When they say pocket, they mean it’s small. At first I thought it was just a poor translation or something, but no, it’s just tiny.
3 vendors were there the day I went, plus Santropol Roulant’s fresh vegetables. But three phenomenal vendors: 1 sold vinaigrettes, red coconut curry sauce, peanut sauce, and black bean chili still warm (or reheated in the sun). The second sold pickles and preserves (Crown Pickle), and the third sold vegan cookies and muffins (not gluten-free, sadly, so I couldn’t try any, but they looked delicious, especially for being vegan) and homemade Lara-style energy bars.
And the sugar snap peas from the Santropol stand were summer in a bite. There’s a real flavour when they’re fresh picked that day. Taste diminished hourly, and exponentially once refrigerated, but fresh from the vine they’re amazing.
I really liked the chili, peanut sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, and coconut curry selection because they’re canned items you don’t see too often. And they were very well-made. The chili had just enough heat, sweetness, and fresh, high-quality vegetables. It was dense but not too thick, and very colourful/appetizing, which go together. All gluten-free, too. I took it to a vegetarian potluck and someone else had happened to make tostadas with guacamole and a mango salsa. The black bean chili was the perfect combo. Everyone raved about it.
I usually prefer a fresh curry sauce at home, but they’re a bit of work and require a good blender and a pretty large clean-up, plus some sourcing of quality ingredients. Besides, these bottles of homemade sauce sure beat anything store-bought.
And Crown Pickle is a pickling company in Montreal I’d never heard of. They have a tiny online presence and a cute business cards. I didn’t sample any pickles, being knee-deep in my own preserving at the moment, but they looked made with love.
So check out the Santropol Pocket Market on Thursdays 4:30-7 I believe. Corner of Milton and Ste-Famille. There’s even a punch card you can get for $10 worth $20 of vegetables. Now that’s a bargain. $10 free of summery snap peas if they’re still around. If not, it’s getting into tomato season…Quick! Before it’s gone!
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