Seeing Red

The sky here in Massachusetts did terrifying things today. In just minutes sunshine gave way to an all out squall complete with hail, blinding rain and SUV-shaking gusts of wind. Then it left as quickly as it had come, "blown out to sea" as an emergency NPR weather report so poetically stated. Signals of the aftermath were everywhere.

I thought that surely such weather would have sent the good folks at the Davis Square Farmer's Market packing. How wrong I was to underestimate our heroic local food growers. When I turned the corner on Day St. and saw their tent tops standing proud, I almost wept. There was Farmer Al, Ellery, and the maple syrup lady, unfazed. They said that when the storm hit, customers didn't scatter but jumped up to hold down the tarps and protect the produce. You're just not going to get that kind of community shopping at Star Market.

This was also the first Far-Mar of the season where green gave way. Until now we'd only seen colors such as that of the calaloo I bought today.



Or these Armenian cukes, with skin so paper thin that you can chomp through without a moment's hesitation.



But today we also got tomatoes.



Strawberries.



And the best raspberries I've ever had in my life.



I also picked up a molasses oat bread and a log of chevre, but they weren't as pretty.

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Recipe: Molasses Oat Bread with Chevre

1 Loaf of Molasses Oat Bread
1 Log of Chevre

Directions:

While driving home from the market, tear off hunks of the bread. Then bite open the plastic wrap of the chevre and squeeze liberally onto the bread with one hand. Eat as much as you can. Repeat.