​Not sure what to do with real, local food? To help bring people back to eating close to home, Wendy’s Country Market and Furnace Falls Farm are creating recipes for the preparation and preservation of local ingredients. Drop by the market to meet chef Mark Beacock, taste the produce, sample the products, and take away the recipes. Learn more about our project supported by the Greenbelt Fund, and help us with your feedback!

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A mix of Heat, Sun and Rain are all good things for Planting season to begin. It takes many months for all those little seedlings that we (Leigha) started in the greenhouses to get to the point to be ready for planting outside. Now is the time to celebrate planting season. 

We are having our Seedling Sunday event this Sunday May 28th. We are happy to say we are offering many more varieties of plants this year. And most of our heritage tomatoes plants are grown from seeds that we saved. There are many, many heritage tomato varieties, and it is so much fun growing new (old) tomatoes. Come and see everything from the Garden Peach to the Green Zebra. Take home something new!

And since you can't have tomatoes without basil, pick up a few of those plants too. You will find different varieties of green and red basils, as well as globe basil which makes a nice little bush. 

This Sunday, we are offering a children's workshop -- and a challenge. Kids can plant their very own tomato plant to take home. Then later in the year, kids bring a sample of one of your tomatoes for our tomato tasting event in September and win a prize. 

If you are looking for flowers then you are in luck we have a good mix of annuals and perennials to suite your location (sun, shade, wet or dry). We can help you with your gardening questions and keep the fun in gardening. 
  
In keeping with the planting theme we will be offering up a very tasty seasonal / wild food lunch. At the same time you can learn more about foraged food by Chef Mark. 

Plan to come for the day and enjoy the music by Jeff Gaulton while strolling around and visiting the many vendors (artisans, bakers and farmers). I am sure you will find some tasty rhubarb desserts, and if you are gluten and dairy free then we have you covered: RnD bakery will be on site with samples (best allergy free bagels ever). And if we haven't convinced you that we have special, unique things, there will be Donkey Milk Soap from a new vendor.
 
We are also happy to welcome representatives of the Rideau Waterway Land Trust. They will have an information booth on Rock Dunder. Learn more about one of the treasures of the area, pick up your season's pass, and find out why you should support our local Land Trust. We're lucky to have one.
 
So come on out and enjoy a day in the country!

Seasonal Recipe of the Week 
  
One of spring's first fruit of the season is rhubarb (though botanically it is a vegetable). It possesses a mouth puckering tartness that I love. Al ot of people combine it with lots of sugar, but I like the puckering bite that it has. Mixed with a bit of apple in a crumble it it delicious. 

Try this tasty crisp with a twist. The surprise is a touch of basil which adds an extraordinary taste and scent to the fruit mixture. 


Rhubarb Surprise Crisp
Serves 6

2/3 cup maple syrup – Antoinne Farm
2 to 3 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sliced rhubarb – The Farmer's Daughter
2 cups sliced apples – Hall's Apple Market
2 tbsp fresh snipped basil – Wendy's Market
1/2 cup flour – Purest, Ironwood Organics, Sonset Farm
1/2 cup oats – Ironwood Organics
1/3 cup maple sugar – Antoinne Farm
3 tbsp butter melted – Empire 

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl stir maple syrup, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir in the rhubarb and apples and basil. Transfer to a 2 quart square baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.

2. For the topping in a medium bowl toss together flour of choice, oats, brown sugar,. Stir in the melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over fruit mixture. 

3. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or till fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. 

Yummy! You may want to top with some of Limestone Creamery's Whipping Cream or Slicker's Homemade Rhubarb Ginger Ice Cream ...

Enjoy!

Have a Great Week.

Rick & Wendy & Leigha 
Thanks for Supporting Local Producers.

Visit us at the Market.
We're open 7 days a week. Monday - Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, Sunday 'til 5 pm

Even though April showers forgot to turn off in May (!!) we do have May flowers and other great plants in our greenhouses, all ready to share with you to brighten even the cloudiest day.
​Despite the rain, I love spring. Walking through our greenhouses and seeing all the different plants is a great way to both start and end my day. 

My love of plants comes naturally: both of my Grandmothers had lots of plants surrounding their houses. One Grandmother had every type of plant you could think of to grow as a houseplant, and was always collecting slips of plants from friends to add to her collection. My other Grandmother taught me a lot about the wild flowers and their names and uses as we walked along the pathways at their cottage. And I remember seeing a picture  of myself when I was young surrounded by amazing flower gardens that my Mom made. Over time the flower gardens switched to large vegetable gardens, and then to multiple fields of vegetables and a full blown market garden business (Corn Acre Farms). So began my life long journey and passion with plants. 

I am so very glad to have been able to share all this with my daughter, and even more excited that she has carried on the love of plants by starting our seeds and nuturing them for all of you to enjoy. With her help, we have been able to expand this year and offer so many more varieties of flowers, herbs, and vegetable plants. We focus on many heritage varieties of tomatoes and look to the past when picking out our selection of seeds for our flowers. A look around our greenhouses will sure to send you on a trip down memory lane with names like larkspur, zinnias and cosmos.
 
If you have never grown any plants before then now is the time. Start with a cherry tomato. A few marigolds and a basil make great companion plants ... and now your off!

I think it is also important for all of us to take the time and introduce a child to the amazing world of plants. Even if it starts with picking a bouquet of dandelions. 
 
Dandelions are in the recipe of the week. You can eat the leaves, buds and bud stalks, flowers, heart, and the young root of dandelions. 

The Recipe of the Week
 
Mushrooms Stuffed with Dandelion Hearts

Dandelion hearts - In your yard or ours! 
Cremini mushrooms - Carlton Mushrooms
Sunflower oil - Kricklewood Farm
Rosemary - Wendys MArket
salt and pepper
 
Bring the hearts to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to remove bitterness. Take the Hearts and mix with sunflower oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Take mushrooms and fill with the hearts. Bake in oven for 15 - 20 minutes at 350. 

Enjoy!

Have a Great Week.

Rick & Wendy & Leigha 
Thanks for supporting Local Producers.

Visit us at the market.
We're open Thursday through Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm, Sunday 'til 5 pm
(After the long weekend, it will be 7 days a week.)