Eastern Market

So we finally made it to Eastern Market today. We've been trying to make a trip there all summer but something always got in our way, one of which was a burning car on I-96 which distracted us and made us miss our exit... Anyways, it was a great expedition today- I love markets of all sorts- wet, dry, super, flea... The colors, the sounds, the smells (that of live poultry nonwithstanding...)- it was an absolute blast! And the bargains! Our treasures today:
1) A pound of portabello mushrooms: $3
2) A bunch of fresh basil: $1
3) A pound of red baby potatoes: $1
4) A generous piece of young ginger: 90 cents
5) 2 pounds of Concord grapes that Jude's been lusting over since we saw them at Whole Foods (where they were going for $6.99/lb!): $2(!!!!) These grapes are in a league of their own I tell you. They're perfectly round, a deep purple- almost black, bursting with sweet nectar, and have the most amazing texture, like a cross between a mangosteen and regular grapes. I'm not sure if you can find them easily at regular stores because they're meant more for jellies, juices and wines rather than table consumption. But if you can, trust me... it's sheer ambrosia.
6) A big bunch of kangkong: $1. They call it water convolvulus here, or water spinach. Jude & I love this! Fried with dried shrimp and sambal- oooh....
7) A bouquet of riotous mixed blooms: $4
8) Half a pound of scotch bonnet peppers: $1 (they're supposed to be the hottest peppers around. I'm going to make beef stew with them tomorrow. We'll see...)
9) 4 pieces of fried chicken that we brought home for dinner: $2.10 (plus tax). Can you beat that? We made a quick salad and opened a can of soup- which I think cost more than the four pieces of chicken- and that filled us up just nice. It takes the cake as the single most value-for-money meal we've had since we stepped foot in this country.
10) A small cannoli and a hunk of a slice of German chocolate cake: $1.59! (I rest my case...)
11) An awesome time with the Cooks and Cooneys: priceless...