Easter – Growers Market Pyrmont

Easter is my favourite time of the year in Sydney. Everyone heads down the coast or to the country leaving the streets quiet and relaxing.

Many of the harboursiders who remain make the annual pilgrammage to the SMH Growers Market in Pyrmont.

The morning is already balmy with huge blue skies.

How pretty do the white canvas stalls look?

I’m stocking up on all my fresh organic veggies for tonight’s dinner.

maybe some orchids as well…

And it’s hard to go past daffodils this time of the year

 My mother-in-law Gwen is getting some of these chocolate filled easter eggs in real painted shells

ok… I’m getting some for me too!

If you missed them this month they’ll be back again in May. I might bump into you.

Paris – Vincennes Markets

Ahhh….. Barcelona is but a dream now. We’re back in Paris in the suburb of Vincennes where Laure lives with her partner Leo.

Hi Leo!

We’re shopping for lunch. I know – sorry to subject you to yet ANOTHER market. Can you tell I’m obssessed?

Beautiful blooms…..

… delicious salamis and wines from the rugged mountains of Corsica (Laure’s home island). We bought some wild boar saucisson

 under the menacing eye of this Corsican stallholder.

But it was the melons we were looking for. June is peak season for France’s famous Cavaillon melons grown in the rich soils of Provenance.

They have the most bewitching perfume simliar to Turkish delight…

And a juicy flesh like no melon you’ve tasted before…

And for lunch we feasted like kings……. on Cavaillon melon, Spanish jamon from Barcelona, fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese with tomato and basil and French champagne.

Au revoir Paris!

Barcelona – Mercat de la Boqueria

I have been fantasising about visiting these markets since reading that many food writers viewed the Mercat de la Boqueria as the best markets in Europe. Big call.

We visit on a bustling Friday morning when all of Barcelona seems to have squeezed under its roof.

The fruit at this stall and the freshly squeezed juices were like manna from heaven. We especially loved the fresh coconut juice.

Of course no market in Spain is complete without rows and rows of jamon.

Serrano ham is the most prized. The free range pigs are fattened on acorns giving the cured meat a deep nutty flavour.

Pity I had no carry-on room to take one of these back to Paris. But I did manage to squeeze a few slices on board.

These little piggies went to market …. but didn’t come home.

These snack-size saucissons were delicious and dry.

The cheeses we sampled included goat, sheep and the famous manchego.

Being close to Northern Africa means a wonderful supply of dried fruits and nuts

The fruit displays were breath-taking

And how about all these varieties of tomatoes?

Would have loved to have made up a fresh salad with these beauties!

And to finish your meal how about a cappucino chocolate?

or maybe some pebble toffees?

Folks, I’ve found my retirement village!!!

Paris, Rue Montorgueil Markets

Paris has a food market on nearly every street corner.

But my favourite market street is Rue Montorgueil in Les Halles which is a frission of people and fresh food.

 I am staying in an apartment a few streets away.

There are many food shops but the market shops are only opened from Tuesday to Saturday.

Everything is beautifully displayed on a street with oodles of atmospherre and character.

Parisiens are obssessed with good quality ingredients and will only buy

the freshest and tastiest poduce.

Of course cheese must be eaten every day.

And the range is truly spectacular from the smellies through to the hard cheeses.

Vegetable displays are works of art.

It’s ceps (mushroom) season at the moment.

These globe artichokes smelt so fresh.

Chickens are sold with heads and feet still attached so customers can see how fresh they are.

Like Berliners the bicycle is the transport of choice for many Parisiens

The mosaic tiles of the walkway

And of course when the shopping is done it’s time for some people-watching and a kir royale.

Berlin – The Turkish Markets

Still grey and overcast in Berlin. Sunny change expected on Thursday – when I leave for London. Danke Schoen!

On our way to the Turkish markets nestled on the banks of the Landwehrkanal, we take a little detour so Ria and Chris can show me the last remaining section of the Berlin Wall that’s been preserved as an ominous reminder of the communist era.

It’s covered for its length with grafitti-like artwork exploring the wall’s many evocations.

