Wednesday, June 4, 2008

I gotta make stuff

So I went to the Green Market in Lincoln Park last Saturday morning. I was out of the house and down there at about 7 am. My alarm clock, affectionately known as Archie wakes me every day at about 5:45 am. He needs his medicine, so I don't just shut the door to keep him out.
So, after feeding him, medicating him and making coffee and emptying the dishwasher (wow.can.u. stand. the x-itement?) I threw on some clothes and decided to see if Spring had really arrived. We've been having really chilly weather which has kept our own crop o' spring greens from flourishing. And they are supposed to like cold weather... go figger!
The Farmers market was a success and I got lovely red and white chard, asparagus, rhubarb and green garlic. So I got inspired as I do every once in a while...to make some food stuffs.
I made a strawberry rhubarb compote, which is good over yogurt. And a gorgeous red.And then it got warm for a couple of days so our greens took off.
And it got chilly again this week, so I've been inspired to make some more things, all early in the am after Arch rouses me ever so gently from my slumber.
I made some ricotta cheese ( it's not hard at all! It takes like- 5 minutes. I did it while the coffee was brewing, honest to god!) and then used the whey in some loaves of bread. (That takes a day and a half because of rising dough...and still, I'm doing all of that before I get in the shower not instead of work...and it is really good.) Very recycle-y.
And finally for dinner one night I made Brian and me a quick pasta with asparagus, green garlic, peas and panna...and the fresh ricotta on top.
And that used up all of my Market goodies. I'll have to make it again. But, now I'm wiped out from cooking and only want sandwiches and leftovers and soup for dinner. Or carryout eggrolls. There always room for those.

2 comments:

Miko said...

Looks so fresh! I love food photographs. So warm weather has arrived back in Chicago, yes?

I should look up making ricotta cheese, if it is indeed easily done! =)

Jill Thompson said...

check out the ny times fresh ricotta recipe. That's where I got it. They have a column on Wednesdays called The Minimalist. He adapted it.
And, yes, it's warm in Chicago. In fact, it passed warm and moved straight to too hot.