Welcome back, my farmer friends. It has been a long wet winter and I have missed you.
I am so pleased to see the Langley Community Farmers Market get underway for the 2011 season.
Every Wednesday until early October from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Langley Kwantlen campus, farmers, artisans and food producers from all over this region will provide us with the opportunity to buy peak-of-the-season, farm fresh food and goodies.
It sends a shiver up my back just thinking about what’s to come. When the season opened, there was an abundance of peppers, cucumbers, salad greens, hothouse tomatoes, pork, chicken and baked goods.
I ate an entire pint of black cherry tomatoes while I shopped, and bought what was possibly the very best maple oat scone I have ever eaten from Lori at the Ivy Oven.
However, the highlight for me last week had to be the farm fresh eggs and the kale. They turned into a phenomenal breakfast.
I am pretty sure that farm fresh, free range eggs are like the little black dress of the culinary world. There really isn’t much that doesn’t go with eggs, they really are the perfect food, you can dress them up or dress them down, they are appropriate at almost any occasion, they are easy to find and they are as comfortable as your favourite pair of shoes.
Fried in a little butter with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper, all they need is a piece of toast to do the mopping up.
The kale, which I washed, chopped and sautéed with a little bacon, came from Susan Davidson — my favourite farmer — and her team at Glorious Organics.
On Susan’s farm they grow spectacular salad greens, herbs, carrots, kale, chard, leeks, fennel, broccoli, squash, beets, potatoes and, I am sure, a million other things.
The quality is second to none and I love knowing where my food comes from. I love knowing that the money I spend at the market goes right to the farmer and that right at that very moment I get to speak with my wallet. When I make my food and spending decisions I am telling them that I whole heartedly support what they do and it hopefully encourages them to continue.
By spending time and money at the farmers’ market I have an opportunity to say “thank you” for growing our food, real food and thank you for making it available, because without them we would all be eating the very same food every single day that the big supermarkets decide we should be eating, which isn’t necessarily fresh, seasonal, sustainable or sensible.
I appreciate these farmers, bakers and artisans, and I am excited that I get to share in what they do every single week.
For all the details on the market visit www.lcfm.ca and if you want a scone from the Ivy Oven, get there early. I am stocking up.
Angie Quaale is a local foodie and owner of Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store.