Asparagus, $7 a bundle
Saw or heard something today about how local Quebec asparagus is coming in, and passed by Jean‑Talon market to get some.
Seven dollars a bundle – and not a lavish bundle, either. A random man passing nearby exclaimed “Sept dollars!” and didn’t buy.
Lufa’s charging $4.25 for the same amount. Do the market dealers charge a premium because they can basically get away with it?
Also, has anyone noticed that prices are extremely uniform across the entire market? Everyone was selling their asparagus for $7 a bundle today and it’s not the first time I’ve noticed this tendency.
Ian 18:28 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
Having worked decades ago at Atwater Market I can tell you that the “farmers” are indeed in cahoots and that most of them get their produce from the same depot the big grocery stores do.
Lufa, on the other hand, isn’t getting their produce from those distributors. One of the big reasons Lufa can charge less for stuff even if it’s grown by one of their partners is that it doesn’t have to travel as much which means fewer sets of hands it has to pass through and less money spent on gas & fleet maintenance.
Fiddleheads are in too, get ’em before they get woody 🙂 blanche, sautée in butter, devour.
Spi 18:39 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
At this time of the year farmers are too busy working their field’s to be at the market, so the stalls that are there are mostly resellers, which is why they’re all selling produce from the US and QC Asparagus probably all from the same supplier.
MarcG 19:40 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
The organic asparagus I received from Lufa today for $4.25 was smaller than previous years. There was a good exposé (does that accent bother you, Kate?) on CBC not long ago about bullshit farmers market stands in Ontario – presumably it’s the same racket here.
Kate 19:50 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
That accent is perfectly fine, MarcG. It’s only the folks who write “Montréal” and “Québec” in English text that make me grind my teeth.
Ephraim 19:58 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
The only place I shop at JT or Atwater are the places that work by the kilo. There is a reason they sell by “pack” and by container… so you won’t know the real price. I buy a LOT of groceries, I need to know the price by kilo/pound in order to compare. Heck, I follow the price of butter and eggs all the time.
Remember to cook your fiddleheads twice! Don’t want to get sick
Kate 20:14 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
I have some fiddleheads here (also from Lufa). I’ve cooked them before but can’t remember the method I used. Ian says “blanch, sauté in butter” – how do you cook ’em, Ephraim?
Ephraim 21:29 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
@Kate – After cleaning, boil for 15 minutes or steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Discard water and thoroughly clean with water (usually cold to stop the cooking). Then you can prepare them as you want, like sauté them, fry them, bake them, etc. But it’s very important to discard the water after the first cooking. The water has tannins, acid and a toxin.
Kate 22:52 on 2023-05-11 Permalink
Lufa has notes on fiddleheads in which they say the toxin has never been identified, and the Wikipedia page says the same. Odd.
Ephraim 07:59 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
That makes it a known unknown. But yes, the cooking and washing is what ensures that it’s safe. And Ostrich ferns are the only ones safe to eat.
CE 08:46 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
I grew up in New Brunswick where fiddleheads are abundant and had never heard all the worries about fiddlehead toxins until I moved to Montreal. When I was a kid, I used to eat them raw right off the stock. I usually just soak them in water before either boiling or steaming them once, served with butter and vinegar. I’ve eaten fiddleheads cooked like this hundreds of times and have never once gotten sick.
walkerp 09:17 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
Same. Well didn’t grow up in the Maritimes but been sauteeing fiddleheads once for years and nobody has ever gotten sick. Feels like you’ll boil the flavour right out of them.
carswell 09:46 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
I believe the cook-twice advice was related to cases of British Columbians eating non-ostrich varieties. Cooking only ostrich ferns, I’ve never followed it either.
I rinse the fiddleheads well, trim them and soak them briefly in water acidulated with lemon juice. Cooking method tends to be one a French chef suggested for asparagus: slowly sautéing then in butter or butter and olive oil in a skillet over low heat (around 10 minutes).
Ephraim 12:14 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
Actually, that caution about eating them related to a LOT of cases and most provincial governments have the same warning. Here is the information from NB… https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h-s/pdf/en/HealthyEnvironments/Food/FiddleheadsAndFoodSafety.pdf
Benoit 18:21 on 2023-05-12 Permalink
The fiddleheads discussion reminds me of all the warnings we used to get 30 years ago about sushi. There were plenty of articles in the newspapers that warned people about eating them, along the lines of “Be careful with raw fish, make sure the cook uses fresh fish, you could get sick and even die” etc. Yet I don’t know anyone who got sick after eating sushi!