Weekly roundup (November 10)

So I guess I missed a lot of posting on our adventures in farm share consumption. It always hits me on the day we are going to pick up our share, that I've been neglectful in my cataloging. I hardly did any cooking this past week. Matt picked up most of it, though we did have several tag-team collaborative dinners. I can't even remember what any of them were, except last night:

Monday dinner:
Vegetable soup, with mustard greens, potatoes, baby carrots, jalapeno, and porcini. With my first "basic" no-knead bread from the Lahey book. The house was very cool despite the warm weather, and I didn't allow my dough enough fermentation time, and thus did not acheive a perfect rise. The result, however, was moist and chewy, if a bit more dense than intended. And the crust was all that it was promised to be. Professional-like. My new clay baker did its work, and I was well-pleased and satisfied.

This Week from the Farm (November 3) -- late edition

This week our full share from Cherry Grove consisted of:

1/2 pound tatsoi
1/2 pound arugula
2 heads butter lettuce
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch lacinato kale
1 bunch red russian kale
2 or 3 pounds of potatoes
a handful of bell peppers
1 head garlic
PYO: not sure if there was anything, possibly herbs, but it was raining, so we didn't go out.

Only 2 more weeks, and then back to buying vegetables at the market.

I had to throw out some arugula that we had sitting around for 2+ weeks. Which is a shame because I love arugula but never actualized the plans I had made for it. With about half of the rest, I made a batch of arugula pesto to save.

Bitten: The Evening Snack Tradition

To me, this is an ideal dinner custom. Something for everyone and a drink, too.

We don't really have a comparable option in Princeton. What we do have are small plates at places like Mediterra or Tre Bar (which is an excellent place for weekday happy hour), or to take further liberties with this idea: BYO and assorted sushi or chaat. We have been known to do that when we can. Still, the options are not as great as I'd like, and certainly not as cheap as the cost of a drink.

Instead I've been making an effort to make things that will keep in the fridge and can add up to a nice stuzzichini assortment (also useful for school lunches, afternoon snacks and unexpected guests). The beauty of what is described in Edward Schneider's column is the variety of dishes on offer. I don't want just bread and oil and more bread in the form of bruschetta or crostini. I'd like vegetables on the table, and lots of them. Perhaps the answer is a regular neighborhood stuzzichini potluck: Bring a bottle or cocktail and a stuzzichino. Date TBA.