Sunday 27 July 2014

My Trip to Jan Powers Farmers Markets



Cassie Cakes goes to the Farmers Markets!
Cassie Cakes goes to the Farmers Markets!
Since I'm a female in my 20's, who lives in an urban area, it will come as no great surprise that I like markets. It's a well known rule that girls love markets. But I also like sleeping in. And this is the reason that for the 10 odd years that I've lived in the area, I've never been to the Jan Powers Farmers Markets at the Powerhouse. A catch up with my mum for market shopping and breakfast after was the final push I needed.  
We arrived at New Farm park and found a park in the busy area without too much difficulty. It was a bit overcast the whole day and I felt like rain was imminent, however I was wrong and the rain held off all day.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets entry
The entry into the markets from the park side...and see the puppy there? First of many!

There was so many amazing stalls, a few I recognized from the markets held in the city on Wednesdays but a lot I didn't. It really was very exciting. The air was filled with so many exciting smells and all around were colourful foods. And I'll tell you something else - there were so many dogs! Dogs of every shape and size! I could barely walk a few metres without spotting another happy wagging tail or ball of fluff.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets small white puppy!
I turned into a bit of a dog creep and tried to take photos of the puppies without drawing attention to my dog obsession...

Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets styling puppy!
Look at this cutie and her styling hair!
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets blurry puppy!
Bit blurry but you get the idea...LOTS OF DOGS! Also, I should add that there were big dogs too! All dogs are welcome!
The first thing I bought was a couple of goat pies from The Goat Pie Guy. My friend at work is a frequent customer of this stall at the city markets and I am always promising to go get a couple for me and Mr. Cakes to have for dinner but I don't really want to shove two pies in my bike basket. Well, wasn't I pleased to see him there! I bought two of the Deluxe Goat pies and since mum grabbed two as well, we got four of them for $25.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets the goat guy pies
Look at these babies! Can't wait to get them in my belly!



Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets levain bakery bread
The peasant loaf from Levain...ain't nothing peasant looking about it to me!
Mum the got some bread, a multigrain loaf of peasant bread from Levain Bakery then we came across the most delicious, plump looking raspberries from My Berries! And so cheap! A large container was $10 and a small only $6! That's a bargain, friend.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets raspberries
Those are the large containers for $10! That's so good! I'm gonna make something amazing with raspberries soon and will be back for a large container!


Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets raspberries
Mmmm you're coming home with me!
We wondered down another alley way and with each subsequent strawberry stall, the berries seemed to get redder, plumper, sweeter and the best thing - cheaper! I had to get some. I bought two 500g containers of premium strawberries for $9.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets strawberries
Strawberry fields forever!...or for like, 2 metres. Which is still a lot of strawberries.
The wonderful produce didn't stop there! I spied the hugest avocados at $6 for three and they were so huge, I didn't think I'd need all of them so split them with mum, she got two and I got one huge avocado.  
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets avocado
Look at the size of this thing! It's like a half kilo avo! Like an ostrich egg or something.

We wondered back down the same aisle on the other side. I can't resist a brownie and I can't resist heart shaped things so when I saw heart shaped brownies from I Heart Brownies, of course I bought one.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets I Heart Brownies
I could do some damage here...


Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets I Heart Brownies lovely brownie lady
The lovely I Heart Brownies lady...If I were a professional brownie maker, I'd be smiling too!
Oh my goodness, oh my stars. It was a damn good brownie and I know good brownies. They were dense, fudgy with chunks of chocolate...so good. If you go to these markets, find this lady. So good. 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets I Heart Brownies brownie
I literally just went "ooooh" out loud looking at this photo.

Then I was on a roll and as you know, along with brownies and heart shaped things, a love of mine is French things. I spied French Sin, who hail from Noosa, and then I spied their chocolate croissants. And also, I completed the whole transaction with the owner in French! Tres bien, oui? Oui.
 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets chocolate croissant
This was so buttery and flaky and it had chocolate in it. I really don't need to say more - perfection! Oh I went and said more.
After dropping our shopping off at the car to save our arms getting tired, I returned to find mum with a basket full of fresh produce. She got literally a basket full for under $20. Crazy good prices. I took the chance to practice my amateurish photography on the crisp, fresh vegetables displayed in bountiful piles. 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets potatoes
One potato, two potato, hot potato...

 

Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets eggplants/unicorn eggs
Unicorn eggs...Loyal reader will get that.
 

Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets big chillis
I LOVE THESE CHILLIS! They called them sweet chilli's, I call them banana chilli's. We can both be right!
 

Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets broc and cauli
My old buddy broccoli and my frenemy, cauliflower. I just don't know bout you, cauli. Broc, we cool.
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets basket of produce
This was the basket at the beginning! What a veggie heaven.
We walked down the one remaining aisle we hadn't been down and stopped at the fishmonger where mum got a whole fish, a wonderful looking snapper, for $17! I couldn't believe the prices! 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets fish
The fresh fish!

After seeing all the stalls and buying so much fresh produce as well as a few treats, I will definitely be back to these markets! They had a great atmosphere and were bigger than the Wednesday city ones with the added convenience of parking and a means to take the armfuls of goods home.  
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets flowers and not rhubarb
There are flowers there too! And rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb! Oh those are beets. There was rhubarb though.

And even though I'd had a treat or two, I still had room for some breakfast so off we went to find somewhere to eat...and the review of Chester Street Bakery will follow soon! 
Cassie Cakes Jan Powers Markets bye bye markets
Bye bye markets! Bye bye puppies! See you soon!

3 comments:

  1. Ooohhh fresh food markets are the best! Great for the hip pocket if not for the hips themselves :3

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  2. thanks so much cassie cakes ! lulu makes the brownies herself, stuart picks and grows those berries himself as does the avocado man! we have 27 real farmers at that market! i encourage dogs all our atm profits go to RSPCA… and i see you kinda like fitness, in spring i am hiring two yoga legends, Simon Kerle and Mandy Shearn to do free yoga at 6… lots of things coming up ! sammypower93@gmail.com thank you , id like to give you some "market money !" i also like getting new musical talent...

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for having such an amazing event! It's really great to be able to connect with our food growers like that and anyone who's a friend of dogs is a friend of mine! I'll definitely be bak really soon and give those yoga classes a go once they'd up an running too! Thanks again! :D

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