Mount Claremont Farmers Market, Perth

The weather has been great since I got to Perth to visit my sister and her family and today is no exception. The two-hour time difference between Perth and Sydney means I am awake by about 6am in the morning.

“Hey, would you like to check out a growers market nearby?” my sister Alice asks one morning at 6.30am.

“But I usually cycle there instead of taking the car though” she adds.

“Why not, it’s a beautiful day for some outdoor activity” I say.

Western Australia’s signature blue sky is typical of its dry and cool Mediterranean climate where this autumn air is dry and crisp. It is beautiful weather and I love being outdoors when the sunrays are warm and there is a cool and gentle breeze.

We start off at City Beach where Alice lives and cycle south along the West Coast Highway.

The bike ride is pleasant in this weather and save for a few gentle slopes, it is not difficult for any reasonably fit cyclist and we are there after about twenty minutes.

Mount Claremont Farmers Market, Perth, Western Australia

We are here before 8am on a Saturday morning and the market is already buzzing with people.

Young families are out and about, many buying fresh produce and others browsing at the variety of fresh flowers, fruits, vegetables and a host of organic products such as fresh organic meats and locally grown foods.

The produce may not be necessarily cheap compared to your local green grocer but I can see that freshness is pretty much taken for granted.

I like visiting these markets as seeing such fresh produce is an inspiration to treat it well and prepare delicious meals.

There are a variety of fresh flowers from roses to gerbera and lillies.

The pink lillies are one of my favourite flowers.

One of the good things about visiting these markets is that unlike supermarkets, you can taste many of the products on offer before you decide to buy.

I meet a delightful couple Loretta Ribaudo & Jim Carter of L &  J Delicious where they have a range of salad dressings that are all made locally and free of preservatives.

The chilli and soy salad dressing would be great for a host of fresh salads and I can think of tossing it with fresh rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes. The dressing is tasty and it certainly has a chilli kick to it.

The market also has some interesting cooked food and you can have a very delicious breakfast here.

The Hungry Crepe seems popular and they are churning out vaious kinds of crepes non-stop.

As we browse the food stalls, our appetite is growing, especially after our bike ride here.

I look around to find a drink and a stall selling RAW pure juices catch my eye.

There is a big range of juices from orange, apple and pineapple juice to more unusual combinations such as ginger, soybean, lime and lemon.

The juices claim to be non-pasteurised, free of concentrates and preservatives.

“Would you like to try some of our juices, sir” a lovely young lady asks.

“We have many different kinds and you are welcome to try some of our more unusual ones too” she tells me.

She hands me a small cup that has some dark green juice in it. “Try this one, it’s ginger, wheatgrass and lemon juice” she says.

Any juice with wheatgrass will hardly be the best tasting juice but this combination of ginger and lemon juice is not too bad at all. I like it and I can taste healthiness with that wheatgrass although the ginger adds a good spicy kick.

We could detect the unmistakable fumes of a smoky sausage sizzle from a mile away.

“Gee that looks good” Alice says.

There are a variety of sausages and breads and we decide on a cheese kransky.

The cheese kransky is firm and crunchy whilst the bread is freshly soft.

“At least we can work off this delicious hotdog with our bike ride home” I tell Alice.

I meet Michael Lardis of Eurochef Catering and he tells me the wood-smoked bacon in his product range is by far the most popular.

The streaky bacon does not appear overly fatty and the meat has a dark pink colour.

Michael gives me a pack of his bacon to sample and indeed it had beautiful flavours and not overly fatty when I had eggs with it for breakfast the next day.

After picking up some fresh vegetables, we are ready to head back home.

My sister cycles well ahead of me as I can’t help slowing down to take some photos of Perth’s bluest sky.

This big blue dome is out in all its glory today and it’s a great feeling that we have had our breakfast and exercise … all before 9 o’clock on this beautiful Sunday morning.

So dear readers, do you have a favourite growers market and if so, what do you like to buy at these markets?

Mount Claremont Farmers Market
103 Alfred road, Mount Claremont
Western Australia

Tel : + 61 8 411 895 101

Its website says the market is open every Saturday, rain, hail or shine.

L & J Delicious
Tel: +61 8 9371 2117 Mobile: +61 401 484 257
Email: lnjdelicious@gmail.com

Pure and Healthy ~ RAW juices
313 Stock road, O’Connor
Western Australia

Tel: +61 8 9337 9091
Email: pandhraw@yahoo.com.au

Eurochef Catering
P O Box 2293, Warwick
Western Australia

Tel: +61 8 9343 2222  Mobile:  +61 414 820 507
Email: michael@eurochef.com.au

ChopinandMysaucepan received complimentary bacon from Eurochef Catering. All opinions are our own.

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