From Farmer’s Market to Fork – How One Visit Turned into Dinner

Is it possible to make an entire dinner from starters to dessert with one visit exclusively to the Aberfoyle Farmers’ Market? After reading a blog about this exact experience for one blogger in the United States I decided to challenge myself to try the same. Go the market and see if I could bring home an entire family dinner without having to resort to outsourcing any of the shopping, other than the staples. Here’s the quick and easy lowdown:

Starters: The Charcuterie Board

• Summer sausage from Top Market Meats
• Sheep’s milk cheese from Salad Days Farm
• Pepperettes from Wagyu World
• Potato chive bread from Lovin’ Oven
• Zucchini relish from JND Family Farm
• Honeycomb from The Burrs and the Bees
• Cauliflower and peppers from VanDenbroek Farms (roast these in the oven with olive oil and then marinate with a vinaigrette when warm)

Mains: Italian or Barbeque

Go Italian

• fresh handmade pasta and organic tomato sauces from Mangia Cakes Organics (note: best to order their custom made pasta from their website or the week before at the market, but they do bring some fresh pasta to the market, I suggest you go early)
• Fresh bread from Lovin’ Oven
• Garlic from Parker Family Farm (for garlic bread)

Barbecue Fine Dining

• Steaks from Wagyu World
• Mixed lettuce, washed and bagged from VanDenbroek Farms and Salad Days Farm
• Mini new potatoes from VanDenBroek Farms (just boil until tender and glaze with butter and fresh dill)
• Shallots or sweet onion, garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs from VanDenbroek Farms (blend with olive oil, white wine vinegar, or whatever vinegar you have, and grainy dijon mustard in a blender for a fabulous salad dressing)

Barbecue Casual

• Hamburgers from Wagyu World
• Hamburger buns from Lovin’ Oven
• Tomatoes and onions from VanDenbroek Farms
• Corn from Garden of Puslinch Farm and VanDenbroek Family Farms: they have peaches and cream and yellow corn for you old school corn lovers!
• Zucchini relish from JND Family Farm

Dessert: Easy Peasy Take Home or a Peach Recipe

Take Home

• Apple fritters from Aberfritters
• Honey from The Burrs and the Bees
• Maple Syrup from Kevin Hayden at Wagyu World (drizzle either on your warm fritters from the oven)

Grilled Peaches Recipe*

• Peaches from Warner Orchards
• Honey from the Burrs and the Bees

*disclaimer – you will need to purchase a couple of ingredients from the grocery store, but I couldn’t resist including this delicious and easy recipe! My bad. Or actually, my good 😊

There you have it. Dinner. Bon appetit!

The Aberfoyle Farmers’ Market is alive and well and open for business. If you live in South Guelph this is the closest local farmers market to you and there is plenty of free parking and fresh air!

Come support this local market at the Aberfoyle Farmers’ Market, at the Optimist Recreation Centre’s outdoor pad, 23 Brock Road S in Aberfoyle, next to the Puslinch Community Centre. Saturday, August 5 from 8am to 1pm.