Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Something To Look Forward To

Farmer's markets make me happy

January is hard.
December is cheery with the holidays and, in my family, two birthdays (mine and my dad’s). Then, along comes January. This year reminds me of my freshman year of high school, the year all the weatherman could talk about was El Nina and I swear it rained for 6 months straight, daily. In other words, it’s cold. It’s dark. It’s gloomy. Valentine’s Day is still far away and sometimes it feels like there’s not much to look forward to.

I decided that’s what I need this week: something to look forward to. For now, I’m setting my sights on the Farmer’s Market this Saturday, and plotting our meals for the rest of the week. Here’s the game plan:

Tonight: Sweet Potato and Beef Stir Fry with Vietnamese Flavors. This is from my new Food Matters cookbook, and I’m intrigued by the idea of a stir fry made with sweet potatoes.

Wednesday: Fava Bean Soup with Winter Greens. So, I have this bag of fava beans leftover from when we made falafel and I found this recipe for an Italian soup that will help me use them up. Even better, it calls for celeriac, giving me an excuse to eat a new vegetable that I’ve never tried before.

Thursday: Indian-style Cauliflower with Ginger and Cashews. This is a Splendid Table recipe, which I receive by e-mail weekly. Say, there’s one more thing to look forward to!

Friday: Greek-syle burgers with spinach and brown rice. This is a Mark Bittman recipe, and we’re going to give a whirl to his healthier take on this classic American dish. We're using grass-fed beef and topping them with mild sheepsmilk feta.
There. I think I've officially convinced myself that I have something to look forward to.

1 comment:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!