The smell of tomato vines and hot peppers in the fall. The satisfying crunch of a homemade pickle paired with a fine slice of locally made jars of jam, mustard
and sauce lined up in my cupboard.
And gratitude. I have so much gratitude this fall for local growers and businesses who make good things for those of us who love to eat well.
Gull Valley Growers
Scott Epple started his career selling Gull Valley Greenhouse produce once a week, April to November, in Fort McMurray. He loved what he was doing, but was on the road constantly, so when the opportunity came up to sell at the Calgary Farmers’ Market, he took it.
Flash forward a couple of decades and, well, he and his family — including wife Jil Epple and sons — are a cornerstone of the market, selling their fresh produce and their jars of pickles and preserves, homemade spicy ketchup, bread and butter pickles, pickled asparagus, several types of tomato jams … you name it. With a couple
of exceptions, pretty much all of the ingredients are grown in Alberta.
Made with garlic, habanero peppers, bell peppers and, of course, tomatoes, the Gull Valley Growers Spicy Tomato Jam is delicious slathered on a roast beef sandwich, charcuterie (Epple’s favourite) or with a hard cheese like an old cheddar or a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Spicy Tomato Jam by Gull Valley Growers | Calgary Farmer’s Market | $10.50
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