Delicious

I stopped by the Amish market in Burtonsville when I was visiting my parents today. We needed apples, and I haven't been able to get any at the farmer's market in La Plata.

I bought one bag of golden delicious, which were on special, and another of "scratch and dent" apples that looked really good for supposedly being bruised. Mmm, pink lady apples might be my favorite.

The sweet girl at the stand was picking out the nicest golden delicious she could find. I told her they didn't need to be perfect, but she said, "I want to give you some nice ones!"

On a whim, I stopped by the bulk foods section, where I found some savory, one of my favorite herbs. Now, this might not seem like a big deal to most people, but since my rummage-sale spice rack ran out of savory, I haven't been able to find any in the supermarkets. And this savory cost about the same per pound as most grocery-store herbs cost per ounce! I got a decent sized tub of it.

Then I got to spend time with my grandmother! What a great day.

Shopping day

I misplaced some eggs today. Got home, unpacked the groceries, and only later realized that the dozen eggs I'd paid for at the farmer's market weren't among my bags. 

Back to the market I went. A couple hours had passed, but I got a "Back again?" from the man who sells the colorful mums. Went to the stand where I'd bought the eggs... had they seen the eggs I'd lost between there and home? The farmer there said, no, they hadn't... what size had I lost? I said the larger one, and he looked in his cooler and pulled out another. I moved to pay -- but he said, no, I didn't have to. I thought that was strange!

"Well, now if I didn't leave them here, I should pay for these," I said.

"The chickens will replace them!" came the answer. 

Well! I thought of protesting some more, but instead I left with the eggs, feeling a bit sheepish.

It turns out I didn't need to take the eggs after all. When I asked the farmer at the next stand if he'd seen any eggs, he turned around and pulled them off his truck. I returned the gift-eggs. "Ah, you found them!" Yes. Apparently I need to be more careful as I shuffle my purchases from my hands into my tote bags.

The whole thing reminds me of one of my first days in York, when the man at the corner store gave me a mango on credit, and the first time someone in the farmer's market there offered to let me take my fruit and pay another day. Each time, I was a bit shocked: someone trusts me? Someone cares about me? The people at the market here don't even know my name.

Change of season

Last night -- I could see my breath all white! And today -- frost on the grass!

Even when I'll tire of the cold, these things will keep their thrill. 

We have turned the heat on and pulled out the mittens. And I feel unexpectedly clever for having bought all these tomatoes:

(a big box of canning tomatoes: $10 at the farmer's market)

This isn't even all of them!

Market

La Plata has a farmers market -- open every Wednesday and Saturday!

It is a few stands in a parking lot, nothing big and fancy like in York. But it will do.