Miki by Ellen Miles

Author:Ellen Miles [Miles, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2020-01-14T16:00:00+00:00

It was an easy walk to the farmers market. Charles smiled when he saw the colorful tents set up in two long lines across the grass. People strolled up and down, holding little kids by the hand or walking dogs on leashes. Dogs! There sure were a lot of them. Charles saw a chocolate Lab, a Boston terrier, and a greyhound in just the first few minutes. All the dogs seemed friendly and happy, and if their leashes got tangled together now and then as they sniffed and pawed at one another, their owners didn’t seem to mind.

The market was a happy place, full of color. Buckets of bright flowers stood in one stall, next to a stall that displayed carrots in all colors of the rainbow. “We should add some of those to our recipe,” Charles said, pointing to them.

“Maybe,” said Gordon doubtfully.

“Ms. Holly said we should walk up and down and look at all the stalls before we buy anything,” Kendra reminded them. “Anyway, look over there! Free samples of maple candy.”

They zigged and zagged their way between the tents, along with the other teams. Ms. Holly seemed to be always nearby, keeping an eye on everyone and nodding when they pointed to things. “Those are wild mushrooms,” she said, when Charles stopped to look at a pile of golden-yellow trumpets. “They’re called chanterelles, and they are so yummy.”

Charles didn’t think he had ever tried wild mushrooms. He wanted to. He wanted to try everything. That was the way to become a good cook, or even a famous chef, Ms. Holly had told them. “Don’t be timid,” she said. “Taste everything, and taste it again. Some foods take a while to grow on you.”

He and his teammates walked up and down the whole market, looking over everything that was for sale. “Cookies!” Kendra said in a Cookie Monster voice as they passed a stall selling giant chocolate-chip cookies. “Want cookies!” Gordon and Charles pulled her away, back to the vegetable stall they had liked best. The woman who ran it was really friendly and very interested in their cooking class project.

Charles picked out a shiny purple eggplant, and Kendra and Gordon added tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic. “Zucchini?” Kendra asked, and Charles nodded. She added it to the pile.

“Anything else?” asked the woman.

“Basil?” said Charles, remembering. She reached over and picked up a bunch of the bright green herb, handing it over with a smile. Then she began adding up prices on her calculator as she placed the vegetables into their basket. Charles held his breath, hoping they hadn’t spent too much.

Ms. Holly showed up just as the woman announced the total. “Perfect,” said Ms. Holly, handing over some money. She and the woman seemed to know each other, and they chatted for a while about the weather.

“Enjoy your cooking,” said the woman, finally. “And eating!”

Gordon set the basket down under a tree, and they wandered some more. As he was checking out a display of handmade coffee mugs, wondering if Mom might like one for Christmas, Charles felt something tickling his ankles.

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