To Market, To Market (Food)

I have come in search for yellow tomatoes, but I momentarily forget their importance upon entering the market. The overwhelming crush of exotic fruit, tender meats and full-bodied condiments takes over my senses and I am swept away by planning long-range meals for each item I see - plump chicken breasts accompanied by a pomelo salsa, fresh beet bread served alongside roast tomato soup, and perhaps some homemade herbed fish cakes. One rule to follow before heading to the market - have breakfast first or you will be walking around like a sap with a Carousel Bakery peameal sandwich in one fist and a breaded veal sandwich from Mustachios's in the other.

Most Saturday mornings, I can be found here at the St. Lawrence Market along with the other foodies. I am not here as early as the city's chefs, and I have not come to shop for just this evening's dinner party like most of the couples here. I am in for what you call the long haul. I come and shop for ingredients that I may not use tonight or even for the week. My cupboards brim with bran pasta, canned cherry tomatoes and anchovies rolled into perfect circles awaiting rest atop of a pizza, but I cannot resist the allure of the fresh and new of the market each week, and so, I come home with bags in hand and hope that my fellas don't mind me taking over the kitchen for the next 4 hours.

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Today I saw the most beautiful little Italian eggplants. So small and elegant. This is how eggplants should be - shiny, dark purple bocconcini-sized pearls. I was tempted to string them, to bring them home and hand them.

And my yellow tomatoes are here! I am so excited! If you have never had them, I urge you to give them a whirl. They are subtle and quite un-tomato-y, yet add so much oomph to a meal. I got mine from Sovereign Farms, as I do every year. But to my surprise, a lot of vendors carry them now, in the cherry version as well. And for the first time, I saw orange cherry tomatoes two vendors over. That is on my must-have list for next week. But for now, I am going to savour my yellow fellas. My first dish will be Cajun catfish with yellow tomato and red onion salsa. I'll let you know how it turns out.

My favourite last stop is always Domino's. They are downstairs in the very back corner.

Located at the north end of the lower level, Domino's specializes in bulk food, including a wide variety of candies, nuts, grains, flour, coffee, spices and other foods sold in bulk.

The description above (found at the Market's website) emphasizes their bulk goods, but it is their canned goods, pastas and condiments that draw me into their store every week. And their prices are excellent. Today, I just picked up youth mix and Italian tuna in olive oil, which sounds rather ordinary and awfully dull, but the youth mix was so incredible that it was gone by the time dinner was on the table ("This is the best mix I've ever had!" the judges cried) and three cans of this exquisite, tender, but meaty tuna was only $3.49.

It doesn't get any better than this.