The sap is rising and already we’re fantasizing about fiddleheads, rhubarb and wild leeks.

But until the crocuses pop we’ll keep stuffing our bags with gourmet delights from these fantastic year-round farmers’ markets:

• Dufferin Grove (Thursday 3 p.m.-7 p.m.)
Fresh breads, sheepmilk cheeses and lamb pies.

• St. Lawrence Market (every Saturday from 5 a.m.)
Ewenity Dairy cheeses, red fife pasta, seafood, spices and flowers.

• The Stop’s Green Barn Farmers’ Market (Saturday 8 a.m.–1 p.m.) 

Raw cocoa beans, honey, artisinal crackers, mushrooms and more. 

• Regional 'n' Artisanal Food Market at CBC, (monthly until April)
Organic spelt flour, jams, baguettes and local artisan cheeses.

Step aside Nigella, there’s a new goddess in the kitchen whipping up wholesome treats like cauliflower cheese, pear and ginger muffins and grilled bananas with Greek yogurt and agave.

Model turned writer, Sophie Dahl brings a sweet, nostalgic voice to the subject of food in her first cookbook, Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights ($36.99). “A welcome dream was a cloud made of trifle, a slick spring bubbling with chocolate or a fountain bursting with forbidden Sprite or Cherry Coke, ” she writes in her intro.

Herewith, a recipe for Clover Dahl's (Sophie’s younger sister) Carnation milk jelly:

1 packet strawberry jelly

125ml cup hot water

1 can evaporated milk

Slices of strawberry, swirls of cream and curls of chocolate to decorate (optional)

Dissolve the jelly in the hot water. When the mixture is cool, whisk in the evaporated milk until the mixture is thick and frothy. Leave it to set for at least two hours. Cover the jelly with strawberry slices, swirls of cream and curls of grated chocolate, if you wish - the camper the better, really.

At Good Egg, 267 Augusta Ave.,Toronto, 416-593-4663, www.goodegg.ca

We love nothing more than a plate full of homemade pierogies, but if the thought of rolling, stuffing and pinching dough all afternoon turns you off, head to Zagloba Deli for delicious dumplings like Babcia used to make.

Run by a family of Polish immigrants, the Deli (as long-time customers call it) is known for its Ruskie pierogi ($4.80/dozen)—delicate dough filled with the perfect amount of potato and cheese.

With row after row of fresh, homemade food, you’ll have a hard time choosing. We love to warm up with a bowl of delicious bean soup ($2.99) and follow up with a traditional cabbage roll dinner with mashed potatoes and kapusta ($6.99).

Polish off your meal with a pint of Zywiec.

Zagloba Deli, 2555 Dixie Rd., Mississauga, 905-279-9925.

Nigella Lawson may be able to bake brownies in a ballgown, but we’re far too clumsy to even try.

In fact, the domestic goddess rarely even wears a pinny – a staple in our kitchen. We like the cute options ($39) at Domistyle. They come in various colours and prints and many are hand-embroidered with flirty messages like "Caution: Hot Dish."

Now we need one for the beau that says "Kitchen Nightmare."

www.domistylegifts.com

The city has coffee bars and tea lounges aplenty, but where to go for an energy boosting shot of yerba mate?

Look no further than El Almacen, Toronto’s first yerba mate café. Made from the leaves of a tree that’s in the same family as holly, Argentina’s national drink tastes a bit like green tea and is loaded with anti-oxidants.

At Almacen, your mate is served in a traditional cured gourd with a bombilla (a filter-tipped metal straw) to sip it from.

Mate can be drunk at any time of the day, but the most important part of the tradition is that it’s drunk en masse.

Get your Gaucho and head on over.

El Almacen, 1078 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-516-2898.

“Como pan caliente”—“Like hot bread.” That's what Mexicans say when something is so popular it's being snapped up as quickly as it's made.

And indeed, it’s impossible to step inside Pancho’s Bakery without snapping up a few bolillos (French rolls) or conchas (a seashell-shaped egg bun with a chocolate or vanilla topping).

