So, I started this project a while back. During the summer it was a little easier--unscheduled time allowed for a lot more cooking at reasonable intervals. Now that the new semester is in full swing, I've found myself making adjustments. Sunday through Wednesday I'm lucky if I manage to eat something that isn't cereal. That's not to say there isn't food in the house. Our weekly bounty keeps coming in from the farm, but a bag of small eggplants is not turned into a meal as quickly as cereal... I'm trying not to slip back into old habits, so it looks like that means I'll have to adopt some new ones. This weekend, I decided to designate Friday and Saturday as my cooking days. In 24 hours I made a quiche, a loaf of bread, a quart of tomato sauce, a couple servings of fresh tortellini, and a very large bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough. That will at least provide a few meals of "real" food during the hectic beginning of the week. (The cookie dough is part of an ongoing experiment... I'll try not to pass cookies off as a meal, though I'll definitely be tempted.) And apart from having to do dishes no fewer than 7 times today, I enjoyed my kitchen time. It really is a great way to forget about everything else for a little while.
We've been getting a lot of wonderful things from the farm lately. These three pictures are from my last three pick-ups, which spans a period of a couple months. Lots of peaches and tomatoes... Having a variety of produce around all the time has--as hoped--forced me to get a little more creative, and to try new things. Even though I'm a little more pressed for time these days, I'll be very sad to see the end of the CSA in coming months. What will I eat all winter?
I also think that this experience has made me a better cook. I'm not terrified of deviating from recipes anymore; I'm getting better with flavor pairings when it comes to things like herbs and spices; and while pasta will remain an all-time favorite, I now have more than one stand-by dish in my arsenal. Once the vegetables stop finding their way to me on a weekly basis, I hope I'll be a little more adventurous when it comes to seeking them out at the store, and continuing to find recipes to fit fresh ingredients. I suppose the winter will be a similar experiment in reverse.
Now I'll follow this up with the usual back-log of posts... until next month!
