Kohlrabi

On our weekend market shop we found a vegetable called Kohlrabi or sometimes called the German turnip; although it is not considered a root vegetable. It is the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage and Gai lan. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw it is slightly crunchy and has a mildly spicy taste, like a radish. Also they have been know to taste like broccoli stems but milder and sweeter. Which makes it good for salads and coleslaws. Some prefer to eat them drizzled with olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt. It is a good source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper and magnese along with many other vitamins and minerals.

If you happen to stumble across Kohlrabi in your grocery shop I do recommend trying it.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

The Market

Like most weekends we went to the market. Amongst the rainbow tomatoes and nectarines we found some lovely golden plums. I never had a golden plum before. I found the taste to be a bit sweet and tart. A nice combination which I enjoyed.

 - JD 

Hendrickson Bagels

Fresh and hot off the press. I got to meet Ron Hendrickson of Hendrickson Bagels. The conversation was light and full of substance just the bagels. 

Hendrickson Bagels have a booth at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market and have been doing so for the past 12 years. Their signature bagels come in 15 different varieties.  Which the Cheddar & Jalapeño bagels come highly recommended from a very valued customer. I got to try the Whole Grain mini bagels and they were quite lovely... not at all what I expected from a bagel. It was quite evident that these bagels are anything but ordinary. They have no artificial preservatives and most of the varieties are vegan. Offering low saturated fats and trans fat free, nut free and dairy free, except the ones with cheddar, and also contain no eggs, animal fats or soy protein. 

They also sell Pamela Stadnyk's, Ron's wife, signature cream cheese spreads. There are 8 unique flavours. Her most famous are the Cheddar and Five Peppers and the Saskatoon Berry. 

Hendrickson Bagels do have a Facebook page and are located at 14 - 52 Brentwood Boulevard in Sherwood Park. However if you are at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market I highly recommend stopping by and picking up a bag or two of these delicious bagels. 

- JW  

My Week In Food

Spaghetti Bolognese is quick and simple. Even better when spices inspire you all thanks to the Incredible Spice Men Cookbook. Cumin and other different spices added depth to the minced chicken. Reintroducing flavour that was welcoming change. 

Being at the Farmer's Market in the French Quarter was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Picking up some fresh local veggies and cheese is the absolute best day to me. Also indulging in a chocolate croissant and a latté from Café Bicyclette was the ultimate that rounded this weekend outing perfectly.   

New Baby Potatoes, Fresh Green Beans and Chicken Drumsticks in a homemade Barbeque Sauce became the dinner of choice. Pretty standard weekend dinner feast. My barbeque sauce had all the right elements, sweet, smoky and tangy.  

This was how I plated it. A pat of butter over the potatoes and then I grated lemon over the potatoes and the green beans. Freshness with a zing! 

You can tell the colder weather is coming because everyone felt the need for some Chili Con Carne. Again I played around with the spices. Adding lots of cumin with the chili powder. Not too hot (spicy) that filled the void. Fall is on it's way. 

Enjoy your weekend everyone! -JW 

Pea Sprout Salad

This is my salad of the week. Pea sprouts with cherry tomatoes, radishes, raspberries, dried blueberries and grated cheese. The grated cheese I bought was from The Cheesiry, they had a stall at the farmer's market in the french quarter here in E-town. It is a lovely little market full of sauces, breads, cheese and pastries. Plenty of samples to entice you. I bought the Cheesiry's multi pack cheese sampler. You can find more about The Cheesiry by clicking *here* 

The salad dressing was one I had made up using 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar, a teaspoon of grainy mustard, a tablespoon of summer savoury, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Mix all ingredients together and drizzle over any salad or bread. Very zesty! 

Hope everyone has been keeping cool! - JW