But all that has changed. I've found the most awesome small fruit and vegetable market and I find myself unusually excited about it. Small things make me happy, folks.
A friend of mine had been talking up Nature's Best in Westmont for a couple of months now. It took me forever to make the trek over there, but I'm so glad I did. Anna and I made an early morning shopping trip on Saturday. We were in search of leeks because I checked out an Alice Waters cookbook last week and got all inspired to make potato leek soup.
This market is small. In fact, you pull your cart into the store and immediately butt up against the checkout lanes. But right past that area is the best produce section I've seen anywhere. Rows and rows of apples, pears, nectarines, mangos, plus lots of ethnic vegetables that were new to me. Seriously amazing. And cheap.
Now their produce isn't organic, but I've given up on that because unless I drive to Whole Foods I can't seem to find much organic anything anyway. I get my organic veggies when I grow them myself. That's about it.
They have an amazing meat section I'm told, but I didn't make it over there. I did manage to splurge on a GIANT loaf of french bread though. Bread taller than my children? Yes, please.
They had a lot of interesting cheeses, but I didn't buy anything. I'm trying not to purchase stuff that isn't directly related to my weekly recipes. It just rots in the fridge if I don't have it in the meal plan.
My soup turned out amazing. I'm fairly sure that heaven smells like sauteed leeks. We cut up some bread and had a great Sunday lunch. Abe liked the soup and dipped his bread into it, but Anna had to practically be forced to eat a couple of bites. Feeding that girl is so frustrating lately. I don't like it... JUST TRY IT!
My nectarine purchase transformed into a galette on Saturday night. Have you ever made one of these? Very easy. Just make up a quick dough and refrigerate it for a few hours. Roll it out and fill it with fruit and then fold over the crusts and sprinkle all of it with sugar.
Mike and I have a new favorite. Warm pastry, cold ice cream on top. Yum, yum, yum.
Cook books really inspire me and our library has an amazing selection. Rows and rows of gorgeous books. In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters is my current obsession. Both the soup and the galette recipe came from there and I've got a few more up my sleeve. I'm no whiz in the kitchen so I appreciate simplicity.
One of my goals for the year (though there isn't really a deadline on this) is to have a list of 20 dinners that are fail safe. Things that all four of us will eat without complaint. Anna doesn't have to finish her plate, but I want to serve things that don't elicite complaints and long-winded negotiations. By the end of the day I've got so little patience already, please just let dinner be peaceful.
I'd say I currently have four dinners, but, of course, I need some variety so that we don't get sick of them and have to start all over again. Hence the list of 20. We'll see how it goes. My latest grocery discovery certainly can't hurt, right?
1 comment:
you are making me hungry! can I come over for some soup and bread to sop it up with?
also: galettes. YES!
I am out of control with galette making. So far apple and cherry (made w/can of cherries). I use the receipe from DALS.
yum yum yum yum
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