So between last night's late night session filled with instant coffee and family conference filled Guild Wars 2, and this morning's early morning rush to the farmer's market in Oslo I've had about... four and a half hours of sleep. Don't mind the odd synonyms that might pop up you grammar nazis you.
I recently moved into a new apartment, while I say apartment I actually mean room in someone's house. It's really that. I have a room and a bathroom and soon to be kitchen of my own in the bottom floor of someone else's house. However, in the meantime, they have kindly accepted me into their home and offered to let me use their kitchen (which is beyond lovely) while mine is still being made. It is actually a wonderful situation all things considered. Here's to hoping I get to keep it.
With this in mind, and the fact that I still am looking for work in this large city, I have delegated that I should keep a tight budget. So for the past week I've eaten pb&j and bread and norvega (a very popular, albeit simple white cheese). Not bad eats to say the least. I did go grocery shopping, buy myself more bread and a bit of salmon since it's terribly cheap. With these things in mind I went to the farmer's market.
Oh the Oslo farmer's market.
I remember the Raleigh farmer's market, where you went to get fresh produce for cheaper than the super markets. Why is it cheaper than the supermarkets? Is it because people are too lazy to be brought out for the simple desire to want better produce than what is in stores? No, that couldn't be it. In any case, it makes you wonder how those farmers make a living doing that.
Oslo farmer's market, arrive early or leave without vegetables. Simple. Oh and one of the more popular veggie ladies that I've been introduced to is a producer for one of the restaurants that has a few Michelin stars under it's belt. She's got ecological good produce. Fresh cheese, berries, jams, meats, honey are all usually seen at the market. Everyone is very particular about what they do. The rasberry man has rasberries, Honey group has honey and honey products, fish people have fish they've caught recently and packaged. All the meat you can ask when they caught it themselves, they'll tell you.
Was I frugal and saved money you ask? Um.. well no. I came out with a very typical (but from a very prestigious, wonderfully awesomely tasty producer) cured elk sausage, fresh made jam (forest berries, currants, and vanilla.. if you aren't drooling, you aren't human ~~seriously~~), and reindeer hamburger patties, precooked, they kind of melt in your mouth, no chewing necessary. Yes, I tried one, they were making them there, I also tried the jam before buying it too.
Was it extremely cheap you ask? Absolutely not. Those three things cost as much as the whole of my basic shopping yesterday. Was it absolutely worth every kroner? Certainly. Telling producers that I like their goods with my money and that I am willing to pay for quality over convenience is worth noting. I like that these farmers aren't losing money when they come to sell to us.
Paying a little bit more for quality always matters, supporting local people and letting them see your face too. I always try to buy local produce no matter where I am, it's just nice to be able to smile at the people you get some of it from every once in a while.
Next week: Super market! In front of city hall! I have completely forgotten the name, but with 70 producers going to be there, it will be a blast.
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