Weekly Bounty

This week's Cortelyou Farmers' Market bounty. 7 dollars bought four large carrots, one garlic, one regular tomato, one heirloom tomato, and a nice bunch of swiss chard. Not to mention the 14 dollars worth of peaches and nectarines (2.80/lb) I bought from Grand Army Plaza on Saturday, after the bike ride to Manhattan.

When I was in Manhattan, which I rarely am on a Saturday, I rode my bike up Park Avenue like so many others for no-car Summer Streets. On my return I thought I might stop at Union Square market to pick up a peach, just one to eat right then and there. I had my bike, so I couldn't enter the crowd. On the corner was a stand selling peaches -perfect. But these peaches were 4 or 6 dollars a pound, depending on the color of the flesh! To boot, an attendant was acting like some kind of Mr. Whipple asking everyone not to squeeze the peaches. All I heard were muffled sorrys. Too much pressure. So I moved on and waited for GAP peaches.

This is not from the farmers' market. This is from my neighbor, George. He says some of his otherwise ordinary cucumbers are turning orange. He has yet to eat one and asked me to be his guest. Last year a friend's father gave me delectable brown cucumbers, nowhere near this size though. I don't know what's happening in my neighbor's yard. Is it past ripe? I haven't cut it open yet. It's still firm. Usually, a cuke past its prime gets big and eventually turns yellow and soft. This is brown/orange and firm.