Nova Scotia Farmers Markets Series - Hubbards Market

I have a goal for the next few months. My goal is to visit as many different farmers markets as I can. Although I enjoy the markets in Halifax/Dartmouth I want to explore some of the others in the province. By visiting different markets I'll be able to see what else there is available and learn about the communities too.

I plan to visit farmers markets in Lunenburg, Wolfville, Truro, Musquodoboit, Windsor, Mahone Bay, Tantallon, Bridgewater, etc. We also have a trip planned to visit the Cabot Trail in August. Hopefully I'm able to find some markets up there to visit too.

My first visit occurred this past weekend. I visited the Hubbards Barn & Community Park in Hubbards.

Hubbards is located approximately 45 minutes west of Halifax. Their farmers market runs on Saturdays from 8am to noon.

It was a beautiful day for a drive. When I arrived I was able to find a parking spot (luckily - it was quite busy) and made my way to the barn.

Inside, my first stop was to Julien's Pastry Shop for a loaf of spelt bread (same vendor as the one at the Halifax Seaport Market).

Next was the Fromagerie Hug your Nanny Goat Cheese. How cute is this? I bought some feta cheese and had a yummy sample of an herbed cheese.

I love the 'barn'. It's all wood inside and so warm and cozy.

There is even a small cafe with coffee and snacks too. Seems like there is always a little coffee shop at all of the markets. Early morning food shopping and coffee go hand in hand I guess.

There was some good 'ol Maritime music...

And then I came upon this stall and found some bags of nuts, seeds, oils, and other things like spirulina, tahini, coconut oil, etc.. I bought some pumpkin seeds.

I also visited a chocolate vendor and bought a mint dark chocolate bar.

My favourite vendor of the day was the stall with the granola spread. There were 3 different granolas to choose from and 7 add-on toppings too.

I chose the Summer Blend Granola with millet, almonds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds, sweetened with brown rice syrup and applesauce. Toppings I added to it were the dried apricots, ginger and dried blueberries. I had some for breakfast this morning. Delicious!

There were a few vendors with some produce too. I picked up some carrots, asparagus, rhubarb, radishes and some spinach.

Look at that - homemade popsicles for sale. Too bad I didn't have my daughter with me. She would have probably chosen the chocolate banana one.

There were some vendors outside too. Jewelry, more produce, and some preserves.

And some flowers and plants.

Once I left the market I took a little drive to see what Hubbards was about. One word - it's CUTE!

I had also made a stop to Mother Hubbards Cupboard for some eclectic shopping. Sigh...too bad I was there too early. It wasn't open yet. Bummer! Next time I'm in the area I'll definitely check this place out.

Once I got back to Halifax I ended up at the Halifax Seaport Market to finish up my shopping before I headed home. I just couldn't stay away..

The end result of my market expedition?

Here's my market haul for the week. Awesome, isn't it?! I love this time of the year. There is just so much available. Peas and zucchini were new this week and I also got a lot of lettuce, some kale, some strawberries, goat's milk, new potatoes, apple cider, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, ground turkey, and more.

Any guesses for which market I visit next?

Hubbards Farmers Market

#57 Hwy 3

Saturdays 8am - noon

www.hubbardsbarn.org

Book Review: Real Food for Real Families and Homemade Alphagetti

If I come across a cookbook with 'Real Food' in the title chances are I will buy it. Last week, for instance, I made a special trip to Chapters to buy 'Real Food for Real Families' by Wendy McCallum. Wendy McCallum is an RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist) here in Halifax. Initially a lawyer in Calgary, she moved to Halifax with her family, took the Natural Nutrition course at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, and is now a nutritional consultant. (sounds like we have a lot in common - minus the legal career)

Over the last few days I have had a chance to look through the book and made a few of the recipes, with more marked to try out later. What I love about the book is that, like me, she loves making homemade versions of the processed stuff found at the grocery store. There are recipes for homemade goldfish crackers, homemade fruit roll-ups, homemade Mr. Noodles, etc.. All of the recipes are child-oriented.

One recipe that stood out for me was the Real! Vitamin ABC Soup (or rather homemade Alphagetti). It's June. We're getting really close to the end of the school year. It's that time of year when you look forward to an end to the school lunch. Honestly, I have been running out of ideas.

