some say the week starts on sunday. some say monday. i'm running behind so let's say my week starts saturday.
last saturday was a great start to a surprisingly hectic week.
our morning began with a second pass at pumpkin scones. i amped up the spices and added some white chocolate chips (a favorite mix-in of hubby-to-be).
with happy bellies and a little coffee perk we set off for a morning of new activities. first, it was off to the wintertime farmers' market in the hope artiste village. hubby-to-be and i have previously ventured to our outdoor farmers' market but always left empty handed due to being overwhelmed by the masses and underwhelmed by the variety. moving the outdoor mob scene inside sounded like a nightmare. i had to find our for myself.
{i should have taken a picture}
the confined spaced seemed to force a bit of organization. instead of tents being spread around the perimeter of a park the vendors lined the sides of a wide hallway. the hordes that, outside, congregated in front of the stands (milling, chatting, loitering) were forced to look, buy or move on based on lack of space. some vendors encouraged tasting {my favorite part}. i fell in love with all the produce, which was still limited in variety but somehow in this setting seemed more accessible. with our refrigerator already overpopulated with perishable food items, we took this mission as reconnaissance.
that said, i grabbed a loaf of pumpkin seed bread and some fresh chèvre.
hubby-to-be grabbed lunch: a jamaican beef patty {again, i wish i had my camera}.
the next weekend we're free we're going back. i can't wait.
new experience number one was followed by new experience number two: the tailor. this one came in the form of a small, brusque russian-esque woman named marysia. hubby-to-be needed his pants taken up so he doesn't look like he's standing in a bucket. quick and painless, though we're still waiting to see the result.
finally, we dropped off some dry cleaning only to be told the water spots on my silk dress may be hopeless. again, wait and see.
in keeping with the morning's veggie theme {and my abhorrence of waste} i threw together a hearty "leftovers chowder." it was supposed to be a soup, but, since it consisted of roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes and cannellini beans, it ended up far more chowder-like (still delicious).
this had to be the world's easiest soup/chowder. i crisped up two chopped pieces of bacon, added the leftovers and seasoned it with tons of yummy spices to taste (salt, pepper, chili powder, garam masala...). since the veggies were already soft from roasting they just melted into a soup as i let it cook. thinned with cream (and water) this could hardly be called healthy but certainly be called delicious (and comforting).
sunday morning greeted us with our customary croissants and was brightened by a stroll to federal hill for fresh-made italian, our first excursion to costantino's venda ravioli. i could have spent a year perusing the offerings...my companion...not so much. a bit too many people in the smallish store for his taste. he promised we'll return.
after actually tasting the food we agreed that we must.
we went with pumpkin ravioli, lobster tortellini and a super-rich vodka sauce. though not a meal for anyone watching their waistline, every bite was heaven. and there's so much more to try. ravioli of all kinds, assorted fresh pastas, meats, cheeses...as i said, we must return.
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