The Charlottetown Farmers' Market

Well, that was a longer-than-planned blogging break!

We went on a glorious vacation for three weeks to PEI and Nova Scotia. But then right after we came home, we moved into a new apartment. It's been three years since our last move, and I think we forgot just how much work it is. We're also experiencing a long delay getting our internet installed. Now that we're settled into our new (bigger!) place, getting back into a routine, I have so much to talk about.

Let's start at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market, shall we?

The market is THE place to be in Charlottetown on a Saturday morning. During the summer it's also open on Wednesdays, which means we got to visit three times while we were home.

J and I were talking about how this farmers' market is our favourite one ever. Of course, there are lots of memories and nostalgia tied up in that opinion, but it really is a special market. I think it's because it's such a social place. I'd say more than half of the stalls sell food you can eat right away, from hot breakfasts to shawarma, perogies, Indian and African food, smoked salmon on a bagel, baked goods, and more. There's a large dining section on one side of the building with communal wooden tables, and more seating outside too. This turns the market into a very popular meeting place. Some groups of friends have been meeting for Saturday morning breakfast there for decades.

On your way in, you can stop and get a delicious sausage. We have tried lots of homemade sausages at Edmonton's markets, and quite frankly, nothing compares to these. You can also buy fresh ones inside, where there is usually a long lineup.

There's a very popular coffee stand, with a fresh juice stand right behind it. There are stands selling vegetables, meat, fresh seafood, cheese, flowers, and crafts. We didn't end up doing much cooking while we were on PEI - too many restaurants to eat at - but we bought some delicious mixed greens and new potatoes.

I even discovered a new stand selling German baked goods, including some gluten-free options. Though the other cakes looked much more decadent, my GF carrot nut cake from Angelika's German Bakery was hearty and not too sweet.

I have so many memories of coming to this market with my parents and my sister on Saturday mornings for breakfast, then later with Jacques and our friends. You always meet someone you know. This summer, we saw a friend who works at the tea stand, and ran into two friends of Jacques' mother. That's just the way things work on PEI.

(I kind of wish we had indulged in that maple cream up there ... it looks so scrumptious!)

I have lots more to tell about delicious, gluten-free food experiences from our wonderful vacation. And coming soon, food cooked and baked in our new kitchen!

Please excuse the strange spacing in this post ... I'm posting from the blogger software rather than the program I usually use. Back to normal soon!