Today for lunch, the boys and I ate a simple chickpea salad that I made from recollecting a similar dish at Wild Oats market. It it basically chickpeas, finely diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, scallions, fresh parsley, and a dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, mashed garlic, salt and pepper. The salad is light and refreshing and perfect for spring.
That salad did, however, bring back memories of springtime at Wild Oats marketplace here in Columbus. Bittersweet. Can one have a bittersweet memory of a marketplace?? I think so. I first started shopping for whole foods in the late 90's, just after obtaining my driver's license. Back then, it was just little old me buying groceries for myself, so I could spend hours at the marketplace, which I did often. Although nowadays, I'm not afforded the same luxury of time shopping, and sadly, Wild Oats is not in Columbus anymore. It has been replaced by the large Whole Foods chain. Whole Foods is a lovely marketplace, but doesn't carry the same homey, down to earth vibe that Wild Oats did. Wild Oats would transport me to Northern California, a place I love, cherish, and hope to return to at least visit someday soon.
Until then, I'll just enjoy this nice salad and supplement my Wild Oats longings with regular trips to the natural marketplaces here in town. We're fortunate to have a few.
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