Jan 18 2009
Farmers Market
Yesterday we visited the Farmer’s Market near us. We were there for the square dance demonstration that I talked about in a previous post. However, it was a pleasant place just to be. It was sunny and warm and the site was shaded with a few picnic tables set around.
We raced out of the house before I got breakfast. That’s not good for a diabetic and it’s not a good idea to do things like square dancing on an empty stomach. Well, I wasn’t dancing anyway, I was distributing fliers. I’d make a turn around the market, then I’d go back and get something to eat.
My first choice was a cup of ready-to-eat papaya and mango. At my request the vendor drenched the fruit with fresh lime juice and chili. If you haven’t tried this combination, you have a treat waiting for you. I went to sit down and eat and soon found out that the chili she’d put on the fruit was freshly ground dried chili peppers, not the powder you buy in the store. It both enhanced the flavors and added a lot of spice. I was soon choking. I’d planned to buy a latte from another vendor later, but I ended up running for some bottled water. I am so glad they were selling cold bottled water near me. There was a lot of fruit in that cup and I saved some for later.
After I’d passed out more fliers, I went back for an empanada. This empanada was like a turnover made with a tortillia around sweet corn filling. No sugar but corn is sweet. The empanada had been fried, but not sugared. It was crispy, but not donut-like. I loved it and it seemed a good compliment to the fruit I’d had a little earlier.
So I ate well. Later someone shared fresh strawberries with me. I saw lots of fruits like star fruit where the vendor had cut a fruit up so you could have a taste. This gives you a chance to try the new flavors.
We also met our neighbor from the back. She and her husband make a living going from farmer’s market to farmer’s market selling plants. They had big plants like ferns, and also little 2-inch pots of herbs. Other plant vendors had things like violas and johnny-jump-ups that were ready to plant. Another vendor sold worm casings which enrich our terrible clayey soil.
Lots of vendors, and I enjoyed every one. I never did get back to the vendor who was selling freshly made crepes with different toppings, but I did manage to snag a bag of freshly made, but frozen tortillias. These are sweet corn, poblano chili and cheese. I can’t wait to taste them. I heated them in my vegetable steamer. That’s the Mexican way.
Marilynne 
