Saturday, July 12, 2008

Saturday Farmer's Market Bounty

Its been a few weeks since I managed to be "up and at em" early enough to make my way to the Saturday Farmer's Market at KCC. The market runs from 7:30 to 11:00 but if I am not there by 7:30 or 8:00, I usually won't go--it is so popular that things tend to run out pretty quickly. Since my CSA box "took a holiday" this week, I needed some lettuce and other produce and some things for a couple recipe challenges so I headed on down. The crowds were out as usual--I miss the "old days" when there were about half the people that there are now--the place gets crazy sometimes.

But you have to love it as this is THE Farmer's Market to go to and one of the only ones featuring all local produce from Hawaii. The quality and freshness are outstanding and the prices are good (for Hawaii mind you) for what you get.


So what ended up going home with me in my market bag today?

--2 bags of mixed local greens

--a couple of cucumbers

--3 mangos

--2 bags of Chinese parsley (cilantro)

--a small bag of shitake mushrooms

--a small bag each of flat leaf parsley, shiso leaf, mint and apple mint (great in juice or tea)

--a catnip pillow toy for Max (bring on the kitty high!)

--the smallest bag of Ogo (seaweed) that I could talk the vendor into selling me for something I am making for a challenge

--a jar of Mango Jam from Maui (I tasted it and couldn't resist!)

--2 bottles of my favorite curry powder (Kaiulani spices--$5.00 each here rather than about $7.00 in the stores)

--a bag of limes

--small bag of yellow and red cherry tomatoes

--a large bag of local tangerines picked this morning (they don't look ripe but as I have come to learn from experience and from the growers, it is not the color that matters, it is the softness--these are soft, ripe and sweet)

I sometimes try something from one of the food vendors at the market. Today I bought a Burmese Chicken Curry and a Mango Sticky Rice from a sweet lady selling food from Thailand, Nepal, Burma and other places that she had lived. I am not sure I have ever had Burmese food before (it is supposed to have strong influences from both China and India according to this site) and this looked good. Served on top of a thick, almost udon-like noodle, the curry came with a little container of lemon juice to pour on top.

Very tangy but mildly spiced, with cabbage and onions, the curry was good and filling. I might have to try cooking some Burmese food myself. I have a passion for mango-sticky rice and this one was good and creamy, the mango very sweet.

Max loves his catnip pillows from the ladies that sell all the herbs. Only a $1, it is cheap entertainment and gets chased around the room, held and licked until it's all wet and then laid on. After some "munchies" and a nap it starts all over again...

In other Saturday news, some ducks have "adopted" my front lawn and come by frequently to hang out and see if I'll feed them like the neighbors seem to. I try not to, and never in my yard as the "thanks" they leave is messy, but they still stop by most days. Yesterday they laid in front of the driveway to the carport and it took me almost 10 minutes to get them moved so I could drive out. Max likes to lay in front of the screen door--sometimes they come up and look at him and "quack" at him.

Well that is the report from my neighborhood today. I am heading off for some dinner with friends.

6 comments:

  1. Wow! I can't believe how crowded the Farmer's Market is! I remember checking it out when I was attending KCC and there were only a handful of stalls.
    Looks like you bought a bunch of good finds.

    my sister really likes mango sticky rice, but i haven't tried it. is it good? where's the best place in Hawaii to try it? My sister would love to have that info!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Genkitummy,
    Yep--it gets insane there anymore! Mango sticky rice is so good--creamy and sweet! I don't know if I know the best place to get sticky rice in Hawaii. I find any good Thai restaurant usually does a nice one but it is all about the quality of the mango. Most Thai restaurants have it on the menu "seasonally" when mangos are most ripe and in season. I am thinking that since I have been seeing lots of mangos around again it must be available now. I did really like the one at Mekong II on King and at Chang Mai, also on King.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my, ducks in your front lawn! Cool! and all those people at the market, Wow! I agree, if you don't go early lots of things run out :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. That farmers market looks great, I wish we had something like that here. As they say - the local pineapple looks a lot like corn. These are the drawbacks of living in Canada.
    I have never had shiso leaf before. I have only seen it on Iron Chef.
    Your finds look tasty and inspiring, can't wait to see what you make with your seaweed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yep, that's about what it looked like when I got there too! Those tangerines look awesome; now I'm going to have to go back and get them - I bought 2 bags of lime for limeade instead! I just tried the pineapple mint, but I haven't tried the apple mint so I think that will be on my market list next time too! Looks like some great finds! And some neat looking ducks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kat--The ducks were a bit cuter when they were babies and teens (and not as cute when you want to go somewhere and they block you!) but you have to like how they all head off to their next spot in their single file line!

    Natashya--I used a bit of my ogo in the Joust--which I'll post about sometime this week but now I need to do something with the extra--since my $2.00 bought a good amount. The shiso leaf I am experimenting with still.


    Michelle, Pretty crazy there huh?! I bought the limes too and wouldn't have bought the tangerines if the vendor hadn't sampled them. I love tangerines. The pineapple mint is what i usually buy--decided to try the apple for fun.

    ReplyDelete

Mahalo for visiting and for leaving a comment. I love reading them and they mean a lot!

All advertising, spam, inappropriate (or just plain rude) comments will be promptly deleted. I do appreciate your right to free speech and to your opinion but I'm not into mean, rude, or mean snarky (non-mean snarky is just fine!) ;-)