Dufferin Grove Farmers Market

We've decided that this is going to be the summer of farmers markets. For all the years that I've lived in Toronto, I've never really taken advantage of all the farmers markets the city has to offer, and with a summer diet that includes as many fresh fruit and veggies as possible, it's the perfect place to stock up on the necessities while also supporting our local famers and vendors. Our city is full of farmers markets in the summer (and many that extend into the winter months as well), and so we started by putting together a list of the various markets and what days they fall on. The beautiful thing about shopping farmers markets is that depending on your schedule, you can literally find one on any day of the week.

We started with the Dufferin Grove Farmers Market, which happens every Thursday from 3:00-7:00 pm in Dufferin Grove Park, across from Dufferin Mall.

Always a sucker for free samples, we tried a variety of unique jam flavours, and ended up settling on 'Apple Rosemary', which had the perfect balance of sweet tartness balanced by the earthiness of the rosemary.

There was so much fresh produce at the market, and I ended up bringing home some beautiful red rhubarb, knowing that I had a recipe for a crumble that I've been dying to make. I love the tartness of rhubarb when mixed with strawberries and other deliciousness, and because it's in season right now, I've noticed a number of recipes rhubarb recipes popping up on my pin board.

Adorable seed packets with fun illustrations and signage. Looking forward to the day I have a full yard and am able to plant a garden of my own, starting from scratch.

Because of the timing of our visit and the nature of a busy day, I ended up being quite hungry by the time we were done our shopping, which worked out perfectly and allowed me to try a delicious black bean burger and a green smoothie. Last week I started 30 days of no gluten and no dairy, so eating on the go has proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I've found that farmers markets are the perfect place to pick up delicious alternatives that satisfy my requirements.