Saturday, July 24, 2010

Pizza and the Farmer's Market

 
Hi Everyone,
Today we're having some chilly weather in Prague, but after the onslaught of the heat last week, it's nice to feel a bit cooler.  The weather is also cloudy, with the sun peaking in and out at various moments, and periods of rain.  I really don't mind as the cooler weather helps my asthma to ease up, and I'm feeling dryer, too, rather than constantly wet from the heat and humidity.  

Last night Jiri and I traveled out to one of the suburbs of Prague, Zlicin.  It was a nice trip, but for the tropical downpour!  We wanted to see something different and also to stop by Globus.  Globus is a huge grocery store on the order of Tesco and Walmart.  They sell more than just groceries, including clothing, sporting goods, and electronics.  Globus also has a very nice selection of wheat- and gluten-free products.   

One of my favorite products there are the pizza crusts by Schar.  They are rice crusts, but taste just like "real" pizza.  The crusts, when cut into regular pizza wedges, actually hold together, unlike other pizza crusts I've tried.  It's possible to eat the pizza just holding it...and this makes me feel like I'm actually eating "real" pizza.  Very good stuff for the soul, but maybe not the waistline.  Tonight I'll be making a pizza with homemade sauce and toppings, using the Schar pizza crust...and it will be heavenly...I can already smell the pizza cooking in the oven, and picture the cheese all nice and molten and melted to a golden brown on top, with tomato sauce oozing out just slightly near the edge of the crust...I can't wait! 

The Farmer's Market


Farmer's Market in Prague

 The market was crowded, in spite of the weather.

 Families were enjoying a bite to eat. The 
food smelled wonderful!

People of all ages enjoy the markets. 

This morning, while out running errands, I stopped by a farmer's market.  These markets are becoming ever more popular here, in Prague, and around the rest of the country.  People seem to be tired of the drab fruits and vegetables we see in the large supermarket chain stores.  The farmer's markets usually have stalls, and each stall has an awning hanging over the front with the name of the city and the product for sale.  

The market I attended today had farmers from all over the Czech Republic selling everything from fresh vegetables, homemade liquor, to handmade wicker baskets and meats.  Just walking through the market was a pleasure for me.  The smells and scents of the fresh vegetables, breads and meats was enough to drive me crazy!  The market was filled with people, and the prices were great.  

I stopped at the stall with the wicker baskets and was shocked to see a price of 185 CZK on a medium-sized, oval basket with a handle.  That's a very good price for a handmade wicker basket.  The wicker was natural, too, not made from plastic.  I did a little bit of shopping and bought a small fresh basil plant, along with some wonderful, cherry red roma tomatoes and some fresh cucumbers.  Can't wait to try them!

That's all for today--I hope you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sher :0) 

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Photo Credits:
Pizza:  italiancuisine on Photobucket
Farmer's Market:  S. Vacik


(c) 2010 by czechoffthebeatenpath


14 comments:

Karen said...

What a wonderful development to have Farmer's Markets in Prague!

Sher said...

Hi Karen,
Yes--and the offerings there are top...so fresh and the colors vibrant! Much better than what's available at the grocery stores! And the smells...just wonderful and invigorating...I wish I could include that in the blog post, too!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

megan said...

Hi Sher - wondering if you can share some details about where the farmer's market(s) are that you've discovered. I can't wait to go shopping!

Sher said...

Hi Megan,
You can find a list of the markets on my Czech Off the Beaten Path website: http://sites.google.com/site/czechoffthebeatenpath/Home/farmer-s-markets-in-prague

Have fun exploring and shopping! The markets have some wonderful stuff!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

Ryan said...

Aren't farmers markets just the best, we had a French market visit us recently and their cheese was amazing. Now I've eaten it all, I don't know what I'm going to do without it!!!

Paula7928 said...

Hi Sher, I love your blog. My blog is also through Google Blogger but nowhere near as fancy as yours.

I vacationed in Prague in Oct. 2008and it is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. How lucky you are to live there!

Paula

Roz said...

Hi Sher

Wow! All that talk of food has made me feel hungry and I had dinner about 2 hours ago! It must have been great to find a good gluten-free pizza base so that you can truly enjoy eating the pizza. (I love pizza too!)

The farmers' market looks like it's very well presented. There is a monthly farmers' market here which is good to visit but the stalls look like very old-fashioned market stalls, not like those very modern-looking ones in your picture.

Thanks for your email and your good advice. I'll try and reply properly soon. Our boxes arrived today, so I'm surrounded by them at the moment! I guess that means that we are well and truly back!!

Hope you're enjoying the rest of your time in the US,

All the very best to you and your family, Roz xx

captain hook's cousin said...

Hi Sher,
We are going to Prague in early October to see the Bruins and Coyotes hockey teams at the O2 Arena. This is part of a guided tour. We usually travel on our own, and this was set up at the last minute. We will be staying at the Corinthia Hotel in what seems to be in the south end of Prague and have a rather large amount of free time. I am having trouble finding local restaurant/pub ideas by our hotel and O2 Arena since must guide books and web sites do cover those areas too well. We have a 1 day guided tour of the historic areas and have other tourist sights I would like to see for another 1/2 day. We have 3 almost empty days that we would like to fill with the more local culture. Could you give us some suggestions? Also, what would you consider the best out of town trip that could fit into a 8 hour window? Thank You.

Martin MY said...

Hi Sher,
Long time since I have visited you or anyone else for that matter - sorry. Glad you are still in fine fettle. I will still remain in touch through your blog even though my own writing is taking a backstep due to basically getting on with offline life for a while.
Warm regards from Martin in Bulgaria

Sher said...

@ryan: Yes...they are the best. They're filled with the best and freshest foods! The food I bought there had excellent flavor...oh so good!

Well, sounds like you need to make another trip to the farmer's market near you! Hope you find some more great cheese!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

Sher said...

@paula7928: Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll stop by your blog, too...it's so much fun to find new blogs and writers to visit!

Prague is really one of the most beautiful cities in Europe...and I feel very blessed to have the chance to live here!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

Sher said...

@roz: Farmer's markets are becoming very popular in the West--and for good reason! The quality of everything on offer (food and more) is so much better than you can find in the stores.

I sure hope things are working out for you in your new home!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

Sher said...

@captain hook's cousin: I'm sorry for not responding to your comment sooner. Life has been too busy to take care of blogging, though now I'm able to catch up a little bit.

I sure hope you had a wonderful visit to Prague!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

Sher said...

@Martin: So great to see you stopped by! You sound busy, too, and I hope and pray all's going well for you. I understand about not being able to blog for the time being, but I'll drop by and say hi anyway!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)