Market Minute: Don’t Cry! Onions Are Back!

This week at the Aberfoyle Farmers’ Market you will find the most marvelous onions. I myself can’t wait

because they will be fresh and new and pungent with an aroma that will make me cry. But here’s a tip to

stave off the tears: refrigerate the onion for 30 minutes before you slice and dice away. If that’s not

possible then use a sharp knife and run it under water.

I hope this works because I come from a land that uses onions in almost everything savoury. In fact, my

ancestors, current and past, eat them raw. Yup. But I prefer them caramelized as a topping for steak, or

part of my base for a really good comforting soup. Onions are part of the Holy Trinity of vegetables for

mirepoix which is a combination of aromatic vegetables that gives a subtle background flavor to dishes

such as soups, stews, and braises. Or just chop up the sweet ones raw and throw them on a hot dog.

Did I say hot dog? Ah, the image of summer – a really good dog. C’mon down kids ‘cause the Soccer

Snack this week will be at Wa’s Kobe Dogs! And they will have Wagyu pepperettes for sale for the first

time. And speaking of kids, the market has a new feature starting this week: Kid’s Corner sponsored by

Sarmazian Bros Ltd – Complete Flooring Centre. Let the kids play while you enjoy the new buskers – The Ever-Lovin’ Jug Band who play original music inspired by the jug bands of the 1920s and 30s, plus many

old songs by the Memphis Jug Band, the Mississippi Sheiks, Harry Choates, and more.

But I can’t stop thinking about the onions! The possibilities are endless. I’m dreaming of making tomatoe

sauce with the field tomatoes from Vandenbroek’s Farm and Nith Valley who will also have grape

tomatoes. Just last night I had a fresh salad of grape tomatoes with chopped red onions and colourful

peppers and feta cheese. Yum.

Garden of Puslinch Farm is a new vendor this week and young David will be coming to the market to sell

sweet corn (primarily) and other produce grown by him and his family. Well, you can’t get more local

than that – and if you know me you know that I’m always Tweeting #eatlocal!

Visit our Market Fresh Recipe page for the recipe of the week: This week it features eggs, bacon, grape

tomatoes & fresh herbs….and it’s NOT an omelet or a breakfast dish! Click Here!

I saved the best for last. Have you seen the pottery that Jennifer Miceli from JWARE.CA creates? She will

be at the market displaying and selling her pottery and it is absolutely gorgeous – fun, funk and

functionality is her tag line. Is it too early to start shopping for Christmas?

So come and get your onions and all that at the Aberfoyle Farmer’s Market open every Saturday until

the end of October from 8am to 1pm at the Optimist Recreation Centre on Brock Road in Aberfoyle.