Market Day

Black grape tomato, Rose and Lavender marshmallows, Lindt cooking chocolate, cool spatula, cake decorating stars and elderflowers.

I always get excited about market day thinking about all the yummy fresh produce. I told myself I won’t go crazy on the veg as I always buy too much and stay away from expensive items that I would hardly use like smoked ocean trout or a leg of salt bush lamb.

Walking past the baby salad leaf/micro greens/edible flowers stall, this time I had to buy some edible flowers. I’ve always wanted to use them to decorate cakes or to put in a leafy green salad. To much excitement, I saw elderflowers! All rational thoughts went out of my mind, I need to buy the elderflowers! I love elderflower cordial and have seen the flowers being used in one of those country/farm style cooking shows from the UK. Hurrah, $4 a box! Now, err what do I do with them???

I don’t usually buy cakes/pastries/sweets. I walked past the Sweetest Patisserie stall, there were free samples ..free samples! Who would pass that up? I manoeuvred myself in front of the marshmallow jar. Hmm...lime, hmm..lemon, ohh is that chocolate? They were oh so light, I need to buy a packet! A pretty pink and lavender coloured one caught by eye. I picked it up and the stall holder informed me that packet is Rose and Lavender flavour. “Do you like the flowers flavours?” she asked. I umm-ed and arrr-ed a bit, memories of unpleasant encounters with flower flavours filled my mind (e.g. rose petal jam with lots of rose petals so much that you feel like you’re eating paper). Seeing my hesitation she urged “Try one”. I took the sample piece of rose flavoured marshmallow, popped it into my mouth and hoped for the best. The marshmallow was light and airy, and to my delight the rose flavour was subtle but fragrant. I was sold.

After the markets, I went a bit nuts in the Essential Ingredient.....that's a story for another day.