The local market typically offers perishing little by way of variety
in its produce and meat, but every now and again somebody over there
gets a little bit adventurous and things like fennel show up among the
zucchini and onions. This week it was lamb rib chops next to the pork
and beef. Expensive, they were. A packet of three was over $10 US.
Some were marked for sale before the 27th, some for the 28th. They
didn't sell for two reasons: The price was too high, and denizens of
Cow Hill don't often eat lamb.

I watched and waited.

This morning, D hit the store before she went to work and found two
packs one day past their sell-by date but not yet marked down. She
asked at the meat counter whether they would mark them down. You bet.
The guy in back (who may or may not be a butcher) cut a buck off the
price. Still too high. She didn't buy.

At lunch time, I dropped by the store to see what had developed, and
sure enough the little darlings were half price. Got 'em. I'm
planning on doing them up for dinner tonight with mint, mustard,
garlic and herbs -- medium rare with a sauce of much reduced chicken
stock and maybe some yogurt.

It wasn't exactly like bargaining, but still...

My method won't work with those pretty tuna steaks I saw there today,
however. Nobody wants used fish.


modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore