Tuesday, June 21, 2011

To Market, To Market June 14

Both Borden Street Market and the Hospital for Sick Children's Market are still a few vendors sort of a full load. Jim Hayward, the Bizjaks, and Caroll Collins are still nowhere to be seen.  OK Farms which missed the first two weeks at Borden and the first week at HSC has arrived with strawberries.  Ditto for Andrews' Scenic Acres.


The absence of sunshine and heat this spring becomes obvious when sampling strawberries. They are plentiful, they cook beautiful, they are pretty much tasteless. Berries from OK Farms are noticeably better than any of the other berries.  Whatever variety they are, they have taken advantage of what little sun there has been.

Both Marvellous Edibles at Borden Street and Andrews' at HSC still have rhubarb. How can Marvellous Edibles be out of their superior lard when I still have pies to make? I have to make do with less perfect lard for a strawberry and rhubarb pie. Both vendors have excellent asparagus.

The van Harts at Borden have some lovely lettuce and loads of their mini heirloom tomatoes.  Oh, the disappointment. Like the strawberries, the tomatoes  look just fine.  But their true selves are revealed when bitten into: they crunch and are bitter rather than acidic.

If the early weeks are any indication,  market shoppers are going to have to choose carefully.  Definitely taste before buying.

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