The Bridgeland-Riverside Farmer’s Market. Photos by Brett Rieger.
Once the sun starts shining and the weather warms up, you know we’re upon another season of farmer’s markets here in Calgary. Sure, there are year-round staples like the Calgary Farmer’s Market, or Kingsland Market, but there’s nothing like the little neighbourhood staples you can quickly stop by. Luckily, by the time June hits, the city is peppered with community markets filled with independent vendors anxious to share their local treats with all of us.
From top to bottom: Dirk and Jessica; Daniel; Susanna, Harley, and Beejal.
The Bridgeland-Riverside Farmer’s Market is one of these seasonal spots you should really check out regardless of whether you’re a resident or not. Located at the Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave. N.E.), you can visit them every Thursday from now until October 1; they’re open for business from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They’ve got live music, a conveniently located playground for the kids, and several rows of tents staffed by friendly local vendors. Even if you aren’t planning to pick anything up, it’s a great place to browse and connect with people from the community.
If you are in the market for gluten-free baked goods, delicious homemade yoghurt, or fresh produce, this is a great place to stock up on staples (or indulgent treats). It’s difficult to resist the bevy of temptations when everything looks so appealing — and certainly no one would blame you if you had a hard time not walking away with at least a bag of apples from The Apple Lady — but it can also inspire some dinner ideas if you’re looking to break out of regular dinner routine.
For those seeking inspiration to change up their meal plan, it can be found everywhere. By picking up some unique fungi from Pennybun’s Mushrooms, you can fancy up a dinner pretty easily. Their locally grown mushrooms provide a lot more taste and texture than the standard supermarket variety. You would also be supporting a local Calgary business that seriously knows their stuff. Owner Dirk McCabe has been working in the restaurant industry for 20 years all over North America. Along with partner Jessica Lypkie, the pair serves up same fresh ingredients they provide to some of Calgary’s best restaurants at the market so that we can create our own gourmet meals at home. With a $20 stipend (thank you BRFM!), creating a gourmet meal at home is exactly what I set out to do (the recipes for the appetizer, main, and dessert will follow at the end of this post).
After picking up some amazing looking Morel and Oyster mushrooms from Pennybun’s, the Osso Bueno tent was conveniently located across the way. Adding some homemade bone broth to the haul was a no-brainer, and the beginnings of a rich rice pilaf began to sound really good.
Next I was in need of some fresh veggies, Edward Huezo from The Cucumber Man was more than happy to chat. The eggplants that were for sale that day looked too good to leave behind, especially after inspiration struck with the idea of roasting them to make a dip. The dip needed some punch, and maybe some garnish. The deliciously potent garlic chives Daniel MacAllister (from GreenBerry Microgreens) was all to happy to let me sample seemed like just the thing.
Finally, a dessert. For those inclined to finish their meals off with something sweet, why not a pavlova made from the free-range eggs of Noble Farms, topped with an assortment of fresh berries from Walker’s Own Produce.
It’s easy to see what there is to love about the farmers markets in Calgary. The local economic support, the quality of the product, and especially the people you meet; not just the vendors, but the ones from your own community. It’s a great way to spend a couple hours this summer on your own or with your family, and especially at the Bridgeland-Riverside Farmer’s Market. Full disclosure: as a testament to the quality of the vendor selection that the Bridgeland-Riverside Farmer’s Market has assembled, I needed to take out an additional $20 to pay for things I just wanted to have, because reasons.
If you’d like to check them out for yourselves they’re located at 917 Centre Avenue N.E., and are open every Thursday until October 1 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Eggplant dip. Photo by Brett Rieger.
Recipes:
Eggplant Dip with Garlic Chives:
Roast one eggplant and two garlic cloves at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Meanwhile, mince half an onion, three tablespoons of parsley, and mix with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt, black pepper. Once eggplant and garlic have finished roasting and are cool, scoop out eggplant flesh and mash with garlic. Mix with onion mixture. Drizzle with lemon juice and a pinch of paprika and cumin. Top with a bit more olive oil, and the garlic chives. Serve cold with chips. Warning: this will continue to get more and more garlic-y if refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Mushroom Pilaf:
Melt some butter in a large pan. Add one chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until onion softens. Add two chopped cloves of garlic and ten chopped oyster mushrooms. Add two cups of long grain white rice. Deglaze with white wine, then add three cups of chicken broth, a pinch of turmeric, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and put the lid on for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, saute morels in butter in a small pan. When pilaf is complete, top with morels, chopped parsley, and green onion.
Pavlova with Fresh Berries:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Draw a 9-inch circle on parchment paper. Place on cookie sheet. In a metal bowl, beat 4 egg whites (preferably from old eggs) until stiff peaks begin to form. Gradually add one cup of white sugar, until mixture is glossy and firm. Fold in one teaspoon apple cider vinegar, one teaspoon vanilla, two teaspoons corn starch. Spoon in circles onto parchment paper, building up the sides. Bake for one hour, then switch off oven and open door allowing pavlova to cool. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries.