Healthy eating can be the last thing you have time to think about when you have papers due and midterms to study for. is curried chickpeas with spinach and
tomatoes recipe is an opportunity to cook a healthy meal while fulfilling your craving for a warm and comforting
dish.
This recipe was made with students in mind. It’s flavourful, delicious, nutritious and simple to make with accessible ingredients from your local grocery store or the
Hamilton Farmers’ Market. Unlike the other aspects of student life, cooking can be uncomplicated. This recipe is fast and easy to make regardless of skill level.
Have a little more time on your hands? is recipe is made to serve four and is perfect for sharing a homemade meal with your friends or housemates. Complete your curried chickpeas dish with flatbread, naan or steamed white rice.
Curried chickpeas also taste better the next day and freeze well too, so make sure to make the full batch and freeze the rest for those tight days.
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Joanne Rappos is the Hamiltonian home cook behind Olive and Mango, a food blog dedicated to sharing her recipes from a variety of food cultures, including her native Greece and Caribbean in fluences from her husband’s side of the family. From Rappos’ popular sheet pan meals, like Greek shrimp with tomatoes and feta, to her golden lemon ricotta wa ffles, there’s something for everyone try making in their own kitchen.
The Olive and Mango blog and Instagram feed are thoughtfully curated with photographs worth getting hunger pangs over, which may just be the push we need to get inspired by her recipes. Rappos’ was just as careful with creating this curried chickpeas recipe for the Sil, she even relies on it at least once a week because it’s just that good.
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On Dec. 8, 2018 Jamaican Patty Shack food truck owners, Michael Thompson and Wendy Wright, introduced a piece of the island to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. Driven by the positive responses to their twists on classic beef patties, the couple decided to set up shop in a permanent location.
Thompson and Wright started the Jamaican Patty Shack food truck in July 2018 at the Because Beer Craft Beer Festival. The idea had been in their heads for a long time after the Jamaican couple had noticed a lack of availability of patties in the Hamilton area.
Since establishing the food truck, the couple has garnered public recognition that has drawn individuals from far and wide to taste their patties. They recently had a woman from Toronto come to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market simply to have their patties. When they visited Toronto for the Mac & Cheese Festival and Buskerfest last year, they were also invited to Toronto city hall by mayor John Tory.
[spacer height="20px"]The two have been involved in both culinary arts and customer service for a while, having done catering previously. Thompson traces his interest in food service back to his teenage years, working as a manager in Dairy Queen and in a West Indian restaurant called Willie’s Jerk. Wright is a baker and previously worked in a food truck in Toronto. By putting their heads together, the two came up with the idea of a Jamaican patty food truck.
“It's for people on the go. It's fast. It's affordable. Our main aim… was to feed people on the go [for] ten dollars and under [so it’s] easy on the pocket,” said Thompson.
It’s not only the affordability of the patties that has contributed to its wide appeal but the customizability and variety that the Jamaican Patty Shack offers. This is not simply a spot for the traditional beef patty. Customers can top up their patty according to their own taste, adding ingredients such as cheese or jerk chicken or having their patty wrapped, stuffed, or grilled.
[spacer height="20px"]Both out-of-the-box thinkers, the couple is continuously experimenting at home with different flavours. The result is a number of unique twists, such the pattaco — a patty dressed up as a taco — or the reggae patty which is cut open and filled with jerk chicken coleslaw. With their innovations on a traditional recipe, the couple honours the history of the patty.
“Our main slogan is ‘Out of Many, One Patty’ and that's… because of the Jamaican coat of arms which is ‘Out of Many, One People’ and so a lot of different cultures is what comes together to make Jamaica… [T]he patty has evolved from different cultures,” said Thompson.
By setting up shop in the Farmers’ Market, the couple also honours the market tradition in Jamaica. Providing fresh and quality food is important to the duo so they utilize produce from local farmers in their patties.
[spacer height="20px"]Setting up in the market also places Jamaican Patty Shack in the city they love and live in. Since coming to the Farmers’ Market, the Stoney Creek residents have discovered something of a family among the friendly and supportive market crowd. Being able to have personable and meaningful interactions with the members of the community they interact with every day was key to them.
“We want customers to feel happy to come and excited about coming to our spot… We're trying to recreate that little piece of vacation that people have in their mind or in their memories so they come and we have a lit palm tree in the back, some reggae music playing and the service is always positive,” said Wright.
Looking to the future, Thompson and Wright hope to have pop-up shops on the outskirts of Hamilton. They are also looking into donating food to local food banks at the end of the day in order to give back to the community which has supported them as they have established their truck and taken root in the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.
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At The Flyin G’nosh, Chef Mandip serves up Indian-inspired and street-styled eats that will overcome you with acute nostalgia for summer days at festivals despite the winter weather.
Market visitors can enjoy Supercrawl favourites such as paneer and tandoori chicken tacos to more wholesome and traditional meals like chana masala served with rice and salad.
For two years before becoming a vendor at the market, The Flyin G’nosh food truck has impressed hungry festival-goers all over Ontario, and Hamilton was no exception. For Chef Mandip, who is a Milton resident, Hamilton’s enthusiasm for his creations drove him and his food truck to the market.
“In Hamilton, people are instantly drawn to you, they remember you. People have come up to me at different events or the next year and say ‘do you remember me?’ and I’ll say ‘I remember you because you did that the last time we were here’, and they’re like ‘that’s right, I love your food!’” explained Chef Mandip.
Chef Mandip’s decision to create a permanent location for The Flyin G’nosh at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market had been in the works for a year, but he was waiting for just the right moment. The market is supportive of small-businesses and now that it’s busier, T he Flyin G’nosh has joined the comradery of vendors.
Nestled between Pokeh and the Eat Industries’ ramen bar, The Flyin G’nosh brings together the unique flavours of Indian and global foods to an already impressive array of diverse foods at the market.
Chef Mandip’s dishes are inspired by his experiences as a Canadian-born child of Indian parents. He grew up eating Indian food at home, and every chance he had to eat at restaurants was an opportunity to explore the diversity of foods around him.
As a young teenager who was eager for spending money, he started working at restaurants, but after going to college for engineering, he realized his heart was still with the food industry. He then decided to pursue culinary school at George Brown College.
Since then, Chef Mandip has used all the things he learned as a chef and has applied them to the flavours that he grew up with to create The Flyin G’nosh.
“I wanted to make sure that it was still trendy with an urban-feel. I didn’t want it to feel like you were at your grandmother’s house or at an Indian restaurant down the street, I wanted it to be fun and fresh. It’s a different take on the things that you’re already used to eating,” said Chef Mandip.
Chef Mandip is also big on flavour. He always tried to maintain the quality of his ingredients and believes that Indian food doesn’t have to be overly spicy, but it definitely has to have lots of flavour and texture as a “wow” factor.
He also focuses on deploying concepts from different cultural cuisines to make handheld and easy to eat street-style foods, such as tacos and kebabs, while still reiterating the flavours associated with Indian food.
“I’ve been trying to make food accessible in a way that will make people enjoy it without having to sit down like a traditional meal,” explained Chef Mandip.
However, considering the market environment and the ease of limitations that previously restricted the food truck, The Flyin G’nosh menu also includes meals such as mixed vegetables or chicken tikka masala with rice and salad to satisfy market-goers on dinner breaks.
Despite adding more traditionally-styled dishes, Chef Mandip’s goal is still to serve unique food in a fast, casual and convenient way. This means avoiding twenty-minute waits typically experienced at traditional restaurants, but still having the option to sit down in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Slow roasted porchetta, thin-sliced beef, classic salsa verde and crispy onions are just some of the ingredients hailed the best on artisan buns by Best on Bread founder and chef, Grant Whittaker.
The handcrafted and gourmet sandwiches made an appearance while Whittaker was working on the MeatVentures food truck this past summer. Driven by passion, dedication and a reality check from his wife, Tina Whittaker, the artisan sandwich shop found a home in the market.
Whittaker has twenty years of experience in the restaurant industry underneath his chef’s hat. He was barely out of elementary school when he started learning recipes from Vito, a chef at an Italian restaurant he worked at in his youth.
Whittaker found himself in the fine dining scene as a head chef at wineries in Grimsby and Niagara before leaving the industry to take on construction jobs to support his growing family.
“Best on Bread is kind of like my wife’s brainchild.… She saw how miserable I was. She could tell that’s not where my heart was. She said ‘you have to go out on your own’,” said Whittaker.
“I just got back into the Hamilton food scene and realized how much it was growing, and how much there was a niche for people like me and that was it. It was my time.”
As the name implies, Whittaker carefully selects the best and highest quality ingredients when creating his menu for the market vendor and his catering business. He finds inspiration from the Food Network, an occasional episode of Julia Child and the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine for his recipes.
More importantly, he stays up to date with the next big thing from the sources of his ingredients: the farmers and butchers.
“They know what’s coming up, what’s going to be fresh and what’s the best thing I can put on my menu. So I kind of let them guide me.… You listen to the people that know the ingredients and you go from there,” explained Whittaker.
Best on Bread is by no means limited by sandwiches. Whittaker also creates crostini, an Italian appetizer made up of sliced and toasted bread, which he tops with lobster rolls, smoked duck prosciutto and sometimes foie gras for a luxurious twist for his catering clients.
As for the vendor, customers can choose from four signature sandwiches or choose their own ingredients as well as seasonal sides, such as polenta and risotto. Sometimes, Whittaker will make his sandwiches a little special for the people who come by.
“I’m kind of like a bartender too, you can talk to me about how your day’s been… sometimes I’ll customize a sandwich for a customer… I want to get to know the customers that come to me,” said Whittaker.
The Hamilton Farmer’s Market creates a unique and welcoming atmosphere for Best on Bread. Whittaker is not only interacting with market visitors, but other vendors who make up a supportive community.
Whittaker started Dinner at the Market, where he picks up local produce from vendors at the market and lets the ingredients inspire a new dish. He then invites everyone over for a bite.
“It’s so tight-knit, it’s really family-like.… It’s such a community down there and I wish I could show people who don’t come down that experience, every day, because it will make them come back all the time,” explained Whittaker.
In due time, Best on Bread hopes to expand and maybe add some duck to the menu. For now, visitors can enjoy some Figgy Blue beef and Rosa porchetta.
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When Carlota Cisneros immigrated to Canada six years ago, she got her new life off the ground by working at a local Staples. Although the company taught her about the workings of a new country, Cisneros has always been a cook at heart.
She would bring forth this passion at work parties, baking cakes and other delicacies without charge. The reception was always an astounding success – everyone loved her food.
After a coworker questioned why she wasn’t pursuing cooking for a living, the rest became history.
Since then, she has introduced Divine Mexican Kitchen (soon to be renamed to just Mexican Kitchen), a popular stall that offers everything from authentic Mexican tostadas to a cup of Ethiopian dark roast coffee.
“I still remember when my co-worker suggested that I [pursue cooking] as a living – I was so shocked,” she said.
“Even though I loved cooking, the thought never even crossed my mind because it seemed [like an impossible feat]. I told her: ‘I am penniless, I have no money to start a restaurant.’”
At that point, Cisneros’ friend introduced her to the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, meaning she would not have to open a full restaurant to sell her food.
“It was the first time I had ever heard of something like that… when I [went to visit], I fell in love right away,” said Cisneros.
Cisneros, known affectionately around the market as Katy, emphasized that all of her food is both authentic and fresh; she sources ingredients from neighbours around the market for her tostadas, tamales, quesadillas, tacos and even Mexican pozole soup, among other delicacies. Besides traditional Mexican cuisine, Cisneros also offers fantastic homemade chocolates and cakes, as well as freshly-brewed coffee.
But it wasn’t always this way.
“I started [Divine Mexican Kitchen] over a year ago now with only chocolates, cakes and coffee… I brought [my coffee] directly from Ethiopia, which I fell in love with. But everyone I knew kept asking me where the Mexican food was… a few of them started to come by and I just started to serve them food naturally even though it wasn’t on my menu.”
Although Cisneros has since added Mexican food to her menu, she still prepares dishes that customers request.
“I still say yes to requests, but my customer base has grown so large now that sometimes I get myself into a bit of trouble by saying yes all the time,” she said.
"I still remember when my co-worker suggested that I [pursue cooking] as a living - I was so shocked."
Carlota Cisneros
Owner, Divine Kitchen
Customers old and new stop by to praise both her dependable menu items and to request an off-menu Mexican dish they crave.
Word of her talent has spread beyond the market, allowing her to do catering jobs on the market’s off days. Just a few weeks ago, the city of Hamilton hired Cisneros to make hors d’oeuvres for 200 people at an event. Although she enjoys catering, Cisneros’ heart lies with the market.
“I adore being [at the market]. It really, really is like a big family. Everybody knows each other and the kids come by to say hello… I consider it as an extension of my own family. It’s funny… everyone is surprised, especially my husband, that I’m loving this so much. My husband used to tell me how I wouldn’t be able to keep this up, how it’s not for me and that it’s too much… but here I am, and I am loving it more than ever.”
