A Trip to the Market

Last weekend my boyfriend and I went to the Sorauren Farmer’s Market which is a part of the West End Food Co-op, and occurs every Sunday from 3-7pm (located @ 50 Wabash Avenue). It may seem kind of strange to go to a farmer’s market in the middle of February, but we braved the bitter cold and trekked out into the frigid tundra that is the city of Toronto. It was a quick streetcar and bus ride away, and as we followed the signs we found ourselves looking at a rather industrial building. Is that where the market is? Nope! Just an abandoned factory. The market was actually in the tiny little building hiding behind it.

The market had a very small, cozy, community vibe to it. On the main floor tables were set up peddling whole grain freshly made noodles, local honey and royal jelly, apples galore, and some seasonal vegetables (which is not the best variety to choose from given the time of the year). Nevertheless, there were bushels of carrots and turnips and butternut squash. Upstairs it was light and airy, and the booths continued to overflow with sustainable, organic goodness. The most tempting were the baked goods.

My boyfriend and I were particularly drawn to a man selling artisan bread, from the bakery de la terre. The bakery is the brainchild of Chef Jan Campbell-Luxton, who specializes in organic breads and pastries. de la terre uses locally produced ingredients, and supports the local food movement by purchasing their flour and produce from small independent farmers in and around Vineland, Ontario.

I was also particularly attracted to this booth by earth + city, a local Toronto company that produces seasonal food that is vegan, organic, gluten-free and mostly raw. All of their ingredients either come from various Farmer’s Markets or local farms. Their display offered different spreads to sample such as a Kale Pesto, Beetroot Hummus, and Curry Onion Hummus. They also had smoothies, green wraps, and a bunch of baked goods. I purchased the tasty Curry Hummus to take home and eat along with the bread.

The hummus was very lemony and fresh tasting when eaten with the potato sour dough bread, which had a rich, dark, earthy crust, and was super moist and soft on the inside. Overall, visiting the Sorauren Farmer’s Market was a great deal of fun and I look forward to visiting again in the summer when the market will be outside and abundant with fresh produce.