Farmers Market

Market Times - February 25th, 2013

Market Times
Monday, February 25th, 2013

Photo: Susanna Redekop

Market News

The Chicken & Egg talk is taking place this Monday, after the market from 7:30pm- 9:30 pm. A member of Sustain Ontario will be present to discuss their Flocking Options campaign, and we will have a guest from WSPA. It's free to attend, and drinks & snacks will be provided. Sign up here, or e-mail us at market@westendfood.coop.

Augie's has crafted 2 new ice pop flavours for this week's market! For big kids, a super crunchy Milk Chocolate Creamsicle! And for the little kids, a Sour Cherry Creamsicle that's made with soy and completely dairy-free!

Don't miss your chance to taste some smoked venison summer sausage slices, available from Deer Valley Farms this week. They will also have fresh chicken for sale.

The Sorauren Farmers' Market is held every Monday from 3-7pm in the Fieldhouse of Sorauren Park. We are open to the public and everyone is welcome!

WEFC News

We can't wait to share what's new at the Food Hub this week...

Maria's Home Style Pastas - locally made from legumes, this pasta is gluten free & high in protein. A wonderful alternative to wheat pasta, with a mild flavour & toothy bite!
St. Urbain Bagels - delivered fresh every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday morning, these bagels are ALWAYS quick to sell out! Flavours include Everything, Poppyseed, Multigrain, Cinnamon Raisin, & Sesame. Show up early for the best selection!
Bumper Crop's Local Preserves - our select line-up of jams & preserved whole fruits include

Beer Beets
Twisted Cherries (insanely good!)
Apricot Mostarda Jam
Plum Lemon Pepper Jam

Check out the final show by children's rock n' roll band The Monkey Bunch this Sunday February 24th at the Drake Hotel!! WEFC will be there with some local apples for snacking!

Upcoming Events

New Moon Kitchen Demo: (TOMORROW!) Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

Join baker babe Eden Hertzog, founder of New Moon Kitchen, for a taste of her vegan/nut-free/dairy-free cookies!! Stop by the Food Hub from 12-5pm.

Chicken & Egg Talk: This Monday, February 25th, 7:30-9:30pm

Stick around in the fieldhouse after the market for an opportunity to find out what goes on behind the scenes of chicken farming in Ontario. Get the facts firsthand from our guest speakers!

Get Involved with the Co-op

There are many opportunities for volunteers at the WEFC -- make your first move, become a member! For $5 you get a lifetime membership that allows you to shop at our Food Hub, gives you discounts at events & workshops in our Cannery, gives you a voice in the co-op and the ability to vote at our Annual General Mettings. You can also sign up to join the volunteer pool, and tell us what you'd like to do. To support your co-op financially you can donate online now.

We LOVE our members!

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THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET

Alli's Baked Goods
Breads, loaves, pastries, & other treats

Augie's Ice Pops + Soups Gourmet ice pops & soups made from local ingredients

Bizjak Farms
Tree fruits: apples, pears

Choco Sol
Bike powered chocolate, direct trade coffee, local hemp, and more

Country Meadow Organics Olives, olive oil, sheep and goat cheeses

Crosswind Farm Goat meat, goat milk and goat soap.

Deer Valley Farm
Free-range, grass-fed game meats, fresh Halal venison, organic spelt flour, fresh mushrooms, and eggs

de Floured
Gluten-free gallettes, tarts, pot pies, cookies, and treats

De La Terre Bakery
Organic sourdough, artisan loaves and more

Earth & City mostly raw, all vegan, sweet and savoury treats with seasonal and local ingredients

Enfleurage Organic soaps and body care products

Fieldsparrow Farms Grass-fed beef and free range chicken

Fish Shak
Rotis, sandwiches, & fritters w/ local & seasonal ingredients

Fisherfolk Sustainably-caught, fresh and frozen fish and seafood

Forbes Wild Foods Wild and foraged foods, maple syrup, salicornia

Greengate Farm
Naturally raised beef & pork + prepared meals

Growing Spaces Preserves, jams, and fresh-cut flowers

Kind Organics
Sprouts, micro-greens, gourmet salad blends, kombucha

Monforte Dairy
Sheep, goat, cow milk cheese, salamis

Wheelbarrow Farm
Berkshire pork, veggies, and more

Ying Ying Soy Food
Organic tofu & more

Recipe: Mixed Mushroom Sauce

This sauce is delicious made with fresh mushrooms and is ideal served with baked, sautéed or grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Recipe compliments of Grand River Ecological Growers.

