Even by my Virginia-calibrated standards, it was very warm here today (but not "hot & humid". "Hot & humid", my Canadian friends, is when you leave your air-conditioned building at 5 p.m. and feel like you're being punched in the gut by the air you're trying to breathe. That's summer in Virginia). But still a great day to get out and take in the town. This morning Henry and I went shopping at the ByWard Market. I love this area. It's an open-air market and collection of specialty shops just east of Parliament and the American Embassy, and it's definitely one of Ottawa's best features. Farm-fresh seasonal produce, cheese shops, a great Italian market. . . mmmm. So far, our best discovery at ByWard has been Ontario wild blueberries. These berries are much smaller than the kind you get at the grocery store, and much more flavourful. They're perfect for making pie. So far, Tom and I have collaborated on two blueberry pies (he makes amazing pastry, and I do the filling). I think I'll have to propose at least one more before the season ends (we use the recipe from Regan Daley's In the Sweet Kitchen). The local raspberries look amazing, too. Maybe that will be the next pie.
I also dropped a relatively large sum of money (by supermarket standards) on some Tuscan olive oil (strictly for dipping and salads, not cooking). Delicious. Oh, and two kinds of stinky cheese from Quebec. So I've been pigging out on treats all day. One day very soon I will adjust my two-income spending habits to our new, one-income reality, but today was not that day.
Henry, on the other hand, refused to eat anything but grapes today. Until dinner, when he gobbled up the fresh ravioli I bought at the Italian market. The kid's fussy, but at least he has good taste.
The photo above is the aftermath of Henry's attempt to enjoy some of that blueberry pie last week.
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