CSA Week 21: Tomatoes, Asian Greens, Sweet Peppers, Mesclun Mix, Eggplant, Lettuce, Basil

No week 20 because I was in Minnesota, but here’s week 21! Summer vegetables are still going strong. I’ve been marinating the eggplants (peeled and sliced) in red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, and olive oil. After a few days, they make a delicious topping for baguettes. 

CSA Week 19: Tomatoes, Lacinato Kale, Sweet Peppers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Celery Leaf, Torpedo Onions, Serrano Peppers

It just occurred to me why we call them EGGplants.

Cinnamon rolls, pre-frosting.

The Minnesota State Fair makes everyone Freak Out about cheesecurds.

My sister went back to college in California and bragged about having In-n-Out, so I made my own cheeseburgers and fries at home. (The key is to grind your own meat and keep the patties thin. The key is American cheese! Iceberg lettuce! The sauce!)

A different view of Chicago on the way to a produce market where peppers were TEN CENTS EACH. 

CSA Week 18: Tomatoes! Tomatoes!, Red Russian Kale, Peppers, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Chives, Italian Parsley

I preserved the eggplant in olive oil with red wine vinegar, garlic, and basil for a few days and now it’s something I’ll gladly eat (don’t forget to refrigerate garlic in olive oil).

Fresh peach pie with cornmeal crust + the return of the pony cut outs! 

CSA Week 17: Tomatoes, Red Russian Kale, Green Peppers, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Basil, Chives, Serrano Peppers

Those Serrano peppers went into a fresh salsa. I wore gloves to cut them because the internet scared me into thinking I’d burn my eyes if I ever touched them again--was that overboard?

Surf’s up.

Pink caterpillar-y plants in the conservatory.

Orange sweet rolls right before they went into the oven.

I mean, this caption is pretty obvious. Birds! Lots of ‘em.

And the most appetizing picture of all!  

CSA Week 16: Purslane, Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Onions, Carrots, Green Peppers, Basil

An apricot danish from a new French bakery.

An afternoon of reading near a lily pond in Chicago.

Homemade paneer makhani. Maybe next time there will be homemade naan too! 

CSA Week 15: Tomatoes, Lettuce, Carrots, More Tomatoes, Garlic, Onion, Basil, Purslane

Last week’s ricotta came in a tin! There are tiny holes in the side so I repurposed it as a planter.  I bet the purslane would look cute growing in one of those. 

CSA Week 14: Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Eggplant, Chives, Broccoli, More Tomatoes, Basil, Cabbage, Mesclun Mix

In Minnesota for week 13, but back for 14!

I’m consistently the worst at bowling, but will often feign confidence and say, “You wanna see a strike? Here’s a strike!” And then I bowl and it is! Is sports success all about confidence? J says it also has to do with not swinging your arm across your body as you let go…

If you can never finish your tortillas on taco night, make homemade chips (brush the tortillas with oil, sprinkle with salt, cut into pieces, and bake in a hot oven until crisp). Use a cookie cutter (or scissors) to make shapes. Find someone who will still appreciate your heart chips even if you spill an entire bottle of bright red Jarritos soda all over the counter and kitchen floor right before you were going to eat. Cold taco night!

Baked herbed ricotta (it puffs!) and roasted carrots in the oven.