To Market, To Market

An open-air market, filled with sights, sounds, and smells of everything fresh, unfolds each morning. It is the season of brilliantly red tomatoes (tomates) at 1,90 € per kilo, truthfully delicious cherries (cerezas), glossily purple eggplants (berenjenas), and radiantly yellow lemons (limones). Shopping is personal, and purchases are quickly and skillfully wrapped in cones of heavy craft paper for the journey home. Pointing is easy; knowing all the names gets easier.

This day’s lunch includes beets (alas, remolachas proves elusive) and shrimp (gambas). And, a fish by any other name, and shape, and size--still intimidating, still fishy.

This day's dinner consists of white beans (alubias) like grandmother used to make (al estilo de la Abuela; canned, yes, but excellent!) with small sausages (parrillada minis) including goat and pork sausage (criollo y longaniza), spicy sausage (chorizo picante) and blood sausage (morcilla). So much better than the pork 'n beans Campbell's still makes!