sartoric

Sorry, yes they're bananas. They are much sweeter than cavendish.

Another Sunday, another farmers market. This one is at the Gold Coast Arts Centre and much larger than where I went last week. It was also wet, very wet. It was only drizzling when I arrived, but soon turned torrential. Stupid here left not just one, but two umbrellas in the car. Of course the stall holders were not complaining, farmers love rain... The atmosphere was not conducive to photos. So, there's only two, both taken from my temporary shelter while my leather shoes soaked up the rivulets running past. Now attempting to get dry, here's my small haul. Figs, lady fingers, broccolini, galangal and one shepherd avocado.

Kerala style fish and potato curry with steamed rice. Homestyle dosa with sambar, fresh tomato chutney, green chutney and lemon lime pickle. I have two new kitchen toys, a Preethi mixie (all the way from Chennai) and a rice cooker (from a local op shop). I can't believe I haven't bought a rice cooker until now...perfect rice.

Warm cauliflower salad with labne, almonds, green olives and sultanas.

Bangers & mash with mushroom sauce and garlic zucchini. The snags were chicken, wild mushroom and garlic from Aldi. The mash with grated white horseradish, mushroom sauce made with fresh shiitake and dried porcini.

I've never heard of them either !

Stuffed eggplant, mixed vegetable (cauliflower, carrot, snake beans, peas) biryani, chicken curry, raita, mango pickle and naan bread.

Correct @andiesenji. I had been looking at my local op shop for a small ladle to use while making dosa. I carried this around while browsing the rest of the store, then decided against it, and put it back where I found it. My next stop was a suburb away at the Indian grocer, where I noticed a new one in a box. The store owner explained what it was for, so after buying my spices, I hotfooted it back to the op shop, bought it, and felt a tiny bit smug about saving $10.50 off the new price. Here it is on the stove....

Nope.

Nope.

Lemon/lime pickle. Some of the limes are from the farmers market, the lemons are from our dwarf tree. Salting the fruit. The ingredients, the grated stuff is jaggery, black mustard seeds in the bowl. Finished cooking.

Who knows what this is ?

Linguine with mussels in a chilli tomato sauce, spinach & parmesan salad, toasted sourdough. Then, things got really wicked. Bad brownie trifle - failed brownies, cut up and soaked in sherry, with custard, caramel sauce, grapes, bananas, cream, ice cream, chocolate topping and passion fruit.

Duck soup ! Fresh shiitake, snow peas, snake beans, rice noodles, garlic, ginger, chilli, spring onions, sprouts and lotsa duck.

Mezze platter - spicy chicken chipolatas, black eye beans with spinach, fresh tzatziki, home cured olives, quick pickled red onions, pan fried haloumi, assorted pickles, pita bread and late afternoon sunshine. The beans and tzatziki were from the book Falling Cloudberries by Tess Kiros. I'll make both of these again.

Ah there's no fruit / veggie demarcation line here. All of the stalls have both. The haggling thing is not part of my MO. I am amused watching it though. Even here with clearly marked prices many people (often Asian) will try to bargain.

Might be a bit early for North American markets, but here's my small haul from the Nerang local market this morning. In the bag, fresh shiitakes, the potatoes are new season and tiny. I've no idea what I'll make with this stuff, kinda like playing fridge lucky dip.

I don't think the exchange rate has much to do with it. The prices varied from stall to stall, this one had no people standing in front of the produce ! Having said that, Australia can be expensive for food, perhaps due to high wages. The avocados might be Shepherd, the skin is smooth and stays green. Limes are cheap at the moment, when not in season they can be $15 per kilo (that's when you buy one, or make do with lemons). Enjoy your dinner !

The local growers market this morning. I am very lucky to live in a fertile area with a subtropical climate.

A North Indian meal with two dishes from the excellent "Tasting India" by Christine Manfield. Chicken curry, marinated in yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, chilli, coriander and turmeric, then simmered with lots of sweated onion and garlic. The star of the show was the cauliflower in the aloo gobi. This recipe (in the same book) was from the Ganges View hotel in Varanasi, where we also stayed. In deference to the sacred Ganges, they use no onions or garlic. Served with basmati, parathas, tomato chutney and mango chutney (both home made).

I haven't got the book, but borrowed it from the library a few times. I see them in op shops from time to time, however I'm on a bookshelf moratorium. If a new one comes in, an oldie must go.....

She also has another revered book, The Complete Asian Kitchen. I remember Hunza pie, tried to make one once in the '70s. Only once.....

Ta @rarerollingobject, I'll take that as a big compliment coming from an intrepid traveller and adventurous eater. Thanks also to @anzu, for having a go at explaining more of the cooking culture. Fascinating stuff !

Here's my fresh fruit salad from what's in the bowl or fridge, there was ice cream too. On Thursday at a nearby street food market I bought locally grown passionfruit and lady finger bananas. A bonus, the bananas were only 99 cents a kilo. The pineapple and strawberries were grown in this state (Queensland). I'm not sure about the grapes, they could be from interstate. It's autumn, fresh fig season is here, peaches and nectarines are plentiful but will be soon past their best. There's a farmers market tomorrow (Sunday). I'll take some photos.

Love Charmaine Solomon, my mother in law took a cooking class with her in the '60s and I have the notes !