Having a Field Day

Back in mid-August I had a weekend to myself as The Honey had gone away on a golf weekend. It was quite nice to have the time to myself and a break from my weekday routine. I had heard about a food event at Upper Canada Village and thought I would check it out.

Food Lovers’ Field Days was inside Upper Canada Village and was included with park admission. I only wanted to attend the food event since my hometown is close to other similar historic parks and buildings and I had been to them numerous times while growing up. Going through another was not of interest to me, especially after a long drive, so I wasn’t too pleased I had to pay park admission (around $18).

The vendors were in a field not too far from the entrance. Along with food, there was a brewer and two wineries and some cooking sessions. There was a variety on offer with pickling and canning, honey, bread, cheese, maple syrup, fruit and veggies, along with some prepared items. I got myself some tasting tickets and made my way to Niagara’s Palatine Hills Winery (Did I mention it had been a long drive?). Since the field was surrounded by an old fashioned fence, people were free to wander around with their wine/beer in hand.

LoveLoveFood had a selection of enticing jams and sauces. I couldn’t resist a raspberry ice wine jam and it was delectable on plain cheesecake. The Health Nut, aka Sylvie Thibert, brought healthy and mostly gluten-free goodies from Cornwall. I purchased a raspberry date bar for breakfast the following morning and it was filling and healthy. Of course I had to partake in some wine. From Palatine Hills (Niagara) the 2008 Chardonnay was full-bodied and fruity while the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc was fresh and crisp; perfect for the hot sunny day. I was also happy to try a few from Sandbanks (PEC) since we had skipped by it last summer. Dunes was a nice medium-bodied wine while the Rosé was sweet, crisp, and fresh; another perfect match for the temperatures.

 

Perth Pepper & Pestle makes fabulous red pepper jellies. I already had a few jars at home and the burger mustard tempted me instead. I have yet to open it, but I’m sure it’ll be good. Another vendor had jams, jellies, and canned produce and I couldn’t resist the raspberry jam because I didn’t make any this year. I also got a big jar of dill pickles after being told how good they were. They’re nice, but not the garlicky-type I prefer. The Mix Company also had a booth, but only had their spice blends and mixes. They are great, but since it was close to lunch I was getting hungry and hoped they had brought some baked goodies.

There were a few options for lunch: Aura Culinary Arts serving up raw food; Katerinas with Greek fare; some vendors with smoked meat, grilled sausages, and pizza; and Tai’s with wonderful looking Thai food. But I made my way to Natasha’s. It was too hot for cabbage rolls and I would have loved the pierogies, but it was the beet salad that lured me in. I love beets. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any so I ended up getting the potato salad. After taking my first bite I learnt I wasn’t settling for any old potato salad. It was a cold salad with the right amount of creaminess. There were peas, some dill and chopped pickles that gave the potato salad some kick. It was something my Babcia would have made. My glass of Sauvignon Blanc paired with it perfectly.

After doing a few laps of the field I was growing bored. I had browsed, purchased, drank, ate, and drank some more (those 2oz cups don’t go very far). I figured I would wander around the park; I had paid the admission after all. Although I was reluctant, it is nicely done and gives visitors a look at what life was like.

 

Daytripping

It is hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. Although we technically have another few weeks, it is finished for many as they head back to school and a regular work routine. It feels a little weird for me as I haven’t really been looking for a job; instead working on a business plan. That was the deal The Honey and I made. He would be ok with me being unemployed as long as I got my business plan done. He probably had visions of me lounging in a recliner in the sun with a bottle/glass of something next to me, and I don’t blame him. If it hadn’t been for our deal I probably would have procrastinated quite a bit. I have been working hard and trying to get over some road blocks, which haven’t been that easy. I finally got over some confusion with numbers (Oh numbers and me don’t always get along) and am off to the finish line. Not quite, but I’m getting closer.

