Once upon a time, I hated the whole grocery shopping thang. It was an inconvenience. Worse, it was a chore. Then, I married a guy who loved the whole experience. Dude loved to cook. So, of course, grocery shopping was a Joy for him. He pretty much turned my whole crappy attitude on its head. He made it fun. Really fun! He could've been a Chef. With a capital "C". But...as Life does sometimes, he did not become a Chef. Nor did we stay married.
But that's not what this is about.
This is about how that man changed my mind about grocery shopping. In all kinds of good ways. After we split up, I had my share of un-fun shopping experiences for various reasons which need not be shared today. They aren't important to this post. What is important is that even though there was a spell of not-so-fun grocery shopping, the attitude never left me.
Fast-forward to NOW.
Today, I went to the local Farmer's Market in search of greens. Any kind of greens that might spark my culinary imagination. Greens that would make me happy to not eat meat. Just for a bit. I've grown weary of the meat-eating thang, mostly because it has begun to taste...ICKY. AND because I'm bored with it. I'd love to tell you that I have some higher moral reason. Alas, I do not. Much as I love Critters, I also enjoy eating beef, and chicken, and fish. I don't do it daily, but I keep it on hand. Either way, my choices are not based on some moral issue. It's more about what makes my body feel as I hope it can: hale and...frisky.
As I set out on my grocery run today, I'd already made up my mind to not buy any meat. I wasn't concerned about any long-term promises. Only that I'd buy vegetables/fruits/cheese in lieu of flesh. Just for fun. Just to see if I'd feel differently when the week was over. Just...cuz.
So I went to the Farmer's Market, reminding myself at every booth that I am one person...cooking for one person. No need to buy up the farm (so to speak). I picked things that were bright and green and looked as if they were in the ground this morning. Not just greens. Reds and reds and more reds too. As in beets and watermelon...and strawberries...and...well, you get the idea.
I came home with FOUR bags of goodies.
And then it hit me.
How do I store all this stuff? Is it going to be all slimy and gross before the week ends? I know about Reds. Not so much Greens. Not for any kind of longish storage. As in...more than a few days.
CRAP!
As is my usual course, I first got on the Net to see what I could find out about storing all these Green Goodies I'd brought home. After half an hour of all kinds of mixed messages, I called my very own Green Goddess...who has grown her own goodies for the better part of the last decade. She didn't pick up. I left a message. And then...I decided to just toss the whole "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" thang out the window and
Trust my gut.
As I sit typing, I can't resist the urge to look over at the little counter space where some of my greens are. In water. And sun. Others are in a basin filled with ice water. And the rest are in the fridge, wrapped in tea towels, NOT in the crisper (where most everything turns to mush in seconds)...but rather, in various colanders...wrapped in tea towels...looking all kinds of perky
Tomorrow might shed them in a different light.
For now...they are ALL looking mighty happy.
Now...
How do I cook all this stuff????
Ain't Life GRAND?!
But that's not what this is about.
This is about how that man changed my mind about grocery shopping. In all kinds of good ways. After we split up, I had my share of un-fun shopping experiences for various reasons which need not be shared today. They aren't important to this post. What is important is that even though there was a spell of not-so-fun grocery shopping, the attitude never left me.
Fast-forward to NOW.
Today, I went to the local Farmer's Market in search of greens. Any kind of greens that might spark my culinary imagination. Greens that would make me happy to not eat meat. Just for a bit. I've grown weary of the meat-eating thang, mostly because it has begun to taste...ICKY. AND because I'm bored with it. I'd love to tell you that I have some higher moral reason. Alas, I do not. Much as I love Critters, I also enjoy eating beef, and chicken, and fish. I don't do it daily, but I keep it on hand. Either way, my choices are not based on some moral issue. It's more about what makes my body feel as I hope it can: hale and...frisky.
As I set out on my grocery run today, I'd already made up my mind to not buy any meat. I wasn't concerned about any long-term promises. Only that I'd buy vegetables/fruits/cheese in lieu of flesh. Just for fun. Just to see if I'd feel differently when the week was over. Just...cuz.
So I went to the Farmer's Market, reminding myself at every booth that I am one person...cooking for one person. No need to buy up the farm (so to speak). I picked things that were bright and green and looked as if they were in the ground this morning. Not just greens. Reds and reds and more reds too. As in beets and watermelon...and strawberries...and...well, you get the idea.
I came home with FOUR bags of goodies.
And then it hit me.
How do I store all this stuff? Is it going to be all slimy and gross before the week ends? I know about Reds. Not so much Greens. Not for any kind of longish storage. As in...more than a few days.
CRAP!
As is my usual course, I first got on the Net to see what I could find out about storing all these Green Goodies I'd brought home. After half an hour of all kinds of mixed messages, I called my very own Green Goddess...who has grown her own goodies for the better part of the last decade. She didn't pick up. I left a message. And then...I decided to just toss the whole "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" thang out the window and
Trust my gut.
As I sit typing, I can't resist the urge to look over at the little counter space where some of my greens are. In water. And sun. Others are in a basin filled with ice water. And the rest are in the fridge, wrapped in tea towels, NOT in the crisper (where most everything turns to mush in seconds)...but rather, in various colanders...wrapped in tea towels...looking all kinds of perky
Tomorrow might shed them in a different light.
For now...they are ALL looking mighty happy.
Now...
How do I cook all this stuff????
Ain't Life GRAND?!
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