Charmed Chaos
Musings on Life, Love, and Linguine-Poetry & Writing
The Farmer’s Market
When I was a young child, my mother would take me to the Farmer’s Market with her in Houston. I always looked forward to those trips, because I saw things that amazed me. Whole cow heads staring at me from meat cases. a pile of jalpenos so high I couldn’t jump over them if I tried. Tall towers of stacked wild plums, peaches, and giant watermelons that put ours today to shame. Back then, the watermelon man kept them ice cold, and would plug the melon so you could taste it before you bought it.
Mom would buy fresh okra, purple hull peas, corn on the cob, tomatoes, green onions. We would go home and I started my job- shelling the peas. I’d sit on the front porch with a colander full of peas, thinking I would never see the end of them. Once I finished, mom put them in a pot with a piece of salt pork and a ham hock, covered it all with water and put them on to cook. Even today, that essence takes me back. Then I would start shucking the corn. But for the ham hock and salt pork, it was a meatless day and it was always one of my favorite meals.
summer memories-
piping hot cornbread, butter
fried okra and peas
©2021 Linda Lee Lyberg
dVerse Poets Pub: Poetics To Market, To Market!
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Charmed Chaos 
Ah….the pleasures of a Southern meal. But I must admit, if I was a child and saw a cow’s head at a farmer’s market, I think I’d run the other way!
Nice memory shared here….taking us with you!
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Thanks Lillian!
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I would love the simple treats of what you can cook after buying what’s fresh…. these days we either have to pick them fresh or buy in a supermarket.
In Sweden you can go out in the forest and pick your own mushrooms and berries… so that is my market.
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That’s wonderful. You must know your way around mushrooms then, and what is edible!
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I only keep to the really easy one… never any of those where there is even the slightest risk of errors… Chantarells for instance
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Still, that so cool. I’ve never ventured out to pick mushrooms.
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Mushroom picking is something that has the capacity to connect you to a sense and vitality that is incredible! If you an find a willing guide get out there and try it!
Shameless plug for Wild Mushrooms on my blog!
https://blazeofobscurity.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/the-mushroom-emperor/
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Such a pleasant memory, shared ❤
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Thank you, Jade.
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You are welcome.
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Thanks for sharing these memories; they brought back a vision of seeing a cow’s tongue, at a market with my grandfather many decades ago (he bought it!) I’d completely forgotten until your cow’s head made its appearance!
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Haha! Thank you kindly.
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A delicious haibun! But I prefer my cows’ heads attached 😉
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Lol. Me too.
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Hi Linda! Very wonderful work! Honest expression shared openly. I am having an existential crisis tonight. I invite you to come visit me, cross my bridge of dreams, and listen to Joni sing like an angel!
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Thank you Rob. Will do!
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