eveleigh markets

If I had a grapefruit for every time I've spelt Eveleigh wrong since hearing about those markets, I'd be making a whole heap of juice right now. I have developed a mild obsession for grapefruit, you see. The ruby grapefruit, mind you. None of this yellow business. This is, however, besides the point. For when I did set out on a trip to Eveleigh Markets (got it right that time) I was in search of ginger. Young ginger. Pink if possible. And as my luck would have it, the only ginger at these markets came firmly embedded in shortbread. Or enrobed in chocolate. But I didn't mind so much. Because there was so much more there to see and taste!

We were there, ostensibly, to visit Suze. In case you haven't visited Suze at a Biscuit Tree stall before, let me tell you this. She isn't joking when she tells you to look under the table if you don't see her at first glance. I don't know where she was when we first arrived, but, just like a jack-in-the-box, up she suddenly popped with a "Helloooooo!" and big ol' arm-flail.

loving the high ceiling at the markets

Karen (for I was there with both her and Richard) looked visibly relieved at her appearance. Partly because she likes Suze, and partly because she really (and I mean really) likes her biscotti. She seven bags of biscotti likes her biscotti. For now, we had a brand spankin' new marketplace to explore. And I, I had a whole heap of cheese to buy for my lactose semi-friendly-family. More on that later...

suze pretending hard to be working

I had never been to Eveleigh Markets before. This, despite all that I had heard about it (and seen about it, if that makes grammatical sense). So when the opportunity to visit arose, I fairly leapt at it. And, when given the opportunity to capture it all with equally interested others (and not the Bean, who would have spent the whole time asking for a sausage "Can I have a sausage?" she would have asked "a chorizo one?" and when that had been sated, "And a juice? And an ice cream?") I was doubly pleased. I will admit, in my mind, I spent a good deal of time asking myself those very same questions, and so will have to take the Bean along anyway, because I think she'll quite enjoy herself. (For the curious, the answers were: Not yet. Yes (ruby grapefruit). Yes (vanilla please!))

clockwise from top left: golden potatoes, white nectarines,
ruby grapefruit (hoorah!), eggplant & fennel

I can hear your reactions from here. No need to type them, please. The voices are saying "Not yet?! To a chorizo roll?! From Eumundi?! Are you INSANE woman?" And I am saying "Well, not really. At least I don't think so." Because it was still breakfast time. And there were oh so many things on show. First the slab of slow baked olive oil and garlic and herb foccaccia that caught the eye of both Richard & myself. "Only $6 for the piece. Or I can cut it in half for you for $3?" floated a voice in our direction. We made eye contact, nodded and gleefully deposited our first little piece of breakfast in my Gourmet Traveller eco-bag.

clockwise from top left: look at those peppers!, almost pink peaches,
really red radishes, a herbilicious display

Later, we were taking photos of apples when another voice wafted past our heads. "Apple Pies!" it exclaimed "Last ones left! $4 for a small pie!" And I could taste the apple in my mouth, and I could feel the gleam in Richard's eye as he looked at me and said "Piepiepiepiepie". So that went in the bag too.

We lost Karen at a wine stall. She appeared later, mildly flushed and gushing about something red. In the meantime, I'd found my friends at Gumnut and convinced Richard to buy the florentines (I used to eat a packet of 8 almost every week - the dark chocolate ones are insanely good. Truly. I say this with all of my tiny, lard ridden heart). As a side note, it is so, so lovely when the stallholders you visit remember you. Even when months and months have gone by. And the lovely people at Gumnut are just that. If you see them at Christmas, their Christmas Pudding chocolates are really something else. And for now? I see they have Easter Eggs on sale...

clockwise from top left: bagels, french bread sticks,
apple pie from 'the Batlow man'

I chowed down on some yoghurt and granola (really good, wish I could've fit in a whole tub) then sampled some vanilla gelato. I promised to come back later, and I did. Only $2 for 100ml of deliciously creamy hand churned gelato, resplendent with little beany specks? Sold.

We picked up gluten free eclairs "These don't taste gluten free" I said. "Hrrmmmnnnnummph?" said Richard, with a mouth full of eclair. Suze & Karen looked blankly at me. Nothing was said, but a comic would have shown a big ol' bubble with a "What is gluten free supposed to taste like? Sheesh!" scrawled across it, just floating above their heads.

clockwise from left: a brunch menu, the menu in real life,
meringues, cinnamon & star anise

All was washed down with a red grapefruit juice, and then the shopping began. I swooped past to collect a loaf of Olive and Herb Sourdough from the boys at Shepherd's Bakehouse (they make a mean, delicious Pumpkin Sourdough too. Go. Eat it.) and then fell in love with a washed rind brie "It's beautifully creamy and mild now, but in four weeks it will be ripe and gooey and mushroomy". I reached for my wallet at gooey. Later, I was also tricked (by my mouth no less) into buying a block of Fresco Pecorino and a Fromage Blanc. Best trickery in the world. My tongue was forgiven immediately afterwards. They are both absolutely gorgeous cheeses. Creamy, but cheesy. Perfect. And the semi-lactose-unfriendly family are loving them too. The Pecorino melts a dream on my Olive Sourdough and the Fromage Blanc is making friends with honey & pears on toast.

clockwise from top left: mush-ROOMS!, apples,
juice from Parker's Organics

In between mouthfuls of gelato, I spotted one, lone honey smoked trout, languishing on a bed of ice and eyeballed it. "Last one, make an offer" said the trout. I looked up, astonished. There was a person there, behind the trout. Oh. "How much will you give it to me for?" I asked. "$12?" was the reply, and Mr Trout was headed home with me. "I bought a fish!" I exclaimed, waving Mr Trout around in his paper. I was greeted with stunned looks. "He's smoked" I explained. "Phew." said Richard "For a second I was wondering what you were going to do with a live fish at lunch today". Oops.

a scarf, for the winter months

And that was that. But there was more. For there was still a lunch in store. And waffles too (in case you were wondering). Because foodies don't not do dessert.

Eveleigh Markets
243 Wilson St
Eveleigh NSW (Adjacent to Carriage Works)
Ph: (02) 9209 4220

(ps: plenty of free parking on a Saturday. just in case you were wondering)