Weekend!

[oyceter]

I feel like I should be happier than I am, given that I am eating my first peas of the year! And yet, I am not on cloud nine, like I usually am after a day at the farmer's market.

I think only getting five hours of sleep may be part of it -_-;;. The other part is -- I miss my little city. I love the current condo, and will love it even more once it's unpacked and not a huge mess, but... I miss my little city. I'm still getting used to the new little city, and it's a delightful place with wonderful nooks and crannies, but I'll miss the old one dreadfully for a while.

But enough of that!

I went to the farmer's market for the first time in five months! Why did I forsake it for so long? It was sunny and I found parking, because now I have to drive there instead of being within walking distance. But that was probably a good thing, considering the amount of stuff I got.

I still miss the old pie stand, sigh. And I forwent (forgone? forgoed? weiiiird) the delicious green onion bread and salmon spread and went all out for fresh fruits and vegetables! Originally I was only going to get scallions, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, spinach, lemons and peas peas peas peas peas, but on the way, I got sidetracked by the last of the mandarin oranges.

"Have a sample, last of the season!" said the sample guy. "Ok!" I said, since I never turn down a sample. "Ooooooo!!!" I said, delighted by the unexpected sweetness. "Those are good!" The guy nodded, "Yeah they are."

Needless to say, I got quite a few.

I also got three baskets of strawberries, even though they're not quite as intense and simply strawberry as the ones I had in Taiwan last winter, which tasted exactly like they smell. These are still a wee bit watery and sour, but oh, the smell! The redness!

And I ended up getting two bundles of asparagus because I've been craving them from jonquil's posts, except I shall have to experiment with a way to cook them. Woe! My copy of Joy of Cooking is in a box and I can't consult!

Sadly, there were no heirlooms in sight, so I consoled myself with vine-ripened ones for chilled Moroccan tomato soup.

Also, there is a new (?) stand at the market that's selling mousses and pates and blood sausage and the like! I didn't get anything because today was the day of vegetables, but I tried the truffle mousse, and oooooo. Must get at future point with bread from the bread place. There's also a stand that solely does lemons and grapefruit, and they had the most gorgeous Meyer lemons, deep yellow and so soft that the peel kept breaking when I juiced them just now. I think I could eat them in slices, they're that ripe.

I ogled at the avocadoes and artichokes and leeks but passed due to my arms not quite being able to lift all the stuff I got, passed longingly by the little garden store selling heirloom tomato plants and herbs (must get when I start the balcony garden! Eeeeeeeeeee my own tomatoes!!!!!!!), marvelled at the last (?) of the apple cider, and grinned when I passed buckets of tulips in every color.

Forget sleeping in! I have to get back into the habit of going every Sunday! I missed it so much; I had the widest grin on my face as I wandered through the stalls.

And most wonderfully of all, there was the art and wine fair going on in the street, and after I put my loot back in the car, I wandered up and down, got myself my very own Angry Dieter's Fork (see my icons), bought something for my sister, and splurged on a beautiful wire and pearl choker confection thing.

I have also inaugurated my kitchen with sophia_helix's peas with lemon dressing, though I still can't figure out where half the things are. I think I've forgotten how to cook peas =(. This batch (I bought four pounds, muhahahaha!) probably should have been cooked a weeee bit longer, and next time I'll just sweat them the way I normally do instead of doing the lemon dressing and squeeze lemon on top. The dressing's a bit too much oil for me, though I adore the lemony tang on the green sweet freshness of the peas.

Oh peas! How I have missed you!