“local daydreams.”
muesli with almonds, banana, and berries; french press coffee.
I like daydreaming. Perhaps because I don’t sleep enough, so my mind needs another way to flex its imaginative muscles.
I browsed the Union Square Greenmarket this weekend, arriving not soon before the vendors packed up their goods to leave. The timing meant I scored some deals: a bag of 6 bell peppers for $2; 3.5 pints of berries for $8. [I ruined the savings when I went wild at the sight of heirloom tomatoes, but that's not the point here.]
As I strolled from stand to stand, choosing produce at its height – peaches, plums, purslane – I thought how nice it would be to purchase all my groceries here, week after week. Not only the fruits and the vegetables, but the local eggs and the whole milk yogurt and the hand-crafted breads.
I envisioned myself with my reusable totes, nearly all of which have been “borrowed” from my mom’s stash, piling everything fresh and local into their folds. I’d ignore the reality that my Asian grocer sells half the items for less of a price, and I’d revel instead in my knowledge of how delicious in season goods taste.
As I prepared this breakfast, the result of an invasion of berries on my refrigerator’s bottom shelf, I couldn’t help but mull this fantasy. I do visit farmers markets, but certainly not for every item I buy each week. That concept is an ideal – perhaps the ideal, where each and every one of us would only eat what was made available by the farmers in our city and the time of the year.
I know the ideal is only a daydream. My adoration for dining and desire to share meals with friends and acquaintances inevitably puts me in the realm of non-farm-fresh food. But I do my best, and I continue to become more attached to my local daydreams.
I figure: if I never had a thing to dream about, to strive for, life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.
♦♦♦
berry breakfast muesli
- ½ c rolled oats
- ¼ c raw almonds
- 1 t cinnamon
- ½ t vanilla extract
- ¼ c plain yogurt
- ½ c soy milk, divided
- 1 banana, sliced
- as many berries as your heart desires
Mix together oats, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, yogurt, and ¼ c soy milk. Soak in fridge overnight. In morning, add remaining soy milk and stir well. Add banana and berries. Best enjoyed with strong coffee alongside.
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We were just waxing on muesli last night with one of our house guests! Muesli, fruit and yogurt is a favorite of mine, and it’s a fabulous breakfast any time of year.
The USQ Farmers Market always makes my heart sing… and my wallet sob. I also shop there late in the day (I felt like a thief when I snagged a huge bag of watercress for $2)… and I also have a really cheap Asian grocery that I frequent far more often.
I just watched the documentary “No Impact Man” (about the guy living in NYC who lived with little to no environmental impact for a year) and he did all his grocery shopping at the Union Square farmer’s market. All seasonal, all natural, all healthy…it was definitely inspiring.
Anything oat-y is my cup of tea. Lovely post!
[...] Breakfast is an essential in itself, of course. I work for a theater, which means I have the luxury of getting to work at 10 each morning. I’m a morning person, so this works for me – when I leave the office, I generally have three things on my mind (wine, friends, food), so I appreciate my longer mornings to do fun things like go to a yoga class (my chosen form of exercise) or you know, less fun things, like laundry. This also means that I get to spend some time with my breakfast, which I’m sure you’ll be shocked to read, is oats. In this steamy New York summer, I’ve been loving them cold. You can see the recipe here! [...]