The waterfront where we are staying at Valle de Bravo, Mexico.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Cancun on December 17th!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

What is it about Mexican carrots?

Yesterday was market day again. We love going and doing our weekly Saturday shopping! First stop is the little store on the way in to town where I picked up a box of 24 beer for 205 pesos ($16.40). That alone is enough to make my day!

But then we go to see Martin, our fruit and vegetable guy. I know I've gone on about this before, but I can't help it! Yesterday, he had a big palette of fresh strawberries. He doesn't normally have strawberries, so Ruth asked for a 1/2 kilo but I guess he didn't hear properly and we ended up with a full kilo. We said that was fine anyhow. Then we finished the rest of our shopping and he did his little auctioneer spiel how he adds everything up so fast that you can't follow him...and the end result was 125 pesos ($10.00). Then after we paid, he handed us each a red delicious apple.

All this for 125 pesos ($10.00).

Now, we don't know what it is about Mexican fruits and vegetables, but everything tastes better than when we buy it north of the border. The most notable is carrots! They are delicious. They are so good, that we eat a lot of them.

This is our one week supply of carrots. And no, we're not feeding them to Donkey!

The next thing after the fruit and veggie guy is to stop by Sal's cousin Chema for our Saturday feast of carnitas. Shredded pork, with veggie salsa and hot sauce wrapped in a tortilla. This has become our regular Saturday lunch. You can buy them right at his stand, but we ask for an order to go. There is enough there for Ruth to have 3 carnitas, and I have 4. Each carnita then costs 45 cents!

This is what we get for 40 pesos ($3.20).

Enough to make seven delicious carnitas!

Spent the afternoon watering. There are a lot of young trees and bushes here that still need a drink during the dry season. I filled the tinaco twice and I'll probably do that again today. But it's easy work and we don't mind doing it. Besides, you can even stop for an afternoon beer if you want to!

Before we knew it, it was time for supper. Hmm, with all these fresh veggies, what better to make than one of Ruth's famous chicken veggie stir fry's!

Fry up some chopped veggies and chicken.

Add some spicy sauce.

Boil up some basmati rice, and tah-dah...! Delicious stir fry!

25 comments:

  1. Poor Don Quijote, he doesn't even get one carrot? Ha ha ha ha ha...

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  2. Love the carrots here, only other place we have had as good is in India. Something about the soil I think. What type of sauce does Ruth add?

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    1. Contessa the sauce is pretty much my own concoction. I make it with gluten free soya sauce, chicken bouillon, water, minced garlic and ginger, some gluten free San-j Szechuan-style sauce and corn starch all mixed together and then poured over the chicken and veggies and cooked through until it has thickened up a bit.

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  3. Nothing quite like fresh produce, right from the gardens, even better in Mexico, enjoy!

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  4. The veggies & fruit look amazing... I would love to bae able to get such beautiful veggies at an incredible price...Chicken stir fry looked yummy!!!
    Have fun
    Donna

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    Replies
    1. Yep, we haven't found a place yet that competes in price and quality as here.

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  5. OH, yum! looks so good...and easy to make vegan!

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    1. It was! No it wouldn't be hard to make this meal vegan.

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  6. Is that a lemon tree in front of Sherman?! 22 days and counting 'till we head south for our first trip...

    Kent

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    1. Yep, that's our very own lemon tree Kent! I'll bet you're looking forward with anticipation to your first road trip to Mexico!

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  7. I am starving now.
    I wonder if it is that they don't use as many insecticides as we do up north that gives the fruit and vegetables a better taste. Just a thought.

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    1. Could be...Sal says that pesticide use is becoming more common down here though. I doubt that's a good thing.

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    2. Kevins sister ElaineDecember 2, 2012 at 12:04 PM

      Just read about a study where they tested fruit and vegetables from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and the highest pesticide residue was found on sweet peppers from Mexico. Wash them well!

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    3. Yes, I was reading a few of those types of studies as well. Interestingly, one study said at the end...it is most important to note that the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables far outweigh the risks associated with pesticide residue.

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  8. I like your priorities, Kevin...a cold beer! The carnitas look delicious! Must be great to be able to buy so much for so little.

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    1. Kevin definitely knows his priorities! The carnitas were delicious and yes, we love buying so much for so little.

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  9. That's a lot of carrots and only week's worth? All this healthy eating will help you live forever!

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    1. Every week we end up trying to buy a few more than the week before because by Friday the carrots are GONE! I don't know how they disappear so fast. We haven't seen any donkey tracks leading into Sherman!!!!

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  10. When I was a youngun' growing up in Michigan, I'd nibble on our homegrown carrots. If you were patient, you could eat the outside off and just have the root core left. Anybody with me? The outside part was much sweeter than the core.

    Now, the ones I buy from the store just taste bitter. I can't wait to get some of those great veggies in Mexico!
    Grace (in Tucson)

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    1. Yep, I've done the same with the carrots back home. I would nibble around the core because sometimes the core was just tough and woody.

      We love the carrots here so much!

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  11. In Homer Simpsons own words......"mmmm...Carnitas..droool...drool"

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  12. I can get a pretty good assortment of beers at 24 for $19 at Costco. $16 is tough to beat. But in Costa Rica I could not get beer for less than $6/ six pack.

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    1. Kevin has found a couple of brands in the States that aren't bad, but he has to have his in a bottle. Said that beer just doesn't taste the same in a can and it is hard to find good beer in a bottle in the States at that price. He loved the cheap beer in Czech Republic!

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