Downtown Harvest... Downtown on Chambers street today Italian prune plums and red bell peppers were 3 pounds for a dollar from the street vendors. I couldn't resist the prune plums and red peppers so I made chutney when I got back. Three pounds of washed and pitted sliced up prune plums, two thin sliced red peppers, a medium sized diced onion, about a tablespoon of grated ginger, and three cloves of pressed garlic went into my enameled soup stock pot with a cup and a half cider vinegar and a cup and a half of sugar. I mashed these things around a little as they heated up. After things started cooking I put it on simmer and added a half teaspoon fresh black pepper, a table spoon of pickling spice and a half cup of raisins and about an eighth of a cup of honey. This mixture simmered down nicely in about a half hour, and I filled a large cleaned and boiled pickle jar with chutney for the refrigerator, and filled a two cup storage tub with the rest to freeze. There was a small amount- mostly thick liquid, on the bottom of the pot so I poured it into a jar for immediate use. Chutney on grilled chicken with curry rice and vegetables tonight during the debate! The downtown neighborhood between Chambers and Canal has some weird bargains- the aforesaid fruit vendors, (the cheapest two are near Broadway and Chambers) the Linen Depot that has huge panels of earthen color velour curtain panels out in front on the street for seven dollars, Ralph's Discount on Chambers near Church has two packages of Peak Freens for a dollar as you walk in the door, two loaves of Vermont organic assorted breads for $1.25, various spices, tuna fish and candies. Dee & Dee is good for dollar t-shirts and jerseys, and Ruby's Book Sale down Chambers near west Broadway still has a great selection of cheap maps, and back issues of popular magazines in back. Going north on Broadway from Chambers there's Anbar Shoe Sale on Reed Street just off Broadway west where anything in women's shoes is liable to show up for under $40, Italian Shoes, Swedish sandals, European Boots etc. P&S fabrics is up past Worth Street on the west side of Broadway. P&S has the best fabric and ribbon and yarn bargains at the door as you go in. This week they have unusual novelty yarns for making fringed sweaters on sale, three large hanks for ten dollars. They also have wonderful linens and silks Dupioni Silk for 5.99 a yard, ( downstairs) large pieces of African fabric for $20, dress fabrics, woolens, cottons, denims, odd buttons, patterns, decorations, ribbons, edgings, tassels and cords. Downstairs at P&S, the door is hung with weird curtain fabrics to suggest a household fabric wonderland and there remnants and bolts of upscale upholstery fabrics marked down, and a corduroy section including bolts of printed corduroy and velveteens, and a plastic section with weird plastic lace panels, plastic and oilcloth table coverings by the yard. Further up, just before Canal there is Fabric Warehouse which has leather panels for between $5 and $15 dollars. You could make yourself a leather coat for $20. Walk east on Baxter past Centre and stop at Dragonland baker for some pastries. Miniature custard pies for .80 walnut tarts, coconut cream buns, or various Chinese style buns filled with cabbage or pork with decent coffee or assorted bubble teas and drinks. Coffee and a pastry runs under two dollars. And, you get to sit at a table with a window in it, look down and see a giant live turtle inside the base of the table, sitting on a rock with some water and looking up at you. The tables are all giant "turtleariums". There is a new Dragonland bakery opening up on Worth east of Broadway, but I don't know if they are going to have the turtlearium tables.