Weekends have been short getaways or day trips outside the city escaping from what awaits us at home, besides the cat. A sunny day in Perth led us to Sweet & Savoury Traditions, just off the main street downtown. It’s a tiny place with a few tables and chairs, but with many options for those who are gluten free. Upon walking in one is greeted by plates of baked goodies, a few being gluten-free. Tall shelves line the walls with goodies, either pre-packaged or made locally; again, many are gf. You can order something to be made for you to enjoy there or wander over to the reach-in freezer, which is full of goodies to take home. Here, you can browse to your content because the gf items are marked on the label (with a big red dot) and there are so many choices. Some is naturally gf, like Shepard’s Pie, while others are made with gf replacements, like the gf vegetable lasagna.

Upon arriving home, the cabbage rolls and veggie lasagna were popped into the freezer for when they were needed. A week or so had passed before they were reheated and enjoyed. Both were filling for one person as is, maybe two if salad or vegetables were added to the meal. Both the cabbage rolls and lasagna had nice flavour and I would buy them again, especially since the price and size are good. The list of ingredients is what they should be: real food and simple.

 

Lunch one day took us to Carleton Place where we ended up at The GoodFood Co. It was a busy spot. The menu had a variety and as we made our way through it I saw that many items were gf. I was surprised and happy, and even The Honey was impressed.

Some follow-up questions are still needed though just to make sure and so anything of concern can be left off. I was disappointed that the soy sauce for the sushi wasn’t gf because I got my hopes up. Instead I got a chicken Caesar salad (sans croutons) and I was still pleased. This is a ‘real Caesar’ and had enough garlic to ward off any vampires – awesome. The salad was substantial, not drowning in dressing, and the chicken was moist. I was very satisfied and quickly forgot about the sushi option.

Food at both businesses is made with love and it shows; it’s delicious.

Vermont: Keeping It Weird

I saw that on a t-shirt at a gift shop, right beside one that said ‘I’d tap that’ underneath a picture of a maple tree. The second fit my warped sense of humour and if I were a guy, I would have bought it. The first one though… We didn’t realize Vermonters were a weird bunch. They seemed pretty normal.

Maybe Vermont is weird because they have great gf stuff and wherever we went, the people got it. When I enquired at Das Bierhaus if they had any gf beer (after seeing them mentioned in a gf posting), the waitress replied “We have many” with such sincere enthusiasm that I was shocked and could only muster an “OK, Thank you”. Returning after dinner, our waitress (a different one from before) helped me choose one to my liking. If that is what makes Vermont weird, then I’m all for it. One day I hope everyone will be just as weird.

A major purchase in Vermont was a few bags of pretzels. Initially we bought one, then returned the next day for more (it didn’t help that The Honey was eating them as quickly as I was). Gratify pretzels really do gratify you. Not only are they gf, they are also dairy free (lactose, milk & casein), and egg free. My belly stayed happy. They are awesome pretzels and what you remember them being like.

A few Red Ales by Harvester Brewing came home with us (in nice big bottles). The red ale has a stronger, but pleasant taste with nuances of coffee (never thought I’d ever write that!). Surprisingly, it is made with chestnuts and gf oats along with the usual sorghum. This is a beer I’d pick up again.

We also brought back a four pack of New Planet’s Tread Lightly Ale. It’s a nice beer. It’s light, crisp and has nice flavour to it. It’s not going to knock you off your chair, but it’s a nice beer. Upon checking out their website they have a few others available (blonde, amber, Belgian) including a raspberry! I used to love raspberry wheat beers! Next time I’m in Vermont (or Colorado) I’m keeping an extra eye open.

Van’s is a great company with lots of gf items. We picked up some of their ‘Lots of Everything’ crackers because they are one of the few that don’t contain potato. They are really great crackers and I could eat them by the box (oh yeah, my life sounds so exciting now!). They remind me of the gluten-loaded vegetable thins you find at the regular grocery store. Van’s are crunchy and full of flavour and perfect on their own or with some cheese (Hmmm, I think I still have some left). Yes, we have great crackers here too and the only comparison would be to those fabulous Crunchmaster crackers, which are to die for. Here’s another item for your next crossborder-shopping-trip.

Vermont

We ventured to Vermont a few weekends ago, a long weekend with Canada Day. We stayed at a resort in the mountains planning on hiking and lounging around a pool the whole time. We noticed how green everything was and enjoyed driving through the state. Unfortunately, Vermont has been encountering the same weather patterns as us. We arrived at the Stowe Mountain Lodge to a downpour and after driving up the wrong side of the mountain, we made our way to the bar. Some nerve-calming drinks and some dinner were in order. I ordered a salmon burger without the bun and it also came without the specified sauce because it contained something with gluten.

 

This is what we saw outside our window when we woke up

We woke up the next morning to more pouring rain and the clouds were so low they blocked out most of the mountains. Hiking was ruled out and so was hanging out by the pool. Over breakfast we decided to spend the rainy day at Essex Outlet Mall in nearby Essex Junction. We found some good deals and had a nice lunch at Sweet Clover Market, a natural food store at the mall. I got a roasted vegetable & goat cheese sandwich on a gf bun. The bun was really nice, but I was expecting more vegetables. 

While waiting for our lunches to be made we browsed a bit and found a nicely stocked gluten-free section. I recognized many brands and products, but many more were new to me. Both The Honey and I were pleased and surprisingly, the prices were good. I stocked up on some items to try and got a few gf beers for the evening.

With the afternoon approaching we talked about what to do over our lunch The temperature was nice and warm and perfect for sitting at the store’s patio tables. The sky had cleared but dark clouds were on the horizon. For all we knew it was still raining at the resort. Burlington was just 15 mins down the road so we decided to check it out. We had a printout of some restaurants that had gf options so we’d check one out for dinner.

We found Church St, put money in the meter and began our wandering. Church St was full of restaurants and stores and life. Unlike Sparks St, Church St was full of people out enjoying the weather and out on patios. We thought “If only Sparks St was like this’. We walked down to the waterfront and along it for a bit. We came to The Ice House for a drink on their back patio. When it clouded over and the wind picked up it was a little chilly, but nothing a sweater couldn’t handle. 

We continued walking around and popped into My Little Cupcake where I picked up two little gf cupcakes; vanilla cake topped with chocolate and raspberry icing. They were good, but they were vanilla cake. As a celiac I can get chocolate or vanilla cake; give me something to sing about! 

We took a peek at the menu at Sweetwaters and it looked good, and Das Bierhaus had a few gf beers. We had our plans.

Dinner at Sweetwaters was great. Their gf menu is extensive; whatever is on bread is offered on a gf bun. I got a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and it was good and extremely messy. The cider was a little too yeasty for my liking so I got a Redbridge; better than nothing. The sun was shining again and it was warm out on the patio. After dinner we moved onto Das Bierhaus were they had 4 gf beers and 4 ciders – talk about exciting! I decided on a Ciela made by Ipswich; a smooth beer with strong flavour. It was really nice. 

For The Honey, they had almost a dozen on tap and a long page of domestic & European bottles, some even in a ‘sharing size’ of 750ml. We lamented that we couldn’t stay longer as we had to drive back to the resort and of course as we drove up the mountain it was raining, and not just a light drizzle. Apparently, we wouldn’t have gotten any hiking in anyway. Instead of heading to the bar, we decided to stay in and enjoy the beers and snacks we picked up.

  

Our day two was a bit of a disappointment. We had planned on going to Burlington our second day and although The Honey still wanted to go hiking (the rain finally let up), but after a few hours of it we’d be too exhausted for the 3 ½ hr drive home. I talked The Honey into visiting Ben & Jerry’s in Waterbury and he was surprised by the number of people there. For $4 you get a tour of their small factory and a sample of ice cream at the end. That day it was a new flavour and I wasn’t impressed as it had blueberries (not my favourite fruit). They had many flavours that we don’t get here so I checked out the labels for one I could try (the mint chocolate patty sounded good), but most had a gluten item in some form; even the chocolate mint patty. We went outside to a get a cup/cone of ice cream, but as we got closer to the list I realized that the only flavours I’d be able to have would be the same ones we could buy at home, and for the same price as a tub. The Honey was stunned and we left ice cream-less.

For the rest of the day we did some more shopping, picking up items we wanted and returning to some stores. Hannaford’s was surprisingly disappointing with their lack of gf items and Shaw’s had many varieties of my beloved Woodchuck cider (B&J’s was the same price as a scoop!). Our day ended pretty uneventfully with The Honey being all shopped out and we began our journey home.