When you get up early in the morning, totter out of bed to throw on clothes to beat the rush to the farmers’ market, and find yourself outside still essentially asleep in the pouring rain, expect that you aren’t going to be making the clearest of fiscal choices.

I admit that after a long winter of eating apples (nearly every day) and beets, I was ready for spring veggies. But my resolve was weakened by the rain and the sleepiness and I totally just ran from stand to stand exchanging my cash for beautiful edibles.

By the time I came home, the market basket contained:

• Morels (mushrooms only found for a month or so this time of year in our area)
• Ramps (ditto)
• Spring garlic
• Spring onions
• Garlic chives
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Grape tomatoes (greenhouse-grown; we aren’t that far ahead of the Northeast!)
• Cheddar
• Milk
• Blueberry scones from Dani and Eric
• A croissant (to sustain myself while I walked around)
• Pea vines
• Green rhubarb
• Asparagus
• Lilacs

(Forgive me; I meant to take a picture, but I was more concerned with getting out of my wet clothing when I got home.)

No, it wasn’t inexpensive. But I’m going to bet that the omelets Rudi makes with the morels, spring garlic, and ramps tonight to be served with a side of asparagus in lemon butter are going to make me grateful for every penny I spent.