Homemade alphagetti is perfect for school lunches. Although canned pasta isn't something that my daughter has ever really asked for she was excited to have some in her lunch, probably because it's something that other people always have that she doesn't. She is constantly asking for cheesestrings, granola bars, gummies, yogurt tubes, etc.. It drives me crazy!

Real! Vitamin ABC Soup (AKA Homemade Alphagetti)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked alphabet pasta
• 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 onion, finely diced (I used a whole onion)
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup grated sweet potato
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp liquid honey
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dried, or 1 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tsp dried, or 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (I used goat's cheese parmesan)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in stockpot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic, onion, carrots, and sweet potatoes, stirring, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, stock, water, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

With immersion blender (or in batches in food processor), blend until smooth (I used my blender).

Stir in pasta and cheese. Return to heat and cook until mixture is heated through and cheese has melted.

Note: I doubled the amount of pasta to make it less of a soup and more of a thick pasta dish.

Doesn't it look like Alphagetti?

It happens that my daughter had a friend over after school who stayed for dinner so I had two 'testers'. By the looks of the bowls they really enjoyed the meal.

I served a little bit of the pasta with dinner but kept some aside for her school lunch today and for tomorrow. The rest of it went into the freezer. I spooned the leftovers into muffin tins and placed them into the freezer. Once frozen I took them out of the tins and placed the individual portions into a Ziploc bag. There! This should get us through the remainder of the school year!

So what are the ingredients in the processed version?

WATER, TOMATO PUREE, PASTA SHAPES, LIQUID SUGAR, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE, MODIFIED (CORN) STARCH, DEXTROSE, NATURAL FLAVOUR, SPICES

So sugar is the third ingredient. Hmmm... 'Natural Flavour' always concerns me too. What is the natural flavour? Who knows... The sodium content is really high too. In the book, Wendy mentions that a 3/4 cup serving has 620mg of sodium. Yikes!

A couple more recipes I tried this week were the Real! Grizzly Paws (homemade Bear Paws) and Real! Suntella (homemade Nutella using sunflower seed butter). Both were a hit.

Bear Paws are one of the things that my daughter is ALWAYS asking me for at the store. Sometimes she does get them as a treat but most times she knows not to ask for a box of cookies. She knows that my response will be 'we can make cookies at home'. She really enjoyed the homemade version and brought one to school today.

The homemade Nutella spread turned out nice too. On the weekend we had a special breakfast of spelt crepes with the Suntella spread, a rhubarb curd and some strawberries and bananas.

I love that the spread is school safe. Unlike the original processed version with hazelnuts this one contains sunflower seeds so is okay for school.

I have really enjoyed this cookbook so far and hope to make more recipes. It has definitely given me more options for my daughter's lunch. Good job Wendy!

Disclaimer: I was not asked to review the book nor given a copy of the book. I simply bought the book and enjoyed the recipes that were included.

Garden Update - Week 5/6 - With Recipe for Dill Pickle Popcorn

Looks like I missed my update last week. Oops!

Anyways, this post will show what we have been up to in the garden but also contains a great recipe for dill pickle popcorn using our own homegrown dill. My hope is to include recipes along with my updates using whatever we have harvested. This week it's dill.

After purchasing our seedlings last week we got busy planting. My daughter helped me with the deck containers for the herbs.

In the raised bed I put in the peppers, jalapeños and tomatoes and also planted some yellow beans.

Wouldn't you know it. The day I planted everything was also the day that I later learned there was a frost warning that night. Sheesh! That's okay though, I found some buckets in the shed and covered the plants with them. They were fine in the morning.

Things are looking good.

Here's some kale growing.

And then there is my herbs. We have two varieties of thyme, some basil, parsley, chives and dill. I also have chocolate mint and some stevia that still needs pots of their own.

My strawberry plant seems to be doing well too.

With last weekend's hot and sunny weather I saw a lot of progress in the garden. Today though we had a torrential downpour and am a little worried about the haskap bushes and raspberry bush. The yard was quite flooded at one point. I'll have to check on them tomorrow. Let's hope for some sunshine now to dry things up a bit.

Obviously there isn't much that is ready for harvesting yet but at least we've got the herbs we can use. Here is a great recipe for some dill pickle popcorn we ate while watching a movie last night.

Dill Pickle Popcorn (adapted from Ben and Birdy Blog)

• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp fresh dill
• salt and pepper

In a large pot melt the coconut oil and place 3-4 kernels into it.

When those 4 kernels pop it means that the oil is at the temperature required. Place the remaining kernels into the pot and cover with a lid.

