Sunday 19 August 2007

To market, to market...


After a yummy breakfast of french toast with berries and cream (Yes! I didn't make pancakes this morning.)
We headed off to check out the markets at Gepps Cross. For those who don't live in Adelaide they are held on the grounds of a drive-in theatre. My children were quite surprised at the idea of an outdoor cinema where you cold sit in your car. Both have asked if we can go one evening, I'll have to find a suitable movie that we might all enjoy and perhaps we shall.

It makes me seem old to remember that it was at the drive-in we saw all our movies. I can even remember going there as a young child, it was family friendly there would be a children's film on first then interval (where everyone lined up at the snack bar) and then as the children all fell asleep they would screen a film for the parents. On hot nights in Darwin we would sit out the front of the combi van on our bean bags and enjoy the warm evenings. I don't know how often we went but I can remember going quite often, but then there really wasn't a lot else to do on a Saturday night in Darwin.

Anyway enough reminiscing and back to the markets. There was quite a crowd to get in and the stalls are very closely packed together. About half the market is trash and treasure with the remainder being fruit and veg. i also saw people wandering around with bunches of flowers so i presume there was also a flower stall or two. I think we walked around for nearly an hour in total by which time my 11yr old had enough. In this time I managed to get through about half of what was there.

Knowing your prices in your local stores is always a bonus before you go and so everything i bought was less or equivalent to the prices in my local fruit and veg shops.

I got Bananas for $2.99kg; baby zucchini, red capsicum, Lebanese cucumbers & broccoli were all $2kg; baby eggplants $4kg, 5kg potatoes $2.50, 4 avocados for $1, bunch of celery $1, salad mix (leaves) $12.00kg ($1.20 per 100g), strawberries $2.80 punnet, blood oranges $1kg, sweet potato $1.49kg, leeks $2.50 lge bunch of 3. That was all my bargains for the day. i also bought some local (Adelaide Hills) Corella pears - I absolutely love these pears - they were $4 a kg but were so lovely and fresh I had to have them.

I will absolutely be going back as the prices were so good and everything seemed so fresh. They also seemed to have many bulk purchases available but as our car was a fair way away and the children were tired I didn't get to take advantage of any of these. I did see what looked like 10kg bags of oranges for $5 which would be great if you had a juicer! I also saw bulk bags of red capsicums and a lot of people seemed to be buying them so they mush have been a good price.

I'm planning to head back next weekend and hopefully get at least one of my friends to come with me. I might also talk to them about doing a few bulk purchases and then splitting them, which would make the prices even better! A veggie co-op of sorts:)

It has been a long day, so I am taking an early mark tonight :)
take care of you.

2 comments:

Kez said...

Hey those markets look great - I'm coming over!

We still have a drive-in here too - we'll have to take Billy one day. It was a part of our childhood - heading off already dressed in the PJs, ready to be carted off to bed when we got home.

lightening said...

Oh wow - you did get some excellent bargains. Especially with the way fruit and veg prices are at the moment!!! Well done! Looks like I'll have to check it out next time I get a chance. :-)

The only drive through I've ever been to is that one (I assume it was that one as it was in Adelaide). And then only the once.