When we page through old family photo albums, the kind stocked with snapshots of long-ago feasts and parties and holidays, we spend a lot of time gazing at the people, and the surroundings, and, yes, what's on the plates.
Food styles, palate pleasers, and recipe trends seem to change almost weekly, but making a connection with the cuisine of our parents, and grandparents, tends to influence our contemporary tastes, at least quite often. And there are few places in the city where the grocery selection, and the act of buying some chops or peaches, makes us ponder our family's past as much as the Original Farmers Market at Third & Fairfax.
Which makes an hour of grocery shopping among the stalls and booths of the historic public market both a typical errand and a satisfying glance back into history. For sure, any labels you see generally reflect the goods of today, but conferring at length with a knowledgeable butcher or cheesemonger is something we likely don't do quite as often as our grandparents.
Does this thread back to the dinners of yore tempt you? Then be tempted by this: The public market, which turns 82 in July, is hosting a grocery giveaway through May 26, 2016.
On the table? Six shopping sprees worth five hundred bucks a pop.
The participants? Marconda's Puritan Poultry, Tusquellas Seafood, Greenhouse Produce, and several other Farmers Market vendors are on the lengthy roster.
The start date? The first $500 spree will be drawn on Friday, April 22. A fresh drawing will happen each following Friday, through May 27, and, nope, you don't have to be there to win. You do, however, have to enter, which you can do once a week for the duration of the grocery giveaway.
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There are a few things to know, like where to put your entries — all of the participating grocers will accept them, in the cute mini shopping cart on display — so know all now.
And keep poring over those past-sweet snaps of your family, and all of those bygone meals. There's inspiration there, as there is at the famous public market, which has long been a grocery go-to for everyday meals and special occasions alike.
