June fruit

The market came again to Lighthouse Avenue, and Pacific Grove residents responded in kind, assembling from side streets and avenues, carrying bright cloth bags that caught on the air like balloons. I strolled around again, listening to the murmuring voices of people discussing plans in twos and threes while they sampled this and that.

"Sample, ma'am!" Stone fruits are showing up more week by week, and cherries are glossy, bright and sweet. No tomatoes yet. Meyer lemons are hanging in there. Blueberries from Martinez looked too tempting to ignore, so I didn't. They joined strawberries, apricots, plums and raspberries. I passed up the fresh fish again - no chance to eat them and do them justice soon enough. I'll buy some at the market on Thursday over in Monterey. Baby spinach and Italian parsley finished off my healthy purchases, so I headed over to the cupcake lady for a sweet indulgence. Chocolate on chocolate this week, packed in a special box. "Just bring it back next week for a refill," says Mrs. Delish's. I'm hooked.

In comparison to last week, the light was brighter and I only had to wear one sweater instead of two. Businesses I took special note of this week included, to my happy surprise, Petra's Mediterranean Restaurant, who offer hummus, baba ganoush, pita and other delectable treats. Also, Dress For Change was represented in a small booth. They feature clothing that's recyclable and organic. Having a lot of determination, they just opened within the past year on Forest Avenue, and we all know how much they're up against in this tough economy.

I spent every last dollar I had and walked home wondering when I'll be able to prepare and eat all the freshness I was carrying. But, as you can see, just looking at it is half the fun.