Saturday, May 20, 2006

Sunny Saturday Mornings



Ohhhhhhhh, boy, my favorite time of the summer weeks: Saturday mornings at the Farmer's Market. Every Saturday, religiously.

Fresh fruit and vegetables. FRESH! Picked from a hot sunny field YESTERDAY...not picked, still green, in Florida 3 weeks ago, ethylene-ripened during transport.

Sometimes I wear a dress, and mosey around with a basket of flowers in my arms, walk down every row a couple of times, chatting with vendors and familiar faces. Sometimes I muck over in a rush, in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, get in, get what I need, and get out.

No matter my schedule, I always feel a bond with my fellow shoppers. We appreciate what we're buying there. We like to eat. We like to cook. We like festivals and markets and artisans and farmers. We like each other, usually, it is a morning full of "hello's" and "oh, excuse me's" and commenting on what we'll do with OUR basil. Mine's usually reserved for pesto, drying, or thai basil-fried rice.

It's early in the year, so the wares are relatively scarce, compared to what they'll be in 6 weeks or so, but here are a few images of this morning's trip.

There's breakfast for a buck (I had turkey):


There's bread and honey:





There are artisans and jewelers:



And cute little doogies:


And best of all, entertainment. This cool guy is here every week, he literally has bells on his toes. He has instruments strapped to elbows, feet, head, and he sings and plays. Little kids are simply MESMERIZED by him.

And this young man was doing a nice job this morning, so I gave him a buck for letting me take his picture.


I'll try to grab a pic or two each week for the blog; I LOVE starting my weekend here, so will drag you along for this summer's ride.

14 comments:

  1. I'm starving as I'm just about to have Sat lunch and I can smell that bread! Any bananas to go with it? Jeez, I'm doing it tough.

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  2. Dogbait: Are you still out of bananas? Sorry, can't help you here. Can I interest you in toasted goat cheese, tomato, and basil? That's what I had for dinner tonight. mmmmmmmmmm

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  3. Anonymous2:45 AM

    For years there was a "one-man-band" at the farmer's market in my town, only this was a kid, maybe not even 20 years old. He sat in the middle of a contraption vastly more complicated than the one in your picture, holding a guitar, with two or three things attached to every joint in his body. And he was awful, just terrible. No rhythm, sang out of tune, had the personality of an eggplant. I don't know what he was doing there - he was so bad that he had to realize it.

    Meanwhile, on the other end of the market is Billy Rose, the best country singer you never heard of, playin' real good, for free.

    Between these two, the fruits (and veggies) of California's 12-month growing season. That's entertainment.

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  4. Sounds like a great place full of sights, smells and sounds - in a good way ...not like here

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  5. I can't thank you enough for sharing your Saturday morning with us!

    Janet

    (lordcelery.blogspot.com)

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  6. do you take the BEST pictures or what? I know what career path you should take...

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  7. that PRODUCE!!! i'm jealous, totally jealous. i live in the south and we should have an abundance of the stuff, but it's so difficult to find where i live.

    love your site. thanks for the pickmeup. femme.

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  8. I love the farmers market.. Everything is just amazing .. Lamb ... Basil ...

    ./thanks
    ilaiy

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  9. Larry: There are those that find "our" guy awful also, but he charms me, if only for the wide-eyed children surrounding him. I think he has a general sense of rhythm, and find his tunes stuck in my head when I leave.

    I'm insanely jealous of the year-round farmer's market. Maybe we could arrange a barter...basil for...snow?

    Barry: I'm reading Baghdad news and always happy to hear from you. yes, Farmer's market is lovely sensory overload.

    Janet: YW. Another thing you'll have to experience when you join us for a drink. :-)

    SS: Funny you should say that....

    Femme: Can hardly wait til it's full force. What's most popular at YOUR roadside stands?

    Ilaiy: Word on the street is: Next Saturday morning, You snooze, you lose. It's out that your favorite mutton dealer is the best, and he can hardly keep up. Just between you and me, get there early.

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  10. That makes me hungry, too! Why haven't I gone? I need to get myself outta bed this weekend and check it out!

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  11. I have the same problem that femme has living in the South. Our markets aren't that big but right now we have the best strawberries of anywhere because they are grown beside a local river.

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  12. Momo: Yah, up early on a Saturday is a pain. But there's always Wednesday at Country Fair mall.

    Awe: mmmmmm, hot summer strawberries. YUM!

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  13. I _need_ your Thai basil fried rice recipe.

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  14. Holly: Coming your way via e-mail.

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