The outdoor market in the center of the city has become our favorite place to buy vegetables.  We bring an array to the Benesi’s each week and cook all of our meals over the weekends.  Unintentionally, we keep finding ourselves making many of the recipes, sans so much oil, that Diana and Mama have made for us in the village.

When we pull up to this outdoor space, we are immediately approached by a dozen or so boys and men attempting to entice us over to their stands.  Getting through the pack to the foods we want is a maze and an experience, one that reminds me of how different I look and that the color of my skin makes others assume that I have plenty of money to spend.  After a few shopping trips, we got our strategy down pat.  We ignore what they say and just keep walking to what we have our eyes set on, the most delicious white sweet potatoes I’ve ever had, tomatoes, eggplant, and bananas.  Once we find them, we offer a price for the produce, one that seems like pocket change to us (less than 2 dollars for 14 bananas, for example) but is typically accepted immediately by Malawians and off we go.  Cooking so much here makes me excited to continue to do so at home using fresh and simple ingredients that always taste healthfully nourishing and delicious.

We hadn’t stepped out of the car and thinking we are an easy azungo target, they demanded “give me money.”  Also, notice the fish.  Raphael bought some and hung them on his rearview mirror.  I could have puked.