the hungry bambino

It was a two-basket trip to the market this week. Pickle wanted to be carried half-way through our circuit, so the stroller took over as a cart for all of our goodies. The weather is finally getting warm again and with that a return to more summery cooking. Our menu this week is loaded with vegetables – some more successfully executed than others (more on that in a later post).

We picked up kale from our favorite heirloom tomato vendor who sells other gorgeous produce when her tomatoes are ripening (her red-skinned potatoes are also divine). I asked her when the first tomatoes will be at the market and she promised this coming Saturday! So, some tomato- and, hopefully, corn-heavy menus will be coming soon!

At the Market
Baby zucchini
Baby Yukon golds
Banana peppers
Blueberries
Carrots
Cilantro
English peas, shelled
Gentle Breeze honey
Green-leaf lettuce
Golden beets
Italian flat-leaf parsley
Kale
Raspberries
Sweet cherries

Pickle the picky eater?!
Pickle has decided not to like any of the food he used to scarf down. Anything in sandwich form will pass his lips, but the batch of gorgeous spinach-ricotta ravioli I just cooked up is barely getting a glance; tragic, indeed.

Here are some sandwiches I’ve been experimenting with (all are on toasted six-grain bread):
Scrambled egg, melted cheese, avocado and yogurt-curry sauce (Greek yogurt, Madras curry powder, squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper to taste)
Almond butter, mashed bananas, Organic Valley cream cheese
Fried egg (cooked yolk), green-leaf lettuce and veggie-herb cream cheese spread (softened cream cheese, yellow roasted peppers, parsley, cilantro blitzed in food processor)
Roasted zucchini and purple bell peppers with melted Cedar Grove Cheddar and garlic-herb chevre
Up next: roasted beet and goat cheese

Menu: week of 26 July 2009
Sunday: Grilled sirloin steak sandwiches on toasted sourdough rolls with chimichurri (parsley, cilantro, garlic, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, blitzed in the food processor)
Monday: Holley's garlicky sautéed kale on ricotta bruschetta
Tuesday: Farfalle with green beans in a mint-pea pesto
Wednesday: Roasted zucchini and purple bell peppers with melted Cedar Grove Cheddar and garlic-herb chevre with roasted Yukon golds
Thursday: Chicken burgers with quick pickles and romesco sauce on whole-wheat buns and served with a roasted beet salad
Friday: Pizza with sautéed banana peppers and Fraboni’s sausage

One last item for the ladies: a great little article on the how and why of eating organic (it says you can drink red wine, so I’m buying it!): http://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2009/07/5-organic-foods-every-woman-should-eat.html?ecd=wnl_lbt_072909