more generosity

While waiting in a long line for a smoothie, I chatted up a guy from Seedling about my new food summer so far. We discussed the many ways to prepare rhubarb and then he asked if I was an adventurous cook. I smiled and he gave me a bag of peach leaves and a load of tiny unripe peaches that had to be sacrificed for the benefit of the entire tree's production. He thought Alice Waters might have a nice recipe for pickled peaches I'd want to try (she does!). According to a lot of rabbit and parrot owners, peach leaves and pits are toxic to animals, but in the 1905 printing of King's American Dispensatory, there are many medicinal applications for all of you out there suffering from worms or dysentery:



I also purchased a few things for $22
1 bunch easter egg radishes
1 bunch mint
1 tiny fennel bulb*
4 boxes English shelling peas
2 boxes strawberries
3 kohlrabi (2 purple, 1 green)
*sort of new: I've eaten fennel plenty of times, but never prepared it myself.

I'm getting better at navigating the market and thought I'd share some really common sense tips that seem to be lost on many of the shoppers there. I'm talking about you: jerk holding up the line trying to pay with a $100 at my favorite cheese place.

-Arrive early, but don't be in a hurry.

-Use small bills. If the ATM gave you a $20, buy a coffee on the way and get change.

-Be fashionable and green by bringing a few of your own bags. A single large one packed badly = mushy veg.

-Ask questions if you have them - these people are both knowledgeable and generous.

-Try a sample.

-The eggs and meat at the market are worth the extra price. Buy a hot/cold bag to avoid thawing/spoiling on the trip home.