Farmer's Market Finds With My Sister.

My sister got married this past weekend. It was a gorgeous, memorable, beachside ceremony and I am so happy for her. Because life obviously changes SO MUCH after you get married, I wanted to make sure to spend as much time with her as humanly possible before the wedding. In the weeks leading up to her nuptials, I was soaking up EVERY moment with her. I invited her over every single day. And made her do life things with me. And force fed her all the autumn things I've been cooking. And made her play with my baby. No I'm kidding, she actually wanted to do those things because she is the best sister. And we did wedding stuff, too. But since she is moving an hour and a half away when she returns from her honeymoon (WAAAAHHHHHH), I just wanted to absorb every opportunity to spend time with her before her life changes. Marriage will do that, folks.

Last weekend we hit the Farmers's Market in my town. And we went via golf cart! Have I told you that we drive golf carts around like cars? Well in my town there is more golf cart mileage than actual road mileage, which makes it ridiculously easy to get almost everywhere on the golf cart. So on top of the alfresco ride, we enjoyed the quaint fall activity of trolling the farmers market in search of everything home grown and specialty. And I got to soak up sister time and taste test peppers and goat cheese and preserves and it was pretty much perfect.

Everett loved strolling around and listening to this beautiful steel guitar. The musician was just plucking away happily, in no hurry to finish his songs. If he had been playing "Autumn Leaves" I might very well had died and gone to heaven right there. It was pretty perfect.

Ignore my wrist brace. It looks worse than it is. Just from carrying around a heavy, casted baby these days. :) But check out that okra!!!

So, we often play telephone with bananas, and when I got some of this eggplant, we couldn't really resist. Usually Elmo calls me. I don't know who calls Everett, he's already pretty private about his phone conversations.

AND I found out that my friend Tim's family has a farm, and they were selling at the market! So if you're in the PTC area, you should totally check out the Sacred Grounds Farm booth. And get the okra. And maybe some zinnias, just for fun.

It was a day of Farmers Market successes. Not only did I soak up sister time, which was the BEST, but I got to pick up some produce that I would never usually buy, like red and green okra and Japanese eggplant. If you have any inspiring recipes involving those ingredients, I'm all ears! What are your favorite farmer's market finds?

The Haymarket Hustle

Oh, how fond I am about fruits and vegetables. I could write a sonnet about the sweet scent of springtime strawberries. I could sing a lullaby about the earthy crunch of celery. I love to cook, bake and most importantly, EAT, and fresh ingredients are key to the way I create in the kitchen. I like to think I am Giada, though I can't rock the low-cut blouse the way she can. How does she stay so powder fresh in the kitchen? She's really something.

Boston's Best-Kept Secret.

It's not a new discovery, but I've just never taken part in Boston's own fresh farmers' market. Partly because I never venture out of Cambridge (which is ridiculous, since downtown Boston is approximately a 6-minute ride on the train), and partly because I rarely venture out of my apartment (only in the Winter, but yeah, I'm a hermit), I just haven't made the move to get out on Saturday and take advantage of this amazing experience.

The Haymarket is an open-air farmer's market that has been in existence since 1830. It's another one of those historical wonders that you can just stumble upon up here. The market is jam-packed with frantic people bustling, shouting and negotiating deals. It's like an auction. "I want 6 grapefruit! Give me the pink grapefruit! No, not that one, the other one!!" "Over here, a bag of onions and avocados! OVER HERE!" It's a rush of energy and attitude. I just love it. Old Italian broads shouting at the children to stop eating the fruit. Sweet Indian gentlemen clutching their wives' purses and patiently waiting while she feels each papaya for its stage in the ripe cycle. Every tribe and tongue is represented in the market and I just love feeling a part of this vibrant community. I am not very vibrant or cultured, but I can really appreciate this special intersection of all people, where we come together with one purpose: we want fruits and vegetables. Give us the fruits and vegetables.

Ladies Who Lunch.

I hit the market with my girlfriends, and oh wow, I can't believe I haven't been doing this all along! Not only did we have a blast (despite the a fore-mentioned bitter cold) but we made a remarkable discovery. At the market, EVERYTHING IS SO CHEAP. For example, Strawberries: 2 packs for $1.50. Blueberries: $1 each pack. Lemons: 6 for $1. I'm not making this up. Don't cry when you see the following, but... I got everything you see below for a grand total of TWELVE DOLLARS.

That's right. This probably would have cost $50 at Whole Foods. I got:

- 1 package carrots

- 1 package celery

- 1 large bunch spinach

- 1 bunch fresh rosemary

- 3 Roma tomatoes

- 2 packages strawberries

- 2 packages blueberries

- 1 package blackberries

- 5 plums

- 4 apples

- 3 oranges

- 3 kiwis

- 3 lemons

- 1 grapefruit

All for a grand total of $12.

I think I can actually hear Miss Fresh Life weeping all the way from Florida. Just come visit me and I will shower you with abundant and exotic fruits!

Score.

We had an absolute blast and scored mad deal. Stevie and I decided this is what we are doing for the rest of the weekends that we are here in Cambridge. Anyone up for deliciously cheap finds, outdoor fun, a historic treat and a lesson in cultures? Join me. Though I can't promise that I won't turn into a shouting Italian when I get there. I am easily influenced by passionate people.