GRANPA'S TRIP TO ST. JACOBS FARMER MARKET- MODERN AND MENNONITE

St. Jacobs Farmer Market is a blend of Fresh produce and flea market and trendy items all blended together. Barb wanted a trip to St Jacobs on a Saturday morning due to its uniqueness. Close to Kitchner-Waterloo with its German origins, the whole area has been home to the Mennonites since the 1790s. They are a Christian sect that has detached from modern influences to live and work off the land but contribute to Canadian society and culture in wonderful ways. The area has the Canadian diversity as well.

As can be seen the market is now sandwiched between the big box stores "sprouting up" across Canada.

Even though I have some tomatoes in my garden, how could I resist one basket of beefsteak tomatoes.

The cherries were supposed to be a bum crop this year. Can not tell by this delicious pile!

The Mennonite community participate in a huge way side by side with other local farmers and merchants. Many of the young women work at the market with the larger community. In one stall, I observed one woman in Mennonite dress with the traditional bonnet, then another then another. They all looked the same. One young woman gave me a nice smile as she could see the perplexed look on my face. The three women looked slim, healthy, no makeup, no painted nails but very hard working and polite.

A crowd scene! Barb could not resist taking a picture of some ladies in their purple dresses. Permission of course to click the photo.

Barb loves Maple Syrup. This little booth was manned by a young Mennonite boy who was reading in his horse drawn buggy at the back. We bought a large bottle from him.

Inside one of the building there were meat counters- Barb bought some honey garlic sausages as well as some maple ones. Bakery counters and lots of other misc things.

Just taking a little break and having a good look from the upper balcony. Barb went off to buy some photo cards of Mennonite life. A large cinnamon bun from one of the Mennonite bakers is safe in my bag.  They were being made fresh at the little booth by two young Mennonite young women. Barb's Mom used to make cinnamon buns when she was growing up.

No matter where I go there is always Italian food being sold as can be seen by the Focaccia Bread. Barb bought some Canadian Cheddar  Cheese bread and a German apple cake from this booth.

I always find a "paesano" no matter where I go. This uomo- man originated from Calabria. He has a small farm near Martingrove in Woodbridge. He helps sell his brother's crops who lives near St. Catharines, Ontario. His young Mennonite helper was getting a chuckle out of his Italian characteristics!  I bought some peaches and cherries from him.

I was tempted to hitch a ride with the horse drawn trolleys that let tourists visit a few Mennonite farms. My arms were getting longer from the heavy bags. The market had too much to eat. It was too crowded!  Hot! .Some people were just milling around -looking. Others were serious food shoppers. Maybe next time I will arrive when it first opens. However, there is nothing like farm fresh produce. Off the tree or off the vine it is 1000% tastier!

I can not wait to get home to eat some fresh peaches.
Visit their website. St. Jacobs Market
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A MOIST MEATBALL OR HAMBURGER PATTIE

Barb's cousin Roy reads my blog regularly- thank you! He commented previously about making a moist meatball- he said his were always a little dry. So I thought I would provide a simple recipe for a basic meatball or hamburger pattie.

INGREDIENTS

2 Lbs( 1 kg) of ground meat- 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork. You can just use all beef if you want.
2 garlic buds.
Parsley-about 5 fresh sprigs. You can use dry parsley but fresh is better.
1 egg.
Salt, pepper.
Olive oil.
1/2( 100 ml) cup bread crumbs.

DIRECTIONS

Put the ground meat in a bowl. If two kinds of meat, mix with clean hands.

Dice or chop garlic buds.

Chop washed parsley into fine pieces.

Add the egg to the mixture. You can beat it prior if wanted but just adding and mixing in the meat is okay.

Add the diced/chopped garlic and parsley.

Add a handful or the 1/2 cup( 100 ml)  of bread crumbs or enough to help hold the mixture together.

1 tsp(5 ml ) salt. 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml ) pepper.

The meat can be flattened into hamburger patties to be used fresh or frozen. Or rolled by hand into meatballs.

You can fry the meatball in a frying pan with just olive oil covering the bottom of the pan. When finished, dab off the grease with a paper towel. Or like the hamburg pattie put on grill in the oven to cook. The hamburger pattie is very tasty cooked on a summer barbecue. Meatballs can be used in spaghetti and meatballs or like the picture as a meat dish in a mixed grill meal.

Tip to making a good meatball- When you roll the meatball do not make them too big. Roll them about the size of a golf ball. If they come out too dry like Roy's, you can always tee them up and use them on a driving range!
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GRANPA'S VISIT TO THE ST. LAWRENCE MARKET TORONTO

Barb wanted to visit as many markets this summer so we could find ideas and pictures for her blog and mine.

Driving down the Don Valley Parkway from Richmond Hill is 1/2 hour more or less on an early Saturday morning. The St. Lawrence Market's south building is in the first Telegraph building in Toronto. The north building on the right has a farmer's market inside as well as booths on the street. We started looking around about 7:30 a.m.

Ready made appetizers at the one cheese booth look good. I bought some Italian hard Parmesan/parmigiano cheese. Barb bought some bocconcini as well as camembert.

