My Weekend in Whangarei... And the Market...

It's been a mostly fine weekend in Whangarei and I have been out and about...
Doing all sorts of things.
I got up early on Saturday and went to the Whangarei market ...
A popular bustling place with fresh fruit and vegetables, yummy treats and boutique meats and cheeses.
This 'Farmers Market' was established in 1997 by 2 growers to sell direct to the public, quality produce  locally grown with minimal or no spray.
It was the first market of its type.
It starts at 6.30 am every Saturday, prime time till 7.30 and closes at 10.30am...
So the early bird catches the worm.
I always think I'm not going to buy much... But just as well I took two carry bags with me.
As you can see I  came home with delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, a fennel bulb...
Slice thinly in a salad... Or poach white fish in a little milk or cream, add sliced fennel, some walnuts and cook gently till liquid evaporated or put in a dish, top with potatoes mashed with liquid and hey presto...
A delicious fish pie.
In the jar is bright green basil pesto and the eggs are so huge a rubber band was necessary round the box.
I stopped on my walk home to get croissants to have with fresh coffee...
Sitting in the sun in my bus.

On another trip to the supermarket I bought the ingredients to make my Christmas Mincemeat...
I gave you the recipe a few days ago... Well here it is, the ingredients all  measured and weighed...
Ready to whizz up...

Here is the end result... In my big stock pot that I told you has several uses...
Mostly as my kitchen rubbish tin (lined with a plastic bag)... But on this occasion for combining the
mincement. A liberal slosh of brandy will ensure it keeps for years...
If it doesn't all get scoffed this year...
I will make it into little tarts, muffins, eccles cakes and as a topping
over my home made ice cream.
The bits of green you can see are the apple skins...
And the white is the suet which will disappear when cooked.

The end result in jars ready to  hide away to 'mature'...
The small jar is my prunes in gin... The yellow bits lemon zest.