When asked what visitors of Divine Mexican Kitchen can expect, Cisneros says that the experience goes beyond just excellent food.
“I’m really proud of the hospitality and atmosphere here… my customers tell me how it always feels very happy when they visit… every day I am excited to open the store because even though people are so different, they all love my food. Whether you are Mexican, Canadian or any other ethnicity, I hope my food will help you build connections with all types of people and connect you with our little family here at the Mexican Kitchen.”
Over the four days that the Hamilton Farmer’s Market is open each week, crowds flock to the lower level where the Eat Industries, Henry Brown’s Small Batch Ice Cream and Pokeh stalls are located.
While many people make a bee-line to one of these popular spots upon entering the market, dozens of other stalls that offer interesting products and eclectic finds are neglected along the way.
Here are two businesses to keep on your radar the next time you stop by.
Gourmet Veggie Foods is dedicated to all things vegetarian – with a twist.
Rather than the traditional vegetarian options that Western society is accustomed to, owners David So and Joyce So offer Southeast Asian-styled vegetarian options that include mushroom chicken, veggie steak and delectable steamed buns, among a variety of other products.
Four years ago, feeling limited by retirement, So left his wife and son in Markham, Ont., and moved to Hamilton on his own in order to realize his dream of introducing southeast Asian-styled vegetarian cuisine to others.
He has since opened his stall at the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, all the while accumulating a solid customer base and hosting “veggie nights” every month, where customers are invited to So’s house for a vegetarian potluck dinner.
“My products are very special; not too many people in Hamilton recognize [southeast Asian-styled] vegetarian cuisine. To be honest, I’ve been struggling for the past two years because business [hasn’t been that great]. But my purpose here is not to make business. At this point, I’ve [sort of accepted] that business won’t be great. It’s just a little wish of mine to promote [my style of vegetarian cuisine] to people… let’s say there are [half a million] Hamiltonians.”
So explained that if he could convince ten percent of those people to try his veggie products, and another one percent actually cut down their meat consumption by once a week, many animals could be saved.
Currently, So is offering a healthy and tasty ginger tea concoction that he brewed up himself.
“This is what I call the Gourmet Double Ginger Tea. It uses tamarind, two different kinds of ginger and is marinated with honey. The tamarind and ginger improves your immune system,” said So.
“There is a saying in Chinese that goes: ‘ginger is the poor man’s ginseng.’ Essentially, ginger is [an ingredient that has many health benefits]. If one eats two slices of ginger every day, you may even look younger – like me! I recommend this drink, and ginger in general, to all ages. Come by and have a try.”
John Snieder, the owner of Fenwick Flowers, is known at the Hamilton Farmer’s Market as one of the most personable and charismatic vendors around.
Having worked in wholesale for forty years prior to opening his stall, Sneider is able to offer the best quality products for great prices.
His years of experience in the industry has given him a great working knowledge of what is available; his store is always blooming with ravishing flowers of all types and a variety of succulents that are perfect for students who can’t seem to keep any plant alive.
"I look at the market as not just a place to shop but a place to build relationships. It becomes an experience."
John Snieder
Owner, Fenwick Flowers
When asked how he enjoys the switch from wholesale to retail at the market, Snieder expresses nothing but joy.
“I love it. It’s very enjoyable. It’s a great atmosphere… there are lots of friendly people and I have a great working relationship with other vendors… I have customers who have become good friends… I look at the market as not just a place to shop but a place to build relationships. It becomes an experience. I often tell my wife that Hamilton is known as the Steel Town but the market steals your heart.”
Although he recommends all of his products, Snieder says customers shouldn’t just come to him for his flowers and foliage. “I want people to swing by my little shop and just enjoy the experience. Wouldn’t it be nice for everyone to just [pause for a moment] in their busy days and stop to smell the roses?”
Regardless of what anyone says, the only universal language that matters is delicious food. Sure, we all have our own tastes and preferences, but a good meal can bring people together more than the release of GTA V or a hatred for Miley Cyrus.
And although delicious food seems to only come from fine dining experiences or our grandma’s kitchens, it’s more accessible than many of us know.
Locavores. Yes, that is a real term. They have one up on foodies of the city, and continue to indulge in consistently delicious food by eating locally and experiencing fresh and tasty meals. A locavore is someone who eats local food that has been grown or produced within a designated radial area of his or her choice.
