Zucchini Plan

Yesterday, with 16 zucchini/summer squash on my kitchen counter, I made a plan. How about zucchini soup?? I could cook it up now, freeze it, and then pull it out of the freezer this fall/winter. I hit the computer and found this recipe:

Creamy Zucchini Soup

I tasted it and it's GREAT. I did not do the herb thing on top because:

a) I despise the taste of parsley;

b) I'm freezing the soup; and

c) I buy herbs very cautiously (except cilantro, which is the King of Herbs)... If I can't use up all of it, I try to find a way around it.

I do plan on serving this with bread... maybe a garlic-rubbed charred bread (ala Rachel Ray). This recipe took up 8 of the zucchinis. Only 8 to go! My freezer is already full of shredded zucchini from past co-op weeks... we'll be enjoying lots of zucchini bread throughout the fall :) But, I'm sure I'll end up shredding more. Luckily, Matt likes to eat zucchini raw so I keep slicing it and sending it to work with him.

Co-op This Week

Matt picked up our share this week... and we got 12 zucchinis!!! We also received:

• 5 summer squash
• 2 egg plants
• 4 green peppers
• raspberries
• bag of peaches/nectarines
• arugula
• tomatoes (cherry and regular)
• basil

I have NO idea what I'm going to do with that zucchini... any help??

What I Really Wanted to Buy at William Sonoma

Need I say more?

It's only $899, but I'd receive $40.00 cash back plus a 1 year subscription to Food & Wine or Travel & Leisure magazine. I don't think it's going to happen...

Dish Towels

Kitchen linens hold a special place in my heart. I can (and frequently do) visit home stores for hours just looking at the different options for table cloths, napkins, and towels. I invision when I would use each one, what I'd wear to match (seriously), and the meal that would go perfectly. Without doing much, linens can change the look and feel of your kitchen. And, high-end linens make me giddy... there is just something wonderful about these beautiful pieces. The colors, designs, textures, and shape somehow endure. I know- I sound crazy.


Anyway, the nice linens come at a price... the beautiful Le Jacquard Francais towles below run $20 a piece. Sure, $20 isn't bad. But, when you think about stocking your kitchen with 10 of them and then consider replacing them as stains require, it's a few hundred a year- on dish towels!! This doesn't include napkins, table clothes, or dish cloths (yes, there is a difference). So, I skip this little luxury because sadly, I live in reality.








One of my favorite "cheaper" towels are Willaim Sonoma dish towels. I've had mine about 5 years now and while some are looking rough, most have held up extraordinarily well. And, they're (only) $18/4.

While I was in Dallas a few weeks back, I popped into William Sonoma while waiting for a sweet friend at the mall. And, to my delight- they were on sale for $4.29/4!!! They had 2 colors of towels: green/pink, which I will save to use next summer, and a white/sage which is already at use in our kitchen. I am super delighted with my purchase :)

Peach Pie

We've been getting peaches weekly in our co-op pick-up, so I finally decided to make a pie a few weeks ago! To date, I have made 2 of these pies and they've both been a big hit. The best part is: the recipe is so simple.

Peach Pie Recipe

No, I didn't make my own pie crust (gasp!) but I think I will for the next one. I've heard that they're much easier than they sound. Oh- and peeling peaches is very simple with a potato peeler. I read lots of articles that said to blanche them and then peel them. I found no need to do that.

Co-op

I have loved being apart of our food co-op. We get a wide variety of fresh, organic, locally grown produce delivered to our town weekly. It keeps me focused on trying new ingredients and recipes, and our meals are more diverse.

That's not to say that it's easy doing a co-op. Menu planning has changed since I get the produce on Wednesday: instead of planning on Sunday (after I've had a chance to research this week's circulars/coupons), I'm trying to plan a bit on Sunday and a bit on Wednesday. It's not the most efficient use of my time, but it's working- I think. And, you need to be flexible with what you get. Lucky for me, Matt eats ANYTHING. So, I know that whatever we get will likely be eaten if I take the time to prepare it. We've also had to be a bit understanding of how many crops the farm is yielding. Like most of the East Coast, Long Island has had a crummy summer. That translated to lots of lettuce in June (more than 2 people can eat) and no tomatoes, yet. But overall, we're happy with it- it's been the right decision for us!

This week we got:

3 red onions

3 green peppers

2 zucchinis

1 bunch of parsley

1 bunch of carrots

2 lbs of purple potatoes

1 bag of mixed lettuce

1 eggplant

1 bag of UFO peaches

We usually get more fruit, but we have tons of these cute, little peaches to help us get through the week! Not quite sure how I'm going to use all of this throughout the week, but I'll let you know!!

The Dilema

I find that I post infrequently and it bothers me. But, I think I know why: I'm very unimpressed with what I do around the home. And, I'm sure other people are equally unimpressed listening to me talk about how I followed a recipe. This was greatly reinforced when I watched "Julie and Julia" this weekend with some friends in Dallas. You will never see me bone a duck or cook a live lobster. It's just not in the cards for this girl.

But, I LOVE what I do around our home. The planning, prepping, and cooking; the sorting, organizing, and cleaning. And, I love keeping a record of it. So I'm going to continue :)

Tomorrow: this week's co-op pick-up!!