produce and planning!

I can get overzealous at the farmer's markets this time of year.  There are so many lovely things!  I want to cook and eat them all!

Now it's Saturday afternoon and I am trying to motivate myself to do some serious cooking for the week.  The problem:  I'm overwhelmed.  I currently have in my possession:

Turnips (multiple varieties)
Mustard greens
Carrots
Fennel
Peas, both sugar and snap
Bell peppers
Eggplant
Zucchini
Garlic scapes
Spring onions
Beets
Rhubarb
An obscene quantity of berries

There are only two people in this household of mine.  This is enough food to get us through the week if we ate nothing but produce.  Most of it, though, has to be cooked.  If not cooked, then at least prepped.  And I've got ideas:

Stir fry
Mashed turnips with butter and scapes (to go with a lovely pastured chicken destined for roasting)
A pureed tahini beet dip
Rhubarb and strawberry sauce
Zucchini bread
Blueberry muffins
This recipe for the carrots and fennel

I've just got to get motivated to do the cooking!  It shouldn't be so hard, really, because I love doing it, but today feels like a lazy Saturday.  If I'm not careful all of these lovely things will get wasted and I'll be stuck going to the grocery store for "food" that I'm not exactly proud of.

I firmly believe that if one wants to reduce their spending on food, finding ways not to waste anything has got to be a top priority.  This is where that process breaks down for me - in between the purchasing at the eating, at the stage of actually cooking.  Making more dirty dishes on purpose!  Being inside when it's so beautiful out today and all I really feel like doing is sitting outside with a glass of iced tea.

Or wine.  You know, whatever works.

Off to get motivated!  Hopefully soon I will have some more recipes to share.