basket o' veg

I have an obsession. Well, one could argue more than one. But for this post (and most likely many more) it will be regarding food. Food in all it's forms. This journal (i.e. "blog") is an attempt to help organize the chaos that swims in my mind. I will only give you a small glimpse into this complex (well, okay maybe not complex) let's say, "jumbled" stream of thoughts that swirl around in my head regarding food.

For example, today..."will the guy at the farmers' market have the squash blossoms again?"..."what's the name of that funky mushroom that looks like coral?"..."another idea for ice cream..vanilla with black pepper..or something kind of spicy...cinnamon..or maybe ancho chile..like a spicy raisin."

And that my friends was before my latte macchiatto with an extra shot this morning.

Now onto the "basket o' veg". A favorite stopping spot for me in my hometown of San Juan Capistrano is a local organic farm. They have a program called CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. For about 20 years or so CSA has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here it is in a nut shell: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a basket of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a basket (bag, box) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. If you know me, you know I love this.

So, trying to follow in the culinary steps of Alice Waters, I am determined to use whatever the basket delivers and elevate those precious vegetables to epicurean glory.

And to that end. I will keep you posted.