Today's market shopping

I usually go to the market with some idea of what I want to cook the next few days, I know what's available in the season and I know my local producers .. but today I had no idea of what I wanted to cook.
Here is what I found in my shopping bag as I emptied it in the kitchen!

First I went to buy my greens. I loved the different types of zuchinis in the stand, and chose 2 green round ones, three green long ones, two yellow long ones, 1 regular green one, and five zuchini flowers (they are edible). I am going to saute them in olive oil and will add fresh basil at the end. I am going to prepare the flowers as beignets de fleurs de courgette , a sort of tempura, and will place them on top pf the sauteed zuchinis.

I also bought a salad and nasturtium flowers. I had two tomatoes left from last Tuesday and I am going to make a salad. We're going to have it with two chicken breasts I have in the fridge.

It is the right season to buy "verveine" (verbena officinalis) to make delicious herbal tea. I bought a branch and I am going to leave to dry in the kitchen. It's has a strong and pleasant perfume. Once it's dry, I remove the leaves and store them in a jar.
Verveine is and indiginous trea of Argentina and Uruguay. I grew up with this delicous smell in my grandmother's kitchen.

I was tempted by the mini abuergines both white and pruple, and bought 1 lb. I am going to steam them and eat them with basil and olive oil. As I walked dowen the alley, I thought sardines and shrips would be a perfect match for my aubergines. I seldom buy sardines because of the pugent smell they have when they are cooked, but I have discovered that if I put a thick layer of sea salt in the pan where I put the rack to grill them, the small is less strong.

Finally, I also bought a cavaillon melon that we're going to have today for lunch with thin slices of Parma ham. The charcutier is very careful when he slices the ham and puts one slice at a time on waxed paper.

Simple, easy, and tasty!

Bon appetit.