Shopping Sunday

One of the things I like about Sundays is that I get to go to the organic market that sets up shop a few minutes away from where I live.

First stop, the veggie and fruit stall to get our week's supply of greens

A few steps away are the fruit stalls

 where I fill up my market bag with these sweet, golden ripe mangoes










and pick up a few green ones -  tart but yummy made into a salad with fresh tomatoes, onions and a splash of fish sauce and eaten with grilled fish.

 Then it's off to see the nice man who sells the most delicious whole wheat pandesal --  large buns the size of small saucers that we usually eat for breakfast, warm with sweet, fresh butter, a cup of rich, dark brewed barako coffee to wash the sleepiness away.

Today he told me that my favorite white cheese is available so we hurry over the the stall that sells it -- you have to hurry because it only takes a few minutes for shoppers to snap up the available stock.

I guess mangoes are really on my list -- I picked up a few tubs of mango yoghurt too.

A quick browse through the section selling plants refreshes me despite the hot, humid weather.

And I could not resist picking up a few of these darling ground orchids -- I already planted them in the little corner just by our front door, a cheery welcoming committee to all who enter.

There were stalls selling vintage items like this little teacup --







Woven baskets and colorful capiz windchimes  made a pretty picture grouped together

 And sundresses paraded in a burst of bright color

I was delighted to find a stall that sold bags made out of flour sacks -- I had been searching for these for the longest time and I could not resist purchasing a couple

There were rows and rows of native preserves -- not the sweet kind, but rather the savory sort for dipping. 

These bottles contain fermented fish and fillets of milkfish drowned in olive oil.

And these beautifully packaged ones hold vinegar spiced with red, hot chilis, onions, ginger and kernels of whole black pepper.  Don't you just love the woven packaging on that bottle!!!???

A trip to the organic market would never be complete without the purchase of the "contraband" --- pork rinds deep fried to a crisp, a thick layer of fat still clinging to the skin and plump garlic sausages from Vigan (a town in the northern part of the province of Ilocos).   My mother would have a hard time hiding this from my dad.

We pass on the dried fish -- but the display was so pretty I could not resist snapping a photo

A search for my hubby found me in the area where the food stalls are set up, a sheepish grin on his face, a plate of freshly grilled tuna belly and garlic rice set before him.

And that is one thing I like about Sundays.