farmers markets
We probably went to 1 (maybe 2) farmer's markets before coming to Grenada. Here we know the farmer's market schedules, who has the best stuff, when the lady sells the juice out of her van and have been to many roadside stands for fresh produce. We're regulars, and most of the ladies recognize us when we walk up.
Saturday mornings the farmers market is at our current marina. I was bummed this morning that the meat lady wasn't there. She imports meat from the US and sells delicious meatballs that I was hoping to buy more of this morning. Instead we bought a mango ginger smoothie and seamoss from May. She sells spices, jams, smoothies and fruits. The seamoss is new for us, but we see it everywhere. May said to keep it in the freezer, then mix with milk and spices to make a smoothie. We'll let you know what we think when we try it.
May also gave us a free papaya. It's part of the perks of being a regular and bringing the girls along to shop. Most of the time the ladies throw in something free for them.
In Grenada mangoes are everywhere. At farmer's markets, at roadside stands, in rivers and all over the road.
Fun fact for Austin: 18 varieties of mangoes grow in Grenada.
This bowl of mangoes has 3 different varieties, and they all taste completely different.
There is an older couple that runs a fruit and vegetable stand across the street from our marina. Last week when we were leaving the bakery the guy ran over and asked if we wanted any fruit. We were heading back to the boat, so I told him we would come back later. We did end up going back later and he remembered us. We bought a bag of mangoes (the bigger, yellow ones) and bananas. He also gave the girls the bigger, reddish mango that he said was a hybrid variety.
Yesterday we went to the marine store because there is a lady that sells juice out of her van in the parking lot. The girls beg to go every week, so she knows us and knows the kind of juice the girls get (passionfruit for Emma, guava for Olivia). After we bought our 2 canteloupes, a pineapple and 3 different juices she gave the girls 3 mangoes (the small yellow ones) just because.
The same lady that sells the juice out of her van also tried to sell us cashew apples. We had never heard of them, so she gave us one to try. I didn't get any pictures, but after we got back to the boat we learned all about cashew apples (which is a whole fascinating fun fact lesson for Austin). Who knew cashew nuts grow out of the bottom of a cashew apple?!? Clearly not us! The cashew apple is actually a fruit that you can eat raw - kind of like an apple, but a little more mild taste and less crunchy texture. Each cashew apple makes one cashew nut, which means you need a lot of cashew apples for a container of cashews.
Not a farmers market, but one of the roadside stands we've stopped at more than once - the corn on the cob lady. Every day she is out on the side of the road with her little grill roasting corn on the cob.
