GRANPA'S TRIP TO THE COLLINGWOOD FARMER'S MARKET JULY 2014

Summer brings day trips and outings with Barb, kids and grandkids. So on a weekend jaunt to Collingwood, I visited the Collingwood Farmer's Market. Collingwood is a community North-west of Toronto on Georgian Bay-Lake Huron. Up the 400 and through Barrie, Collingwood is a sweet community near Blue Mountain for winter skiing and summer sports and shopping.

I did not need to buy much so had a good look around. Of course Barb snapped pictures.

Yes, Barb bought some butter tarts for the oncoming barbecue with the kids.
There are always friendly vendors so Barb asked these ladies if they had a picture taken with me she would buy their hot sauce.

They make the hot sauce in Trinidadian style. They have a booth every week at the market. Lisa Mendoza and her friend were very nice and were very kind to accommodate us. Their hot sauce is JD Boss Pepper Sauce. Check out their website. www.jdbosspeppersauce.com

Walking around and exploring the other non-food booths is Barb's choice.

A local photographer-George Czerny has written a book and photographed the old shipyards of Collingwood. Barb bought a couple of cards from him. Good captures of the shipyards! And record of a piece of  Ontario history.

Barb bought some sausage for the barbecue later in the day.

It was a fun start to the our Saturday. There was a musician playing adding some ambiance to the market.

Hum-was there anything else I needed.
#collingwoodmarket#granpalovestocook#granpavisitsthecollingwoodmarket#buttertarts#hotpeppersauce#sausageforthebarbecue#oldshipyardsofcollingwood#jdbosspeppersauce#gerogeczernybookaboutheshipyard#lotsofgoodfoodtoeat

GRANPA LOVES SUMMER BARBECUE COOKING

Summer barbecuing is so tasty. Last night steak barbecued with some corn on the cob cooked with the  husk. Accompanying the steak and corn a Greek salad using some romaine lettuce from the garden. Tonight chicken legs on the barbecue with grilled eggplant using the new grill accessory bought by Barb. Used the remainder of some meat sauce, making a few rigatoni along with fried zucchini pieces and peppers- picked fresh from the garden for our meal. Of course we eat outside as much as possible. Barb works inside all day so wants as much of the outdoor life as possible. I like to annoy Barb as soon as we eat asking what should we have for dinner tomorrow. She always reminds of the story of her first trip to Italy in 1991. My cousin Maria Pia was a great cook and would spend hours cooking the evening meal. At one of Barb's first meals, everyone was eating the delicious food, not commenting on it but talking about what would be for dinner the next day. Well it's an Italian thing, what can I say?

VEGETABLE SOUP USING THOSE SUMMER VEGETABLES

Today I am making a wonderful meal using vegetables from my summer garden. Vegetable Soup! The Swiss Chard has grown which makes the dish tastier with this fresh ingredient. Boiling and cooking the Swiss Chard separately then adding it to the pot of other vegetables-potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, celery, garlic. I have posted previously on this delicious Italian recipe. Is it really an Italian dish?

Or is it just a wonderful way to use a variety of vegetables for a low calorie meal? You decide! Of course if I add some crunchy Molisana bread as a side dish then it really would be Italian.
#vegetablesoup#summervegetables#swisschardinsoup#useslotsofvegetables#peas#carrots#onions#garlic

CANADIAN CORN ON THE COB-A TRIBUTE TO OUR FIRST NATIONS

Canadian corn on the cob is something most immigrants to Canada discover eventually. For me as a young child, Italians would say Corn is for cattle and refused to eat it. So over the years, I have discovered how good it really can be. Peaches and Cream is the most popular edible corn to buy locally.
There are several ways to cook it.
.
1.Husk( take all the green outer edge and little strings off) it and boil in water for a few minutes. It is good with some butter or margarine with a little salt. It is hot so one needs to let it cool a little to eat it.
2.A second way is to husk it and grill the whole cob on the barbecue. The kernels get a little blackened but there is a barbecue taste.
3.Recently, I do not husk it. But soak the corn with husk left on in a little water then put it on the barbecue with the husk and cook it. Peeling the husk after cooking leaves the corn very delicious. Most dietitians would agree with more of the nutrients intact.

What is fun about eating corn on the cob now is the fact all my grandchildren love it. When trying to get children to add more vegetables to their diet, this is a good start. So  know they will enjoy it so it is added to my menu.

For those of you that are not familiar with Canadian history, Barb tells me the area where we live- York Region- was home to the Huron, Neutral and Tobacco First Nations tribes. Corn was a staple for them. They were able to preserve it for the long winter months.  Every time we go by any corn field, Barb reminds me that a part of that history remains with us today.  To be truly Canadian means loving corn on the cob.

I have tried growing corn in my garden which is easy to do. The problem is my backyard squirrels would attack my stalks as soon as they started to be a decent size so I now rely on supermarket sales or trips to the local farmers' markets.
Corn for North Americans is also an ingredient in many food items. Just check the labels on most foods which can have a corn base.
A recent day trip included this wonderful vegetable as part of the lunch meal. Seeing one of my grandsons finish a whole cob in record speed was very rewarding. Granpa did okay too!
#corn#Hurons#grandkidseatcorn#canadiancorn#peachesandcream#Firstnationshistory#YorkRegionhasfirstnationshistory