Fresh Dates ($1.69 per pound)

There is still a pile of these fresh dates at the Osaka Supermarket (a.k.a T & T Supermarket) in Richmond today. I initially found these treats a few weeks ago at the Yaohan Centre location. I’m on my third bag in three weeks. Have you tried?

The season for fresh dates is short. I think it runs September to October for the Red Dates above; which are also known as Chinese Dates or Jujubes.

**UPDATE 2014: Sadly Danforth Deli is now closed. Nooooo!!....Why!??**

Okay so here’s the last of the Danforth Deli posts. The deli is in the midst of moving locations, and this particular visit pertains to the soon-to-be old location.

I'm making a quick back and forth trip between Nanaimo and Vancouver. Knowing the food options are limited at the Departure Bay ferry terminal, I brought with me a take-away late lunch from Danforth Deli. The last time I wrote about Danforth chowder it was a Nanoose Bay Clam Chowder. Click here for that bowl of goodness.

I interrupt my adventures in Nanaimo to bring you a quick trip that's closer to home. Some of you have been emailing me about Desert Hills Ranch and their yellow watermelons. Well my friends, they are now at The Wagon! Desert Hills produce wagon is one of my favourite stops during the summer and early fall.
(For my past visits to Desert Hill’s produce wagon click here and here.)

Happy summer solstice!
In the past two weeks, I’ve been travelling to Vancouver and back so many times that my only memories from the last 14 days are stretches of highway and tail lights. Sad, but true.
I need to refresh the fridge with some random dairy products. I found this cream at Nature’s Fare the other day. Are you familiar with D Dutchmen Dairy? It’s new to me.

Have you ever purchased fish from random dudes on the side of the road? I have.
'Cause I’m classy like that.

My tomato seeds arrived from Sunshine Farm! I’m pretty excited, so I must share this with you.
I’m such a wannabe gardener...
As you may have deduced from some of my previous garden posts, my adventures in gardening are largely trial and error. Last year, I planted some seedlings from the Farmers Market, but I also tried growing tomatoes from seed. Amazingly, my brown thumbs proved successful in starting tomatoes from seed. This year I wanted to try some more interesting varieties.

It is wonderful to be back in BC. Thank you for all your great emails while I was away. I love your stories and suggestions keep ‘em coming. There is no food in my fridge when I arrive home, so I’m doing a quick grocery run at Nature’s Fare Market.

Oh la. Is this what I think it is?

Liberté Crème Fraîche ($4.69 per 250ml tub)

I’m stopping in the Bónus for some snacks, and yes, for some butter. This is Bónus. No, it's not the dollar store, Bónus is the local grocery store in Reykjavík.

Yes, their mascot is a pudgy pig that looks like it has partied way too much on all sorts of contraband. I love it. There has to be a story behind the design of this graphic, right? There has to be.

First, behold the wall of Malt Extrakt.

Attention British expats: hold on to your trousers, because this find almost blew mine off! After I posted about Yorkshire Gold teabags back in June, I received tons of great emails from many UK transplants (and a few Aussies too,) that were searching for their favourite tea in loose form.