Green to red please!
Summer shot of Castres market
Our parking fairy is feeling generous this morning.
I am handed poll position–a hop and a skip from the fountain at the interesting end of Castres Market–to start my marketing.
The vent d’autan is strong–this is the warm wind from the east that can drive you mad when it lasts for days.
The stalls look strangely impermanent without their parasoles and the stallholders, embattled–showing a dogged determination to be of good cheer.
In fact the shoppers are compliant–keen not to robbed of the chance to celebrate a good week or put a less good one behind you with friends at one of the five cafés surrounding Place Jean Jaures.
It is 10:15am and the market has been up and running since 7am.
In the summer I’m here by 7:30 to grab the choicest tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and other summer delights brought in by local growers and picked just the night before.
I’m slower at the moment–finding it hard to get motivated when the changing season–winter to spring–is not showing on the vegetable stands.
A couple of sparsely stocked stalls selling asparagus–white and green–are the only sign that the year is on the move.
A weariness with winter vegetables is affecting me–same old cabbages, same old broccoli.
Much as I love them–love eating and cooking them, I’m ready for a change of color.
I wasn’t proud of myself yesterday buying eight tomatoes “on the vine” ho! ho!–but red, red, red.
(Halved, seasoned, dribbled with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar, oven at 200c for 45 minutes and hey presto, it’s summer!)
Green to red please and get a move on.
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I rest my case!
