spring is in the air!

it's been a long, hard winter but it looks like spring is finally here! last weekend was the halifax crafters spring market & it seemed that everyone had a little extra bounce in their step & a bit wider grin. it was actually my most successful crafters event thus far - i had great neighbours & it's always a nice change of scenery from the seaport.

here's an aerial view of my little set up:

it was the first time i've had one of my cakes on my table for display - the response was overwhelming!!! i guess all those hours spent piping tiny dots are all worth it.

after an incredibly busy weekend, i had to jump right back in to prep. this week featured a whole whack of beef brisket from getaway farm. my first mission was to replenish my 'brisket & blue.' this is definitely one of the most popular items on my menu.

the beef is braised overnight with red wine, herbs & garlic. then the sauce is cooked down till it's nice & thick. it all gets mixed up with sun dried tomatoes & baby turnips.

the sides are maple roasted carrots with kale & creamy blue cheese gnocchi with roasted garlic.

small $10  large $20

then it was on to a paleo option. i've been toying with the idea of this dish for awhile & this week i finally took the plunge. i'm pretty much obsessed with thai peanut sauce. so, i combined it with another obsession - beef brisket. the results are delicious! there's a lot going on here - ginger, sesame, lime, cilantro, chillies & a bit of garam masala. there are a ton of veggies too: bok choy, roasted broccoli, bean sprouts, red peppers, carrots, mushrooms, green onions & sweet potato puree. it's paleo, gluten free & dairy free.

small $10  large $20

then i made a cake for a little girl with an awesome name.

my sweets for the market are:

goat milk fudge

snickers brownies

salted caramel pecan blondies

almond hello dollies

breakfast cookies

regular cupcakes

gluten free cupcakes with dairy free frosting!

now that spring is in the air, salads are increasingly popular. i made 3 varieties this week.

sweet potato:

broccoli (the original version with bacon & almonds)

old-school macaroni salad (my personal favourite)

also, if you've been on my Facebook page you may have noticed i'm not taking any orders for cakes or caterings for the rest of the spring/summer - i'll be out of town. may 17th is actually the last day my frozen food will be available for the foreseeable future. i'm working out the details now to keep the cupcakes & salads coming for the summer, so stay tuned.

hope that wasn't too much of a shocker but you still have four weekends to stock up :)

see you over the weekend!

saturday 7-3

sunday 9-3

i'm ready!

honestly, it feels like i was just at the market! i can't even believe it's friday again!

 i suppose i did spend the entire week in the kitchen & time has a sneaky way of elapsing without me noticing when i'm in there. at least i was pretty productive.

coq au vin is restocked. this dish has been wildly popular for me over the past 2 months. the chicken is braised in a rich mixture of red wine, herbs & garlic, then it's combined with leeks & loads of mushrooms (shiitakes, king eryngiis & creminis). it's accompanied by roasted parsnips, carrots & kale. the regular version has parmesan polenta and the paleo version has sweet potato puree - both options are gluten free.

small $10  large $20

my menu has been lacking in the vegetarian department lately, so this week i made a batch of roasted mediterranean vegetable ragu. the veggies are red peppers, red onions, zucchini & eggplant. they're in a rich tomato sauce with swiss chard, kalamata olives, feta & goat cheese. the side dish is quinoa dressed lightly with olive oil, garlic & basil. this is another gluten free option!

small $9  large $18

the thai chicken & rice soup has been selling out incredibly fast lately as well, so a new batch was on the docket this week. the stock is made from scratch & simmered with garlic, ginger, cardamom & star anise to build a nice layer of flavour. the veggies are carrots, red peppers, celery, baby bok choy & scallions. i add sesame oil, citrus, cilantro, sriracha & coconut milk to add to the thai flavours. this is another gluten free option!

$7/500ml

there are 3 salads this week & they're ALL vegan AND gluten free! in retrospect, i had quite a gluten free week.

broccoli: peanut, ginger, lime, sesame, red cabbage, carrot, red pepper

3-bean: green bean, adzuki, garbanzo, lentil, cucumber, red pepper, dill

potato: radishes, celery, green beans, dill, dijon, parsley

they're all $5/375ml container.

in other news, it seems that spring has finally sprung! the forecast looks somewhat optimistic & the first signs of rhubarb are popping up in my backyard.

it's not much, but it's there.

another sure sign that spring has arrived is the Halifax Crafters Spring Fair which will be taking place next weekend at the olympic centre on hunter & cunard.

the lineup is looking pretty dynamite! mark your calendars now cuz it's going to be a great show.

ok, that's all for now. hope to see you all over the weekend!