Grocery Shopping and Eating in the islands

Posted by Liz

I just had a revelation – that back home in the States we have far too many choices. You walk into the grocery store and you’re overwhelmed. No wonder I can never figure out what to make for dinner!

Today, we were walking through the farmers market in St. Pierre, Martinique – a beautiful little town along the northwestern side of Martinique, sitting at the base of the very lush and fertile landscape of sugar cane plantations and Mt. Pelee, the Caribbean’s tallest volcano (about 4600 feet) which erupted in 1902.

This is the town that inspired the artist Paul Gaughuin upon his arrival here from Panama in 1887, because of the plethora of gorgeous flowers that inhabit the island – hibiscus, lilies and more. St. Pierre might remind you of a town in the south of France on the Med, albeit a bit more rundown (understatement). Palm trees lining the boulevard along the ocean/harborfront, and certain parts of it are well-manicured, ywith understated little shops and snackeries and outdoor bistros with folks outside drinking Coca-Cola or their espressos and smoking cigarettes. Very French.

Back to the farmer’s market – a number of ladies were there with their produce, beautiful fruits and vegetables. My mouth was watering with fresh pineapples, cucumbers, tomatoes, escarole (I haven’t had a good salad with LETTUCE in a long time!), and some small, firm eggplants which caught my eye – and inspired my dinner creation for tonight (calling it Eggplant St. Pierre – see recipe below).

While I was preparing dinner with my eggplants as the main staple, I realized that I’m preparing meals that are mostly vegetarian – vegetables, rice, beans, etc –because it’s really difficult to come by chicken, meat, pork and even fish – and when you do, the quality generally does not measure up to what we are accustomed to back home, with the exception of fresh fish when you buy it right off the boat – now, that is a real treat, but a rare one so far.

I also realized how easy it was for me to decide what to make for dinner - - it’s based on what you find in the market. Sometimes you don’t find much at all – so you have to be really creative (or pull out the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!). Life has a much simpler pace. With fewer choices, you learn to eat based on what your local lands produce.

Lastly, time is such a luxury. Ed asked me today if I was enjoying all the cooking I’m doing, or if I saw it as a chore. It has absolutely been a blast – having time has allowed me to be creative and produce meals that are healthy and fresh, with flavors that are representative of the beautiful places in which we’ve been living.