Serves 4

Preparation:

In non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil. Cook 1 chopped onion until lightly softened. Stir in 2 cups (200 mL) mixture of sliced, Oyster and Shiitake Mushrooms (about 8 oz/250 g total) and 1 minced clove of garlic. Cook unitil softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each dried thyme, rosemary, sage leaves and pepper. Add 1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth; bring to a boil. Stir 1 tbsp (15 mL) thickener (Irene uses arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch) in 2 tbsp (25 mL) cold water to make a paste. Whisk into sauce, cooking until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat, add 1 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar and season to taste. Enjoy!

Market Times - February 18th, 2013

Market Times
Monday, February 18th, 2013

Market News

Don't miss our Chicken & Egg talk on February 25th! Come out and learn about the ins & outs of healthy chickens & eggs, as well as the challenges of small farms. Join us in the Sorauren Fieldhouse, after the market, from 7:30pm- 9:30 pm. It's free to attend, and drinks & snacks will be provided. If you do plan to attend, please sign up here, or e-mail us at market@westendfood.coop.

Deer Valley Farms will have a great selection of fresh mushrooms this week, as well as chicken breasts. Click here for a Mixed Mushroom Sauce recipe that goes great with boneless skinless chicken breasts!

Ely's been a familiar face at the market for years, and now she has taken on the task of selling Market Bucks! Yeah Ely Hara!! And many thanks to Sasha McNicoll for piloting the project. It has been a great success and a helpful way to generate more market sales through the use of debit/credit cards. Great job!

Want to know more about our Market Bucks currency? Click here!

Join us on Family Day for an afternoon of great food! A big thanks to all our vendors!

Farmer Ted Thorpes' favorite foods are "Mangoes to eat & carrots to grow!"

The Sorauren Farmers' Market is held every Monday from 3-7pm in the Fieldhouse of Sorauren Park. We are open to the public and everyone is welcome!

We appreciate our volunteers!! They believe in what we are doing and this is their way of contributing to a sustainable food system. They are an integral part of this market, coop, and community.

WEFC News

*HIRING* We are seeking a weekend cashier! Applicants MUST be consistently available on both Saturdays & Sundays. If you are an expert multi-tasker with good customer service skills and a keen eye for details, then check out our job posting! Contact Susanna at susanna@westendfood.coop if you have questions. Applications must be sent in by Wednesday February 20th at noon.

Some of this week's new treats at our Food Hub are...

Honey Bee Crunch and Sugar Bush Maple granola from Georgian Bay Granola Company (An instant favorite, great taste and premium, local-organic ingredients!)
a great selection of products for Valentines Day, including spicy chocolate "Love Bites" cookies from New Moon Kitchen.
come by to check out what's fresh in our produce & what's hot in our cafe!
Chocosol & Kind Organics' Mystical Mint Chocolate Bar has everybody talking! Check out this review on a local vegan blog. Come in to the Food Hub and try it for yourself!

Don't miss children's rock n' roll band The Monkey Bunch in a series of family shows throughout February at the Drake Hotel. Enjoy a great performance AND some local apples provided by WEFC!

Upcoming Events

New Moon Kitchen Demo: Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

Join us from 1-5pm for samples of these delicious vegan, nut-free cookies made locally with love. Baker babe Eden Hertzog started New Moon Kitchen years ago after deciding to make cookies for people who had allergies to specific things such as dairy, eggs, and nuts. After all, "everyone deserves cookies!"

There are more workshops in the works... Stay posted for details!

Chicken & Egg Talk: Monday, February 25th, 7:30-9:30pm

Stick around in the fieldhouse after the market for an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes of chicken farming in Ontario! Eat, drink, ask questions!

Get Involved with the Co-op

We LOVE our members!

