Farmers' Market Glory

This week's buys: asparagus (the most delicate stalks yet this season), kale, 2 quarts of strawberries, a boule of chocolate cherry bread, and small seedlings of lemon thyme, basil, and Italian parsley. The seedlings have already been potted and the bread nibbled. This bread would make to-die-for bread pudding, along the lines of one of my mom's favorites--croissant bread pudding with chocolate chips and dried cranberries--but letting this loaf get stale seems like a travesty. Thinking about strawberry soup or strawberry pie...the eternal struggle between the new recipe and the tried and true.

I might have gone a little overboard, but it's better than buying shoes I don't need, right? This fresh local fare will nourish my body and spirit. (The shoes only work on the spiritual level.) I frequently suffer from buyer's guilt (variation on buyer's remorse), but never when it comes to my farmers' market purchases!

Stroganoff Struggles

A few months back I concocted a mushroom and chicken stroganoff after perusing a handful of recipes from epicurious.com. Though traditionally this dish includes beef and sour cream, my version had neither of these, but it was hands-down the best of its kind that I've ever tasted. And, since preparing and eating this dish drained me of all the weeknight energy, I never bothered to take notes or photos. With the passage of time, all memory of this event are gone...this was one of those dishes that I have repeatedly referenced in dinner-planning conversation since; "Remember that stroganoff I made? Man, that was good. I wish I'd written down a recipe."

I gave it another shot this week, but was sadly disappointed. Attempt #2 lacked the creaminess and the depth of flavor of the first one. I used onion, white button mushrooms, white wine, nutmeg, garlic, and dijon mustard. Next time I will not skimp in the cream department.
Stroganoff tips greatly appreciated!

"Digital Meal Planning": A Smart Money-Saving Idea

This is a fabulous idea!

If you're too lazy to follow the link...it's an article about a subscription service called E-Mealz that provides a week's worth of dinner menus based on that week's grocery store sales. They currently only offer menus based on Wal-Mart, Kroger, ALDI, Ralph’s and Publix grocery chains. And only $5 a month (less than many other similar services). In a family context, I'm sure the service would easily pay for itself. There's even a forthcoming "app"!

Looking for something new to do with Asparagus?

I was. So was Mark Bittman. Like two peas in a pod, we are, but he's the more inventive and famous pea.

I made a half-recipe of Bittman's Asparagus Pesto and ate it on pasta (ridges a-must!) with peas. It was tasty enough to be eaten three days in a row: dinner, lunch, lunch again.

Plus, using my Cuisinart is fun! Isn't the pesto a beautiful color?