We've been shopping at the Farmer's Market. I like it. It changes cooking for me in several ways, but here are two.
1. I no longer plan the meals and then go shopping. Instead, I go to the farmer's market, buy what looks great, take it home and FIGURE OUT something to do with it. I search through several trusty cookbooks and sometimes ask a friend for advice or search the internet.
2. I now feel really strongly about using what we have. I used to let vegetables go bad in the fridge because "I didn't feel like cooking them" but when they are beautiful, fresh, locally grown vegetables that you paid (and I mean PAID) for, you can't just let them sit there. Use 'em up. They're delicious.
But I have been enjoying cooking and eating so much more lately because of the fresh foods we're drowning in. I thought I would write a bit about what we've had.
Today. It was monstrously hot. Too hot to do much cooking at all. So we put the Alaskan Salmon my mom bought while on her cruise on the george foreman grill and then slathered it with some leftover homemade peanut sauce we had in the fridge. Not bad. Add to that a salad made with fresh spinach, fresh baby red onions, farmer's market radishes (purple and white), fruit, toasted pecans, feta cheese and a warm citrus/olive oil dressing. Lovely.
Yesterday I made a frittata with the LAST ASPARAGUS of the YEAR. Can you believe they still had fresh asparagus to sell? Well, they did. I am happy to say goodbye to asparagus for the next several months, but with cilantro from our garden and more baby red onions, a little parmesan cheese (and just enough egg to hold it all together), it was just right. That and beets. Oven roasted and then sauteed in butter and orange and lemon juices. A beautiful purply red next to the frittata's yellow and green.
Friday, we went out for Thai food. We won't do that again unless we have a babysitter. Sadly, Charlie only wants to eat at restaurants that offer french fries and something akin to chicken stars. Strange and tragic.
Thursday. Daikon Radish with Chicken--Korean Style. We modified this recipe because, as you may have guessed, we don't keep sake or mirin on hand and because our chicken wasn't boneless, but the radishes in it were so good. Warm and smooth. I'd make it again. Not sure if it is actually Korean style, though.
Wednesdays, I never cook.
Tuesday. Cheesy spinach burritos. Spinach. Burritos? you say. Yes, and they were so good. First, you saute some onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted. Then add a ton of cheese--cheddar and cream cheese. This turns into a gloppy, gooey filling for tortillas. Roll them up and bake them until they're hot. A little salsa. Wow. And I didn't even open a single can!
That's all I can remember. Very different from your meals this week? I thought so. Are we weird?
3 comments:
If it's weird, it's good weird.
Last night for Sunday dinner we had.... (wait for it...) a smoothie!
It was just too hot to cook. And wow, was that smoothie good:
a couple of frozen bananas, one fresh and almost-too-ripe papaya, a generous dollop of yoghurt, and some milk.
I don't regret it and yes I would do it again. :)
For dessert (don't ask why we need a dessert after we had a smoothie for dinner) Matt made some ganache, drizzled it over graham crackers, cooled them off on a cookie sheet, and we dunked them in milk.
It was quite decadent and sinful. :)
Hence why we love eating over. It's like going out to eat for us!
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