And the season begins!

Next week is officially the beginning of CSA Season!  So, so excited about this ~ and this was only  reinforced today when we went to the local Farmers Market.

When the Season gets fully under way, the Farmers Market is really just a fun activity and way to supplement our shares while supporting the community, but for this short window, we actually buy groceries there.  Today we got our bread, veggies, rhubarb, shitake mushrooms, and fish.  Mozart did not want to leave, of course, and on the way out cited the the lack of soup as the reason for not leaving. TW suggested I make some for lunch and so I set to work on arrival home.

As I hadn't had this plan while shopping, and we've got quite a few staples missing, I was unsure I could accomplish the task, but anyone can make soup with whatever's in the house, right??  With the mushrooms and bok choy, I new I was going the Asian route, so started pulling things from the cupboard.  I had very little miso left, but did find two kinds of seaweed, a very small onion with green shoots growing from it, garlic, and a packet of organic ramen. Adding the rest of the miso, the flavor pack from the ramen, and the stems of the shitake (while tough, they are said to be very flavorful), I put a couple quarts of water to boil. I sauteed the onion, seaweed, sesame seeds and garlic for a bit to bring out the flavor and added to the pot.  I let this simmer for a bit, then added 5 leaves chopped bok choy, more sliced shitake, the green onions, and the ramen noodles, then a splash of soy sauce.  Using the same pan as the sautee, I added more olive oil, and put on the fresh Atlantic Cod we got today (caught last night at 9pm) from Cape Cod Fish Share (which we'll be getting a boat load of fish from starting next week), with more sliced shitake and some sea salt.  The fish simply flaked apart as it finished.  All of this was served with spelt bread from a El Jardin Bakery.

And can I say that I just love having a locally sourced meal!  Excluding the seaweed, ramen and salt, everything was made, grown, or harvested locally.  And the fish: best cod I've ever had!

Mozart wasn't a fan of the fish (more for us), but he did have two bowls of soup.


And just so you know, soup with a straw is the best way to go for all the little people in your life.  We tried it with a spoon, but after two spoonfuls on his front, this mama got smart to the straw option.

I've cleaned out the fridge and gotten rid of all expired or questionable items in preparation for next week when the Riverland Farm veggie CSA starts. The top shelf is for all very good for you, eat-as-much-as-you-want foods.  I've got the washed grapes up there, peeled carrots, pickles, dilly beans, and salad fixings all up top and at eye level.  Next shelf is for mostly good-for-you snacks, and for meals on the run.  Bottom shelf is for beverages (juice/milk) and meal prepping (meats, cooked grains, etc).  Door is for flavor enhancers, and the crispers are for the inevitable overabundance of veggies that we'll get. I'm hoping that by prepping the much of the veggies when they come in and put them at eye level that we'll eat more, waste less.   TW also ordered me a canning set-up today, so apparently, I need to learn how to can without the step-by-step guidance of Mme. Child!  

Fiddle, Sticks, and Dots

It's springtime and this is the time that Fiddleheads and Asparagus are around, at least here in New England. For those not in know, fiddleheads are little baby ferns when they still curled up in spirals.  They've got a bit of a nutty flavor and I quite enjoy them steamed with butter.  After having them in this simple way several times (I'd never heard of them before I moved to Massachusetts), and because I had some leftovers from what I'd bought earlier along with some asparagus in the garden, I decided to mix them up a bit.  Neither was enough for a full dish, but together they were.  The dots are pine nuts.

Fiddle, Sticks, and Dots
1 1/2 cups fiddleheads (trimmed and washed)
1 1/2 cups asparagus (washed and cut into two-inch pieces)
2-3 Tbsp pine nuts
1 Tbsp  butter and/or olive oil (I prefer butter, but it does tend to scorch on high heat - and I've never actually measured, and I've used either and both)

• Roast pine nuts in dry pan over medium heat until golden brown and set aside.
• Melt butter and olive oil in large pan and sautee fiddleheads and asparagus until bright green. * see reasoning in comments.
• Steam asparagus and fiddleheads until bright green and tender.
• Melt butter and/or olive oil on medium high head and transfer steamed veggies to pan and sautee until fully smothered and, hopefully, bits of crisp - but before they lose too much color!
• Plate and sprinkle nuts on top.

In the photo I had mixed the nuts in before serving, but I find that the nuts are much more crunchy if you save them aside until the last - and then you can also enjoy the crunchiness for the leftovers as well.

Potty Tales.

Mozart, or perhaps I should say our family, is beginning the adventure of potty training.  We have had potties around for months now.  In the bathroom and in the living room.  Mozart has shown mild interest from time to time - sitting while fully clothed during play, etc.  But recently he has acquiesced to actually sitting on the potty bare-bummed.

This endeavor would create surprise results from time to time, albeit very infrequently, but for the most part was fruitless.  The Wife has much more tolerance for this.  I admit, I get bored with reading the same six potty books over and over and over and over.  Whenever these surprises happen, Mozart gets to wear his big boy undies - at least until the next accident or until bedtime.  As I say, we've been bumping along like this for awhile now.

And then, suddenly it seems, we've jumped to the next level.

Bladder control.

But I do not mean that he now uses the potty to pee every time.  Certainly not.  He is still in diapers most of the time and hasn't yet started asking to go to the potty when he has to go.  Oh no.  But what he has started to do is be able to produce wee amounts of urine in the pot when asked (pun intended).

He goes.  Stands up. Admires the results. Flushes the tiny potty (the one in the bathroom has a flush handle). Asks one of us to empty it. Says "bye-bye pee-pee" as it is flushed away.  And then does it again.  Repeatedly.

Tonight he did so about ten times in a row.  Seriously, how does he have that much in him? Even if only a few drops at a time!  The Wife noted to me the great number of repetitions he had managed as he once again stood up to admire his results.

I'd swear he said, "I'm impressed!"  It was perfectly timed and in context to her statement, but The Wife may have a point in that it was more likely an exuberant, "I'm gonna flush!"

I'm beginning to understand...

...why my supervisor works after working hours so often.  I'm filling in while she's on vacation.

Back to work, I guess.

:D