Blueberry Tofu Smoothie

I recently went to the Jean-Talon Market and bought myself a few pounds of fresh, wild blueberries. Because really, when a few pounds of perfect blueberries stare you in the face and say, "Eat me! Take me home!" it is impossible to resist. Though I bought them without a specific purpose, I figured I would put them to good use somehow.
It has been well over 90 degrees the past few days and, in this concrete jungle of a city, it is enough to make anyone melt. And so when I woke up to a humid apartment already in the high 80s, nothing sounded better than a refreshing cold smoothie for breakfast.
This blueberry tofu smoothie is thick and incredibly filling, unlike most smoothies I've ever had. Now do me a favor and please do not let the idea of putting tofu in your smoothie turn you off. It takes the place of yogurt and packs twice as much protein! And honestly? You can't even taste it. This smoothie is vegan, delicious, and healthy. It would be a sin not to enjoy this for breakfast.

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Jean-Talon Market

If I were Alice, the Jean-Talon Market would be my Wonderland. Located in Montreal, Quebec, it is a huge year-round farmer's market filled with every fruit and vegetable imaginable. It stocks rows and rows of some of the freshest produce around. It could take hours to simply stroll through. Once you enter the market, you are immersed in a world of sights, smells, and, best of all, tastes. Bring your appetite.
Upon entering the market, you are immediately greeted by booths selling everything from pastries and polish doughnuts to crepes and samosas. You will want a snack when undertaking farmer's market this large, trust me. There are spice shops. Specialty olive oils (with samples!). Shops with unique frozen desserts. And this is all before you reach the real focus of the market—the fresh produce.


There are stands of all sizes, shapes, and colors. My favorite ones have free samples. While one may have the juiciest peaches, the next may hold the ripest tomatoes. Taste testing fruits and vegetables for quality before I buy is something I could definitely get used to.
The vegetable selection is immense. There are chili peppers, bell peppers (in every color), eggplant, green beans, artichokes, garlic, greens of all shades and textures, asparagus, radishes, leeks, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, herbs, and more. Much more.
The fruit selection is also intimidating with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, grapes, plums, lemons, limes, tomatoes, apples, oranges... the list goes on and on.
And, if you are lucky, you might just stumble upon freshly made pasta sauce, ready for you to take home.
Or a cooking demonstration here or there.
There is always something new to learn when going to the market. In my limited Midwest knowledge of vegetables, there are (surprise, surprise) gaps in my produce recognition. For instance, I did not realize cauliflower could actually be, well, colorful! Vibrant yellows, pale greens, and vivid purples. Does this mean each color has its own unique taste? I might just have to find out.
And further still, some vegetables were just puzzling. This spiky little root left me with lots of questions about its mysterious identity. I shall call it an enigma vegetable until I can place its proper name.
Though the produce may glow with all the colors of the rainbow, there is something to be said about a dull, dirt covered root. Picked that morning, they come straight from the ground, still covered in their dirty little birthday suits.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pear Cake

I made this cake a year ago to share with my dear friends Tom, William, and Meghan who were returning from an expedition to the Grand Tetons. My intentions were sound as I assembled the ingredients and baked the cake. However, once I tasted it, all good intentions were thrown out of the window.
I ate a fourth of the cake when it was mere minutes out of the oven. For breakfast the next morning, I ate the rest. I just wanted a taste, you see. A sliver. A tiny little bite to satisfy my taste buds. And then, well, things just got out of hand. My fork began moving of its own volition. Really. You must believe me.
It is safe to say that my returning friends received exactly none of the cake I had boasted to them about. I could have made up a story about how it didn't turn out, or how I had "accidentally" dropped it on the floor, but I didn't have the heart to lie to them about a cake so dangerously good. And this cake is good. The pears keep the cake so deliciously moist and the chocolate adds a nice contrast to the fruit flavor. And then there's the browned butter. It gives the cake this lovely nutty flavor which pulls everything together... straight into your mouth.

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