San Antonio Farmer's Market - Pearl Brewery
So, when we went to the yearly San Antonio Herb Market last Saturday, now that it has relocated from under the Oak trees at Aggie Park, to a splendid market-square venue around in back of the old Pearl Brewery stable building ... and what did we find, but a weekly Pearl Farmer's Market, round on the other side!
Gosh, we went for the potted plants and herbal stuff, and there was a whole market breaking out ... although, seriously, we should have had a clue, as we were looking for a parking place (under the 281, BTW) that we were in the neighborhood of serious foodie activity, seeing the people staggering away from the direction of the brick smokestack and the exuberantly beaux-arts dome of the old brewery main building, laden with shopping bags and flats of green herbs. That used to be the way that I located neighborhood street markets in Greece, and the very first time I went to the central produce market in Zaragoza, Spain.
All I knew was that the regular weekly street-market was in such-and-such a neighborhood, on a certain day of the week. Or in the case of the central market in Zaragoza, that it was over near the Avenida Cesar Augusto, in a grand 19th century pavilion that was the very latest thing in modern design and convenience in, say 1895. Basically, the thing to look for was people with empty bags, or shopping trolleys going in a certain direction, and other people, with full bags and trolleys, coming away from that direction.
The Pearl Market has a bit to go, I think - before achieving the splendid bounties of fresh flowers, vegetables and fruits, cheeses, meats available in the European farmer's markets that I was used to, but they have gotten off to a very promising start. My daughter is still a little peeved that I didn't buy any of the bison jerky - but the roasted tomato pesto from Humble House Foods was absolutely sublime, as a component in a toasted-cheese sandwich. (I spread about a tablespoon on the inside of the bread, so it and the cheese could melt and mingle... food of the gods, people, food of the gods!)
Their hummus dip was very good also, BTW - but they had sold out by the time we made a circuit of the vendors and come back. Oh, well - another Saturday... There were breads, baskets full of sturdy loaves, and I had a mad vision of Crocodile Dundee and a loaf of commercial supermarket bread, and him saying "A loaf of bread? Now THIS is a loaf of bread!"
It was a bit European, in that shoppers had brought their dogs, too. There were a fair number of tables and chairs set out under awnings in the middle, so shoppers could sit and nibble and listen to music ... did I mention the music? Yes, there was a live Cajun band, and even people getting carried away and dancing. I have to say that's one-up on the European street markets that I remember - they did not have live music. And even better yet - the Pearl Market is on a terrace, overlooking a new extension of the Riverwalk; all very pleasant, under an open sky and on about the first Saturday of the autumn, when it is possible to go and walk about on the city pavement for a couple of hours in late morning without people making cracks about mad dogs, Englishmen, and the midday sun.
I wouldn't claim that San Antonio's G/M Steakhouse is the oldest continuously operating diner and purveyor of fast food, in all it's infinite varieties and greasy-grilled glory, but at fifty years and apparently going strong, it's definitely in the running. This, my children, is what fast food used to be, before the days of Micky D's, BK and Wendy's drive-up window open to all hours. This fountain of classic fast-food delights - hamburgers, fries, grilled sandwiches, breakfast tacos and chicken-fried steaks (plus all sorts of other steaks) is just across Alamo Plaza from another classic San Antonio institution of slightly longer duration, the 
Although the G/M isn't a classic diner; one of those early 20th century pre-fab restaurants on wheels, the kitchen set-up is reminiscent of one. There is a single narrow lane of cooking area, right by the entrance, a wide grill and deep-fryer, the case of cut slices of pie and cakes on display, and a menu on the wall above - a menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items.The breakfast and lunch specials are on the inexpensive side; this may very well be the cheapest sit-down place to eat on 
In a large flat skillet or electric fry pan, fry 5 strips bacon, and when done, remove bacon, reserving rendered bacon fat. Add cooking oil as needed to fry the steaks. Dip marinated steaks, first in the milk-egg mixture, then coat with flour mixture. Fry steaks at 350 degrees, until done, at 350 degrees. Garnish with crumbled bacon and serve with milk gravy.