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Alli's Baked Goods
Breads, loaves, pastries, & other treats

Augie's Ice Pops + Soups Gourmet ice pops & soups made from local ingredients

Bees Universe
Local honey, candles, bee pollen, and creams

Choco Sol
Bike powered chocolate, direct trade coffee, local hemp, and more

Country Meadow Organics Olives, olive oil, sheep and goat cheeses

Crosswind Farm Goat meat, goat milk and goat soap.

Deer Valley Farm
Free-range, grass-fed game meats, fresh Halal venison, organic spelt flour, fresh mushrooms, and eggs

de Floured
Gluten-free gallettes, tarts, pot pies, cookies, and treats

De La Terre Bakery
Organic sourdough, artisan loaves and more

Earth & City mostly raw, all vegan, sweet and savoury treats with seasonal and local ingredients

Enfleurage Organic soaps and body care products

Fieldsparrow Farms Grass-fed beef and free range chicken

Fish Shak
Rotis, sandwiches, & fritters w/ local & seasonal ingredients

Fisherfolk Sustainably-caught, fresh and frozen fish and seafood

Forbes Wild Foods Wild and foraged foods, maple syrup, salicornia

Greengate Farm
Naturally raised beef & pork + prepared meals

Growing Spaces Preserves, jams, and fresh-cut flowers

Kind Organics
Sprouts, micro-greens, gourmet salad blends, kombucha

Monforte Dairy
Sheep, goat, cow milk cheese, salamis

Wheelbarrow Farm
Berkshire pork, veggies, and more

Ying Ying Soy Food
Organic tofu & more

Market Times - February 11, 2013

Market Times
Monday, February 11, 2013

Photo by: Susanna Redekop

Market News

*Change of date* Chicken & Egg talk rescheduled for Monday February 25th at 7:30pm, following the market. Stick around after the market to ask some questions, share some drinks, and learn about your local food & it's producers!

Forbes Wild Foods has a secret. They figured out how to take one of the nicest smells in the world and turn it into a taste! Come by the table and ask for a sample of the Wild Rose Petal Syrup and you can be in on the secret too. If the Valentine's season is stumping you, this is a great way to surprise someone with roses!

In addition to our regular venison offerings, Deer Valley Farm will have venison "smokies" available at this week's Monday market.

The Sorauren Farmers' Market is held every Monday from 3pm-7pm in the Fieldhouse of Sorauren Park. We are open to the public and everyone is welcome!

Our volunteers are the best!! With all of the set up help, dish washing, fundraising, & info table help they rack up a combined total of 30hrs a week in "at market" volunteer time. This doesn't include the hours spent on the newsletter, doing fundraising, blogging, etc. They believe in what you are doing and this is their way of contributing to a sustainable food system. They are an integral part of this market, coop, and community.

WEFC News

Check out the blog by The Grid TO featuring WEFC last Wednesday, February 6th. Learn about what makes us different than other food co-ops in Toronto!

Children's rock n' roll band The Monkey Bunch will be preforming a series of family shows throughout February at the Drake Hotel. Come out for a great performance and munch on some local apples provided by WEFC!

We have MANY new and tasty treats in-store for you at our Food Hub!! Including...

sprouts from Fresh City Farms
bacon from This Little Pig (double smoked, Montreal smoked, Apple Cinnamon, Black Pepper available)
foraged delicacies from Forbes (variety of artisanal syrups, dried mushrooms, & mustards)
Kind Organics & ChocoSol have teamed up to bring you a new breed of chocolate!
and a GREAT selection of local & organic produce, including fresh organic rainbow chard

Shelly Rahme of Golden Beef will be back this Saturday February 9th for ANOTHER demo of her delicious artisanal cheeseburger pie.

Pick-up Day for pre-ordered bulk boxes is also February 9th. Shelly Rahme will be bringing these freezers boxes with her as part of our Farm Direct Program.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, February 28th, 6pm-8:30pm: Cheese-Making Workshop!

Join experienced & certified cheese-maker Kate Willison in this hands-on workshop in our co-op kitchen. Learn how to make chèvre and whey-based ricotta using goat's milk at home! Participants will learn the basics about cheese-making, sample some deliciously fresh cheeses, and take home a delicious sample. Goat's milk provided by Crosswind Farms.

