Mandair Farms) – $5
  • *Any other seasonal fruit will do; take advantage of what your market has to offer! Blueberries are just starting to appear, and will pop equally well atop this cake
• 250mL whipping cream

I won’t go to into the details of the cake prep as: a) The Spruce Eats writes the recipe in an easy-to-follow manner, avoiding any specific baking jargon while including useful tips, and b) because I baked this recipe in the early morning during June’s heatwave, and I forgot to take step-by-step photos.

One thing I will note is that my adjustments to the recipe (as noted in italics in the ingredients list) had no adverse affects on the cakes. I also opted to line my baking pans with butter & parchment paper, rather than the butter & flour combine recommended by the website.

Once baked, I allowed the cakes to cool on the counter.

You may be asking why the final cake was only one layer, when I clearly baked two. The other one was tested at my office, where my coworkers proved willing guinea pigs who were happy to taste-test the cake. I served it with whipping cream & strawberries as well, minus the decorative presentation.

After being decisively gobbled-up, I presented the final cake to friends at a weekend BBQ. For the topping, I just used whipping cream (whipped by hand as I’d foolishly left my hand mixer at home, adding granulated sugar to taste). I spread a thin layer on top to act as icing and placed sliced roundels of strawberry as decoration, leaving the leftover whipped cream and berries to be added as desired.

A farmer’s market is a place where you’re reminded of community. No matter how much the city changes – with buildings popping up like new seedlings from the earth – the market brings the focus back to what’s local.

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Breaching the hill on Royal Ave, I can’t help but crack a smile at the sight of the bustle at the market. The summer season has begun again, and people are here for it. As I reach the market’s edge, my gait gently eases; my pace becomes calm and even, something unheard of in my daily routine. But at the market, nothing is rushed.

I fall back on favourite market pastime – walking the market from tip to tail, taking in all the fares on offer. Once my survey is complete, it’s time to shop.

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I hope to showcase what the market has to offer, and who the wonderful people are behind the stalls. Recipes will stem from culinary creativity that suddenly strikes, from recipes I find along the way, and sometimes a mix of both. In the coming weeks, I will put more effort into detailing fares purchased – from where & how much – but for this week it’s a simple yet satisfying side salad, the core of which is based in main market finds, with a few items from ‘outside’ sources.

Fresh Beet and Veta Salad

• 1 bunch of beets (Abundant Acre Family Farm)
• 1 bag of salad greens (Abundant Acre Family Farm)
• Veta Cheese (Black Sheep Vegan Cheeze)
• Candied pecans
  • Honey
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Salt & Pepper
• Simple dressing
  • Olive oil
  • White Balsamic vinegar
  • Sesame seeds
  • Salt & pepper to taste

This recipe stemmed mainly from my own musings; I’ve always found beet salads in restaurants enjoyable, plus I wanted a reason to cook with vegan cheese cheeze.

Firstly, I trimmed the greens & excess roots from the beets, then boiled them until done (read: a cake tester was able to easily slide in and out of the beets). Next, I peeled the skin off using a trick my mum taught me: wearing a pair of rubber dish gloves – protecting you from both heat and stains – rub your fingers along the skin until it starts to come off. My technique was not as practiced as my mother’s, and the beets put up a good fight, but eventually they came clean. I then placed them in the fridge to cool.

Meanwhile, I prepped homemade, candied pecans by placing a few tablespoons of honey in a non-stick frying pan and slowly heating on the stovetop until liquid. Once the honey was runny, I added a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a bit of salt & pepper, before throwing in rough-chopped, raw pecans. Ensure all the nuts are coated before removing from heat and setting aside.

Once the beets were cooled, I chopped them into bite-sized pieces.

For the dish’s green base, I used ½ – ¾ bag of mixed salad greens. Side note: these greens are amazing! Even two weeks post-purchase the greens are still fresh and crisp, an incredible feat compared to the pre-packaged goods I’ve purchased at the local grocery store.

Once the base was ready, I topped it off with the chopped beets, candied pecans, and a healthy crumble of ‘veta’ cheese. The dressing was a simple vinaigrette of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part white balsamic vinegar, with a few sesame seeds added as ‘mixers’ (they help to combine the oil and vinegar, which would otherwise remain separate).

This salad, though simple, makes a lovely side dish to your main meal. Pizzeria Ludica provided the delicious main to accompany the salad, leaving this writer’s tummy very happy.