In fact much of the art work along this old east-meets-west border is confronting.

Ah yes, we’re finally here…… at the Turkenmarkt in Kreuzberg. Berlin has Europe’s third largest Turkish population and most of the city’s immigrant community comes here to shop for fruit and vegetables and exotic fabrics.

The makets only sell seasonal produce

This ginger smelt pungent and spicy

Lots of cool climate root vegetables but I was surprised to see limes

And of course with spargel season running hot there are phallic-looking white asparagus everywhere.

The marinated vine leaves will make delicious dolmades

And this stringy salty cheese is a local delicacy used in sauces and dips

This wasabi cheese was a taste revelation. Nice grab-you-at-the-back-of-your-throat finish.

Time for a warming ale… we grab the window seats at the bar across the road for a bit of people watching.

A sensible combo – a glass of wine comes wtih an obligatory glass of water.

But unlike the French and the Italians no complimentary nibbles!

Union Square Markets, New York

The Union Square Markets have an extraordinary assortment of farm and homemade products displayed rustically among crates and flapping canvas. This farmers market or ‘green market’ set the standard that other big city fresh food markets around the world have followed. They were established in 1976 to enable local farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers. Farmers set up shop every week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and come from a 150 kilometre radius. There are over 1000 different varieties of fruit, vegetables, cheeses, breads, fish and meat sold. Even though the below freezing temperatures had numbed my feet and hands, armed with a cup of hot spicy apple cider, I managed to inspect every stall before retreating to the legendary Union Street Cafe for lunch.

how good do these carrots look?

honeycrisp apples

turnips and beets

a golden beet definitely from the underworld

wish I could have cooked up a dish with this broccoli and garlic

brussel sprouts are winter vegetable de jour over here.

The best way I have had them is peeled into individual leaves and deep fried with garlic and onion at ‘South’ restaurant in San Francisco

golden pears

acorn squash

hmmmm…buttered and baked

artisian breads

…and biscuits

….apple pie, pumpkin pie and rhubarb crumbles

delicious fresh cheeses

farm fresh googs

every yoghurt flavour

harvested this morning

crays, clams…

…and Bluepoint oysters

The yanks love their turkey….

homemade jams and spreads

didn’get to try this unusal one

what an interesting pasta flavour

The High Line and Chelsea Markets, New York City

On Monday morning we left (part of) our heart in San Francisco and headed off to chilly New York.
The long flight was a chance to catch up with some blogging. A new inflight broadband service allowed me to join the blogging version of the Mile High Club!
We arrived at our Sohotel hotel in Soho late evening, grabbed some unbelievably good pasta nearby in Little Italy, slept soundly and set off on Tuesday morning to explore the High Line in the Meat Packing District. The High Line was an operational elevated railway line until the early 1980s. A shipment of  frozen turkeys was apparently the last cargo to be carried on its tracks! Instead of dismantling the railway line local conservation groups lobbied to have it preserved and transformed into open park space for hemmed-in New Yorkers. So glad they did.With the Chelsea Markets located at the High Line on West 15th this is a must-do for all garden-loving foodies.

locals and tourists enjoy some hard-to-find sunshine

The railway line was concreted and planted with grasses and shrubs. About two-thirds of the line has been completed.

the past provides structure for the present and the future

flowers amongst the concrete and steel

Parts of the High Line have been glassed in allowing visitors to experience the eery sensation of floating above the New York traffic

A section of the High Line at 10th Ave

Pop into the Chelsea Markets and do like the sign says and pack your picnic here

The markets occupy about half a block of old warehouses

Most of the original fittings, and pipes and brick facades have been retained

There was an exhibition showcasing recycled Christmas decorations

From afar it looks like an expensive high-tech wreath….

on closer inspection it is made up of dozens of old CDs

This seafood joint contained an array of crustaceans and fins I had never seen before

Everything was displayed so immaculately

dismembered claws…

the freshest lobster…

with a home-style butcher next door…

New Yorkers want to know everything about their meat

where it came from….

