Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries...The Kingston Trio didn't have the last item in their song from the 1950s, but I kept thinking of it and them the last couple of weeks as I've been buying fruit at the Jean Talon Market. This public market is a fixture in Montreal, and unlike other urban markets (Pike Place Market in Seattle comes to mind) it is a market for locals, not a tourist institution.
You'll find people from all around the world there, sure, but that's where they're from. not where they live now. This means that you were able to find mangos there long before they came widely available, as well as halal meat and Italian sausages. But the backbone of the market is local producers who this time of year have stalls bursting with good produce from nearby.
The spring strawberries are over, the raspberries are at their height, and the blueberries are just coming in. Great eating.
And for a little nostalgic listening, check out my favourite group from my high school days when I had no idea that I'd be speaking French every day, or get to know Paris pretty well.
I always sang along:
"Raspberries, strawberries, the good wines we brew.
Here's to the boys of the countryside, the ones we drink 'em to."
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