What to make with your Farmer's Market Haul this week.

Cauliflower, Beets, Snow Peas, Chives & Potatoes

Trigger warning: May induce the fear of having children if you’re considering them. 

The day I wrote this week’s newsletter was, what I’m considering, my foray into being a parent of a toddler. The morning started out with a bang when I went to empty the dishwasher that I had run the night before to discover that, unbeknownst to me, Dean had snuck a blue crayon into the silverware basket. Let me tell you what that does to a dishwasher… a waxy, stuck on, blue explosion. Great. So, I got over that blow and scraped and scrubbed while he had his breakfast. Then, since it was beautiful out, I stripped him down to his birthday suit, I got my swimsuit on and we went out in the front yard to play and “air it out”. I made him a bottle, cut up some strawberries in a little bowl, and set out his sand toys. Like an idiot I thought I could paint my toenails while he played 2 feet from me. I looked over at him and noticed that he was covered in “mud”. His bottle had this “mud” on it, all of his toys, and he was reaching in for the bowl of strawberries with “mud” on his hands. As I went to scoop him up to dip him in the lake, I realized that it was indeed poop that was smeared all over EVERYTHING and now me. Since misery loves company, I thought I would just share that for all the parents of toddlers out there. I see you. I feel you. I am you. 

Onto the food… 

Last weekend I got some Mom Time and went to the farmers market. The haul included Snow Peas, Shrimp, Beets, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Chives, Strawberries (so amazing right now), Blueberries, and Onions. As I do even at the regular supermarket, I rarely go in with a plan. I look around and see what looks good and then I plan my cooking from there. The snow peas and snap peas are in their prime right now so I knew they had to be part of the plan. One of the farmers has these big, beautiful heads of cauliflower, which we hadn't eaten in a while so those got in the mix. 

Sour Cream & Chive Cauliflower Puree

HOMERUN on this one. I made this to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. They like to keep things low carb but they’re not afraid of dairy so this was perfect. It’s mostly cauliflower, a little potato and SO creamy. Sitting next to a grilled steak it would be a perfect dinner.

Shrimp, Scallops & Snow Peas

The snow peas at the farmers market were calling me. And I wanted to give you all a recipe with them while they are still in peak season. I’m all about recreating Chinese take out dishes that I love. Like everyone else, I love getting takeout but what pumps the breaks for me is not knowing the quality of the ingredients, all the plastic containers and how the bill seems to magically get out of control. This recipe is quick, easy, and scratches that take out itch. 

Both these recipes will be headed for subscriber’s inboxes later today.

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MiniMouths:

The Pureed Cauliflower was a big hit. I mean, salty and creamy, how could it not be? Dean is also a big fan of beets. So I made a big batch of beet salad with my farmer’s market haul. Steamed (or roasted) Beets, peeled and diced, olive oil, cider vinegar, a thinly sliced onion and salt. Into a big glass Tupperware and everyone ate that all week. 

What I’m Loving This Week:

1. Hazelnut Coffee: Admittedly, I really like flavored coffee. There’s one shop in my neighborhood that sells a hazelnut coffee that tastes not too artificial. I only get to buy it when my husband is out of town. But here’s my dilemma. I also like high quality coffee like Stumptown, La Colombe or Blue Bottle. So my question to all of you is… Does anyone know anything about flavoring your own coffee? I’ve put cinnamon in my grounds and that's great but any other flavors you’ve tried successfully? Drop me a line in the comments. 

2. Everything Bagel Spice: I’ve loved this for a long time. But I was out for a while and this week I re-upped my stash from Trader Joes. It’s definitely trendy but for a reason - it makes anything you put it on so delicious. This week I was having this in a bowl: Trader Joe’s steamed Lentils + my Beet Salad + Trader Joe's Buratta + Basil + Olive Oil + Everything Bagel Spice. 

3. RePlay Sippy Cups: It’s been hard to find anything Dean will drink out of other than a bottle. But he went straight for one of these at a friend’s house so I ordered some. In addition to being “Dean Approved” they’re also made from recycled milk jugs, which I’m all about. There are lots of neutral colors to choose from, which if you know me personally, you’ll know was the biggest selling point :) 

Cheers to Summer Cooking XO Liv