The front of the Alamo is instantly recognizable; almost like a stage set. Everybody knows the bed-stead outline with what would have been a pair of towers on either side, a pair of shell-supported niches on either side of the door ... were there ever statues in those niches? I've always wondered about that. It was a mission church, when first built, then a chapel for the Mexican Army garrison, and at some point the roof over the nave and sanctuary collapsed in.
When the Alamo achieved fame everlasting, in the space of 14 days and a murderous hour and a half of pitched battle on a dark April morning, the church building had made into a bastion, filled with a platform and a ramp of packed earth and rubble to make a gun-platform for three cannon at the apse end. Later, it was repaired, and re-roofed, serving for decades as a US Army garrison and warehouse, as what was left of the mission compound was torn down, and the town of 
What hardly show in the usual pictures are the trees and gardens on either side, and in the back, which served as a backdrop for the 
he was enchanted by the lace-making demonstration, by two ladies who were hand-making thread lace, weaving thread from dozens of slender ivory or wood bobbins, each bobbin trimmed with a bauble of beads. The lace pattern was mounted on either a pillow or a little round drum, studded with pins in a precise pattern, and the threads were woven around the pins and twisted with other threads - it was fascinating to watch. There was a spinner, with a basket of hanks of yarn, dyed with natural dyes, all in very muted shades, including a pink made from cochineal ... which according to another re-enactor, dressed as a 
I think very fondly of re-enactors when I am working up a book; there is no better way to get an idea of actually how something was accomplished, like starting a fire from flint and steel. Another re-enactor showed us how - not just with a chip of flint rock and what looked like a link from a steel chain, but also with the aid of a little scrap of carbonized cloth to catch the spark, and a wad of vegetable fiber - from, of all things, a mouses' nest - to feed that little spark and nurse it along. I would have never thought of that, so accustomed to using matches or a lighter in these days. I am sure that other San Antonio Living History events will be just as interesting, and spark any number of other insights - in me, and in anyone else.
Oh, we are fortunate 
I've always loved the Herb Market primarily for the plants, because many of the vendors there were the first to sell exotic herbs; not just the usual stuff that you could find at any nursery, but the exotica - hanging pepper vines, lemon-grass and kefir limes, for example, and just about every kind of scented geranium around. Increasingly, there were more and more local and boutique vendors in recent years with stuff made from herbs: soaps and room scents, and perfume, teas and baked items and the like. All of this made the indoor venue dizzyingly aromatic, and the perfect place to pick up Christmas gifts, or even just a few items to pamper yourself with.
One of the sponsors of the Herb Market is the San Antonio Herb Society. A couple of years ago, I picked up a copy of their cookbook: one of our favorite cookie recipes is this simple one, for lemon verbena cookies.
Roll dough into small balls, and flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in water, or your fingers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350.
Wimberley's open-air market, held on the first Saturday of every month, sprawls over lord-only-knows-how many acres of grounds, an organically grown tangle of paved walkways among a grove of trees on the outskirts of town. My daughter and I decided to venture up this last Saturday from our 
Vender booths run the gamut of all-but-open-air, roofed with a couple of tarps, or maybe some odd pieces of galvanized tin, all the way up to more or less permanent structures like large and ornate garden sheds, with level floors and even going to the extent of glass windows. 
Although, once you have spotted the perfect thing, it might be best to purchase it right away - first, because you might not be able to find your way back to it again, once you wander down a couple of twisty walkways and around the next corner, and secondly, even if you do - that vendor might or might not be there on the next Market Day. I was searching for a vendor that I remembered from previous visits, who would come with a grist-mill mounted on a trailer, with a little gas generator to run it, and sell fresh-milled cornmeal and wheat-flour. Cornbread made from that cornmeal was to die for - alas, the vendor hasn't been seen for months. There was also an artist, who made water-fountains, which appeared at first glance to be made of bouquets of flowers and greenery - tall plants like iris, mixed with cattail rushes and water-lilies, but were actually formed of thin sheet-metal, painted very realistically. Didn't find him, either, but found practically everything else, 
Other stuff we drooled over included ornamental garden mushrooms, by Zulie ...(Zulie's Mushrooms, booth GC6 ) -
Green curry sauce from 
Fashion and interior decorating items at 
And even though shoppers are not permitted to bring in dogs - one of the vendors had her four-footed pal, Seymour the Adventure Dog, all ten pounds or so of him.
There was even stuff for guys ....