Shake the pot every so often to make sure any un-popped kernels make it to the bottom. Once it sounds like there are less popping sounds remove the pot from the heat and put the popcorn into a large bowl.

Mix the butter, vinegar and garlic powder together and add it to the popcorn. Stir until popcorn is covered. Add the dill, salt, and pepper and stir once more.

We all loved this popcorn recipe and will be making more with all of the fresh dill we will have all season.

Now compare this recipe to the processed version of dill pickle popcorn seasoning:

Ingredients: LACTOSE, SALT, SODIUM DIACETATE, SPICES, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, SILICON DIOXIDE, DISODIUM GUYANYLATE

I see a few problems with this ingredient list. For one, where's the dill?? Secondly, it contains MSG (monosodium glutamate) and lastly, HYDROGENATED oil (the worst kind). Please make the effort to make your own homemade seasonings. Your body will thank you...and your tastebuds too. Homemade just tastes better.

Overnight Breakfast in a Jar

Do you have those mornings when you just don't have time for breakfast and then just don't eat anything? Do you feel rushed?

I've got a great solution for you! Overnight breakfast in a jar.

Breakfast in a jar is so simple. It's simply a matter of mixing together some yogurt, milk, oats, seeds, nuts, or anything else you like and then leaving the jar in the fridge for the night. In the morning it's ready to go.

Here's what I like to put in mine:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup milk of choice (I use goat's milk)
• 1/4 cup yogurt of choice (I use goat's milk yogurt)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp shelled flax seeds
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1 tsp almond butter
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Place all the ingredients in a jar, shake, and refrigerate.

In the morning if you're rushing out of the door to work it's super easy to grab the jar and eat in when you get to work. For me it's great because I start work at 6am. Although I do work from home my breakfast needs to be very easy and quick to make. When I first wake up I typically have my water and lemon juice and make myself a smoothie. Then, on my 'lunch' break at 8am I walk my daughter to school and then have 15 minutes to clean up and make my breakfast. It has to be quick! This is about as quick as it gets.

What do you think? Will you give it a try? 

What are some other ingredients you would put into it? I'm thinking blueberries or chopped strawberries, some almonds, or maybe some stewed rhubarb. Oooohhh...some nice juicy peaches in August??? Yum!!

Homemade Dairy-Free Ice Creams

It's that time of the year again. Time for cold beverages, popsicles, and ice cream. I love making lemonade or iced tea to drink and experimenting with different popsicle and ice cream flavours. Remember my homemade chocolate fudge popsicles ? Yeah, they're my daughter's favourite. 

Ice cream is something that I love experimenting with. Here's a few that I made in the past:

-Raspberry Coconut Ice Cream

-Sweet Potato Frozen Yogurt

-Pumpkin Ice Cream

There are so many options out there. Because my tummy doesn't agree with cow's milk though it means that I'm using different bases now, like coconut milk, yogurt (goat's milk yogurt for me), and even avocado or bananas. 

This week I had some local rhubarb in the fridge and thought I would make a strawberry-rhubarb coconut milk ice cream.

To begin I diced up some rhubarb and some strawberries (about a cup and a half of each).

I placed the strawberry and rhubarb into a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup pineapple juice (orange juice would work as well) and heated on medium heat until cooked through and bubbling.

The fruit was placed into the fridge to cool and then mixed with a can of coconut milk and 1/4 cup of honey. To get a smooth consistency I blended everything together in my blender.

At this point there is the option of using an ice cream maker if available or it can be as simple as placing the bowl in the freezer and stirring every 20 minutes or so until it reaches the desired consistency.

And voila! Homemade strawberry-rhubarb ice cream. This time I left it a bit soft and topped it with some sliced strawberries.

Other great 'ice cream' recipes I've tried and enjoyed recently (all from the Detoxinista website):

-Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Ice Cream
-Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream (this one tastes JUST like regular chocolate ice cream)
-Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

We're expecting some hot summer-like weather this weekend. Experiment a little in the kitchen and make your own ice cream. By substituting the milk and cream with coconut milk or avocado and the sugar for honey you're adding a lot of good healthy fats into your diet and replacing empty junky calories with many nutrients.

Go ahead and enjoy your ice cream :-)

Garden Update - Week 4 - With a Visit to Off Beet Farm

Time for another weekly garden update. 

