Archive for the ‘Tastes’ Category

I was reading my City Market News email the other day (you can sign up for it here), and learned that July is “Local Produce Month.” And well it should be!  Nothing tastes as good as a local strawberry in season.  If that isn’t cause for celebration, I don’t know what would be.

If you check out the produce at both Balemans and Pete’s Frootique right now, there are so many locally grown fruits and vegetables available.  Besides the already-mentioned red deliciousness (the berries at Pete’s are from the Belleisle), you can also find new potatoes and peas fresh from the Balemans’ own farm at Oak Point.

Why is it that local produce tastes so much better, anyway?

Maybe part of it is that our long winter of imported vegetables (which always seem to lose something in their travels) is still fresh in our memories.  Perhaps it’s the “now, for a limited time” factor that puts the extra zing in the taste buds this time of year.

I’m not sure, but what I do know is that I’m going to need a bigger market basket!

In a word, yes.  Like many Maritimers, I absolutely love it. But I will admit that it can be a bit of an acquired taste.

Meet Palmaria palmata. This brownish-purplish stuff is a seaweed commonly called “dulse,” and it’s available at Perry’s, Slocum & Ferris, Balemans and Dean’s Meats in the City Market.

You can buy it in a bag to snack on, or in flake form to use as a seasoning in soups, salads and chowders. Its unique taste is a bit difficult to describe, but it’s somewhere along the lines of a salty, seafoody spinach. (For a taste reminiscent of roasted pumpkin seeds, try cooking it on a hot skillet. The dulse will turn neon green!)

Dulse is harvested from the tidal waters of the Bay of Fundy and dried in the sun.  The best dulse is said to come from Grand Manan, a small island community about two hours’ boat ride from Blacks Harbour.  Besides being a tasty treat, dulse also contains many nutrients and is excellent in aiding digestion.

Helpful hints for the uninitiated:

If it’s your first time trying dulse, the biggest error you can make is chewing it too long.  After two or three chews, swallow it.  If you chew it too much, the texture changes dramatically (it becomes almost gelatinous) and even a local might have a hard time enjoying it.

• Remember that it’s excellent in aiding digestion.  Also remember that there is an expression about “too much of a good thing.”  If you try dulse and absolutely love it, don’t go overboard!  Everything in moderation.

Not everyone is meant to be a lover of dulse.  I used to joke that we feed it to toddlers who don’t know any better so they won’t remember the experience of acquiring the taste!  But definitely give it a try.  Not only is it a “must-do” when you visit the Saint John City Market, but you just might be surprised at how much you like it!

I was walking up the south aisle of the Saint John City Market the other day, and these absolutely adorable cupcakes caught my eye.

Yummy little hydrangeas!

What will those creative folks at The Baking Stone come up with next?