Local food is commonly defined as any product farmed within a 160-kilometer radius of your residence. But currently, in grocery stores and farmer’s markets across the province, local has become more synonymous with “organic” and can include food from within a 1,500-kilometer radius, stretching all across Ontario.
Hamilton is a hotspot for local farmers' markets and homegrown produce. Its proximity to rural areas in Ancaster, Waterdown and Vineland are easily accessed from markets across the city.
Buying specialized produce can seem like a hassle, but it is easier and cheaper than many assume. You don’t need to take a stance as strong as a locavore, but purchasing local food is a process that can be easily eased into.
The largest and most accessible farmers' market for Mac students is the Hamilton Farmers' Market located at 35 York Boulevard. Since 1837, the market has been going strong at the corner of York and James, selling produce, meat and dairy products. Not even a 15-minute journey, one bus ride and a short walk will bring you to this two-storey market.
With such a long history, it’s natural that students have and should be drawn to it.
“You can always tell when school starts,” says Cheryl Berry, of Fleetwood Farms in Harley, Ont. whose family has been taking part in the Hamilton Farmer’s Market for three generations.
“We get a lot of students,” she says. “Food from the market is so much fresher.”
Although Fortino’s and Metro offer up some wonderful genetically modified creations, there’s no denying that farm-picked goods are fresher and healthier.
And surprisingly, most of the produce available at farmers' markets is noticeably cheaper than that of large grocery stores. Farmers price their crops competitively to increase sales and sell their crop yield for the year. At the HFM, you can expect to find baskets of apples for three dollars, green beans for two dollars, and bunches of grapes for less than three dollars. I mean, really, you can’t go wrong.
Ian Walker, a fourth-year Classics student and employee of De la Terre Bakery in Vineland (a bread supplier at the HFM) explains that it’s not just about the taste or price of the food that should convince you to buy locally, but the bigger picture of sustainable local economies.
“Buying locally is important for the environment, as well as knowing where your food comes from… but it’s also important because the money you spend goes back into your economy,” he says.
Joleen Schmidt, a third-year Honours Cognitive Science of Language student, grew up on a large-scale dairy farm in Tavistock, Ont. where she saw first-hand how local food is curated and how important it is to support farm sales.
“All of our dairy is sold to a supplier in our town,” she says.
“It’s up to farmers to produce their quota for the year and sell it, otherwise an entire farm can go downhill. It’s something that we’ve seen happen to some of our neighbouring farmers,” she adds.
Farms depend on sales to keep themselves supported and up and running. By buying local and contributing to the economy of our city and its surrounding areas, you’ll be helping farmers, and helping yourself.
And as someone who spent a lifetime growing up on locally-grown food, Schmidt had something to say about the difference homegrown makes.
“There’s a huge difference! A lot of our local crops are smaller, but it tastes a lot better. Corn on the cob, my lord, don’t get me started on that! Farmers feed cities! It tastes better, and you feel healthier knowing where your food came from and what’s in it,” she says.
Local food is decidedly delicious. And shopping for products from close to home is easy and rewarding. The next time you need to go grocery shopping, consider stopping by a nearby market and picking something up from your native territory. I assure you, you will have a fresh and exciting experience.
Farmers' Market
Dos & Don’ts
DO shop around: walking into a farmers' market, especially one as large as the York Street location, can be intimidating. Take some time to walk around and compare prices and food quality. All the farmers are pretty friendly and non-confrontational, so you should be fine.
DO read the fine print: a few sellers will also be marketing outsourced produce often from the U.S. I made the rookie mistake of accidentally purchasing strawberries labeled “Product of California”- don’t follow in my footsteps. Double-check your labels before handing over your cash.
DON’T go for the biggest seller: some stands will be exceedingly larger than others, but that doesn’t mean their produce is better quality. Let me tell you, bigger is not always better.
DO ask for a sample: use your judgment with this one. Grapes, cherry tomatoes, cheese, some products are definitely conducive to sampling. But when it comes to potatoes or squash or a loaf of bread, mull over what you think is appropriate and remind yourself that this isn’t Costco.
DO bring your own reusable bag: don’t be that person who puts their fresh local produce into a bag that will sit in a landfill for decades on end.
Seasonal Foods to look for
During the months of September, October and November, you can expect to find:
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Pumpkin
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
- And so much more…