Where to start...? Well,...we had a lot of rain and very little sunlight this week.  It was depressing. Even today, there was a forecast of 100% chance of rain but the sun was out when I woke up and it ended up being a beautiful sunny day. Go figure!

The plan for today was to go out and buy my seedlings and start the preparation for the rest of the garden. My first stop was to a new farm that I learned about situated in Cow Bay, literally a 5 minute drive from my home.

Over Twitter yesterdayI found out that they were going to be selling seedlings today between 11 and 2. What a coincidence I thought, I need seedlings AND I have to go check out this new-to-me very local farm. Since moving to the Halifax area last year it has been apparent that there are very few farms within the Halifax municipality. Most farms are located everywhere else in the province, especially in the Annapolis Valley.

Off Beet Farm is located on Cow Bay just south of Dyke Rd going toward Silver Sands Beach (the one with the big moose statue).

Here's some info about the farm from their website (www.offbeetfarm.com)

"Off Beet Farm is an experimental endeavor for Jamie and Sarah. Working with less than an acre and minimal experience, they are working towards maximizing the amount of high quality, delicious food they can produce to feed themselves and their community (communities).

Having moved to Nova Scotia initially out of love for the sea, they have developed a love for the land as well.

With a deep awareness and appreciation for supporting and eating food from local sources, they hope to make eating locally a more accessible and interesting option for others."

What a great story!

At their farm they had several seedlings for purchase in their greenhouse. I poked around for a bit and settled on the black cherry tomato, parsley, the tigerella tomato, doe hill sweet pepper, and early jalapeno pepper. I love that they specialize in heirloom varieties. Why grow the same boring stuff you can get at the grocery store?

When making my purchase I had a chance to speak with Sarah. It turns out that they sell their goods at the Alderney market in Dartmouth on Saturdays and that during the main growing season they will have a farm stand at the end of their driveway, possibly on Wednesdays. YAY! I miss living near farm stands and hope to visit their farm frequently. I usually make it out to the market on the weekend but it'll be nice to have someone nearby to go to for a mid-week stock up.

For more information about the farm check out their website at www.offbeetfarm.com and sign up for their newsletter to stay informed with what they've got going on.

After leaving the farm I went to Farmer Clem's in Dartmouth to pick up some more seedlings. I got peppers, chives, thyme, chocolate mint, basil, dill, and stevia. I got a couple of strawberry plants too. There are still a few more plants I'd like to get but I'll pick those up at the market on the weekend.

I didn't get around to buying more soil or getting my pots like I had hoped either but I'll do that in the next couple of days. Any recommendations for the best place to buy inexpensive but good quality pots?

Until then, I'll place the seedlings outside during the day to harden them prior to transplanting. Because these plants were grown in a greenhouse and haven't been exposed to the outdoors yet. They need to be left out during the day a few times to reduce the shock of the transplant process and being outside full time.

I can hardly wait!! Hopefully by next week's update these plants will be in the ground.

Garden Update - Week 3

Time for another weekly garden update!

First thing to mention is that I don't like the neighbourhood roaming cats that thought my garden was a new glorified litter box just for them. GAAAAHHHH! After finding a couple of holes in the garden I decided something needed to be done.

Let me introduce you to the chicken wire solution. Well, it's not exactly chicken wire since we couldn't find any but we did find a plastic netting-type version of it. To make sure it doesn't blow away in the wind we stapled it to the garden walls. Problem solved! No more lost seeds or cat poop in my garden.

The rhubarb is doing great. I see another stalk coming through .

Remember my pollinator haskap plant that was drowning in the mud last week? Well, it was pretty bad. If I stepped in the dirt my whole foot would have sunk in. I ended up removing the plant (very carefully) and threw in a whole bag of soil. Yes, a whole bag. Turns out I hadn't filled the hole as well as I should have. Luckily the plant survived the transplant and is now thriving.

The raspberry bush is doing really, really great. Despite the cold weather we had this week and two nights of frost warnings it still sprouted a few more leaves and grew a little.

Within the raised bed things are moving along. The radishes, lettuce and kale are still sprouting and the peas finally made an appearance, and are growing quickly.

You might be wondering how I'm going to work around this netting. Easy, because it's plastic I can easily use a pair of scissors and make larger openings to plant more seeds or seedlings and to allow the plant some space.

This week I'm hoping to pick up my herb, pepper and tomato seedlings and plant a few more seeds for succession planting. Let's hope the weather warms up a little more. I want to start organizing the rest of my garden on my deck. Enough rain already!