Brekkie by bike

Where Marrickville

Why On the morning after two social engagements 70km apart
– a beautiful afternoon wedding at the Norman Lindsay gallery in Faulconbridge followed by an indulgent inner west dinner party
– I didn’t exactly feel like another mammoth bike-food mission.
But five minutes uphill is still something, so I set off solo for
a greedy, feel-good tour of my local organic and farmers market (Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville – open Sundays 8:30am-3pm).


What began as a humble, ramshackle collection of stalls has become a thriving inner westie destination. At 11.30am the car park was already full and the main thoroughfare was packed with people. I found a place to park the bike and made my way back past the secondhand stalls to peruse the produce on offer.

First up, a Bilpin grower selling unwaxed new-season Fuji and Jonagold apples. He said the Jonagold were his favourite and a quick tasting confirmed how good they were – crisp, tangy-sweet and refreshing. With my bike bag two kilos heavier, I spied a stall selling exotic mushrooms, including some hard-to-find varieties that are cultivated in former railway tunnels. My mixed bag included nameko, wood ear and chestnut mushrooms, so I’m all set for some Sunday night pasta.



Onto the real agenda: breakfast. A tidy stall caught my eye promising “steam-baked muffins” fresh from a pair of on-site steam ovens. Sceptical, I surveyed the interesting flavours on display – for the sweet of tooth, chocolate muffin with chocolate ganache, pumpkin cheesecake with pink lady marmalade; or cinnamon with applescotch jam; for savoury types, spinach & ricotta with basil pesto, smoked salmon with dill cream cheese, bacon & zucchini with tomato relish or the very tempting four cheese with onion & rhubarb jam. The apple wedge had woken up my tastebuds so a cinnamon-sugar hit was the logical next step.


Brown paper bag in hand, I wandered further, grabbing a tray of flawless-looking figs to go with the half-eaten wedge of gorgonzola in my fridge, and a giant bunch of rhubarb to roast for dessert. Something else had caught my eye on the way in – a Malaysian stall selling “breakfast roti” – homemade roti canai filled with kaya (coconut & pandan jam).


The area is temporarily home to an award-winning art installation by my cousin Ed Horne – a 3m-long tank sculpted from old filing cabinets and other office junk – so I chose a comfy bench behind it as my picnic spot.

Sadly, in the baking autumn sun my breakfast roti didn’t live up to expectations – it was a little too greasy and chewy, the kaya too eggy for my taste, like the filling in a yum cha custard tart – so halfway through I abandoned it and dived into the paper bag. Surprise! With a crisp crust and soft, bouncy crumb, gooey jam centre and cinnamon-dusted top, it was muffin heaven.


The smiling stallholder said they’ve been going for only eight months, but it looks like she’s onto a winner. You’ll find the stall at Orange Grove and Fox Studios farmers markets, too.

How From Marrickville station, turn right onto Illawarra Rd then left onto Petersham Rd. Continue across Marrickville Rd past the library, following the road onto Centennial St. Cross Sydenham Rd and take the path alongside the tennis courts and Henson Park.


At the top, go straight then turn right onto Charles Street. Turn left at Illawarra Rd and ride one block up to Addison Rd, then hop off and walk along the footpath to the markets.

Damage 2kg Jonathon apples, $7; mushrooms $5 for 100g; breakfast roti $4; Ragamuffin muffins $2.50 each or 6 for $12; rhubarb $4 bunch.

Distance About 2km (one way)

Tips
• Walking your bike through the market on a busy day like I did is a recipe for disaster – don’t do it. If you can’t park near the entrance, turn right and find something near the car park instead.
• Don’t forget to browse for bargains at the Bower Re-use & Repair Centre. http://www.bower.org.au/
• Bread lovers beware – the shelves at the Brasserie Bread stall were bare when I arrived there, but one smart shopper had a loaf of the gorgeous caramelised garlic bread put aside for her before it sold out.