Springtime Loot

Yesterday was an unexpectedly perfect spring day.  I had been prepared for vaguely cloudy with occasional showers, but instead was presented with 70 degrees and sunny.  The city was saturated with color which was made all that more intense by a slight coolness in the air.

And for the first time in six months, my market bag was filled more with green than brown.  Yesterday's loot from the Greenmarket:  

Lush green ramps (I am convinced that yesterday represented the peak of their season as I counted at least five vendors who had them on offer, and all specimens were beautiful), spears of garlic chives standing at attention, my usual milk and eggs, onions and carrots and my lord those fat, luxurious asparagus spears!  From James Durr, my favorite purveyor of flowers of all places!

In addition to the asparagus, James Durr thrilled me this week with new floral offerings.  As is to be expected now that the various cherry blossom festivals across the east coast have passed, Mr. Durr is moving away from the flowering boughs and towards more traditional bouquets.  The blousy, romantic lilac bouquets made a repeat appearance, bringing much joy to a couple of midwesterners who were milling about the booth, reminiscing how the smell of lilacs always indicated the end of school and the beginning of a carefree summer.  

I was pleasantly surprised to see several varieties of irises, deep purple, yellow and white on offer, but was utterly charmed by what looked like a field of lilies of the valley (it was, in actuality, many buckets of these dainty little bells pushed close together).  For less than $10, I took three bunches home, and they are now perfuming my bathroom with their subtley sweet fragrance.

Ah, springtime.