Like much of Australia. Victoria has been having bizarre weather lately; hot and dry, hot and humid, pouring rain, it’s difficult to keep up.  What in spring looked like it was going to be a promising season, has ended up being a wash-out for many producers. I’ve heard of entire crops being washed away, fruit crops being reduced in quality due to too much rain/wind/heat depending on which week it was, and some very challenging growing conditions.

Thankfully – they keep on growing, and bring their deliciousness to the city to sell to us.

I’ve been really looking forward to this weekend’s markets as I had missed introducing myself to the delightful Naomi of the Myrtleford Butter Factory last month at the Collingwood Childrens’ Farm market (I walked straight passed her stall!)  We’ve been chatting over twitter and I was very keen to try some of her real buttermilk, which is the liquid left over after butter is churned from cream rather than the cultured yogurt-like buttermilk you can buy in supermarkets.

Showgrounds market is more of a “top up” luxuries market for me – I barely look at the “value-added” products available at the other markets, but somehow it all feels good at the Showgrounds.

You can get a spectacular coffee from the Eureka Coffee guys, and a delicious breakfast cooked from stallholder’s ingredients by Chef Michael.  We had a burger served on Red Beard Blonde bread, with water cress, and cheese, and lettuce and tomato relish.  Very satisfying.

Here’s what I bought:-

• Myrtleford Butter Factory Buttermilk and salted cultured butter
• Carrots, radish and lettuce for salads during the week
• Basil
• Red Beard Carmen Miranda fruit loaf and Stubble grain loaf.
• Some delicious treats from Treehouse Artisan Sweets

I’m planning to make some corn fritters using the basil and the buttermilk.

I’ll be using the grain bread and some ricotta from La Latteria, green peas, bacon and basil on bruscetta (maybe with some goats cheese?).

Fruit toast and ricotta for breakfast.

Christy from Treehouse Artisan Sweets sources all her products from the market stallholders. From left to right above. Sour cherry crumble tart, white peach and moscato pastry, Buttermilk and greengage plum cake sprinkled with Blackberry and rose sugar.   Like all good cakes, a little goes a long way, and the pure flavours of butter, vanilla and lovely “in-season” fruit make for a very satisfying treat.

This entry was posted Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 at 8:00 am and is filed under Farmers' Markets, Showgrounds Farmers' Market . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.