'splosion

For some unknown reason I was up about 7:30am on a Saturday and out the door to the Eastern Market in SE. I don’t know about where you live, but the end of August and beginning of September is obscene at the D.C. area farmers markets (farmer’s markets? farmers’ markets?). The entire Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Delaware grower’s region has gone over-the top. The peaches, strawberries, cantaloupe, greens, herbs, tomatoes (the damn tomatoes!), melons, raspberries/blueberries, flowers, and cheese (granted, not particularly seasonal) are in full force. Just walking down the stalls is absolutely overwhelming. I have a peach tart I want to make but no one here to eat it; what are the odds? You could score with a hot chick if you had a good peach tart. What I have done is started a tomato sauce with five lbs. of the most incredible heirlooms tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and onions. The selection of heirlooms was both impressive and yet somehow almost too scientific for me. I sense I’ll need a good sit down with the love when she gets home – no doubt she has some heirloom ideas. It probably goes hand-in-hand with her lesson on how sourdough starter was carried through generations and across the great trails of young America. A good starter is apparently worth its weight in gold. Who knew? I leave the baking to the lady folk.

For some unknown reason I spoke on the phone with all of the Vermont family children today...yet none were anywhere nearby. I only mention that as an oddity. Kt came over for dinner because she was foraging, X is still on vacation….la dee da, and the young one is cursing sun and palm trees in his new locale. I support the overall hatred of sun more than two days a week.

Not only is the market superior, the weather here in the swampland is stunning for late August. No heat or humidity to speak of, brilliant skies, lovely days, sleepy nights. Just in case you were wondering.

In order to flex my manliness, I’ll say these things: the Cubs are still rolling, my fantasy football team is solid, the Cornhuskers will surprise everyone as they roll out from the plains, and I have some really nice shoes.

That’s all.

t