Gursha - Ethiopian Cuisine

01/28/2024

Dear Gursha friends,

You may have noticed that it has sadly been quite a while since I’ve been at the St. John's Farmers' Market. While I have been doing private catering, I have not been able to go back to being a regular vendor at the market. I am an eternal optimist and kept thinking that I could. However, between being out of the province for long periods of time, work commitments and becoming a mum to our favourite ‘Newfiopian’ (pictured below in her traditional Ethiopian outfit :)) I have finally accepted that I can’t do everything.

I wanted to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that supported Gursha! It brought me so much joy to share my food and culture with you all. I loved chatting to you and meeting all your family members and being a small part of your weekend. The St. John's Farmers' Market is a special multicultural hub of hope and entrepreneurial spirit. Please continue to support all the great vendors there as they grow their business.

I started Gursha because I annoyed myself complaining that there wasn’t anywhere to get Ethiopian food in the city. Now, there is!

* If you’re looking for an Ethiopian restaurant Ethiopian Cuisine Plus is open at the base of signal hill.
* If you’re looking for supplies to make your own Ethiopian food, including ordering fresh injera, 'Berhane’s shop' has opened. You can find them at 279 Portugal Cove road or call 709 769 1198.

I still have many food products and culinary experiences that I’d love to bring to life. Hopefully this is more of a ‘see you later’ than a final goodbye ( there goes that optimism again).

With love and gratitude,

Mimi

Gursha, meaning a “mouthful of food” provides authentic Ethiopian cuisine at the St.John's farme

01/07/2022

Today is Ethiopian Christmas! Melkam Gena! After 40 days of fasting and eating a vegan diet, millions of Ethiopians today are eating the celebratory dish of ‘Doro Wat’ ( spicy chicken and egg stew). This is a picture of my mums Doro Wat, my absolute favourite ❤️

12/08/2021

I’ll be at the St. John's Farmers' Market this Saturday Dec 11th & next Saturday December 18th! Woo!

I’ll have some classsic favourites like doro Wat ( spicy chicken and egg), Kik ( mellow tumeric peas) and a new favourite Aklil ( marinated and slow cooked beef)

Hope to see you!

10/06/2021

This will be a great role!! Join the St. John's Farmers' Market team or please just share :)

We are hiring for a Multicultural Engagement Coordinator
For the Newfound Attachments project
Full Time contract until March 31st, 2022
$19.60 per hour

The St. John’s Farmers’ Market is looking for a Multicultural Engagement Coordinator to co-lead the Newfound Attachments Project developing a series of cross-cultural group celebrations, marketing and information campaigns, and to help foster the engagement of newcomers within the local community.

Typical duties will include:
- Working to engage with multicultural communities throughout the area
- Developing and managing in-person events intended to share food and cultural traditions both of Newcomer cultures and traditional Newfoundland cultures
- Creating and managing marketing and information campaigns celebrating different cultural holidays
- Managing Market-day activities relating to multicultural learning
- Arranging and supervising volunteers for events
- Supporting regular SJFM activities on Market and event days

Interested?
Find out all the details here:
https://stjohnsfarmersmarket.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SJFM-Multicultural-Engagement-Coordinator-2021.pdf

Deadline for applications is October 12th. We are hoping to hire as soon as possible with an anticipated start date of October 17th or October 24th .

The SJFM celebrates diversity, and is an accessible and gender-inclusive workplace.

09/30/2021

I came to Canada/ NL as an adult. I’ll be the first to admit that until I had to study for my citizenship exam a few years ago, I didn’t know very much about the history of the indigenous peoples of Canada. As an immigrant, I knew that I was intentionally coming to a new place and hoping for acceptance from all the people here.

Like other immigrants, I’ve had many opportunities in this country. The fact that I’ve been able to come here and then share my Ethiopian food & culture is a privilege. But, I’ve learnt that this opportunity and privilege that comes with Canada today, was sadly born from so much being taken away from the indigenous peoples.

Today’s Truth and Reconciliation day is one opportunity for all us living here to stop, reflect on the history and re-commit to continually educating ourselves to be better.

09/17/2021

Back at the St. John's Farmers' Market tomorrow from 9-4pm.

I’ve got some old favourites too!

Shiro - tasty chickpea stew
Minchet Alicha - hearty tumeric beef with potatoes
Miser wat - spicy red lentils

Hope to see you there 🤞🏾

09/11/2021

Morning everyone, I hope you are all safe after Larry! Today is Ethiopian new year and I was really looking forward to being at the St. John's Farmers' Market to share some injera love. Unfortunately the market doesn’t have power yet so we’ve had to cancel.

We’ll all be back next Saturday! 💚💛❤️

- SJFM Cancelled for Saturday, September 11th -

With thousands of folks still without power (including us here at the Market) and lots of people cleaning up from the mess Larry left behind, we unfortunately have to cancel the St. John's Farmers' Market for today.

We really hope to see your shining faces back again with us next Saturday.

07/27/2021

Not quite food related but, equally as fun :) I’m looking forward to participating in this ‘ladies reading room’ discussion around women and immigration in NL. It’s one of the events being organized by Persistence Theatre Company to commemorate 100 years since women in St. John’s were able to vote in Municipal elections.

Tickets to the event are free and are available from the link below!

Plan to tune in next Tuesday August 3rd RIGHT HERE at 7pm as we go live with our next Ladies' Reading Room: Women & Immigration

You are not going to want to miss this one - the evening starts a stunningly beautiful performance of Prajwala Dixit's play PRATIDHVANI, set in 1921 India and performed in movement and dance by Bharatnatyam dancer Divya Murali Krishnan, with direction by Ananya Antony, and sound design by Ana Luísa Ramos and Lacy O'Connell, with voice work by Vasantha Adluri and others.

Following the performance is our 2021 discussion, this month moderated by Dr. Sonja Boon and featuring panelists Dr. Smita Joshi, Human Rights Commissioner of Newfoundland and Labrador; Mimi Sheriff, owner and operator of Gursha - Ethiopian Cuisine, St John's; and Veselina Tomova, visual artist.

Learn more at https://www.votesforwomen100.ca/august-women--immigration.html

07/24/2021

There are soo many great vendors today at the St. John's Farmers' Market 😍
( I’m here too until 4pm)

07/17/2021

All set up at the St. John's Farmers' Market 🙂

Come and try one of my morning favourites: ‘Flavourful Ful’

07/09/2021

Happpy sunny Friday everyone! I am SUPER excited to be going back to the St. John's Farmers' Market tomorrow between 9am-4pm. I really hope to see you.

Between the lock-downs and being out of the country for a few months, It’s hard to believe it’s my first time at the market this year.

I’ll be bringing a new dish called ‘Aklil’ - it’s an aromatic and spicy beef dish from my dads hometown of Harar ❤️

12/18/2020

After two weeks I’m super excited to be back at the St. John's Farmers' Market tomorrow from 9-4pm. Tomorrow will be my last date at the market for 2020 so I really hope to see many of you ❤️

I’ll also have Minchet abish (slow cooked spicy berbere beef) tomorrow!