Albany Farmers Market

A couple of weeks ago I went to Albany and found the Albany Farmers’ Market. I love Farmers Markets. There were two girls busking on their violins to entertain the shoppers and everywhere I looked there was something I just had to have. I managed to stop myself (some of the time) but I acquired quite a few tasty treats. The ice-cream cone was so good, until it started dripping down my hand. I got potted water cress for the pond I’m planning for my garden and Norland potatoes from Albany Fresh Potatoes.

Norland are very tasty, but they don’t like excessive handling or light, which potatoes you buy in shops are subjected to. I’m not likely to find Noland again, unless I grow my own, and perhaps I should.

When I was there, I thought I might find locally produced olive oil, but it was sold out. My organic shop Absolutely Organic sells olive oil from Margaret River. I kept meaning to get it, but then I would see a 4L can on special at the supermarket, which came all the way from Spain and I’d get sucked in. The week after I was in Albany I found locally produced olive oil at my Perth fruit and veg shop. I had a choice between olive oil from York or Wangara – the closest I could hope for unless I grew my own olives trees. I went with the cheaper Evoo, which is mild and fruity!? I thought the name a bit strange, until I realised it stood for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I’ve been looking for olive oil soap too for a while. When I was in Melbourne last year I found some nice soap with no packaging. I don’t think it was made with olive oil, although it didn’t list the ingredients. It smells very nice and I’ve been using it for washing my face. (I use ordinary soap for other washing because I get through it a lot faster and it’s cheaper.) The other week I found olive oil soap at Curtin University. Every Wednesday there’s market stalls and one is Desert River. They make olive oil soap in a multitude of flavours. Some are scented with WA eucalypts, but Lemon Scented Gum was more scentful (and a delicious scent at that), so I chose that. Desert River is,

Handmade soap using premium olive oil, essential oils and plant extracts. Moisturises and gentle on sensitive skin.

I didn’t ask if the olive oil was produced in WA. It doesn’t say on the paper wrapping, so it might come from Spain or Italy as that’s cheaper. But it doesn’t have petroleum derivatives or any of those nasty chemicals a lot of soaps have that end up in our waterways and ocean.

Of course it would be even better if I made my own soap. I could put in whatever scent I liked, but it’s never going to happen (I’m a bit scared of playing with lye), so I’ll stick with Desert River.

=^.^=