"Corner View" is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane from Spain Daily, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. Today's topic is "Paper". Next week the topic is "Monochrome". To see more Corner Views from around the world please visit Francesca, our lovely hostess.
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I love getting my fruit and vegetables fresh from the market however it seems harder and harder to find cheap and accessible markets here in the UK. Many have either closed down or have become overpriced and pretentious novelty markets for the rich and middle class. There is a farmers' market in Walton-on-Thames (next town along) but that only pops up the first Saturday of each month and the few times I went I wasn't very impressed. So, up until recently I had been resigned to buying plastic wrapped supermarket veg.
Then, about 2 months ago, one Sunday, we visited our local garden centre and spotted a fruit and veg stall in their car park. I tentatively bought a few items. I was really happy with the freshness and price and couldn't wait to return!
Since then, we go back nearly every Sunday morning and I try to buy the full week's fruit and veg. I just love seeing all the produce in the boxes, carefully choosing what I want and putting them in the brown paper bags. There is something very satisfying about the simple brown paper bag and it sure beats the horrible, excess plastic packaging of supermarket vegetables. I find my produce actually stays fresher for longer in the paper bags because the fruit and vegetables can breathe rather than sweating and suffocating in the plastic wrap. And, I know for sure the produce smells and tastes so much better straight out of the box. The paper bags are much better for the environment too.
Writing this post also made me remember something I once read. When I was younger, probably about 14, I became quite interested in Chinese Horoscopes. I was born in the year of the Ox and one of the descriptions (supposedly) of an Ox personality was this: "Many interesting things can come in brown paper bags". I took that to mean that the bag may look uninteresting on the outside but you don't know what wonderful things it may contain until you look into it (maybe some yummy cherries?!), so just because a person seems boring on the surface, doesn't mean they really are.
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Really sweet post and your wisdom from the paper bag!! I can feel from your words and the pictures how happy the vegetables themselves must be to be able to breathe in the feel of the paper. Great that you could find a place where you can stock up on the fresh and delicious produce!! Happy week!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Now you've given me an idea...perhaps they can get a selection of "words of wisdom" printed on the paper bags? It would take vegetable buying to a whole new level!
DeleteLovely post. I esp. liked that bit at the end! :>)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy our farmers' market every Sat. from May until the end of August.
Thank you Beth... I'm not sure if this one carries on all year - I do hope so!
DeleteEverything looks so fresh and good - proof that interesting things do come in brown bags. And it does seem that things are "fresher" in a paper to cloth bag as opposed to those nasty plastic ones!
ReplyDeleteThe fresh herbs are especially good from this market - two weeks ago I bought some parsley and put it in a glass of water on the kitchen work top ... it's still going strong!
DeleteMouthwatering! I love how your market packs things in paper that way. It is hit or miss here that they do that at a farmers market.
ReplyDeletehee hee... now that's a clever outcome to a brown paper bag. i love how brown paper bags wrinkle and become soft, and so long they're not wet, how they will not tear. well, if they get wet, then you have maché, of course..;))) ♥
ReplyDeleteyes, they are much stronger than you thing... except when they get wet !
Deletetotally agree with you, and in fact I was going to write exactly this post, about good produce in paper bags vs plastic wrapped supermarket vegs except that I couldn't get any photos taken in time!
ReplyDeleteThat's a coincidence...great minds and all that! I just took these photos with my phone camera, so they are not the best
DeleteSo glad you were able to find some place affordable! These type of markets are hard to find where I live, but once in a while on the side of the road there is a pop up stand.
ReplyDeleteYes. it's definitely a boon that it's there every week, regularly because it means I can plan my meals for the week and hold back buying any fresh produce from the supermarket. It has already saved me a quite a bit of money because it's cheaper than the supermarket
DeleteSo true, Brown paper bags are made to keep treasures... Your photos are really nice.
ReplyDeletenice paper story! what an adventure to look for a nice market were they look a bit further than plastic.
ReplyDeleteI also prefer paper bags, but quite difficult in some groceries in the city. Others are introducing paper, but it is a bit strange. In local markets, I usually bring my basket and take alltogher on it.
ReplyDeleteThose vergies look really good.
I believe in 2016 Californias's plastic bag ban will take effect. Your post is so fresh and yummy. I admit I have a preference for brown bags, so many re-uses.
ReplyDelete