Summertime!!!

One of my very favorite summertime rituals is visiting the St. Albert Farmers Market.

As you can see, today was the first day of the 2010 season! It's the largest in Western Canada (I believe) and filled with all sorts of wonderful things!

Great crafts....

(Okay - and some weird ones....)

Wonderful sounds...

Interesting folks...

 

Gorgeous flowers...

And FOOD....tons of food...
Some of it ready to eat...

(Nope, we didn't partake in this treat!! For those of you that don't know 'poutine' it is a 'french Canadian' thing. French fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy. I think the ambulance ride to the hospital to clear your blocked arteries is included in the price!)

(This fresh squeezed lemonade with half lemons thrown in was DELICIOUS!!!)

And some of it waiting to be taken back to your kitchen!!

(These came home with us...)

(...as did some of these baby bok choy)

(...not these though, my rhubarb is doing great and will be ready to start picking any day!)

I will have you know that I stood staring at the $2.75 1 gallon tomato plants for quite a long time, but in the end I was able to summon up enough willpower to just walk on!

I was, however, unable to pass by these...

...can you blame me??

When I got home I couldn't help heading into the kitchen!! First a batch of refrigerator dill pickles (with dill from my garden and mini cucs from the market)...

(Drooling yet Mike??)

And finished the day off with a big bowl of homemade (yes, by me!) pasta topped by sauteed tomatoes (yup, the beauties from above), some fresh spinach, fresh basil (from my garden), a load of garlic and olive oil.

A YUMMY day, for sure!!!