The IncrEDIBLE Picnic (for some)

Sunday was the Incredible Picnic in Annapolis Royal. A local food day across the province celebrating producers, farmers and chefs and a love of all things grown locally. I managed to squeeze myself in there as a chef and made some delicious wraps (not local) full of my garden veggies and locally grown portobellos. Before I tell you how it all went down I must first start off by saying that this was an exclusive event. Knowing most of the vendors at the regular Farmer's Market which takes place on Saturdays I connived an invitation on reputation alone and perhaps Sandie's glowing praises...I hope!! The organizer who I never had the opportunity to meet prior to the event had lunched at my old cafe, The Pony Expresso, and we had a hilarious conversation about food and other foodie gossip. Which brings me to my story. I was witness to the smack down of the decade. A vendor who was ejected from the Picnic premises with police escort. Amid the tears and later the raging justification that said vendor was important to the town and had the proper permits, a failure to provide local product saw that picnic table get set up across the street all alone. Now this person has a booming business on Saturdays at regular market and many satisfied customers who enjoy a frozen product that is then manipulated with other ingredients to create a false sense one is eating a local homemade delicacy. Why for this one occasion could they not use local product? The many hairs I have found while eating ( I have since stopped soliciting this booth) must be from a local dog? Doesn't that count for something? If anyone knows who I am talking about and still enjoys this early morning treat perhaps you are one of the lucky hairless ones, but please have you not been screamed at for asking for an extra napkin or fork or better yet charged the extra 25 cents? So there was a mornings worth of excitement and it had all vendors nipping into each others booths trash talking about food permits and licensing and who gets the best spot and so on. I remember now why I am so glad to be out of there. Anywhoo, I sold two kinds of vegetarian wraps that I called;

Valley Veggie - eggplant, tomato, red onion, zucchini, pesto and goat cheese
South West Nova Wrap - portobello mushroom, red onion, corn, tomato and smoky barbecue sauce

At first the Valley Veggie wrap seemed to be most popular but at the end the South West Nova won out and was declared the winner. I also baked a couple of blackberry peach cobblers which went over really well as blackberries and peaches are in full season right now. I sold out 2 hours before the event was through and was able to sample some lovely szechwan tofu and blueberry juice as well as disgusting strawberry wine and and orange crush...yes the pop and was very refreshing after being parched for 3 hours. All told I made a pretty penny, spending money for Toronto when I attend the Vegetarian Food Fair, and met up with some old customers and friends who came to support me...and have an IncrEDIBLE Picnic.

See the story in our funny little local paper that we like to call the Speculator
http://www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca/News/2010-08-24/article-1694454/Sold-out/1