The Sign That Caught My Attention – Hamilton Farmer’s Market.

I’ve been though the Hamilton Farmer’s market countless times in my 24+ years we’ve called Hamilton Ontario home. From back in the days when there was a electric buzz about the place, to when they moved to the temporary location on the north west side of Jackson Square and now this ‘renovated’ location. A spot which seemed to have lost the lovely community feel I grew to love and appreciate about our farmer’s market.

After the renovations I felt as they (the city planners) had taken away that community feel I mentioned above by ‘boxing’ everything into tiny stalls. Gone are the days when it had the open concept feel, where one could stand at one end of the lower floor and see the smiles of patrons clear across to the other side where the escalators were. Gone are the escalators.. replaced by an elevator and a staircase which leads to a wall. Ten years ago as you made your way down the escalators you were greeted by the vibrant colors and perfumed scent of the fresh flower vendors, how times have changed

I’ll confess that I’ve been guilty of saying on more than one occasion that I ‘hate’ this new market setup.. and maybe you have too! A few days back I had to drop Caron and Tehya off downtown for an appointment so rather than pay the $8 plus in parking I told them I’d go hangout at the ‘market and wait for their call when done. With camera in hand and eyes out for that perfect shot, I came across the sign you see in the image above.

I paused, took 3 shots and was about to proceed, when (with a huge smile) the lady behind the counter came forward and started to pose for my camera. This is a norm in the Caribbean where people love having their pictures taken, but in Canada we usually have people hide from the camera and at times.. even be vocally angry if the lens were pointed in their direction. We quickly sparked up a lovely conversation and soon her husband joined in.

Get to know the people behind YOUR food!

It turned out that the husband and wife team just came back from vacation in Cuba (you could tell by their lovely tan) and were apologetic that they didn’t have time to fully stock the shelves with their tantalizing baked goods (custard tarts being the most sinful looking).

After a lengthy conversation about their goods, the traditional pots and dishes from their native Portugal and a ‘must taste’ hot sauce, rich in flavor and with a lovely hint of heat, I left the Hamilton Farmers Market with a renewed love. It wasn’t just the friendliness of the purveyors at Ercilia’s Fine Foods, but the rich history and custom such market vendors bring to the table.  We spoke about slow cooking foods in the traditional clay pots and the level of flavor one can only achieve with such a method of cooking. About their delectable looking baked treats and the sort of giddy + prideful way they described their homemade sauces and that lovely crusty corn bread they had me sample. I didn’t just get a peek into their lives or the foods which were on sale, I got to meet ‘people’ who are making Hamilton such a wonderful place to live.

Some pics I took @ Ercilia’s Fine Foods

With my phone alerting me (text messages) that it was time to go get Caron and Tehya, I reluctantly made haste and said goodbye to two new friends, who help me appreciate part of Hamilton I feel out of love with. Please go see the fine people at Ercilia’s Fine Foods at the Hamilton Farmer’s market an ddo tell them that Chris from CaribbeanPot.com  sent you. while there get some baked goods and do ask about the clay pots you’ll see on the top shelves.