Also delicious are the rebanadas, (slices of buttered bread sprinkled with sugar) and the yoyos (cookies with strawberry jam between them) are prefect for dipping in hot chocolate.

Now, that’s what we call a dulce vita.

214 Augusta Ave., Toronto, 416-854-8770, www.panchosbakery.ca

Toronto has tortillerias, tratorias, tavernas and tapas. And now, an authentic izakaya finally joins the mix.

Izakayas are Japanese watering holes where the after-work crowd goes to nibble on small bites and knock-back sake before heading home to dinner. Guu Izakaya is the first Toronto outpost of the popular Vancouver-based group of restaurants.

It’s loud and lively and bursting with character. Cozy up at one of the four communal tables and dig into kakimayo (giant oysters with garlic mayo, spinach and cheese, $6.80), gindara (miso-flavoured cod, $9.50), and okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pancakes, $6.50). Wash it all down with a mug of Sapporo.

Lineups are snaking out the door, so we suggest bringing a bag of turtle shell senbei for the wait.

Guu Izakaya, 398 Church St, Toronto, 416-977-0999, www.guu-izakaya.com

Just when we thought we’d cracked our no dough diet, the tease of slow roasted beef brisket on a springy white bun became too much to take.

Black Camel’s brisket takes five days to prepare and is so tasty, tender and moist we could have gone for a second.

Just as tempting are the seared steak and roasted pulled chicken sandwiches, and for the veggie there’s a delicious roma tomato, red pepper, arugula and eggplant option.

Of course, we could eat the fillings sans bread, but where’s the fun in that?

Tip: Sandwiches sell out fast, so check Twitter for updates and daily specials. 

Black Camel, 4 Crescent Rd., Toronto, 416-929-7518, www.blackcamel.ca

Ever since we watched Augustus Gloop fall into a chocolate river, we’ve dreamed of doing the same (minus the part where we get sucked up a pipe to the fudge room).

But while we wait for an invite from Wonka, Odile Chatelain’s truffles will more than do.

Pick from Mexicana (tequila, candied lime peel and chipotle), Sea Breeze (vodka, candied grapefruit peel), or Bollywood (cardamom, silver leaf) and don’t miss the Fleur de Sel caramel.

All truffles use 54 per cent Callebaut Belgium chocolate and are made using all-natural organic ingredients. 

How many truffles would it take to fill a tub, I wonder?

Odile Chocolat, 829 Dundas St. W., Toronto, 416-538-1016, www.odilechocolat.com

If you think that Zurich is wall-to-wall middle-aged bankers, think again. This lively city is a hotbed of students, artists and cool entrepreneurs.

stay
Chic, cool and comfortable, The Hotel Greulich is a boutique hotel steps from the city centre. There’s no shortage of fabulous eats in Zurich, but your hotel restaurant ranks among the best. If you visit in the summer make a point to have a cocktail in the charming garden. From $180., www.greulich.ch

shop
Forget cuckoo clocks and other kitsch Swiss handicrafts, the retail scene in Zurich is decidedly hip. We found fabulous felt slippers at Hausfink, a gorgeous coral ring at Beatrice Rossi and some sensational specs at Manu Propria.

eat
Coco Chanel, Igor Stravinsky, Plácido Domingo and Yves Saint-Laurent have all eaten at the Kronenhalle. Artwork by Klee, Chagall, Matisse, Miró, and Picasso (yes, original) hangs on the walls. And the food at this local mainstay is terrific. The veal (in a cream and mushroom sauce) with rösti is delicious as is bündnerfleisch – thinly sliced, smoked, dried beef. Tip: Be sure to reserve a table downstairs. www.kronenhalle.com

drink
The Widder’s floor to ceiling shelves house over 250 varieties of whiskey, and 500 varieties of spirits too. The jazz is good and the red leather banquettes are dangerously comfortable. www.widderhotel.ch

do
Don’t leave without a visit to the Kunsthaus gallery, home to the world's largest collection of work by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti. www.kunsthaus.ch/de