At Mike and Ellie's school each season there is a farmer's market. Typically there are about 20 stalls with produce which is unusual compared to that readily available in Shanghai, and yet craved for by the expat market - for example chutneys, jams, yoghurt, cupcakes, meat pies and sausage rolls - yes, I should start my own cottage kitchen industry making chutney again!! Enterprising people import, or make available through markets like this and email sales, cook ware such as cake tins, flans, cookie cutters or popsicle sticks. Back home, you don't think about these things as they are so readily available - here, we're well stocked on soy sauce, noodles, woks and rice cookers, but not so much on sundried tomatoes, breads, food processors or mixers. So farmer's markets are well attended, and quite the social occasion... as well as quite the fundraiser!!
