Pike a Place Market sells groceries.

Guess what's in Seattle? Pike Place Market!

Guess what has produce vendors like a farmer's market, and is kind of a farmer's market, but not really, and is also in downtown Seattle?!? Pike Place Market!!!

Guess what I didn't take any pictures of, when I decided to go grocery shopping while running errands downtown?!?!? Pike Place Market!!!!!!!!

I went to three produce vendors and two non-produce food vendors, and one not-food-and-also-not-in-Pike-Place-Market vendor today.

LOOK AT THIS FOOD!!!!!!!!

I bought a small glass of the pear apple cider at Martin Family Orchards, and it was very, very good, so I intend to buy a big ole jug of it at the University District farmer's market. They were sold out of the jugs of pear apple cider at Pike Place market today. It was pretty sweet and thick, so a good sweet-tooth drink, and it also tasted really like it was literally cider. Like, pressed fruit and whatnot. A little heavy to chug as liberally as water, but exactly right for rehydrating while quenching a sugar craving.

I also bought cherries while I was there, and it was a good decision.

Right next to the Martin Family Orchards booth was the booth for Sidhu Farms, a place with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Both vendors were clearly friends, so I ate a blackberry sample, was really confused because there was no sour in the flavor, ate a raspberry sample, and was even more confused by the same absence of sour. So I bought raspberries. I would have purchased the blackberries, too, but wild blackberry picking is kind of a "thing" that my husband and I do. Also, because I really don't think I could have eaten more berries than what I'd already purchased. Seriously, though. I've already eaten the raspberries featured in the photograph above, and I took that picture MAYBE five minutes ago.

I'm a little worried about the fruit-binge that I'm on while writing this, to be honest, but not worried enough to stop eating. Yet.

I went to the indoor part of Pike Place, with the intention of buying some low-acidity salad dressing for more kale salad. Yeah, yeah, yeah, "kale." But for all its recent pretension, kale is also relatively hard to botch or kill, and it grows into abundance easily, so it's a very practical thing to grow in a backyard vegetable garden. Plus, "superfood," blah blah blah, shut up.

But on my hunt for salad dressing, I walked past Sosio's Fruit & Produce, because one of the crew there was handing out free peach slices. From that moment on, I impulse-shopped until my backpack was full. I bought five peaches, which the vendor picked out and labeled for me: three for "eat now" and two less-ripe ones for "eat later." (Just like the bag in the photo!) 

I also bought potatoes, little yellow onions, celery, green onions, bunched carrots, zucchini, and I don't remember what else. Garlic! I bought garlic. And a beefsteak tomato, which is a very fancy type of tomato, and good for sandwiches. But while I'm also pointing out things that happened during my grocery run, I must point out that the person at Sosio's who rang up my purchase also helped pack all the produce safely into my backpack, while guaranteeing that nothing would squish in my backpack. He was right! I walked about a mile or two with everything in my bag, and even the raspberries survived the trip intact.

Ummmmmm, I also bought a baguette and some challa bread at...I have no idea. Shit! The name of the bakery isn't on the bags. Sorry about that. But I'm sure that if you just go to all the bread shops that are across the street from the produce part of Pike Place Market--towards 1st Ave, but one more block downhill--you'll probably find a lot of bread. I can't imagine that any of it would be not-awesome.

When I remember the name, though, I'll tell you. 

Anyway, then I bought some oil and vinegar at Truffle Cafe (not actually a cafe) as a treat for myself, and also a Bad Brains musical CD at Singles Going Steady, also as a treat for myself.

And then I went home, and it was a long-ass walk to/from various bus stops, with a very heavy backpack on my back (I was also carrying textbooks in it), but I made it home with nothing squished or crushed in transit, and here we are. 

Here we are.

BREAD!

Photograph inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe.