A week later

I've been keeping this blog for a week. I'm having a good time, and people are telling me they enjoy it. But ultimately, this is supposed to be a guide to help people eat seasonally. Starting it in November, in NYC is a challenge, as the season winds down. But push on, we all will. Anyone can comment any way they like. I have thick skin - too much of it too! But to move forward for a minute, people want to know WHAT DID YOU COOK? WHAT DID YOU EAT? Okay, here's the summary, and what's in the house now, with my ideas.

I cook Monday through Thursday. The weekends are for going out and for trying favorite, and new restaurants. You always need ideas. Sometimes we're home for lunch on the weekends and I cook, and sometimes not. Here 's the story.

Last weekend, we had a lunch and a dinner at home on Saturday. The pasta with cream and bacon you have below, and the tortillas with the chicken were the dishes. I am trying to remember what I made for Sunday lunch, and can't.

On Monday, we had the minestrone, the first recipe you see here, and a pizza with sheeps milk cheese, tomato sauce that I had made earlier this month, and a green salad. A "simple" one, although anyone who makes salad regularly knows, there ain't no such thing as a simple one.

Tuesday was fish night. Oysters on the half shell, with meyer lemon,baked blackfish with olive oil and herbs, saffron rice, and broccoli rabb cooked with olive oil and garlic. And salad, with croutons from leftover bread (Remember: we Italians have the saying that you spend a year in purgatory for every crumb you waste. I'm already doing a few eternities for impure thoughts. Don't wanna add more for waste).

Wednesday was the quail with grape sauce, the grilled sweet potatoes, and swiss chard cooked the same way I cooked the broccoli rabb: garlic and olive oil, and of course, a salad. This one had pomegranate seeds in , from fruit from our California gang, who you'll hear about real soon.

Thursday was the meal for Kevin you have below. It was the one night we had dessert: pear ice cream that has been in the fridge for a while.

And what of next week? Well, today at the market I picked up some leeks, a whole bunch of the end of the season heirloom tomatoes, which are a little underripe, one of those wonderful hybrids of cauliflower and broccoli, a "romesco", some carrots, two butternut squashes, a red cabbage.and a handful of Portuguese hot peppers. And what of them?

Still thinking. Monday is going to be a fish night, and romesco is a good pick with fish, especially if it's a milder one. Don't know the starch yet.

Tuesday I have an Italian lesson, instead of on Monday, so it may be a baked casserole dish of some kind. I'm thinking butternut squash, smoked mozzarella, ricotta, with pasta. We'll see.

Wednesday is Guy's rehearsal. So that's soup. The garlic soup you have below is up that night, with some spinach I'll pick up tomorrow. The leeks seem destined for a pizza, with some green olives ( a combination from Chez Panisse), probably without any tomatoes, and pecorino romano cheese.

Thursday looks like fun. I should still have the tomatoes and the cabbage, and there are lamb chops in the freezer. Looking like lamb with pomegranate glaze, sweet and sour cabbage, and baked tomatoes, stuffed with fresh bread crumbs.

Salad will be with every meal, as it always is, and I'm looking at making meyer lemon sorbet.

Now, none of these are difficult meals. And I think anyone reading this is probably going to say "Oh yeah. I could do that. " And I hope you can. And if reading these blogs gets you to the point where you either actuall DO it, or you learn how from what I'm writing, then this works.

I will keep you all posted.

New posts next week are going to focus on some of our friends, whom we associate with food, one way or the other: Kim, Sandra, Eric and the wonderful fruit we get from them, Phil Karlin and his clan and their fish (and eggs from Dolores), and by special request (HERS), Laura and the sandwich I made for she and Louie when they came and visited to help us plan our commitment ceremony (need an event planner? I can direct you to the best).

So stay tuned. There's much MUCH more where this came from. :)