The first time we discovered the neighborhood farmer's market it was too late in the day to do any serious shopping. We corrected that this week. (Some might say we over-corrected.)
First, though, we had to get lost on the way there, even though (as later became obvious after we also got lost on the way back), all we had to do was stay on our street and keep walking about 5 blocks until we ran into it. We had come prepared with a large carrier bag, a small carrier bag (filled with extra plastic bags to reuse), and Ken's backpack. We needed them all.
[The following three videos were added to the blog in June. You'll notice the difference in how we are dressed! I took these because it looked and sounded like the market at its livliest best: the stall owners calling out their produce and prices, people jostling, and Ken doing his best in Greek while the guy on the other side of the transaction answers in English . . .
. . . Now back to our regular programming . . . lol]
Here's what we bought:
Beets, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, red peppers (to make vegetable borscht.) I made it as soon as we got back from the market and we had it for lunch. There's a lot of soup left over and lots of the raw materials to make more. (I'll have to find Greeks who eat borscht and invite them over!) In the US, celery and leeks are grown to be shorter and fatter. Here (lower right corner of the table, see below) they are thinner but over two feet long.
Lettuce (three different kinds), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, rocket (we call it arugula)--for salads.
Pomegranates, strawberries, kiwi.
Broccoli, zucchini, and "horta"--a leafy green vegetable that looks like a cross between escarole and spinach (It's the big bag on the upper left corner of the table). Delicious steamed with garlic and olive oil.
4 kilos (about 9 pounds) of tangerines. This afternoon, we turned 2 kilos into what the Greeks call "spoon fruit"--a low-hassle way to make preserves that are kept fresh in the refrigerator, instead of canned.
Here it is, all laid out on the kitchen table, which is over 2' x 3'....you can see why we maybe overdid it a bit?
And here's the fellow who sold us the salmon--you can see the entire fish, cut in steaks, next to his left hand. In front of the salmon are another kind of fish all of which have their tails curled up. (Next time I will ask what kind and why.)
I "translated" most of the prices while I was shopping, but didn't make notes. So for those who are interested in such things (prices are US), here's a few I remember:
A head of romaine lettuce--somewhat smaller than we'd find in Berkeley Bowl--is about .75. A pound of tangerines: .50. Leeks and celery, $1 a pound. A pound of salmon: $5.75.
And let me add, the produce is deeeeelicious. Carrots and tomatoes are candy-sweet. The oranges are smaller and not as tart as ours, but more flavorful. The salmon is "melt-in-your-mouth" and was probably swimming last night.
First, though, we had to get lost on the way there, even though (as later became obvious after we also got lost on the way back), all we had to do was stay on our street and keep walking about 5 blocks until we ran into it. We had come prepared with a large carrier bag, a small carrier bag (filled with extra plastic bags to reuse), and Ken's backpack. We needed them all.
[The following three videos were added to the blog in June. You'll notice the difference in how we are dressed! I took these because it looked and sounded like the market at its livliest best: the stall owners calling out their produce and prices, people jostling, and Ken doing his best in Greek while the guy on the other side of the transaction answers in English . . .
. . . Now back to our regular programming . . . lol]
Here's what we bought:
Beets, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, red peppers (to make vegetable borscht.) I made it as soon as we got back from the market and we had it for lunch. There's a lot of soup left over and lots of the raw materials to make more. (I'll have to find Greeks who eat borscht and invite them over!) In the US, celery and leeks are grown to be shorter and fatter. Here (lower right corner of the table, see below) they are thinner but over two feet long.
Lettuce (three different kinds), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, rocket (we call it arugula)--for salads.
Pomegranates, strawberries, kiwi.
Broccoli, zucchini, and "horta"--a leafy green vegetable that looks like a cross between escarole and spinach (It's the big bag on the upper left corner of the table). Delicious steamed with garlic and olive oil.
4 kilos (about 9 pounds) of tangerines. This afternoon, we turned 2 kilos into what the Greeks call "spoon fruit"--a low-hassle way to make preserves that are kept fresh in the refrigerator, instead of canned.
And here's the fellow who sold us the salmon--you can see the entire fish, cut in steaks, next to his left hand. In front of the salmon are another kind of fish all of which have their tails curled up. (Next time I will ask what kind and why.)
I "translated" most of the prices while I was shopping, but didn't make notes. So for those who are interested in such things (prices are US), here's a few I remember:
A head of romaine lettuce--somewhat smaller than we'd find in Berkeley Bowl--is about .75. A pound of tangerines: .50. Leeks and celery, $1 a pound. A pound of salmon: $5.75.
And let me add, the produce is deeeeelicious. Carrots and tomatoes are candy-sweet. The oranges are smaller and not as tart as ours, but more flavorful. The salmon is "melt-in-your-mouth" and was probably swimming last night.
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