I have been complaining quite a bit about produce here in Quebec being imported from other countries. I finally took a jaunt down to a very close by park where I had noticed stands selling something there for several weeks.
I discovered that I could have been getting this awesome fresh locally grown produce. They come once a week.
When I got there I just pretty much got a little of everything. Some of which I don't know what to do with. I got over excited.
This curly endive or frisee is not available in the grocers near my place. I love the roughness of it mixed into a salad. At work we use it as a garnish and no one ever eats it. It kills me when I toss it in the garbage after the plates come back.
I always get nappa cabbage from China town but this was nice and fresh and local so how could I resist. I asked the man what the yellow beet like things were and he didn't know the name in English. He said the greens could be eaten. I realized after I got it home that it was turnip.
There were herbs so I got basil, parsley and for the first time marjoram. I don't know why I got marjoram. I don't know what to do with it.
I also got a delicate leafy green which the French guy didn't know what it was called. I think according to my investigation that this is called shisho. I don't know what to do with it either. I may just toss it in a salad but the taste is different to me. I'm not sure if I actually like it.
There were the most beautiful fresh onions with green so I couldn't resist something that I put in everything.
There were really nice multicolored cherry tomatoes so I got a pint, an eggplant and a zucchini.
Freshly grown garlic is something I haven't had in a while.
When I walked away from the veggie stand I found the show stopper. I was never so excited about a food item in my life. It was mushrooms.
I felt like I had been hiding under a rock when I saw pink oyster mushrooms. It was like something from another world. I have never heard of, or seen such a thing. Later I discovered it is considered to be a good bacon substitute. Weird.
I also got fresh chanterelles which I have never seen fresh before. That was a rare find. He told me the chanterelles are making all the chefs in town get excited. I have never tried these mushrooms even in dry form in all of my life.
And then there was the lions main. I have never seen it for sale at a market and I only once saw a fresh one in the restaurant where I work. They had been given to us as a sample. We use frozen ones for one of our dishes. I was so happy to get my hands on that. I didn't ask how much but I was a little nervous. The bill for the chanterelles, the lions mane, the pink oyster mushrooms and regular oyster mushrooms was 30 dollars. I was actually relieved. I didn't know if he would say one hundred dollars or something like that.
After purchasing all those things, I had planned to do something with them in the one remaining day off. I was going to wait until our early morning dog sitting duties were done then have some fun in the kitchen.
It was early in the morning. Marc's father on his way to drop off the dog before dialyses, called to say his jeep broke down. He's eighty and didn't know what to do with his giant dog in the vehicle. His wife is in the hospital and won't be leaving soon. We had to quickly run out the door and get a taxi to go and find him. We had not slept much so we were delirious. I paid the taxi and after discovered I left my wallet in the taxi.
Marc called a tow truck for him and stayed with him. I walked the dog back to his home which was around 5 kilometers. I had not slept much so it was quite rough while the dog pulled me the whole way. We all met there after. Marc and I went back home too tired to do anything. The next day we had to take the dog again and before work we had to walk him to the dialysis center where Marc's father would take a taxi home with the dog. It is a half hour walk there and back. We had to rush back to work.
I had to freeze some things and still have things cluttering the fridge. I am lucky to have so many fresh produce items, while in some parts of the world are struggling to get the basics. I wish I could send some to the great hive chefs that can't get their hands on things they need. I fear I may have to throw some things away. I can freeze some things.
Thanks for putting up with my rant if you are still here. It was quite anti climactic. Have a great day.
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