The work that began on the parking of the nearby junior high school is driving me nuts! I can't hear anything but the noise of those big trucks and the work begins at 7:00 each morning. I can't hear the music playing in the same room where I am sitting. I couldn't even hear the neighbor mowing her grass - not that I wanted to, but the point is that the construction work noise is overpowering!
It's put me a foul mood and it's affecting my cooking. Well, I guess, that's what I see as my excuse this week.
There are a lot of salads being eaten around here for three reasons. First, because the weather is getting warmer, salads are a nice light choice for a warm evening. Second, I just recently discovered how incredibly easy it is poach a couple of chicken breasts to add some meat to the salad; it feels like instant dinner to me. Third, because I just haven't found my CSA cooking mojo yet.
Over the years I have raved about my CSA experience with anyone that would listen to me. I have attempted to convert friends. I have gleefully boasted about the variety of fresh produce available to me, in fact, delivered to me in my own neighborhood.
I have marveled at the vegetables that used to be a mystery to me.
This all seems incredibly convenient to me. One of these friends has since decided she would like to stick to the farmer's market. I'm thinking this doesn't work for me as I like not having to choose but would rather just have a box delivered with the week's harvest. Another friend accused me of "preaching about my organics." What can I say? I'm passionate about nutritious, healthy foods, and not all that jazzed about talking botox. A couple of other friends have pondered whether child or husband would eat vegetables. What the heck? When I was a child, I didn't have a choice about what I wanted to eat. My mother cooked a meal and that was what's for dinner and that's what I had to eat. However, I am eternally grateful that my man will eat anything except (canned)tuna.
I began my CSA experience sharing with yet another friend. She opted out the second year because, I think, she felt it was a lot of work...and now, I'm sitting here a bit overwhelmed with the season and biting my tongue on those shallow judgements I imposed on my friends. Bad Lotus! Sad Lotus!! Overwhelmed Lotus!!!
This all has got me thinking about convenience. Yes, it is convenient that I get my summer produce delivered right to my neighborhood. But it is not convenient finding the time to cook it all up. My mind fantasizes about processed food available everywhere...but my taste buds know that nothing compares to the taste of fresh vegetables.
Every CSA season brings my desires into clear focus. I am a creature of this century and trouble with my cravings for food out of season. For instance, pizza. I make a Friday night pizza, something I got from my mother who would make the pizza dough from scratch. I buy my pizza crust from the bakery section of the grocery store. I should be topping my pizza with CSA veggies, like the spinach and the egyptian walking onions, but I want bell peppers and mushrooms on my pizza and so I follow my tastes to the grocery store and just simply pick up what I need.
I realize that I am lucky to have all this food available to me. And this makes me wonder how the heck people used to do this - eating just what was in season. Hopefully my drive to cook will kick in this week because I'm getting a little too friendly with my compost pile. Ah well, at least this baby will get plenty to eat.
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