What's for dinner?

I love to cook.  Some people hate it, but I find it exhilarating.  What could be more fun than having before you a new recipe and a wonderful spread of ingredients?  What could be more thrilling than changing them into something delicious?  Not only do I love cooking, but I also love eating.  This is a true confession!  Seriously, there are some meals that I plan my day, even my week, around.  When my husband and I were first married, we would go out to dinner on a regular basis.  We ate at very nice restaurants and holes in the wall alike; we did not discriminate.  I would eat light all day in anticipation of the meal that evening.  You see, eating each bite is something sacred to me.  I bring the fork to my mouth and swirl the flavors on my tongue, enjoying each taste, each texture, each bite.  Eating isn't just something I have to do, and neither is cooking.  Perhaps it has something to do with my Italian heritage.  Whatever the case, I've enjoyed cooking (and eating) since my mom taught me how to make a home-made pie crust.

Now that I'm a wife and mother, I've found myself on a mission to not only cook, but cook healthy meals.  This can be difficult, especially on a budget.  Therefore, groceries are something I just don't skimp on.  As a part of my constant quest to make meals that are healthy and delicious, I recently discovered a local organic delivery service.  Each week, I can place an order on-line, and on the appointed day, my order will arrive at my door.  It's fast and easy, and best of all, there is no delivery charge!  All their products are organic, and many of their products come from local farmers and artisans.  Something that is in my shopping cart every week is the "local produce basket".  It's a basket of locally grown fruits and veggies, plus a list of recipes for those items.  Last week's box included some commonly known gems such as an limes, lemons, apples, eggplant, zucchini, onions, bibb lettuce, okra, green beans and radishes, but it also included some things I'd never seen before such as mizuna and sunchokes.  Anyone ever heard of a sunchoke??  I had to look it up on the internet.  I saw the attached recipe sheet, and my little heart began to pitter-patter!  What exciting recipes would I create with these unusual ingredients?  How about a sunchoke-quinoa pilaf?  Anyone up for wok chicken mizuna?  Or how does eggplant parmesan or radish-greens soup sound?

Perhaps the most difficult ingredients were the lemons and limes.  What on earth can I do with these?  After all, there's only so many margaritas and glasses of iced tea with lemon that a girl can drink!  Trying to figure out what to do with these black sheep was part of the excitement.  My mind raced with the possibilities until finally, I knew what to do.  "I'll make a lemon-lime tart!" I declared, to no one at all.  Yes, I talk to myself too. After deciding what to make, I found a tempting recipe on-line.  Saturday, I made the tart.  Saturday night, after the baby was in bed and it was time to relax, my hubby and I sat down and tasted the tart.  It was wonderful!  Creamy, smooth, zesty and flaky.  Is my mouth watering?  Yes, I am going to have another piece tonight.

Tuesday is my delivery day.  Tuesday is only two days away.  What wonderful mix of items will I receive this week?  What delectable new recipes are waiting for my eager hands (and tastebuds) to discover?  I have no idea, but this I do know; Tuesday is rapidly becoming my favorite day of the week.