Saturday Feb 9th, All Day: Golden Beef Demo -

Golden Beef is premium, locally-raised beef that is

produced by a co-operative of dedicated farmers in

Northern Ontario. Golden Beef are raised without

antibiotics or hormones and are pasture-raised.

Producer-Member Shelly Rahme will be sampling her

beef as well as Cheeseburger Pie - a gourmet meat pie

that combines Poshaven Organic flour, Thornloe

Garlic Cheddar, and Golden Beef to bring you the

finest Northern Ontario has to offer. Don't miss it!

Get Involved with the Co-op

We LOVE our members!

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THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET

Alli's Baked Goods
Breads, loaves, pastries, & other treats

Augie's Ice Pops + Soups Gourmet ice pops & soups made from local ingredients

Bees Universe
Local honey, candles, bee pollen, and creams

Bizjak Farms
Tree fruits: apples, pears

Choco Sol
Bike powered chocolate, direct trade coffee, local hemp, and more

The Co-op Kitchen Homemade chili, cookies, preserves, and more - with local ingredients, straight from our very own Co-op Kitchen!

Country Meadow Organics Olives, olive oil, sheep and goat cheeses

Deer Valley Farm
Free-range, grass-fed game meats, fresh Halal venison, organic spelt flour, fresh mushrooms, and eggs

de Floured
Gluten-free gallettes, tarts, pot pies, cookies, and treats

De La Terre Bakery
Organic sourdough, artisan loaves and more

Earth & City mostly raw, all vegan, sweet and savoury treats with seasonal and local ingredients

Enfleurage Organic soaps and body care products

Fieldsparrow Farms Grass-fed beef and free range chicken

Fish Shak
Rotis, sandwiches, & fritters w/ local & seasonal ingredients

Fisherfolk Sustainably-caught, fresh and frozen fish and seafood

Forbes Wild Foods Wild and foraged foods, maple syrup, salicornia

Greengate Farm
Naturally raised beef & pork + prepared meals

Growing Spaces Preserves, jams, and fresh-cut flowers

Kind Organics
Sprouts, micro-greens, gourmet salad blends, kombucha

Monforte Dairy
Sheep, goat, cow milk cheese, salamis

Wheelbarrow Farm
Berkshire pork, veggies, and more

Ying Ying Soy Food
Organic tofu & more

Market Times - February 4, 2013

Market Times
Monday, February 4, 2013

Photo: Susanna Redekop

Market News

Our market farmers and food producers have toughed it out through the cold January Mondays in order to keep supplying you with tasty local foods.
So, welcome February! This Monday's market there will be great greens, savory soups, mind blowing brownies, fish fritters, pulled pork sandwiches ...and all so delicious!

Come down to the Fieldhouse anytime from 3-7pm!

Olive Oil Refills: Bring your empty bottles to the market and refill your Country Meadow Organic's olive oil straight from their container.

Wheelbarrow Farms will be selling free range soup hens ($10), pulled pork sandwiches ($5), and sweet & crunchy rainbow carrots!

Returning this week: Augie's Ice Pop's + Soups, & Crosswinds Farms

Join us after next week's market (Feb. 11th) for an informative talk about chickens and eggs. This will be the first in a series of talks between members and farmers to help you get the facts about their food and practices. Stick around after the market to ask some questions, share some drinks, and learn about your local food & it's producers!

WEFC News

We couldn't get enough pasture-fed hormone-free Golden Beef at last weeks popular demo (mmm cheeseburger pie), so we're offering great prices on pre-ordered freezer boxes! Choose a 20lb, 30lb, or 40lb bulk box of mixed cuts of premium grass-fed beef.

Orders must be in before February 4th. Place your bulk order with WEFC now!

Pick-up your order in our store on February 9th.

Don't feel like lugging 40lbs of meat home? Have it delivered to your doorstep!

Golden Beef's Shelly Rahme will be in-store again for a 2nd demo sampling more of her delicious Cheeseburger Pie, an instant crowd pleaser! Come by and try some of this homegrown pie, showcasing local Ontario flour, beef & cheese. See below for more details.

Upcoming Events