I struggled to fit yet another arm load of zucchini and squash from my CSA weekly farm share into the vegetable drawer. Something needed to be done about this and fast. I knew that, before I could blink, Saturday’s CSA pickup would roll around again and I’d have no choice but to build a fort made of vegetables and fruit. Continue reading
The bag of avocados had ripened. I didn’t have a room full of hungry people, but it didn’t matter. I dropped all my plans and did what any self respecting person would do. I made guacamole. And, I knew I could experiment a bit with this Mexican staple without worrying about disappointing a purist. I worked with what I could find in the fridge. I had lemons, not limes. Leftover cilantro. A chile pepper. And some greek yogurt… Hmmm.
It must have been the sound of women’s gymnastics in the background. I wanted to make ratatouille, but didn’t want it in just one form. I wanted two incarnations, two opposing flavor profiles. A competition of nations. So, I made rata-TWO-ie.
It’s all a bit of a blur.
I agreed to prepare some finger foods at a friend and co-worker’s “summer kick-off” / house warming party. In my usual fashion, I wasn’t satisfied with preparing something we already know is brilliantly crowd-pleasing. Although, there was plenty of room for that.
I wouldn’t call myself a jam maker. But, when I saw a bowl of kumquats on the kitchen counter left over from my extensive photo shoot with kiwis (they didn’t make the cut), I knew I had to do something with them. I have a love/hate relationship with kumquats. One moment, I’ll eat one that is fantastically tart and bursting with sweet, citrus flavor. Then, I’ll reach for another and I’m suddenly aware that I’m eating a miniature, oval shaped orange with its skin. The tartness and pithiness practically slaps me across the face and I’m left feeling confused and alone. I’m being a little dramatic. What it boils down to is that I knew I’d be staring at that bowl of kumquats on the counter until they spoiled, the orange pile only slightly dented from the curious passerby. I can’t stand watching a fruit or vegetable spoil. I made marmalade.
halfkiwi 