Unplanned Vegetarian Day

As is our Saturday custom Russ and I went downtown for the farmers Market first thing this morning. We found it to be more important than ever that we support downtown businesses since yesterday many were closed due to the rumored KKK rally. Thankfully no such rally materIalized, but the counter rally pulled itself together fast and large. Despite City hall’s notice that the KKK did not have a permit to gather, the county offices closed early, prompting other businesses to follow suit. I liken this “false” KKK rally to when kids at Junior high school used to pull the fire alarm to get out of taking a test. I wonder if a county worker just wanted to have a long weekend?
In spite of the large counter protest crowds the idea of any protest hurts businesses who just want to sell meals or clothes. So after picking up our vegetables and eggs at the market Russ and I went to Scratch for breakfast. I had the avocado toast which was topped with thinly sliced cucumbers and drizzled with buttermilk and a poached egg. It was divine.  

Russ went to see Tony his barber and I sat in a little French cafe chair at a table in the small park on Parish street needlepointing while I waited for him. There were lots of people out and about downtown and no sign of any neo-Nazis. Just the many colors that make up Durham all enjoying the day.
Last week my friend Cynthia brought me two kinds of goat cheese and figs from the Hillsborough Cheese Company owned by the West family. I decided that a toasted fit and goat cheese sandwich would make the perfect lunch. I was right. Cutting the small brown figs in half and placing then between the soft goat cheese spred on a slice of Loaf’s own polenta bread and topping the figs with a few slivers of the aged goat cheese made for a very tasty lunch.
At dinner I made an international mash-up. Brown field peas, roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chinese spicy bean sauce, sautéed baby eggplant with cherry tomatoes and roasted garlic and blacken pardon peppers. It sounds like the worst combination ever, but was really yummy mixed all together. It was only after dinner that I realized that dinner had been vegan.
Even though I loved my dinner, I don’t think I could give up cheese or eggs and eat vegan all the time, but it was a yummy day of food. I feel like if I could have both the KKK and the Counter protesters together at my table we could find some humanity and common ground. Maybe food is the way to bring people together.