Virginia Woolf, Farmers and My Family!

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Virginia Woolf: Eons ago, when I was young and studying Literature, Virginia Woof’s writing seized my attention for her narrative style-stream of consciousness. It is the mode that reveals the character’s thought processes, it is winding sentences (well for me), connecting thoughts and it is an interior monologue. Enough about Virginia Woolf and the world of fancy literary criticism.

Farmers: This weekend, we took the entire family to St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. We love this historical market, but we live on the other side of town and in tow with a toddler and a 4year old, going to a bazaar can only mean CHAOS so we have hardly visited!

St. Lawrence Market in Toronto dates back to 1803 when the Governor proclaimed that the land was to be officially designated the: Market Block (see website http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/about/history/index.html)

The market is in the heart of the City and in my opinion feels like the soul of the City too. You have farmers from Ontario selling their fresh produce, artisans selling their creative items-jewelry, clothes , etc, and there are always events like the Corn Roast coming up on August 7, 2010- imagine fresh, hot buttered roast corn –COMPLIMENTARY. Name the cheese and you can find it in the cheese section, name your cut and pick of meat you will find it in the meat section!!!! On the weekends there are so many people that at times you will have to stand in line for a while.

My Family: I love fresh produce and my ma-in law loves it even more. So as soon as we got to the market everyone had darted off to their own sections – cheese section was my pick, fruit and veggies – ma in law, meat section of course hubby darling and pa-in law. I could not help but purchase fresh fetuccini, the guy said that the wheat was milled on Thursday, pasta made on Friday. Laden with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat we set off home tired!

We made the fresh pasta for lunch and the verdict- my toddler and hubby loved it, others not so!

We ate the yellow watermelon –the verdict- it was juicy, sweet, and it had so much depth to its taste!

So while, thinking about what I wanted to share on Zomppa, my thoughts were random, loosely connected and almost felt like an interior monologue.
We always thank the lord for the food we eat but often forget to thank the farmers, who toil the soil and who have remained (mostly) truly determined to provide us with nourishment despite all the hardships they face. The farmer from whom I purchased the fresh fetuccini said the farm was in the family since the 18th century and they have been regular vendors at St. Lawrence. Not to be outdone, but the stall next to them was attended by an elderly East Indian lady and her wares were undoubtedly samosas-THE GREAT INDIAN SNACKS- boy were they good!
As we walked along the market there was a busker singing into his mike, and I was slow to realize that on the intercom it was his music we were listening to as opposed to a record or FM radio. This is St. Lawrence – fresh music, fresh food!

The weekend at St. Lawrence market helped me remember and reaffirm my appreciation for the people behind the food we eat the joys of communal activity-something as simple as shopping local produce, the importance of sharing with our children the bounty that mother earth provides and my sheer love for this city! So if you visit Toronto you must visit St. Lawrence Market!

Category: Kids & Food, Travel & Culture, US & Canada