OUR MAGICAL MAY MARKETS
May at the Markets
The chilly weather is upon us — or, rather, nipping at our toes — and we’re delighting in the change. There’s no hiding from the seasons at the market; the stalls transform with the shifting weather as each season’s produce gets its turn in the year’s spotlight. The approaching winter means gorgeous heirloom vegetables (see our market wrap, below) tummy-warming sweet treats and steaming hot food from our gourmet vendors. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the market soon!
Stallholder in profile: 2 duck trading
We don’t need an excuse to gorge on French food, but the colder weather is the perfect time to cosy indoors with homemade goose fat roasted potatoes and authentic French indulgences like fois gras. You can’t help but feel a little European while browsing through the wares at 2 duck trading, one of our seminal stalls. Find free-range saucissons, duck confit, truffle mustard and much more. And if you want to feel a little more French, you’ll find an array of gorgeous French essentials including Breton t-shirts, exquisite table linen and hand-embroidered baskets. C’est si bon.
Magnificent May
Exciting days for us with the arrival of the new-season produce. “Golden and target beetroots have arrived,” says Ben from Prickle Hill Produce. “And we’ve also got beautiful Dutch carrots in purples, yellows and reds.” As well as the unique heirloom varieties, pomegranates, persimmons, cauliflower and sweet potatoes are some of Ben’s picks of the season. His absolute favourite though? The humble Brussel spout. “Pan fried with bacon in a bit of garlic butter … out of this world,” he says. Apple season is in full swing and the family-run Prickle Hill stall is boasting mountains of Pink Ladies and Royal Galas. “But the ones to buy now are our signature Gravenstein apples — unwaxed, unsprayed and beautifully crisp,” he Ben.
Stallholder in profile: Gwydir Grove Olive Oils
If you’ve ever wondered where Sydney restaurants get their olive oil, we’ll let you in on a secret… Gwydir Grove is the Australian producer favoured by Merivale chefs and has been a Cambridge Market favourite for more than a decade. With over 80,000 trees, Gwydir is the 4th largest grove in Australia. “The majority of our oil goes in bulk to premium restaurants and caterers in Brisbane and Sydney,” says Sally, who mans the stall at our Wednesday market. “It goes unlabelled so the public don’t necessarily know about us, but we’ve got a cult following of professional chefs.”
Sally says chefs prefer a mild oil for cooking, which is achieved through a specially made blend of different olives, but Gwydir also produce a more robust, peppery oil that’s delicious as a stand-alone ingredient. We’re bang in the middle of harvesting season for Australia’s groves, and the first bottles of the season have been arriving at the market over the past few weeks, still a touch cloudy from the smashing process (a sign of freshness as Sally points out).
“I always tell people to treat their olive oil like raspberries,” Sally says, “it’s best fresh, not stored away for months in which time the sediment will eat away at it.”
One taste of Gwydir’s extra virgin olive oil and you’ll be converted – it’s herbaceous, feathery, totally smooth and just a touch fruity. Such a special oil would make a wonderful gift for food-loving mothers this Sunday.
Mother’s Day giveaway
On Saturday our wonderful stallholders contributed to a beautiful giveaway basket for Mother’s Day, worth $700. Thank you to the following stallholders for their contributions: Bowerbird Jewels for a pair of stunning 14-carat white gold and diamond earrings, worth $399, a market basket from 2 duck trading co filled with fresh market produce from Vegie King, lunch for two at Bellamy & Co with desserts from Angy’s Pancakes, a soy wax candle and essential oil kit from Creating Sacred Space, a box of donuts from Berliner Bakery and a diffuser from Red Lauren. This absolutely special prize was won by one lucky shopper. Thank you to everyone who attended our Mother’s Day market.
See you at Cambridge Markets EQ soon. Wednesdays and Saturdays 8am-2pm. Come in and say hi.