| CONTEST: Name This Newsletter and WIN 50 "Market Bucks" | | |
 We need your help... this newsletter is in need of a name.
Given the diversity of people who receive this publication, we are certain that at least one of you has a great suggestion for what to call it.
So, we have decided to create a contest where each entrant has the opportunity to suggest up to three (3) name suggestions.
To "sweeten the pot" (so to speak) the person who submits the winning suggestion will receive 50 "Market Bucks" which can be used to purchase products from any of our vendors while visiting the Market during the 2011 season.
This contest closes on Monday, March 21, 2011. The winning entry will be chosen by the Caledon Farmers' Market Advisory Committee.
CLICK HERE for details and to enter. |
| HELP WANTED: Market Coordinator and Market Attendant Openings | | |
 The Town of Caledon is looking to fill two roles to assist in the smooth operation of the Caledon Farmers' Market for the 2011 season.
The Market Coordinator reports to the Market Manager and is essential in ensuring the effective operation of the Caledon Farmers' Market. This seasonal part-time role will require approximately 10 hours per week between May and October.
The Market Attendant (Summer Student Employment Opportunity) assists the Market Coordinator with set-up, operation and tear-down of the Caledon Farmers' Market on each Market day.
Both roles are ideal for people who enjoy spending time in the open air, who like being around people and who enjoy learning about food.
For more details, please visit the Career Opportunities page at www.caledon.ca. |
| Vendor Applications Now Being Accepted | | |
 We are now accepting Vendor Registrations for the third season of the Caledon Farmers' Market, which will start on Thursday, June 16, 2011 and run each Thursday (rain or shine) until October 6, 2011.
Our Vendor Handbook and Vendor Registration Package have been updated and are available on-line at www.caledon.ca/farmersmarket.
Therefore, if you are a past vendor of the Caledon Farmers' Market, or would like to become a new vendor in 2011, you are encouraged to submit your completed registration form as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions to share about the Caledon Farmers' Market please drop us a line at edc@caledon.ca. |
| Find the Caledon Farmers' Market on Facebook | | |
 Even though the start of the 2011 Caledon Farmers' Market season is still a few months away, we will still be posting information about it on our Facebook Profile page.
You are encouraged to visit often to learn about upcoming special events, recipes, previews of vendors and much more.
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| Featured Recipe - Irish Lamb Stew | |
As the cold dark days of winter wear on we often find ourselves pre-occupied with finding ways to keep warm while we await the return of spring.
In the January 2011 issue of this e-newsletter we shared a recipe for Winter Root Vegetable Soup, which offer many benefits, including: being highly nutritious, a great way to ensure that leftovers are not wasted and if you make a large batch it can be refrigerated or frozen for future consumption.
Stews are another excellent option for a nourishing, soul warming, stick-to-your-ribs meal to help stave off the "mid-winter blahs". Below are preparation instructions for making ten (10) delicious servings of traditional Irish Lamb Stew, which can be prepared with a number of locally-grown ingredients available in local grocery stores and markets.
Ingredients:  1 1/2 pounds thickly sliced bacon, diced- 6 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 4 cups diced carrots
- 2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 potatoes, also cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine (For a heavier, heartier flavour the wine an be substituted with Stout beer, like Guinness)
Preparation: - Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown the meat in the frying pan with bacon fat.
- Place meat into a stock pot (leave 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan). Add the garlic and yellow onion and sauté until the onion turns golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the garlic-onion-water mixture to the stock pot with bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and wine to the pot.
- Reduce heat, and simmer covered for approximately 20 minutes ~ until vegetables are tender.
It's worth noting that this stew "ages" very well and is ideal for refrigerating overnight, and enjoying after reheating the next day. |
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| Did You Know? | | |
One of the best things about winter in Caledon is that it often ends as abruptly as it begins. On one day we are bundling ourselves in heavy coats and scarves and cursing the -20 degree weather, and then suddenly spring arrives and within a week or so it's 15 degrees and most of the snow is gone.
Long before the unprecedented advances in scientific knowledge achieved in the 19th and 20th centuries, many cultures around the world tried to make sense of the change in seasons by creating stories of mythical beings who control or cause them. Here are a few examples:
 In Persian culture the night starting winter is called Yalda (meaning: birth) and it has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is referred to as the eve of the birth of Mithra, the Sun God, who symbolized light, goodness and strength on earth. By the whiteness of Winter, the Sun (the white) rises again to fade away the darkness of the long night (Yalda). It is also believed that the last day of Winter (the white), which is the first day of Spring (also known as Nowrouz), is the day that all the "Good"s will over come all the "Bad"s for ever.
In Greek mythology, Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his wife. Zeus ordered Hades to return her to Demeter, her mother and goddess of the Earth. However, Hades tricked Persephone into eating the food of the dead, so Zeus decreed that Persephone would spend six months with Demeter and six months with Hades. During the time her daughter is with Hades, Demeter became depressed and caused winter.
In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd abducted a maiden named Creiddylad. On May Day, her lover, Gwythr ap Greidawl, fought Gwyn to win her back. The battle between them represented the contest between summer and winter. |
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