
Farmers' Markets always look interesting from afar, and I generally get sucked in before I remember that for the most part they are only pale imitations of what they pretend. For quite a long time, I had a Saturday morning ritual in London of Coffee, a pastry, and the FT crossword, squeezed into the little cafe at the back of Sally Clarke's - before doing the rounds of the Notting Hill Farmers' Market. It was a close enough approximation to the idea of what it was supposed to be, and there were enough good-value highlights - such as the fish stall, and the man with splendid Gressingham Ducks - that I kept on going. But, over time, I had to admit that none of the meat was very well hung, and the range of vegetables available in winter was really limited ........and it was expensive! I think the final straw was when I realised that the butter and cream in Sally Clarke's - who, let's face it, is hardly famous for being cheap - cost less than from the stall in the market. I dropped the market, there and then....and continue to be sceptical about the concept.
In Pisa, we have a Mercato Contadino once a month - on a timetable that I can never work out, and so am always taken by surprise whenever I see the stalls set up in Piazza Ca

Today's Menu:
Risotto of Fagiolini and Red Pepper.
Scaloppini with Crema di Noci (from the pasta shop in Vettovaglie.......excellent!)
Apple Strudel.
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