Sunday, April 1, 2012

Borough Hall farmers market


Peach blossom. Our apartment does not have the necessary scale to pull off four foot long branches, but I did buy some small parsley plants, something labelled green thyme* (which has huge succulant leaves and clearly is not thyme. I asked the vendor about it and he started, "See, there are three kinds of thyme...", and I knew it was a lost cause), and a nemesia, in honour of the homeland, where it blooms in spring. Some fat red winesap apples from last fall, and a bag of dwarf kale. The farmers and stall holders were cold and wind nipped.

* Good grief. Post Google. The "green thyme" is a Plectranthus, apparently P. amboinicus (Wikipedia, hedge your bets) and listed as native from East Africa through Southern Africa? Really? Why've I never heard of it? Also known as Caribbean thyme, Spanish thyme, Mexican mint and Indian borage. It's confused!


Now we're off to the mainland, to visit the forest on the Long Island Sound: Pelham Bay. It's a long ride, a good walk, and we have baguettes to sustain us, books to read and many cameras to play with when we arrive.

May your Sunday journeys be fruitful whether you go inside or out.

4 comments:

  1. I suspect your green thyme is what we would call Jamaican thyme. It has thyme overtones with a pale to medium green succulent leaf with slightly serrated edges, no?

    Sought after in our neighb by the many east Indy islanders in my neck of the woods. Larry carries it.

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  2. Caribbean thyme, Spanish thyme, Mexican mint ,Indian borage - all green thyme! An appropriate way of wishing you Happy April Fool's Day! Happy Sunday.

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  3. Isn’t it lovely to see blossoms after the winter! Nice confusion about the thyme/mint/parsley/sage/thyme/? made me laugh. If it's green and fragrant and you like it...call if George I say.

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  4. Plectranthus amboinicus - from Ernst van Jaarsveld's "The Southern African Plectranthus"
    "Uses: Used medicinally in Ceylon especially in the treatment of cattle diseases. It was traditionally hung from oxcarts. It is still a popular herb and sells under the following names: Soup Mint, French Thyme, Spanish Thyme, Country Borage. It is cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries. The Jamaicans use it to flavour fish dishes and the leaves are also eaten with bread and butter"

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