I was born and raised in a small town and unsurprisingly farming was the major industry. The town was surrounded by primary producers, sheep, cattle and crops mainly, is right on the fringe of the world famous Barossa Valley wine region and to the west lies many of the State's market farmers. It meant loads of extremely fresh produce.
There's many big players out there supplying the chain-supermarkets around the country however what I love the most is the little folks who do their own thing: Grow responsibly, look outside the square and deliver fresh produce with a healthy serve of passion.
When I moved to the city, a fact I still regret, I missed the wide open spaces , laid-back vibe and the fresh foods I had come to love back home.
I still visit home sometimes on my way through to the Barossa Valley and seek out those small producers picking up items here and there to support them; life is busy though so I had to come up with a better plan so I could indulge on a more regular basis. That's where farmer's Markets come into play.
Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market
This is the largest farmers' market in the State; a true farmers' market as the stall holders are required to meet specific requirements to gain permission to operate. The market management visit the farms, kitchens and businesses to ensure compliance, that the produce sold at the market is of the very best quality and the stall-holder is the actual producer of the products they sell. This Producer Guarantee ensures amazing quality.
The market has a website that highlights the upcoming week's stall-holders and any events that might be happening on Sunday like cooking demonstrations and children's activities. The list of stall-holders comes in handy as the produce sold here is seasonal; knowing who is attending and who is not allows one to plan the morning and purchasing opportunities. The map comes in very useful also...Not that it's a massive place, but as the market is only open for four hours one must make the best of the available time.
All of the produce is one hundred percent South Australian made, grown, caught or produced and it's a good feeling walking amongst the stalls speaking with the very people who are responsible for bringing the produce to market. I had a good chat with a few today including the mushroom guy and balsamic vinegar guy. The latter actually knows my family as he's based in the Barossa Valley himself. He met my father a few times apparently and was saddened to hear of his passing. It was nice to hear that.
I bought one of his balsamic vinegars, aged eighteen years, after a taste test of course.
The plan is to drop it into a small dish of olive oil, (the flavour-infused oil I made myself), and use it to dip bread into - then dip that bread into a dukkah (Duqqa) mix and pop it into the mouth; one understands what joy is soon enough. Above is the product I bought from him and a nice looking sourdough rye loaf I grabbed from another stall-holder.
It's amazing what one can find at the markets and each month, almost weekly in fact, there's new and different produce as it comes in seasonally. We're about a couple weeks away from cherries for instance and even what the local cooks and bakers bring each week changes along with the available produce.
You'll never be hungry at these markets and many people come for breakfast or lunch as well as their shopping. The choices are wide and the quality high.
Alpaca tasting
One doesn't have to buy lunch at this market though; all of the stall-holders are more than happy to offer tastings.
I stopped at an alpaca stall, yes alpaca, and did some tasting. It's not something I'd usually eat however I gave it a try and I have to say it was scrumptious. I had hamburger, spiced pastrami, traditional pastrami, garlic mettwurst, salami and my favourite was the chorizo. One can buy different cuts of alpaca also but I ended up buying the chorizo which will keep me busy for a little while at least. (Probably not that long.)
The markets has an indoor and outdoor section and a lot of stalls so one can buy just about anything from flowers, milk, croissants, ice cream, cheese, flavoured gin, biscuits, fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, cakes, flans and pastries, seafood and fish, oils, cured meats, honey, meat and poultry, craft beers and ciders, mushrooms, beverages, bagels, artisan breads and so much more...Pretty much anything.
Eating lavender
One of the coolest little stalls I found was a chap who was selling lavender products which were simply stunning.
I was fortunate to have come upon his stall when no one else was there so we had a good chat about how he produces the food and lemonade...All whilst I was enjoying the tasting samples. The chocolate brownies were first and whist they tasted like typical brownies the lavender really came through and gave the such a unique flavour. The fudge though? It was like eating a chocolate lavender plant. Seriously good.
I purchased some of each and walked away sipping a cup of lavender lemonade which was equally as good...I'm kind of wishing I had some right now although I have a brownie and coffee so that'll do.
Ok, just brownie crumbs are left...Ok, I ate the crumbs too! Don't judge me ok?
Funny looking mushrooms
One of the more interesting stalls was the mushroom guy. This young chap knows everything there is to know about mushrooms or so it seemed.
Apparently raw mushrooms are very difficult for humans to digest so it's best they are cooked - I like me a raw mushroom so this was news to me. It's something to do with the cell-walls being made of mycochitin which is difficult to digest so cooking is recommended as the heat helps to break down the cell-walls making it more easily digestible. Who would have thought.
After I got my science lesson for the day I decided to buy some mushrooms from the mushroom-meister and whilst they look odd I've been assured they're going to taste wonderful. My plan is to steam some, (apparently that retains more of the nutritional benefits), and sauté some in butter also. Now I think of it I may grill some too.
As I wandered, and took full advantage of the taste-test options, I thought about how privileged we are in Adelaide to have such producers and a market like this that helps to promote them.
I also really liked the fact there wasn't an over-abundance of produce; most would completely sell out their stock which means no waste. As my collapsible farmers' market bollerwagen slowly began to fill up with ethically and sustainably-grown, organic produce and items made by the person selling it to me I was left with a deep sense of contentment and happiness that I live here - Yes, even though it's a city.
The markets open Sunday's at 08:30 and close at 12:30 and if a person was to browse all the stalls, have a few chin-wags and stop for a bit of lunch I'd say a couple hours would be ample. Of course one could rush through in half that time if shopping was all they were there for. I took my time and, as usual, headed to the ice cream stall for a little treat on the way out.
As a diabetic I limit my sugar intake and this little stall has five flavours that contain no sugar at all. The producer is called Bush Tucker Icecream and like the name suggests the flavours are all sourced from Australian bush foods (Tucker means food here in Australia.)
Lemon myrtle, Davidsons plum, coconut and desert lime, muntries and sunrise lime are the non-sugared options and all are insanely scrumptious. I had the plum flavour today which is sugar and dairy free but has all of the creaminess of a traditional ice cream.
I only had a little cup so for anyone who care about my health and well-being you can relax.
It's worth a visit
The Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market is an iconic part of my city and each Sunday one will find some of the best produce available in the State. I've never found it to be over-crowded and car parking is always available - two hours will cost you five dollars; entry is free to the market. It's a relaxed and easygoing way to start Sunday and usually means Sunday evening is a taste-sensation as one is usually cooking with and eating foods sourced that day.
I love the vibe of it, the friendly producers and country-town feel which takes me back to my youth. It's also a great way to support local businesses and their passion for fresh food.
If you find yourself in Adelaide it's really a great way to mingle with some locals and taste some of the amazing produce found here. Look me up, we'll go there and taste-test our way around and finish up with some ice cream.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
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All images are my own