Sunday, May 6, 2018

My favorite kind of weekend!

It's been a wonderful weekend, filled with lots of the people and things I love most. I am so lucky.

Yesterday morning began with meeting up with some book club friends at 8am for coffee, then we were among the first to arrive at our county library's big annual used book sale. What fun that was! I was on the lookout for a few specific authors and titles, which I didn't find, but I did leave with two hardcover and two paperback books for the grand total of $2.50. One was an old book titled "The History of the Fragrant Rose" which looks like it will be a nice addition to my gardening collection.

Pictured here alongside the David Austin catalogue that was already residing on my nightstand, ironically enough. 
After buying our books, my friends and I drove downtown to the city's Saturday morning market to have breakfast and shop. Several local vendors set up their wares under tents from 9am-1pm in a large parking area. It's mostly farmers selling local vegetables as well as wonderful grass fed meats, milk, cheeses, and eggs, but a couple of tents were selling crafts, food, and coffee.




See the lady in the above picture, wearing jeans and turning towards me? She's part of a farming family who were frequent customers of mine at the bookstore, and some of my very favorite people from those days.  As soon as I snapped this picture she spotted me and ran over and gave me a great big hug! I haven't seen any of them since I got my new job, and running into her was a real treat.

Her family sells wonderful local meats raised humanely on well run, all-organic farms. I had to buy a few things from them, including sausages, a gallon of rich grass fed milk, and a dozen fresh eggs.



Speaking of eggs, the market manager was under a tent cooking up breakfast frittatas with local eggs and veggies. Here's mine cooking. It had chorizo sausage, zucchini, minced sweet potato, diced heirloom tomato, kale, and a sprinkling of soft white farmer's cheese to finish it off. The guy wrapped it in a small, warmed tortilla when it was done, and it was absolutely delicious! Cost: $4.00


Also for sale: the best, sweetest, most delicious strawberries I've ever had. I bought one of these big green buckets and I haven't stopped popping them in my mouth yet!


The same guy selling the strawberries had heirloom tomatoes for sale. He said they're still coming from Florida at the moment, but the local tomatoes will be ready in three more weeks, give or take a few days. I love a good tomato more than most things in life, so I bought a big bagful of them......


......and made myself the quintessential Southern lady lunch later that afternoon. Behold the makings of the classic Tomato Sandwich:


Image may contain: food
It has to be Duke's mayonnaise, and it has to be soft white bread. The only other ingredients are a perfect ripe tomato and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That's it: perfection.
Since yesterday was also Cinco de Mayo, I had my friend Martina over last night for margaritas. We had hoped Marla could join us, for the food if not the tequila, but she wasn't feeling up to it at the last minute due to an ear infection. Which was just as well, since we wanted to discuss a small party we're planning to have for her and the new baby this summer. We were also able to drink all the margaritas we wanted without feeling guilty doing it in front of her!

And we did have a few! I think the only things that saved me from a hangover this morning were using only good quality tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and ice for the drinks and eating lots of fresh veggies, chips, guacamole, and strawberries while drinking. We both got a bit tipsy, and it was a lot of fun. A perfect way to finish out a great Saturday! 

How has your weekend been?

11 comments:

  1. Well, after reading this and looking at your pictures, I have to say that my weekend has not been a whole lot of fun.
    Dang.
    And by the way- that is exactly how a tomato sandwich should be made. I honestly don't mind if my tomato sandwiches don't have some bacon on them but forget the lettuce. And no mayonnaise except for Duke's.

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    1. Amen, Ms. Moon! I somehow knew you'd agree with me on the making of a classic tomato sandwich!

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  2. Love the books adore roses. The Farmers Market look wonderful with Strawberries and Tomatoes.
    I have never had Duke's Mayo but that is the way I feel about Japanese Mayo, Kewpie to be exact. Fresh farmers tomatoes just the best !

    cheers, parsnip

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  3. That book tempts you to pick it up, it's so pretty.

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  4. Books and farmers markets. Two of my favourite things!

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  5. What a delightful post! So good to see life is treating you so well these days, dear friend!
    We spent Saturday sanding down O.K.'s balcony railing, Sunday saw us out and about on our bikes, meeting friends, lunching on the balcony and ending the day with superb ice creams in town before riding back on our bikes to watch the sunset from the hills above thevillage.
    Today wewill start painting the railing.

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  6. That sounds like a lovely Saturday - filled with nice things and nice people. It was very hot and sunny in Yorkshire over the weekend and we have done quite a bit of gardening. In fact as soon as I have finished this comment I will be back out again. It is a public holiday in England today. Beautiful weather.

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  7. I've never heard of Duke's mayo. Being from the City of New York, only Hellman's would do for us.

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  8. If I was making a tomato sandwich it would have butter and cheese. There are some things that just have to go on soft white bread: vegemite is one, banana is another.

    It sounds like a good weekend, may there be more of them!

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  10. Jealous of your fresh garden tomatoes! Up here we can only get them in grocery stores except in late summer, and the store-boughts have NO FLAVOUR whatsoever. They taste like nothing, but cost an arm and a leg. -Kate

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