This is what the produce section looks like at my neighbourhood vegetable stand…tons of cilantro, ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cabbage, and a dozen different varieties of chilies…from smokey and mild, to tiny and sizzling HOT! The fruit here is off the hook, so sweet and juicy, you wouldn’t crave for anything any sweetener, I promise. Now that I’m no longer competing, I’ve been enjoying fresh fruit at almost every meal, even if it’s only a little dragonfruit alongside my morning omelette, some mango in my salads, or a crisp Golden Delicious on my way to the beach with a bit of local cheese. I did buy some dried chickpeas here, but Erika admonished me that it really wasn’t the kind of place to buy dried goods. “Stick to Pool or the Chedraui” she said, and sure enough, when I rinsed them, a dozen wee buggies floated to the surface. Ewwww….Vegan protein anyone? Oh well, at least the fruits and veggies are great and suuuuper cheap! I’m not at Whole Foods anymore…. 🙂
Now this is the LIFE! Biking to get our groceries, with the hot Mexican sun beating down on our hats as we navigate the many bumps and ruts that pock the local roads. One thing I can say about Erika, my frienly landlord, (one of many things as I’m beginning to learn!) is that this woman has a perennial and so very genuine smile on her face! Just getting to know her has been one of the surprise joys of this working holiday so far. I can’t even believe what a stroke of good fortune it is that she’s a raw foods chef, and her wee outdoor kitchen has all the accoutrements a raw chef needs: Vitamix, Excalibur Dehydrator, E3 Juicer, etc…
I will be featuring a few of her favorite recipes in my cookbook. So far I’ve tried her cacao-goji berrie spread, INSANELY GOOD!!! You’ll never touch Nutella again…and her yummilicious Tomato-Wraps…think of a fruit roll-up, but made with summer-sweet tomatoes instead. I have to come up with my own recipe to integrate these with, they’re just too good to pass-up.
And yes, she also delivers sprouts fresh to my window…I’m falling in love with Tulum more and more every day…
xo
Michelle
