Going Slow…..
Abbotsford Covent Slow Food Farmers Market
Shopping at this Farmers Market, I feel like a kid at Christmas. The sense of anticipation, the delight of unexpected finds and the never ending banquet of delicious foods create a frisson of excitement.
The Slow Food Farmers Market is a gem of a food market enhanced by it’s unique location. A small market by local standards, the variety of freshly harvested fruit and vegetables is enormous and the quality first rate. It’s a plastic bag free zone so the shopping jeep reigns supreme. Shoppers arrive bleary eyed and tousled from sleep because this is a market where it matters to be early. Kids and dogs almost outnumber shoppers.
Melbourne Slow Food Farmers Market
Farmers take glowing pride their endeavours. They’ll chat about the rainfall, what you’re buying and how they cook their own products. It’s easy to feel that you’re taking a little of each of them home with you when your purchase comes with cooking tips, heartfelt thanks and a cheery smile.
From Ceres Community Enviromental Park in Brunswick, the new age hippies bring produce grown in their extensive organic plot on a rehabilitated landfill site. Their super green vegetables like cavolo nero and rainbow chard come chemical free and with only 3km worth of food miles.
There’s eight varieties of potatoes from Warragul, freshly picked apples from Red Hill, feathery topped carrots from Kinglake, walnuts in the shell from Bright in the Victorian High Country. You’ll be drawn in awe to marvel at to the freshest and most lurid pink and green pistachios you’ve ever seen. That’s what fresh looks like!
Market finds
Di my favourite Rhubarb Lady is a year round regular. Her low acid rhubarb has quite a reputation. It’s all she grows but to satisfy rhubarby cravings on the spot, you can indulge in her delicious rhubarb fruit cake and tarts. Di’s jam, relishes and chutneys encourage imaginative use of her crop. Nearby, Bill the Mount Zero Olive guy fills BYO containers with viscous grassy green oil, their firm plump olives are sold in jars. They also sell salt which they harvest in conjunction with the traditional land owners of the western district, saline aquifier filled pink lake.
Depending on the season, you might find enormous avocadoes from Barham, rainbow hued sweet plump heirloom tomatoes, delicate fenugreek greens, baby corn cobs, Kurrumburra asparagus, foraged pine mushrooms and vegie seedlings or bare rooted fruit trees so you can grow your own. There’s always a surprise or a new discovery that delights me.
There’s no argument that breakfast will be eaten from a paper bag. The hard part is deciding on which of the wafting aromas will tempts you most, a croissant warm from the oven, egg and bacon off the BBQ or cheese and herb gozleme crisp from the grill. Coffee, strong coffee is mandatory.
Set slightly apart is the inner courtyard, space is for the butchers and fishos, eggs sellers and cheesmakers, bakers and patissiere. There’s always a long line to buy old fashioned, flavour rich poultry from Milawa while another thick knot of gourmands wait to buy prime cuts of tender and tasty dry aged beef from Warialda. My dog waits too, he turns up his nose at other bones. At Shultz’ award winning dairy, the queue moves quickly because most of their biodynamic dairy products are frequently sold out to pre orders. The cheese from Holy Goat is more than compensation. Everyone is upbeat despite the wait, conversation with strangers is easy when you’re united by a common purpose.
In love with orange
With a over burdened shopping trolley and an almost empty wallet there’s just one last stop, the flower stall by the gate. A few remaining coins are exchanged for a huge posy of Australian natives to brighten the kitchen bench. The heady perfume of brown boronia fills the air.
As the fresh produce goes into the fridge at home I feel a little smug, afterall, my money was spent wisely in support of ethical producers. The look, smell, flavour and quality of my market hoard satisfies my inner greenie, tempts the passionate foodie and indulges the avid cook that I am.
Beautiful fresh ingredients from the Slow Food Market turn every meal into a luscious feast.
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24 comments on “Going Slow…..”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
one of my very favourite markets – I go every time – maybe I will see you there one day!
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Moving to Brissy next week so this was a fond farewell to my favourite market. I will miss it!
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They sound lovely Sandra, what an evocative description, and glad to hear you’re coming to Canberra and will get to have a look at our farmers’ market – I always find it almost big, but it does have a wonderful range…
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that should have been ‘almost too big’!
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Are you coming to EYB Beck?
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I’m probably being dopey Sandra, but EYB?
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There is a food bloggers conference on in Canberra in October, Eat Drink Blog. Check it out on Facebook, it looks like a worthwhile weekend!
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I will, thanks for the heads up!
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Just bought my ticket, thanks again for the heads up 🙂
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See you there!!
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Now you need to think about entering the writing competitions😃
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Oh how I wished we had a market such as this. It looks absolutely fantastic. Our’s may be small and lack huge variety but I guess it is better than nothing.
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Yes something is better than nothing. Sadly I’m leaving this behind, but the search will be on for a replacement
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What a wonderful market… so lovely to have visited it virtually through your eyes, Sandra! I’m very much looking forward to wandering the Capital Region Farmer’s Market with you in October – so excited that you’re coming! 🙂
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Aw, that’s really nice Margot! Crazy amount to happen in the next six weeks, the weekend in Canberra is like the carrot on the end of a stick. I love Farmers Markets, it will be tricky for me, just looking, not buying. We can do some full on ooohing and aaaahing together though, something to look forward to…
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Great post Mrs R. A Slow Food market, yes please, I felt transported and now feel incredibly hungry. Just marvellous.
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Thanks Cheery, glad you enjoy your vicarious visit. Cheaper for you than me!!
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That makes The Yak a very happy man.
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What a huge coincidence…I was JUST in the original Abbotsford (Sir Walter Scott’s grand fantasy home on the river Tweed) last weekend. Would have been even more wonderful if there had been a Slow Food market like this one! Sounds like it was extremely colourful, in more ways than the usual. Lots of good things to cook up in the kitchen.
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I’ll miss this market Deb, it’s outstanding. I’ll have to seek out a replacement…
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This is definitely something you’ll miss up here…I haven’t found a farmers market quite like the Melbourne or Adelaide ones unfortunately. Xx
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Boo hoo, they’ll be other compensations xxxx
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You know I’ve never been to that market, even though I’m close by on a Saturday ( Brunswick). Sounds like a visit is in order soon- you make it sound so inviting. ) though shame about the dogs- banned in many other markets where large groups gather).
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You’ll love the slow market Francesca, the quality is outstanding. The Collingwood Children’s Farm does excellent breakfasts too
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