River Heights Farmer’s Market
One of the churches in the area has co-ordinated a market on Fridays from 2-7 pm for August and September. They set up at the community cub at Oak St. and Grosvenor Ave. I had to pick up fresh produce to come up to the cottage and was happy to support the community initiative.
Even though I have finally planted my herb box at home, I was happy to find fresh basil for caprese salad and mint for rice rolls. I was also pleased to find pickling cucs for cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches and the tiniest little potatoes to boil and toss in butter and dill or for a salad. They also had beautiful firm beets and turnips exactly the same size, that I intend to cook together for a different taste combination reminiscent of one of our favourite winter recipes.
Roasted Root Vegetables
2 T butter
3 T olive oil
4 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow turnip or 4 small (2 pounds), peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium beets, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium sweet potato (yam), peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
rock salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 t chopped fresh rosemary
1 t chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put a heavy roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the veggies and brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Generously season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Add the rosemary and thyme and stir well to combine. Roast the vegetables in the oven until soft when pierced and golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to a large platter and serve.
Kath’s quote: “The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.”-Tom Robbins