market postcard from Mexico

I know many of you do the same when you travel, but the first thing I like to do when I  discover a new region is to lose myself in a farmers market. Within 48 hours of arriving in Huatulco, in the Southern state of Oaxaca this week, I had already visited two of them. Both very different in style and offerings.

Visiting markets is the quickest and most direct entry point into a foreign culture. It's also the best way to discover what locals are eating and cooking, especially since I enjoy cooking while traveling.

I had never heard, for instance, of orejas de león, or lion’s ears, dark green leaves shaped like exactly as their name implies. They are densely anddelicious when sliced super thin and strewn atop a salad, with aguacate, jicama and the local basil – the most fragrant I've every tasted. The woman sold them by the leaf, literally, so I bought a pack of 5 for about .50 cents.

What’s fun for me about farmers’ markets in this part of the world is that they sell all the sunny climate produce we can't grow in New York. The markets abound with pineapples lined up neatly on wooden shelves, so many mangoes that vary in size and shape and color, and, of course, limes, limes, and more limes. Tiny but potent. The coffee, grown and roasted locally and ground on order at the market fills the market with its chocolatey aroma. The market where I bought the coffee and lion ear leaves was in a busy town called Pochutla. Our host told us it was worth making the trek inland 20 miles to experience this real locals' market.

Indeed we were the only out-of-towners in sight. And the market made no effort to gussy up for guests; a stall selling (and testing) generators was wedged between two produce vendors. Piles of new underwear and bras were right next to a smoked and salted fish stand. Many vendors sold colorful baskets fashioned from woven plastic to carry groceries. But many locals prefer to simply stroll the market with a plastic washbasin tucked into the crook of their hip. 

We work so hard at the Hastings Farmers Market to avoid too much duplication, but that was not a concern here where all the produce stalls carry the same items: limes, mangoes, onions, lechuga, eggplant, and the occasional cauliflower. Some set themselves apart by selling chayote, also known as pear squash which locals eat in salads and stews. Many vendors had no stalls and instead, wandered the market holding their wares in one hand or in baskets on their heads, hawkign them as they walked. Such was the case for an elderly woman who sold chicharrones as she ambled through the tight alleyway, each crease on her face a novella.

At the more artisanal, bohemian and smaller organic market in Mazetún, most of the stalls are unique. You can find everything from expensive hand-embroidered dresses to artisanal Mezcal made by a former anthropologist who traded his academic life in Mexico City for a life selling Mezcal in a beach town. Also available are various farm-to-table marmalades, salsas, and pickled vegetables. This is where American and European expats shop for their produce and the market has clearly adapted its offerings for them. 

I’m sorry to say that I will not be at this Saturday’s market as I will be traveling home. But I urge you to come and support our local farmers who faced an unexpected frost at the worst possible time this week. There willl  be no lion's ears, but there should be plenty of foraged ramps, those delicate wild leeks that add so much flavor to pastas and pesto,soups and dips. Look for some ramp inspo here.

Rumor has it that Trevor, from the Orchards of Concklin is also back from wintering in Jamaica.

Rebecca will be back under the market tent this Saturday. Many of you have asked how you can help her and her four boys during this difficult time following her husband’s sudden death. A GoFundMe campaign has been organized on her behalf. You can get more information here