<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/07/22/ed9c171b53b14b9a93996adfb53ef693_7.jpg" alt="rockaway taco" width="450" height="450" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image by craven maven at <a href="http://rockawaytaco.com/">rockaway taco</a></span></p>

To quote any given British Tabloid during any given scandal 'What a Scorcher!'. Except this weekend's 'scorcher' was quite literal searing heat and not some untoward picture of someone in a state of dress or undress as the case usually is. In all my years in NY I cannot recall feeling humidity on such an epic scale. When it gets like this I don't want to eat, cook or move - for fear of torrents of sweat oozing from every pore. So we found a happy medium - <a href="http://rockawaytaco.com/" title="rockaway taco">Rockaway Taco </a> at Rockaway Beach! 

<a href="http://www.porkandchocolate.blogspot.com/" title="sherry of pork and chocolate">Sherry</a> has referenced Rockaway Taco so many times, and I've never had the opportunity to go and boy did I kick myself that I haven't after going this past weekend. With a concession right on the beach and a buzzing storefront on Rockaway Beach Blvd, everything we ate tasted fresh and was riddled with good seasoning and flavour. Coupled with the cool breeze flowing off the sea and the more than occasional surfer dude to ogle at - this just might be my most favourite habit to form this summer. 

<img src="http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/07/24/a74879922c6e445b86664026355a08d3_7.jpg" alt="market fruit" width=450>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image by craven maven of <a href="hhttp://www.redjacketorchards.com/">red jacket orchard</a> produce</span></p>

Sunday, couldn't be Sunday without a stop at the Farmer's Market. Having a fridge loaded with veggies from the previous week I sought out only fruit and of course wasn't disappointed. Red Jacket Orchard always has something delicious on hand and their staff are very sweet. One extra treat this weekend was meeting a fellow European in the market, it's tickles me how every time I meet a person from fairer shore the conversation goes the same way:

Me: Yeah just these few items mate. { plonks food down on the scale }
Them: Londoner?
Me: Yeah. North. You?
Them: Lived there/ Studied there/ From Ireland or Scotland or Europe etc etc. 

Result = instant bond. 

It's funny how meeting someone from closer to home always makes you feel AT home. So the the lad from Donegal I tip my invisible cap to you and say thank you. I will remember you with each plum I consume this week. 

Suddenly my appetite is back. 