Monday, 24 September 2012
Farmer's Market Photos
Everybody needs a break now and then and it's time for me to take one – a day or two or three. We'll see how it goes.
Meanwhile, here are a few photos that have been taking up space in my ancient digital camera.
There were bunches and bunches of these purple thistle things at the farmer's market a few weekends ago. I had no idea what they were. Do you?
It's what happens to an artichoke if you don't pick it when it's ripe for eating. I'd never seen one before and it is so odd and interesting that it was worth $3 a stem to look at it at home for awhile. A little like something you'd find in the little shop of horrors, don't you think?
There are many fine foods at the farmer's market. In addition to local fruit and vegetables, there are two cheesemakers, an excellent Greek baklava stand and a woman who makes hot pepper jellies – strawberry pepper, habenero, pine-a-peno.
They are all good and I miss them during winter but I'm like a homing pigeon for the mushroom lady and her gorgeous array.
Oh, the elusive, earthy, mysterious mushroom – a favorite food. Mushroom hunting is a chancy business and there were none of my favorite – morel – the day I was taking photos. But she did have these matsutake:
Alas, at $36/pound they are not in my budget. I did buy a half a pound of these chanterelle that day at $18/pound.
And I bought a whole lot of these shitake, only $10/pound. You can see that my paper bag is full.
I like to make a wine mushroom sauce that I use over mushroom ravioli. No such thing as too many mushrooms.
Ollie the cat has no interest in mushrooms or, for that matter, artichokes or anything else I bring home from the market. He even disdains fish. This is his most usual position around the house and he was grumpy that I snapped his picture.
At The Elder Storytelling Place today, Mickey Rogers: Ghosts
Posted by Ronni Bennett at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Email this post
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I love mushrooms.
I love cats.
(I'm not sure how much I know about other things!)
Posted by: Ross | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 06:49 AM
I love mushrooms! I've never met one I didn't like. But, as far as I know, I've never had a matsutake. My farmer's market isn't that upscale.
Posted by: rilyman | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 07:05 AM
We had artichokes in the yard of our rental unit when we lived in California when my husband was in the Navy. The blooms were strange and lovely, and I didn't know what they were called. It wasn't until we moved back to Wisconsin and my father proudly showed us the artichokes he was trying to grow that we realized we could have been eating them.
Posted by: Nan | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 07:18 AM
Enjoy your time off Ronni. I'm taking a break myself.
Posted by: Larry | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 07:43 AM
I'll second what Ross had to say--love mushrooms and cats. And, agree that morels are the best when available, but expensive.
Ollie (as always) is beautiful. He may be fully aware of that fact, don't you think?
Posted by: Marge | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 08:02 AM
I was on a walk a couple weeks ago when I saw that purple thing in a neighbor's yard. My husband said it's an artichoke--I couldn't believe it. Strange! Mushrooms are wonderful. I love mushroom soup. Ollie is a gorgeous guy. Your old camera takes good photos!
Posted by: Celeste Bergin | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 08:23 AM
Yum, mushroom wine sauce. Just the thing for tonight's sliced beef dish. I envy your farmer's market and its varitey.
Posted by: Celia | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 09:16 AM
Fascinating! I ADORE artichokes, but I've never seen one actually looking like the thistle it is.
Posted by: PiedType | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 09:41 AM
Good to see Ollie again...grumpy or otherwise.
Posted by: naomi dagen bloom | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 09:58 AM
Perfect combo, good meal with mushrooms, and a handsome animal named Ollie.
Posted by: Marcy B. | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 10:15 AM
The artichoke is surely related to Audrey! Your farmer's market looks wonderful...lucky you.
Posted by: annie | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 10:44 AM
I enjoy your sharing of trips to the farmer’s markets now in Oregon and those in the past from your home in Maine.
I also love mushrooms and, quite frankly, had been wondering about Ollie...so good to see him again.
Posted by: Claire Jean | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 11:14 AM
The purple artichoke is beautiful!! And like you, I can invision no such thing as too many mushrooms.
We're very lucky here in Southern California, we are surrounded by local farmers who sell wonderful produce in many farmers markets here in the county. A very large fresh air market is only about a mile away from me every Saturday morning! It's a real joy.
Posted by: Miki | Monday, 24 September 2012 at 04:32 PM
Ollie should take care. A cat who disdains fish must be unAmerican!
Posted by: Cop Car | Tuesday, 25 September 2012 at 02:41 PM