Out & About #682 | St. Jacobs Farmers' Market

Holiday markets are as customary of the Christmas season as hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

I miss it all - even the subzero jitters and consequential chilly cheeks, even the trembling fingertips and joule-generating antics. ​Without these elements, winter festivities just seem...a little less festive.

​Which I suppose is a fair declaration for the ninth consecutive month of COVID co-existence in the human realm.

​Venturing beyond the boundaries of Peel, Toronto, and York, I suggested a trip northwest. The St. Jacobs Farmers' Market had been excluded from our Kitchener drive during the summer due to lack of time, yet was rightfully re-instated this time around. Fully compliant with provincial guidelines, the market enforced masking and further guided visitors using directional arrows both inside and out of the market buildings.

View the full album HERE !

​Parking was complimentary and frankly quite close to the Farmers' Market and surrounding structures. We pulled in just after noon, at which point damp flurries began to descend.

The seasonal stalls positioned before the main entrance were given a quick glance before we retreated indoors. Inside, a scrumptious quad of churros and Mexican Hot Chocolate was savoured. La Abuela had succeeded in producing crispy, cinnamon sugar-dusted choux without the excessive greasy sweetness tasted elsewhere.

A twenty-four pack of tortillas were also secured, once their freeze-ability had been confirmed. Vaccum-sealed cactus flesh was another item of interest, however the steep price tag of eight dollars prompted reconsideration, especially when fresh berries were retailing at $5 for 2 boxes the next stall over.

​An extensive selection of local vendors occupied the first floor: produce, sausages, donuts, and European bakery items were amongst the assortment. The upper level consisted of the Artisan Market, where last-minute gift shopping was as encouraged as souvenir stacking. 

A few vintage cookie cutters caught my eye, yet none attractive enough to justify their hefty price tag. Customizable lasered wood creations were of the greatest interest, for the booth was capable of personalizing anything from cutting boards to post-secondary program coasters. Presumably the most popular were ornaments depicting major happenings of the past eleven - or rather, nine - months.

The adjacent building, known as Peddler's Village, was a smaller structure boasting flea market-esque finds such as books of generations past and a handful of fast food vendors along its perimeter.

​Spotted yet again was La Abuela, but rather than churros and pre-packaged sustenance, the stall offered Mexican street food such as quesadillas and breakfast burritos. A set of three of Fish Tacos set us back $10.95 - a mighty amount considering obscene quantity of coleslaw and puny portion of battered fish. Not to be minterpreted for lack of flavour, the strips had been freshly fried and were absolutely fantastic; the salsa verde was another nice touch. That said, the cost failed to justify the minimal amount of protein camouflaged beneath saucy cabbage strands.

The middle-aged man managing the cashier had also expressed annoyance towards my inquiries, raising an eyebrow at the clarifications I deemed perfectly necessary for an informed decision. In contrast, the woman who called out our order was perfectly amiable.

Even more cordial were the representatives of the neighbouring stall. A Portuguesa Bakery had the most expansive selection of regional pastries I had ever laid eyes upon.

Pastel de Nata, more commonly referred to as Portuguese egg tarts, were a popular pick amongst patrons. Witnessed throughout our wait time in line were trays of tarts being delivered and re-stocked. We opted for four of them, sold at $1.80 apiece, along with a $2.50 slice of flan and oval-shaped (Brazilian?) pastry known as Tamboré, which admittedly does resemble a drum.

​The man thanked us graciously for our purchase and bid us good day.

As a final stop, we ventured over to the Market Tent. More similar vendors were seen: more apples, more bread, and more treats. At its north end, we found Gracies Country Oven, the supposed embodiment of Christmas cookies.

I opted for a total of thirty-six of the miniature specimens, as cookies were sold at a rate of $8 per dozen. A total of thirty-four varieties were present, or so we were told; the obvious objective was try them all.

​The boxes were reserved for later sampling. Instead, we took to a steaming cup of coffee from one of the market vendors and secured a seat at one of two picnic tables. Seating was limited to a thirty-minute time slot, with no more than ten people occupying the space at one time. The same policy had been in effect at Peddler's Village.

​Making haste, we unveiled the offerings from A Portuguesa. While some of us bit into the flaky Nata, I couldn't resist attempting the shockingly large section of flan. Sublime, sweet eggy custard with a robust caramel surface graced my tastebuds with the first forkful. Rich velvetiness with a lingering nuttiness filled the second. Excited gasps escaped my lips as I delved further into the dessert, until I eventually retreated altogether due to tremendous sugariness. The remaining half was safely secured for a second round of gratification.

The Tamboré served as breakfast the next morning. Topped with icing sugar and encased between flaky pastry was a delicious egg custard - not too dissimilar from SK's vanilla custard slices in terms of visuals.

​Google results ceased to yield details on the conventional composition of the pastry; all I can conclude is contentment in its delicate, decadent profile.

​The cookies, on the other hand, were substantial sources of disappointment. Besides the Nutella buttercream cookie sandwich, most were deemed too sugary and too heavy to stomach. Peanut butter-centric creations were extremely satiating, while frosted shortbreads were bland with the exception of icing (more sugar).
Prior to this experience, I had never truly comprehended the concept of mint chocolate reeking of "toothpaste". However, upon sampling the layered mint green and chocolate square, I can finally confirm the plausible perception.​