Memories and the Kaiserslautern Market

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Worthy of a Monet or van Gogh!

I’m a fan of the city of Kaiserslautern.  Lots of good restaurants, broad pedestrian shopping areas, pubs that brew their own beer, and always something going on.  Saturday morning is market day.

In Europe, as in the U.S., there are supermarkets of a pretty fair size, but I prefer the farmers’ markets.  Usually the vegetables and fruits are those in season.  They’re mostly local and haven’t been picked early and shipped for hundreds of miles, losing flavor, vitamins, and texture with every bump in the road.

Plus, there’s something special about chatting with the folks who picked the produce they’re selling.  Makes you feel a little closer to the earth, like the morning-after when you woke up on the front lawn, and wife and kids weren’t even a budding idea.

Plus, there’s always a grand supply and variety of meats and cheeses, plants, cut flowers, and herbs, again depending on what’s in season.  You get to taste the cheeses and smoked meats, and the flowers last longer in your favorite vase.

Another thing that whets my appetite is the variety.  I always see fruits and veggies I’ve never seen before.  This trip I ran into Mirabella plums, golden, sweet and succulent.  In Germany and across the used-to-be border in Alsace, they juice these plums to make delicious dessert wines and distinctive brandies.

I also saw some Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, as it’s sometimes called.  You prepare it just as you would normal cauliflower, but it’s flavor is milder and you have to beware of overcooking because greenish-yellow curls are more tender than the white variety you’re used to.

Ever seen flowering Greek oregano?  Me either.  Picked up one of those, along with a curry plant with frilly leaves.  The only kind of curry I’d seen before had straight leaves.

Yes, they have farmers’ markets in the states, but few are on a year around, regular schedule, and the ones I’ve been to in the States don’t offer the same array, variety, or things like smoked meats, and fresh baked breads.

But, no matter where you live, it’s worth checking out the local produce.  Tomato sandwiches and stuffed zucchini taste fabulously different when they’re straight from the vine.  And, the scents alone will bring back fleeting memories of the good ‘ol, free wheeling days of yore, when you slept on the lawn, dusted yourself off, and sped to work with the top down.

Greek oregano in front, curry behind

Dogs are welcome almost everywhere.

Fresh and smoked meats

Romanesco Broccoli