One of the things that our family has come to appreciate about living in Canada is autumn. Of course, autumn means harvest. Early in the spring, we prepared a little plot of garden in our back yard. Although we were away most of the summer, the garden did well. We were able to harvest some things early, and others all throughout the late summer, and we’re still harvesting things. The potatoes were great in roasts, soups, and in other dishes. We also did well with herbs and even harvested a carrot. The tomatoes were great to eat alone, and in soups – the tomato basil soup from scratch with harvested vegetables were tasty, even if it took a lot of time to prepare. We’re still harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, not to mention mint, basil, and spring onion. Although our corn didn’t do well, we were able to get enough for seeds for next season. In a few weeks, I’ll have to pull the rest of the greenery out and use it as compost for next year.
Since moving to Canada, one of the things that our family has enjoyed doing together is to go to a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. We’ve been to a few in the U.S. and in Canada, but one of our favorites is Trails End in London, Ontario. It is one of the largest of its kind we have been to. No matter which end you enter, and what time of the day, the place is packed with merchants and customers. There are both local produce as well as imported from the U.S. as well as around the world. The schnitzel from the meat section, as well as the sausages are good solutions for quick dinners and breakfast. We enjoy apple fritters and other prepared foods that are scattered throughout the market as well as outside. Of course, our girls love the puppies as well as the small animals auction.
About a month ago, we picked up a bunch of cucumbers and made our first homemade pickles. We’re waiting for this weekend to open the first jar.
We still miss Florida, but the autumn harvest as well as the farmers market are helping us to make new traditions and helping us to appreciate our new home!
AKorDian 