Spicy Tea and Cukes

I try to avoid the farmers market in Union Square on Saturdays. It is notorious for the throngs of clueless tourists (keep moving! Just because your Italian doesn't mean your allowed to abruptly stop in the middle of the road.) and the eager shoppers, old women who talk to the fruit and yell at tourists.
I had a blueberry emergency ( aka fresh out of my favorite fruit) so I had to go, and I am so glad that I did. Wednesday has nothing on Saturdays at the Union Square Greenmarket. It was bursting with energy, flavor, aromas, and colors. I was in the mood to be there which made it that much better. I was a nice balance between the lead footed tourists and the crazy old bats.
Today was a good food day.

From the McCarren Park Greenmarket we bought: mint, lettuce, arugula, milk, eggs, lamb chops, strawberries, cherries, cosmo flowers, 2 loaves of bread.

From our CSA we grew: scallions, white radishes, turnips, snap peas, bok choy, cabbage, red lettuce.







From the Union Square market: 4 pints of blueberries !!!!



Sprouts, Persian cucumbers, burpless cucumber, lamb's quarter (upon further research, this is common wild weed that I could probably find in the park, more on that tomorrow), tomatoes, and a cup of amazing ginger and cayenne iced tea.



At first sip I was knocked out by the strong spicy flavor of this tea, but something in me felt truly energized. Sure it burned as it went down my throat, but it was a good burn though.

Another exciting part of todays trip was the Persian cucumber. About the length of my hand, with a delicate skin, it was devoured upon purchase. As I broke off the first crisp bite people around me began oohhing and awwing. It reminded me of the kind in Turkey, you buy it, salt it, and eat it. I also found the stand with the $7.00 cucumber from last week.



I have been reading a little about cucumbers since last weeks accidental purchase and have really grown to appreciate the different varieties. The variety sold at grocery stores are known as slicers, your basic breed. They are nothing special if not grown well and eaten fresh. Then there is the Mediterranean cucumber, what they called the Persian at the farm stand today, it is small and almost seedless. The burpless is named because it has less seeds so less gas. Who gets gas from a cucumber? The Japanese cucumber is the one that was $7.00. I was never aware of all the distinctive characteristics that each variety of fruits and vegetables has. Now that I am paying attention I am really beginning to be attuned to the subtle differences in flavors and textures. I know it sounds really boring, a cucumber is a cucumber is a cucumber, but it isn't about the cucumber. It's about being aware of what we eat and drink. Understanding what things taste like is part of memorizing some of the great moments in life.