What’s Fresh at Nat Bailey – March 5
Produce: acorn squash, apples, asian pears, beets, bok choi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, celeriac, chard, collards, daikon, delicata squash, endive, fennel, garlic, herbs, kale, kiwi, kohlrabi, leafy greens, leeks, mushrooms, napa cabbage, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pears, radishes, rutabaga, salad mix, spinach, shallots, sprouts, stinging nettles, sunchokes, turnips, wild mushrooms, winter squash, wheatgrass
Meats, Seafood, Dairy: Beef, Bison, Halibut, Pork, Duck, Salmon, Turkey, Chicken, Cod, Cheese, Eggs, Tuna
Other: Dried Fruit, Honey, Frozen Berries, Juice, Pickles, Yogurt, Preserves
Don’t Miss
Member Appreciation Day! It’s the first market of the month and VFM members will enjoy free market money transactions and discounts at various vendors around the market.
Learn more about our membership program and how you can support our non-profit organization HERE. Be sure to keep an eye out for the member special signs for deals all around the market such as these (and don’t forget that member card!):
- A Bread Affair – $1 Organic Baguettes
- Blue Comet Seafoods – 20% off Sockeye Salmon Patties and White Spring Salmon Kebobs
- Lita’s Mexican Foods – 1$ off Packs of White or Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Nancy Esworthy Design – 25% off All Leather Jewellery
And much more, see the list of member specials here.
Visit the folks at Fuud this Saturday at the market and find out how you can get signed up! Fuud is an awesome local company that provides weekly chef prepared meals that get delivered right to your doorstep. Their focus is supporting initiatives that strengthen local agriculture. Whenever possible, they source fresh, local, organic ingredients that are sustainably and ethically produced all because they have an appetite for earth-friendly eating. Check them out and show them some love.
Evo Car Share will have a booth set up at Nat Bailey this weekend. Take advantage of their great sign up promo for market shoppers – free membership + 30 mins driving!
New This Week
Warmerdam Flowers – Beautiful Tulips will make their first appearance of the season at Nat Bailey market this weekend. Check out all the pretty colours and brighten your day by getting some yourself.
Sawmill Bay Shellfish – After a few weeks of being off, Sawmill Bay Shellfish will be returning back to Nat Bailey this weekend, check them out and pick up your pristine, glacier-fed Shellfish.
Kikis Kitchen – Kikis Kitchen will be at Nat Bailey market for the first time ever. They have a variety of 100% vegan local made delicious soups available. Stop by and welcome them to the market.
Market News
We are aware at VFM of how harsh of a winter we’ve had this year. With all the snow and frost it’s unfortunately effected farmers crops and the ability to bring greens to the markets. With that being said there are an abundance of root vegetables available and an infinite amount of options to do with them! Here’s an easy recipe to hopefully bring some inspiration in the current cold times.
Root Vegetable Soup
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
- 2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 rosemary or thyme branches
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional
- Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional
PREPARATION
- Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Season with lemon juice and more salt to taste.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.
Click HERE for this week’s full Nat Bailey vendor list
Hastings Park Winter Market
If you miss Nat Bailey, be sure to head to the east side to pick up your weekly groceries! Every Sunday the Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market runs 10-2pm until the end of April. It has lots of FREE parking and more vendors than ever before! *Details here*
Visit us at Nat Bailey Stadium (4601 Ontario St.), Saturdays, 10am-2pm
