Saturday, March 29, 2008

More fresh than Will Smith circa 1990

The farmer's market is absolutely brilliant. I don't know why I never knew about it, because it's year-round every Saturday in Temple Bar (Meetinghouse Square, named after the long-standing Quaker Meeting House there). I circled the entire place six or seven times, bought some coffee (Kenya), a veggie burrito (salsa was good, not believably Mexican though), went to the cash machine, bought more produce (garlic, peppers, parsley, portabellos), natural yogurt with plum compote, organic granola (€7 / kg. -- very cheap), fresh goat's cheese (€2!), and kalamata olive oil (€8 for 75 cl!). Really, my new Saturday ritual. In fact, I'll just try to do all my shopping weekly there.

It feels good getting back into the city when the sun is out and there are people. A huge mix of tourists, immigrants (one cheese stand was speaking Russian, or maybe Polish, while the olive oil girl was probably French), and Dublin natives, just browsing the produce, usually friendly enough. Aside from any environmental issues, farmer's markets are the most social interaction you'll ever get out of grocery shopping, not to mention the health benefits of being surrounded by produce instead of by boxed meals.

That got a bit didactic there. But, then again, I'm cooking my goats cheese and portabello omelet in kalamata olive oil, using organic garlic. And beautiful, beautiful tomatoes.

Update: It was the greatest omelet I have ever had in my life, ever.

1 comment:

nancy said...

Cousin Diane said she gets hungry when she reads your blog. Yum. Glad the Farmer's Market was brilliant. (That sounds very Irish.)