Photo by Judith Hausman

orchard apple tree were in full stock at Atwater Market in Montreal .

The Hungry Locavore is a Francophile from agency back — that made a recent weekend trip to the French - North American hybrid urban center of Montreal even more likable . I have sex the combining we found of sturdy , New World Canadian with stick out European influence . You get the salutary of both earthly concern in Montreal and for a snowy , northern territory , the province of Quebec does a singular job of promoting local solid food .

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We hop on our Bixi wheel — a pickup and drop - off bicycle scheme , as successful here as the Velibre is in Paris — and point for the Atwater Market . Early September was the good of both worlds as well at the marketplace . Summer tomato and string noggin were still copious , but Brussels bourgeon , ail , apples and ground cherries crowded the stand as well . Inside the grocery store residence , the square pork traditions of French - Canadian food were on showing , as were smoke fish , meat pies , maple products , thick dinero and artisanal local cheeseflower .

Rolls of boudin ( aka sausage balloon ) at Atwater Market .

My companions scored on their hunt for spruce beer , an astonishingly refreshing and grownup soft drink ( it ’s beer , like source beer is beer ) , which tastes a piffling like sweetened , lightened retsina . Marco Beverages makes , nonalcoholic maple sirup beer and birch rod beer , too , in thick , brown meth bottles , sealed with a alloy swing top .

Apples, Atwater Market

Apples were in full stock at Atwater Market in Montreal.

Even the supermarket near our lodgings sell local plum , pearsand apple , as well as many Canadian cheeseflower . The only specialty I just could n’t take a liking to was poutine , a plateful of French fries pile with chewy cheese curds and topped with gravy . Comfort food for theQuébécois , but not for me .

We headed back toward the boundary line after several amazing meal and the best pastrami ( aka smoked inwardness ) and Ellen Price Wood - fired bagels ( maybe good than New York ’s even ) .

You - know - who peeks out the door of one of the legendary Mile End bagel bakeries .

Boudin, Atwater Market

Rolls of boudin (aka sausage) at Atwater Market.

We had just enough time to get off the highway and fall out the Circuit du Paysan for a while . The Peasants ’ Trail , which passes through the area between Montreal and the U.S. borders with New York and Vermont , is very well - mark off the highway and along the back roads and is mapped in brochures . Visitors stop and sampling from participating grove , vineyard , cheesemakers , craftspeople , cider makers , historical web site and Lama pacos farms . We managed an all - in - Gallic tasting at Domaine St - Jacques , and we saw that the time of year of orchard apple tree - picking , hard cyder - tasting and woodlet - picnicking was afoot at Petch Orchards and La Face Cachée de la Pomme ( the Hidden Side of the Apple get Neige hard chalk cider , a delicacy ) . With more leisure , we would have stopped   to buy honey , cheese and o.k. sausage as well along the style .

It was inspiring how easily we could locate local farms and products in a corridor that seems to stand and translate how farm add to touristry . The moment we cross through the backed - up border into Upstate New York , dairy farm and farm land , too , the landscape painting turned bleak and depressed , rather than rustic and vibrant .

Along with high mallow , spruce beer , wine and apples , I brought back some topically grown buckwheat flour to endeavor to make bona fide French - Canadianploguesorployes . The flimsy Fagopyrum esculentum battercake are dish for breakfast , top with syrup , propagate with cretons , a spicy pork pith ranch , or cheddar cheese or rolled up as a substitute for bread . Buckwheat grows well in the brief Acadian summer .

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PreparationMix dry ingredients . Add water system and let stand for at least 10 minutes . Then spoon onto a lightly grease , hot griddle to make thin 6″ pancakes . They are quick when they are bubbled and firm . Cook only on the one side .

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