San Cristobal Saturday Organic Market |
Welcome to my first post on this new
adventure with Amy. For those who have followed our lives over the past few
years, you know that we have been living in Mexico for most of the last 5
years. Usually we are in San Miguel de Allende, but this season brings us for
the third time to one of our favorite places – San
Cristobal de las Casas which is located in Chiapas, one of the most southern
states in Mexico – land of the Mayas.
This is a
haven for those of us who follow a plant based diet. Come along with me on a
typical weekend.
Saturday starts with the organic farmers market and a visit
with our friends Erin and Philip.
The market is loaded with fruits and
vegetables and often new ones for me. In addition there are breads, sweets,
jams and hot spices along with various prepared foods –
many are vegan as well as gluten free. Here maiz (corn) is one of the stables
of life and this works well for my stomach. I bought my usual kale, lettuce,
radishes, sprouts and found the last two artichokes (alcachofas). To
this bounty I added moringa (leaves and flower buds) and purslane (verdolaga in
Spanish). Both can be eaten cooked or raw, in foods or salads. Doing an
internet search when I got home I found that Moringa is very nutritious. The leaves are rich in protein and vitamin A,B and C, along with several minerals. In the photo you will also see a jar
of hot sauce and a garlic seeded bread for Ricardo.
Flowers at the market |
Moringa leaves and flowers |
My weekly purchase |
Chai tea with leche de soya and fuit with granola |
After bring
our veggies home to wash we headed out for another treat – to
a new chai spot that had these delicious sweet treats.
Can you believe...vegan brownie made of avocado, banana and amaranth |
Another treat - date, cashew, coconut and cardamom |
The Saturday
market is not our only option. We live a few blocks from the very large market where most of the vendors are indigenous people bringing their fruits,
vegetables, flowers and items from the villages surrounding San Cris. Each sells
different items – piles of avocados, mangos, arugula,
tomatoes, papayas, etc. Hardly a day goes by without a mango or avocado. In
fact, my favorite salad recipe of the day is below.
Thanks for traveling with us. I am excited to take photos of the amazing options and it makes me even more grateful for this life that we are living in our retirement. This post is about markets and soon to come – some of our favorite local spots to eat when we don't cook at home.
Ensalada San Cris
Ingredients
Arugula
Lettuce
Tomato
Radish
Mango
Avocado
Celery
Lettuce
Tomato
Radish
Mango
Avocado
Celery
Dressing
Mixture of Dijon mustard with balsamic
vinegar (no oil – keeps the fat
content lower and the taste strong). Hint: keep the old mustard jar to mix
dressing. I usually do not measure – just a heaping teaspoon of mustard with some amount
of vinegar.
Chop all the above and add any
additional items of your choice – moringa leaves, cilantro, basil, sprouts, etc)