Anavyssos Farmers' Market - Figs and Puppies

The Farmers' Market at Anavyssos, the big town next to Saronida, is held on Wednesdays on a side street a few blocks away from the local supermarket.

The produce is piled high on the stalls and the fresh figs are front and center in August.

The vendors hawk their produce, proclaiming their products the sweetest, freshest, best.

 Mountains of zucchini with the flower still attached

 Fresh Pinto Beans

 An old man brought a box of puppies for adoption. 

 If you get hungry, there's always the souvlaki vendor.

 Eggs are always sold at room temperature and no one has ever gotten sick from that.

Have you ever seen such colorful grapes?

The olive guy.

I recently read somewhere that Greece is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Judging from the variety of offerings at the Markets I would tend to agree. Produce changes with the seasons but it's always available.

Enjoy!

Maria

Utrecht, the Netherlands

 Utrecht is a city of canals, flowers,and old picturesque buildings in the Netherlands.

 The Saturday Flower Market.

 The favorite Dutch mode of transit.

 The ancient city center dates back to the High Middle Ages. 

 Whenever I happen on a wedding,  I feel compelled to photograph the couple.

 And this was an especially handsome couple of newlyweds!

 Inside the Dom Church. 

The city is filled with shops, cafes and restaurants and lots of people enjoying the sites. Tables are set close to the canals, over bridges and sidewalks. It's like a small Paris!

Enjoy!

Maria

Greek Farmers' Market Fish Recipe

As you may have guessed by now, there isn't a Farmers' Market I don't like! Wherever I am traveling, even if I am not cooking, I enjoy visiting a local Farmers' Market.

In Greece, the Farmers' Market is called "Laiki," meaning, for the people.The produce is fresher, cheaper and there's a wide variety. The Markets run throughout the year selling whatever is in season and travel from neighborhood to neighborhood and people shop for the entire week.

This week, at the Wednesday Market in the nearby town of Anavyssos, we bought this wonderful fish called Kefalos.

As we walked through the stalls we came upon the one pictured above. We saw the three large fish and decided to try them. We bought a one kilo(about 2 lbs) and had then clean it for us. I'd never cooked this fish before, but I figured that if I used my tried and true oven-roasted fish recipe I couldn't go wrong!

 The stalls are full of fresh, local fish that people either bake, grill or fry.

 I brought our fish home and rinsed it well and dried it with paper towels.

I scored the top(only the skin) and placed it on aluminum foil. I drizzled some extra virgin Greek olive oil on top and bottom and slathered it over the entire fish. I placed it in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the flesh is flaky. You can check it with a fork through the splits in the skin.

In the meantime, while the fish is cooking, cut two large potatoes into 1-2 inch squares and place them in boiling water to cook for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain the potatoes and reserve half a cup of the water. Place the potatoes in a bowl, add the juice of one lemon, the reserved water, a quarter cup of extra virgin Greek olive oil, a tablespoon or more of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together.

Also, place in boiling water a half dozen small zucchini with the flower still attached, until the fork goes through them effortlessly. Dress with fresh lemon juice, extra virgin Greek olive oil and sea salt.

Your meal is now ready to serve. Plate the fish, the potatoes and the zucchini and cut some think slices of bread. Add a glass of chilled white wine and dig in!

Enjoy!

Maria

Best Summer Navy Bean Salad

Navy bean salad is a great summer meal; light, easy to prepare and packed with nutrients.

You will need a bunch of parsley, a small onion, a cucumber, a small tomato, lemon, extra virgin Greek olive oil, salt and pepper. Of course the base of the salad are the beans; I use two 14 oz cans, rinsed. I also add a diced avocado.

Rinse your beans in a colander and place them in a large bow.

 Dice all your ingredients(see above.)

Dress the salad with the juice of the lemon and the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in plates with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Maria

Bronx Botanical Gardens - Frida Kahlo exhibit

Frida Kahlo is the famous Mexican painter, known for her striking self portraits and also for vividly incorporating nature in her work. Married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican painter, known for his murals depicting workers.

 The exhibit at the Bronx Botanical Gardens highlighted her love of nature.

 The Conservatory held a plethora of plants and trees indigenous to Mexico.

 This is a replica of a temple Frida and Diego had constructed in their garden.

 Frida's Blue House

 Frida's painting desk.

Bird of Paradise.

 A tiny little watermelon!

The marigold is a very important Mexican flower, used also in ceremonious ways during the Day of the Dead.

 The lush tropical landscape that was characteristic of Frida Kahlo's garden.

She died young of complications from a traffic accident that left her in pain for many years of her life. Yet, she left behind an impressive body of work.

Every couple of years I like to visit the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. There's always something new to experience! This time, the Frida Kahlo show was a unique window into the plant-life that partly shaped one of my favorite artists work.

I think the show is still on and I would highly recommend spending some time there.

Enjoy!

Maria