There are many meat counters- marinated steak, sausages of all kinds for example. Toronto is very cosmopolitan with foods represented from all over the world. Sausages were Italian, Portuguese and German to name a few.

Seafood of all kinds can be found. I decided on some fresh Prince Edward Island mussels for dinner with a nice canned tomato sauce and spices.

The fresh homemade pasta and sauce looked good but mine is better!!!

One of my favourite parts of the day was buying "the Toronto's tradition peameal bacon on a soft country bun" and then eating it outside sitting on a table to take a little break from walking around the market.

Actually world famous sandwich according to the sign Barb and I saw while eating!

As in Italian tradition, top off any meal with a short espresso. Barb had a cappuccino.

With our purchases in our tote bags, I was ready to leave the market after an hour and  1/2. Barb loved the atmosphere of Torontonians and tourists shopping- families with little children, couples, empty nesters! I was happy to be on the road home as I really do not like crowds. The market allows anyone to buy whatever they need for a real feast.

Saturday dinner was an appetizer plate with the cheese, mussels with tomato sauce and fresh bread, shrimps and small lobster tails from the freezer, boiled new potatoes bought at the market and the fresh lemon and berry tarts for dessert. The fudge will be a treat for Barb's colleagues on Monday.

I definitely will make another trip to the St. Lawrence Market. Perhaps another place to take visitors-especially ones who love to eat!

Visit their website. St. Lawrence Market
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OREGANO/ORIGANO- ERBA ITALIANA

Oregano is a staple in my cooking. At our home in Italy it was in the garden as it now grows as a perennial plant in my summer garden.

Some oregano drying and a pretty picture Barb took years ago. Anyway, oregano grows easily in the garden. Picking the leaves fresh adds flavour to food. I pick the whole plant even with the purple flowers to dry. The flowers  can be cut off or dried if you want!

Here's some of my fresh "crop" this year. I let it dry thoroughly which can take several days. I lay it out on cookie sheets. It needs to be rotated so all the leaves dry. When very brittle and dry, I use my coffee bean grinder to make it into powder form for use all year long.
Barb marks the containers " Adolph's oregano"!
It is good on pizza of any kind! Bruschetta and just sliced tomatoes taste better with oregano. Chicken cacciatore and Greek Salad are other dishes that benefit from it. I know there are different varieties. Maybe I will do some research on the one I have in the garden.
#oregano#oreganointhegarden#harvestingourownoregano#oreganoisgoodinfood#yesitisreallyoregano

ENJOYING MY PICNIC LUNCH

Picnics should be simple. So preparing the food in the morning before Barb and I set out on a short day trip, was such a simple task.

Cold fried chicken, potato salad and my simple cucumber/tomato salad eaten in a quiet spot far from the crowds. Kept simple in small travel cooler bags, it was easy to set up and clean up without much fuss!

Picnic for two-Adolph style. Now to think about what to have for dinner!

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PREPARING FOR A PICNIC LUNCH

I don't like to eat junk food. Yes I will devour a large Dairy Queen ice cream cone but not the main meal. For our little day trip today, I am preparing a small potato salad, a cucumber/tomato salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar and pan fried chicken legs with garlic. I am sure Barb will provide some pictures later.

MY FIRST CANADA DAY-FROM ITALY TO CANADA IN 1959

For me, Canada Day is always a reminder of my arrival in Canada from Italy in 1959. We actually arrived June 29, 1959 so I was on a train to Toronto.

Barb wrote the story of our trip to Canada and submitted it to the Museum in Halifax- Pier 21. It was the port used for immigrants, British evacuee children during World War II, 50,000 War Brides & their children, over 100,000 refugees and 494,000 Canadian troops bound for Europe between 1928 and 1971. I think she even wrote a post on her blog about my immigrant story.
We came over on the Ship, The Queen Frederica. It was a Greek liner. We had left Cassino going to Naples, June 18, 1959 sailing to Genoa, Italy to pick up more passengers then on to the Straits of Gibraltar across the Atlantic Ocean to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Most of the sailors spoke a little Italian and were very kind to us. The food was great and we definitely did not travel steerage as immigrants did in other times.
When we arrived in Halifax the guys on the ship offered us a big basket of fruit but we declined thinking we would get great food on the train. The train ride to Toronto took us past vast, open spaces with a shack here and there and a dozen people waving at the train. I wondered where the hell had my mother taken us.
I distinctly remember Canadian bread. It was like an accordion and very soft. I even tried to bounce it. It was not hard and crunchy like Italian bread. We were served some spaghetti but it was from a can! Terrible! To a 9 year old quite disgusting! Again I wondered where my mother had taken us.
After arriving in Toronto and being greeted by my two uncles who took us to one uncle's home I started to like it. Since I learnt to settle into Canadian life, Canada became a wonderful blessing. Although Italian born, I am Canadian with Italian roots. I am lucky as I can enjoy the best of both worlds celebrating my heritage and loving my adopted Country!

Happy Canada Day 2012-#145! Forza Italia-hope we win the soccer game!
#landinginHalifax#QueenFerdericaship#newlyarrivedimmigranttoCanada#firstCanadaday#Pier21HalifaxNovaScotia#storyatthePier21museum#newhome#loveCanada