Celery, Leeks and Gold, Oh My!

Today, I went to the store to pick up a few things, one of them being a bunch of celery and leeks. I needed the celery to make my mom's Chicken and Dumpling recipe and I needed leeks for a recipe I found at The Noble Pig blog. It's called Baked Leeks with Garlic, Thyme and Parmigiano and I wanted to make it in the coming week.

Photo by Cathy from The Noble Pig blog.

Cathy posts some really delicious looking recipes and this is one of them! She recently posted another one I want to make real soon, in fact, I bought the pomegranate juice for it while at the store. That one's called Pomegranate-Balsamic-Glazed Carrots. Don't they look delicious?

Cathy's Pomegranate-Balsamic-Glazed Carrots

Anyhow, getting back to my trip to the store. You'll recall my recent shock over a bunch of celery that cost $2.29 at Pavillions. Well, sit down. Today the sign read $2.99!!! Can you believe that? For a bunch of celery! The chicken I bought was cheaper! Then I noticed pieces of paper taped to top of the entire bank of veggies explaining that due to recent weather conditions obtaining vegetables had grown extremely expensive...so sorry. Leeks cost $2.99! Needless to say, this little chickie did not buy either.

Instead, I drove over to Albertson's (about 7 blocks away) where I found celery for a much more reasonable $1.69 a bunch (I ought two) and leeks for $1.99 per pound (also bought some of those)! I really don't like to think that stores are taking such blatant advantage of consumers but what else could it be? Makes me wish I owned the property I live in. I'd be installing raised beds tomorrow for growing stuff. I think facing these kind of prices will really accelerate the entire slow food movement!

Precious Celery, watch out gold and silver!