Our typical Saturday morning includes an early morning visit to the Farmers’ Market..

An early start to our day!  We try to get out of the house by 7:30 a.m. at the latest to beat the rush (and make sure we can snag the free range eggs that sell out early).  Akemi, pictured here with her grocery cart.  I was admittedly dubious when she ordered it but, have to admit, it IS handy.

We catch the bus just a two minute walk from our house and get off at Church street.  Public transport attracts all sorts of interesting types, making the commute an adventure.

The Saturday Farmers’ Market is located just across the street from The St. Lawrence Market, which is pretty great in its own right and always our second stop.  Although we arrive early, the sellers are there even earlier  – usually at 4 or 5 am.

Ready to shop!

Decisions, decisions…

First stop is always Clement Poultry for all our chickenly needs.  Occasionally we’ll do a whole chicken or ground chicken, sometimes the delicious turkey bacon, but our go-to’s are the boneless chicken thighs and the chicken livers (which we eat once a week).  If chicken hearts are available, we’ll get those as well.  And, on the rare instances where they have turkey necks and butts, I’ll always pick up a couple of packages for roasting.

Next up are potatoes and the sweetest tomatoes in the market.  Also, if they have it, lettage which is a cross between lettuce and cabbage and lends itself wonderfully to coleslaw.

Over to de la terre cafe + bakery where Akemi gets her baguette and I’ll pick up a pastry (cinnabon bun today).  Home of the chocolatiest pain au chocolat.

Terrific sausages here at Gaucho.  The honey-garlic is unreal.

Fruit

Akemi’s favorite hummus – Hanes Hummus.  She picks up the “Hot Date”, three at a time.

The grass-fed rib-eye from Murray’s Farm.

Farm fresh eggs!  We missed out the last two weeks so, this week, Akemi wasn’t messing around and picked up three dozen.

Veggies

Take a number and prepare for a brief wait when ordering from the hugely popular Tanjo Family Farm.  Great deal on the meat here.  They also carry a solid sauerkraut.

Over to Acropolis Organics to restock on olive oil.  Again, Akemi doesn’t mess around and picks up the 3 liter can.

Mountain of corn.

Monforte Dairy.  Akemi loves the halloumi, especially the water buffalo halloumi whenever they make it.

Kind Organics is always the high point of our trip for Akemi.  She always gets pea shoots, broccoli shoots, and salads.  I picked up some peppers.

Honey and maple syrup!

Oh, what have we here?  Fatali, scotch bonnets and some Carolina reapers I believe.  I picked up a basket of habaneros.

Leaving the farmers’ market and heading across the street to the St. Lawrence Market.

Phenomenal sandwiches here at Mustachio.  Check out the rest of the basement for everything from bread to varied honeys to Mexican supplies and international spices.  Tucked away in the back is a small shop where I pick up my canned cod livers.

Future Bakery putting out their European baked goods.  This is where I get my Ryazhenka, a fermented baked milk.

Next stop is Chris” Cheese-Mongers where I’ll pick up a La Tur or a Juste if they have it.  On this day, I picked up an ash-covered goat cheese called Sandwich.

Cheeses and chocolates!

Over to Olympic Cheese where I pick up a Brie de Meaux and a Grey Owl so fast it’s borderline liquid (my absolute favorite cheese consistency).

More meats, seafoods, fruits, veggies, breads, cheeses, and Portuguese custard tarts.

Heading home.

When we get home, Akemi deals with our purchases while I head out for a stroll with my gal.

And the results = Lunch, courtesy of Akemi