how old it was and was it happy when it died

New Yorkers are still in love with their cupcakes

loved these Sesame Street inspired ones

but this was my favourite

Ferry Plaza Markets, San Francisco

The Ferry Plaza Markets on the Embarcadero in San Francisco are some of the most famous markets in the world – and one of the many reasons I was looking forward to exploring this foodie paradise. Saturday morning is the place to be seen with your shopping trolley, organic hemp, child labour-free string bag and obligatory rainbow pants.OK, so I didn’t blend in. Everything was so farm-fresh I almost felt as though I was wading through a paddock if the stalls hadn’t been so immaculately presented.San Franciscans demand fresh local produce from all their food outlets whether it be their fast food joints or their school canteens. San Fran and its bay are surrounded by some of the world’s most fertile farmland and its seafood alone – especially its local oysters and Dungeness crabs – are worth a pilgrimmage to experience.

The Ferry Plaza Markets are housed in the original ferry building 

winter in San Francisco is the season for mushroom lovers

this stall had large 1kg fresh porchinis – my favourite mushroom

oh the pain to see but not to eat

these really had a violet colour and fruity aroma

these would be perfect in a mixed mushroom sauce with fettuccine

Not sure why these were called candy caps. Maybe because their stalks were long and straight like lollipops.

Now…. I think these are called sea asparagus back home. Simply tossed with some butter and garlic and maybe a little parmesan?

These were real beauties with an uncooked texture similar to an old lady’s latex swimming cap

those crabs I was telling you about

mean-looking but tasty

Didn’t get to try these oysters but the customers were lining up for a trays of them freshly shucked to order

pink oyster meat pretty enough to wear

amazing array of regional olive oils

more like an apothecary shop than a deli

now we’re talking!

three happy campers chow down…

one of the bay districts most famous cheesemakers

the real cowgirls…..

knuckle-rapping hard crusty loaves of sourdough

wonderfully eclectic array of organic and biodynamic wines

one of the markets most famous grocers

…still has the freshest produce….

winter squash….

rare heirloom varieties….

 

persimmons- which I am sadly yet to cook in a dish

the heady aniseed notes in this basil were swoonable

I’ll have what she’s having

EQ Farmers Market – Fox Studios

If there was one place I could visit and never leave it would be a food market. Preferably a daily one piled high with produce, people and filled with excited chatter. Those who would rather shop in sterile, cold bunkers under garish fluorescent lights just haven’t given farmers markets a chance. Nowadays even big cities are well-serviced by several weekly markets. My regular markets (while I’m waiting for my edible balcony to get going!) are the Entertainment Quarter Farmers Markets at Fox Studios (Wednesdays, Saturdays), the Kings Cross Markets every Saturday and the Good Living Pyrmont Markets the first Saturday of every month.Go on! Get out into the fresh air and go to your nearest farmers market. Go to a stall, grab a mango, squeeze it and deeply inhale its exotic scent. Don’t worry no-one will think you’re strange – they’re all doing it too!

The EQ Farmers Markets are under cover

 This stall, as you enter, sells imported French pates and terrines and woven shopping baskets.Merci!

Their duck rillettes on a baguette crouton makes an elegant canape

Get advice direct from the farmers and growers

This is a new wonderful organic vegetable stall

organic broccolini

organic radishes

Portobello mushrooms as big as saucers

I buy all my Asian greens here

 how glossy are these eggplants?

wild garlic

those mangoes I was telling you about…

..where Carmen Miranda shops…

They’re right.. these are really sweet.

free-range eggs from Nixon produce in Wilton

a free range pig is a tasty pig

smoked ham, bacon, sausages, pork racks and schnitzels

fresh pesto dips

pesto – my favourite condiment

Pastabilities does the best range of frozen pasta I’ve come across. Great quick meal when the cupboard is bare.

gluten-free cakes and muffins

this brownie is one of their best sellers

Pies and quiches baked fresh in the morning

…and don’t get me started on their tarts..

hubba bubba! I tried one of these – chewy, chocolately and salty

bite-size delights from Cupcake Princess to have on the way home

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