Free-range Flowers and Bright Eggs at the Market

As I said one week ago, the Open Air Market on the Banbury Road in Summertown seems to have become a regular Sunday fixture. So it turned out today. And it's a very welcome addition to the amusements available here!

More seriously than the "free-range flowers", one stallholder (actually, the same one as is running the flower and egg stall) was in the business of selling what appear to be weeds from a local village (North Aston). Here is sorrel. Wikipedia says "The leaves are eaten by the larvae of several species of Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) including the blood-vein moth", but I think that the intention here is for humans rather than Lepidoptera to consume the leaves. However, we also learn that "Common sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. The leaves may be puréed in soups and sauces or added to salads; they have a flavour that is similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries. The plant's sharp taste is due to oxalic acid, which is a poison. In small quantities sorrel is harmless; in large quantities it can be fatal." So don't eat too much, and certainly not along with rhubarb. Meanwhile, Mme was tempted to purchase (YES: purchase!) a bag of weeds that are supposed to be good in stir-fry!

There was certainly an interesting range of unusual food available. The "Oxford Del(h)i" had a banner advertising it's Moghul Cuisine, and here you may study their menu.

I was somewhat surprised to discover "Secret Pizza"!, and their web page not only shows the little van in which they apparently have their oven, but also advertises their attendance at the market on 5 May. Secret Pizza's billboard is constructed from one of the pallets on which they receive their supplies. The pizzas surely smelled very appetizing.

More conventionally, here is some of the rustic bread that I mentioned last week, and even a picture of someone buying it!

Long may this nice new outdoor market thrive!