Farmer’s Markets

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I had another Prague post planned for today as I realized this week I never finished posting about our trip to Ireland and the Czech Republic back in January! But hey, maybe its nice to sprinkle in a little travel here and there rather than sharing it all at once. What do you think?

Instead of writing about our snowy (but gorgeous) time in Prague, I am inspired by the chirping birds and the sun streaming through my windows to write about my favorite parts of spring. Then I want to hear yours!

1) Longer days! I think we all have had enough of coming and going in the dark and rarely getting a chance to spend time in daylight. Even if it is that dark blue 5:45 sky, with a tiny bit of light off in the distance, it is a hopeful sign of longer evenings.

2) Spring flowers- Truly one of my favorite places to be in spring is Ireland because of the abundance of daffodils, but New England isn’t too bad. Copley Square in Boston does a gorgeous bed of tulips, and the Boston Public Gardens come alive this time of year.

3) Copley Square Farmer’s Market- While the photo below is from late summer, the farmer’s market does re-open in late spring, and the bounty of fruits and veggies slowly increases and changes as we enter the summer months. Two blocks from my office, I consider the Copley market one of the best things Boston has to offer!

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4) Green! Whether it be the wearing of the green for St. Patrick’s Day, the drinking of the green in my daily smoothie, or the eating of the green in a variety of dishes, green is definitely the color of spring. FINALLY the dirty black snow melts away, and little green shoots start appearing everywhere. Is there any sight more welcome than buds on trees? (Other than the allergies they cause!) There is also something about spring that makes me want to eat healthier. . . and fresh, local produce becoming available makes it easier! Suddenly, its light out when its time to cook dinner, and a heavy, creamy casserole and red wine seems out of place. Enter Vinho Verde, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and other fresh wines that might have a touch of green flavor.

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5) The Boston Marathon- As much as I am dreading it right now, both because I feel out of shape and am not close to my fundraising goal, the Boston Marathon is such a massive Boston tradition that no spring would be complete without it. Any day now, the billboards and the signs will be set up, Adidas sponsored ads that provide inspiration and get everyone revved up for the big day. It could be that as a runner I am biased, but to me it is a day of TRUE athleticism in Boston where thousands push themselves to the limits for various reasons,  and for only a handful is that reason personal financial gain. Its crowded, and I am sure annoying to people affected by road closures, but if you can ever get to the race route on Marathon Monday I highly recommend it!

I could go on and on about spring. I love being able to have drinks and dinner outside, taking walks at Castle Island without a whipping wind, putting away my dark, heavy clothes and pulling out something lighter and more fun. I love brightly colored pedicures, open windows, and less time sitting around. As we move closer to spring, I can’t wait to share all of those experiences with you.

What are your favorite things about spring? Anything specific to where you live?

Have you entered the Secrets of a Skinny Chef giveaway yet?

Tags: Farmer's Markets, Food, spring, wine

TGI almost Friday. I had another post planned for tonight, but after a bad day, all I want to do is write about a place that makes me happy. My day started off with a little (a LOT) of disappointment over the faux snowstorm that we had. Promised 14 inches and the hope of a much needed work from home day, we got maybe 2, and it was business as usual. My foot has been bothering me, my knees ache, and I am overall exhausted. A day working in PJ’s would have been nice.

Once up, I lost a contact. I went to the gym for an upper body strength workout and finished only to realize that I didn’t have a shirt to wear to work. And the gym was so crowded that I couldn’t dry my hair. While I was waiting outside Filene’s for it to open so I could buy a shirt, my hair froze. Really, big chunks of frozen hair. And I had hoped to hear from a couple of people I spoke with last week regarding some things (cryptic, yes :)) and have come to the conclusion that there won’t be any follow up, at least for me, so that threw a little more frustration in the pot.

The day did get better. Westport Rivers Winery offered a 10 person private tour and tasting for my ALLY Foundation raffle. How amazing is that? I am beyond humbled and grateful by the generous support companies are providing for this raffle. You can enter by visiting my fundraising site:

http://firstgiving.com/meghanmalloyteamally

And here I am. Thursday night, tiring day, and I want to relive vacation moments.

When I lived in Galway, I lived literally about 20 feet above the Saturday market. Have I showed you a photo of my old apartment? Probably, but here it is again.

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The Saturday market is a little bit scant in winter, but it still rivals anything we have in Boston. There is fresh produce, oysters and other seafood, crepes, arts and crafts, and my favorite, a cart that was among the missing this time, Govinda, a Hare Krishna vegetarian vendor with kitchiri and matter panneer, two dishes I could eat forever and ever. I missed him this time around! Govinda, where are you?

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Fresh oysters and fish, courtesy of Galway Bay

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Farm fresh eggs

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French lavender

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Are you drooling yet? Pesto, olives, hummus, harissa, tapenade, plus bread. YUM.

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When I lived in Galway, a whole, giant bucket of potatoes was 1 pound. My vegetarian roommates and I did very well with the market and all of the cheap veggies available. Best part? They were fresh and local!

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Broccoli and cauliflower, just some more of the amazing produce available

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One of the things I loved about the market was that the carrots were still covered in mud. I learned that this adds to the weight of the purchase, therefore costing more money, but at the time I thought it was so charming. At any rate, the carrots were sweet and fresh and like nothing I have ever tasted. I loved living so close to my food.

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Spring comes to Galway early. By the time my March 20 birthday rolls around, there are brand new baby lambs and daffodils. A mild climate means that green, green grass and flowers start arriving in February. One of the many reasons that I love it. Honestly, for a foodie like me, the market really sold Galway to me. We ate what we bought, and we only bought what we ate. And almost everything was in season and from farmers who had worked the earth for generations. It was old fashioned but felt so right and is the way of shopping and eating that is thankfully becoming popular again.

I still have lots of Ireland and Czech Republic posts left and am excited to share those with you. I will also have some more information on the case of wine up for the raffle later this weekend.

Do you have a favorite farmer or farmer’s market? What is your dream place to live and why?

Tags: Farmer's Markets, Food, foodies, Galway, Ireland, Market, oysters

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