Last Market of April

I love how the farmers' market brings color to an otherwise drab and dreary Portland Saturday. The market was packed despite the gray weather, and it was pretty depressing to see everyone bundled up against the chill when, less than a week ago, we were all walking down the street in shorts and tanks and lying about in our underwear in our backyards. Just a bit of a wake up call that this is Spring, not yet Summer - even though I have ONE WEEK of classes left!

This summer is going to be epic. I received a grant to travel around Oregon painting around the State Parks in a van. I'll be seeing the best of the state, and hopefully checking out more markets outside of Portland. One hitch - I've signed up for my CSA which starts in 6 weeks (woo!) so I'll have to be popping in and out of PDX.

I'll still be blogging - think Lemonbasil meets On The Road - but the focus will shift to fresh, mostly raw uses of the goodies in my weekly CSA box. It should be a lot of fun, and I can't wait to show you the adventures I'll surely be finding.

For now, here are some photos from today's market - including my bounty, which I got for under twenty bucks. It's a fun challenge to see how much delicious produce I can get while keeping within my budget - I'm never disappointed!

Eat well - and here's to hoping the sun comes out again soon!


A gorgeous Snow Morel


So many vendors are selling starts this year, which means a lot more people are starting their own gardens. Awesome!


Beautiful bouquets in the making


The belles of the market - the red ladies.