, tote bags and the occasional wagon overflowing with produce as they flit from stall to stall, strategizing the many wonderful dishes they will conjure from these raw materials.
To wit: You cycle to the market on a beautiful autumn day, but upon arrival, you find none of the produce you got used to seeing all summer. So you pick up some oyster mushrooms, a butternut squash that takes up half your tote bag, and a bunch of kale. When you get home, you’re too exhausted for creativity, so you saute the mushrooms and kale.
Think in categories: Sometimes, you’ll go to the market without any plans to cook, but you’ll have a sense of which vegetables you need to stock up on for the week. In this case, make a list of a few categories instead of specific items. For instance, “one fruit, one starchy vegetable, and one leafy green” instead of “apples, potatoes, and kale.” If the potatoes look a little green around the gills, make a beeline for the spaghetti squash.
(1) if you don't have any idea of how it will taste, it's not going to inspire you; and (2) realize that unprocessed butternut squash is not a beginner vegetable. (Which means sellers should do more to sell buyers on 'easier' squash varieties.)