Not much going on at the old farmer’s market these days. Still thinking about a cauliflower cocktail. How would that work? Fresh, pureed fresh cauliflower syrup? Gross. Hmmm. That may actually work. What else does cauliflower go with? Raisins. Cardamom. Almonds. Oh damn. Eat your heart out, Nico de Soto. Koji rice fermented almond and cauliflower orgeat. Raisin liquor (Pasita). Cardamom bitters maybe. Some grated nutmeg. Rum would work, as usual. Or pisco. Shit, maybe even mezcal. Might be worth playing with but I think people would see cauliflower on the menu and stay far away. Farty doh. Would people drink a couple of them and then start ripping ass on the way home? Menu wording is everything. Speaking of words. What’s the only word in the English language that contains every vowel?

Yeah, the farmer’s market is a little lame at the moment. Potatoes and brassica. I used to get hyped up for this time because citrus season was the easiest. Now, I’m all sour grapes. Once again, I’mm not being grateful about my situation. Back in the Northeast, the last farmer’s market was usually around mid October and didn’t reopen until the end of May or beginning of June. Think about that. Always a depressing event which hailed the beginning of shit weather for the next six months. My parents want me to move back to Vermont. They sent a picture the other day. The two of them on their morning walk bundled up. Doubled scarved. Hats and hoods. Giant gloves. Arctic parkas. -8 degrees, the wind chill bringing it down to -40. No thanks.

I’ve grown soft since moving out to the West Coast in 2015. I shiver and put a sweater on when the needle drops to 62. Little by little, I’m losing my edge. When I first came out here people knew right away I was from either Boston, New York, or Philly. Direct and to the point. Blunt. People here want to say they are nice but it’s more like under the radar passive aggression. West coasters here your car broke down and say, “Oh honey, I’m so sorry” and then go about their day, leaving you on the side of the road. An east coaster would say “Good job, dumbass” but then actually help you. Pick you up, help you change the tire.

Back to the loot. I bought some citron from Murray’s. Yeah, they’re pricey, but I ran out of infused pisco for one of my cocktails and was forced to make a deal with the devil. Each time I have one of these weird things I can’t help but marvel. The buddha’s hand citron. What a weird thing. Technically citrus but has no juice or pulp. Extremely fragrant. The pith isn’t even bitter. No seeds. Personally I think they’re some form of alcoholic alien life dropped off. Yes! They want to be infused in booze. This is their goal. It is our job to soak them in large vats of spirits.

On the other side, I found some great tasty kumquats for a decent price at Schaner Farms. Technically, they’re not organic, but they say no pesticides, excess crap, etc. That’s all I’m looking for anyway. That’s all any of us are ever looking for in life whether we know it or not. No toxins and no excess crap. A smooth road on our quest for knowledge before oblivion and if we’re lucky, a little love, some good food and a delicious cocktail. It’s my day off, and I’ll be looking forward to a Nikka Gin Negroni before destroying some nachos during the Super Bowl. Yin and yang. The high and the low.