Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Market

We made a 7:30 date with our landlady for the Saturday morning market in downtown St. Georges. Yall know that the town is set on a serious set of hills and I think we walked up and down most of them. I took 2 egg cartons by mistake and no bags to carry stuff away in--next time I'll know. I did get the 2 cartons filled up with eggs out of a car trunk for $6ec each so that was good. The market is really big and Charmeine knows the farmers who bring their fresh picked fruits and veggies to town so we met a lot of them. I bought lettuce, bananas, okra, pumpkin, onions, and tomatoes--we got there too late for avocados. We went by the fish market and wow! what a sight! You look at all the fish, tell a woman with a big machete what you want, she uses a big stick to hit the machete & cut through the bones, then scales it with the same machete. Stuff is flying everywhere!! I try not to stand with my mouth open in amazement, but I think my eyes are huge!! It was really a great experience--next time I'm going at 6--the avocados are big and worth it!!

Beach Party

Monday and Tuesday were carnival here in Grenada so everyone is off work. Beverly Lewis invited us to the beach party she was having for the kids from Old Westerhall. We ran by town and picked up the Ross boys then went to the BBC beach. Beverly had a giant pot of Oildown going--that's the national dish of Grenada. Lots of you have asked me about the food-here is what's in it. Breadfruit (sliced up), onion, garlic, peppers, chicken (legs and thighs), pork (Bev used pig tails), any meat left in fridge that you want to put in (some have salted ham), potatoes if you want, and callaloo (a green leafy vegetable-big leaves). You boil all of that with tumeric, salt, and pepper. The broth from meats thickens up and everything cooks. At the end you add homemade dumplings (flour and water mixed in firm ball, then rolled out into cigar shaped dumplings and dropped into pot). When all of that has cooked for about 30 minutes, you plate it up. I thought it was delicious and I wasn't sure at first!! We ate the whole thing! I wished for more callaloo! Maybe next time!

Good Chinese Food

Well, everyone! I have 1 more chinese eatery to go before I give up and start making my own. We ate at 1 that was close to the most beautiful bay so far-Lance aux 'Epines---it had a lighthouse and cliffs and crashing waves. Of course, I had to stand on the cliff like Jane Austen's Elizabeth and let the wind blow on me. (I really needed a long dress!) Anyway, the restaurant was open to the outside as most here are, it was just getting dark, so the mosquitoes quickly sent out word that there was fresh blood out! We had to wiggle around and slap until Jim went back to the car for our long sleeve movie shirts--I wrapped mine around my legs and feet , draped my napkin around my right arm and just let them feed off my left. Jim was huddled in his. Alas, it was not worth it--we've tried 3 chinese here and know where 1 more is, so next week we may try that one. I'm gathering chinese and thai fixings everytime I go to the grocery store though--think I'm going to be our best bet!