LPK's Culinary Groove at the farmers' market!

I had an interview for a volunteer position in the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood today and spotted a farmers' market on my way to the subway. I just had to check it out.

The market was quite small but had a wide variety of goods: fruits and veggies, honey, soap and moisturizer made from honey, organic meats... pretty much your standard farmers' market. It also had Jamaican food, a crepe stand and a premade entree (i.e. chicken pot pie) stand. I bought some peaches and was ready to head home. Then it caught my eye... a LPK's baked goods stand with the words "organic, gluten-free, vegan".

Vegan= dairy-free! Vegans don't eat any animal products (that includes milk, honey, and gelatin). I love meat but appreciate the availability of vegan products because it makes my diet easier to follow. Treats like cupcakes and cookies are an added bonus.

LPK's farmers' market stand offered cookies, cupcakes, Nanaimo bars and a rice foccacia. I indulged in a banana cupcake with maple frosting and an Oreo-inspired cookie. I was impressed with the prices- sometimes gluten-free products are marked up because vendors know you have very little choice. At $6 for both my treats, I felt the pricing was fair and comparable to market-price baked goods at bakeries and cafes.

Left to right: chocolate chip cookie, ginger sandwich cookie, Oreo-inspired cookie

I needed an afternoon pick-me-up and coffee goes amazingly well with baked goods. I decided to use my coffee quota for this week and took a seat in the nearby Starbucks. I ordered a "tall, mild" and dug in excitedly.

First up: the banana cupcake with maple frosting. (see picture below)
- very moist, not crumbly like many gluten-free products
- sweet but not too sweet
- would definitely purchase again


Next up: the Oreo-inspired cookie. (I was going to save this for dessert tonight but couldn't resist),
- at first, I found it a bit crumbly
- tastes EXACTLY like an Oreo
- a good size (approximately as big as my palm)

I was tempted to head back to LPK's stand and buy everything in sight. Fortunately, they have a store at Queen East and Broadview and a website! Their menu is available online and lists all allergens. You can browse their website for all their products and get info for custom orders for special occasions. Everything looks so beautiful and delicious!

Finally, the environmentally-conscious would approve of LPK's Culinary Groove. They use "organic, fair trade, local and seasonal products whenever possible".

Looks like I've found my new favorite pastry shop.