Recipe from The Farm Box: Bok Choi

I do the cooking. I like it. The Husband makes an excellent sous chef and will occasionally suggest recipes to try, he's also excellent at grocery shopping, but when it comes to the day to day meal planning and putting dinner on the table, I do the cooking. It's a creative outlet for me after a hard days work of analytical thinking and dealing with other people's problems. Plus it has the added benefit of being the only "art" where you have the opportunity to make not only your eyes but your mouth happy. Not that I am always successful at that.

The only area that The Husband has true dominion (aside from breakfast which I acquiesce because I would rather sleep then fry bacon), is the grill. There is something about cooking over a grill which is just plain intimidating. And I know that there is something shameful about this. I should be perfectly capable of using a grill. There is no special magic about it, it certainly isn't any more difficult then making fresh pasta or baking bread from scratch and I approach those tasks with joy at the challenge. But the grill simply fills me with dread.

However, I am eager to overcome this fear so when I found THIS recipe I decided to accept the challenge before me and instead of an introduction to the grill being the confusing steamy world of hamburgers or steaks, it would be that fresh delicious green known as Bok Choi.

Week 1, Box 1, 4 Basket Ingredients....

Welcome to the spectacle everyone! Step right up and watch the disaster in progress. For Monday I received my very Farm Box of the season! A little late due to a cold and late spring but super bountiful. Of course the vast majority of this first box is salad greens, and therefore slightly un-creative, but we've got some goodies too so let's dive in!

This week's box contained the following:

1. Red Lettuce (which went to my Granddad who was thrilled to see it)
2. Green Lettuce (Ginormous) 
3. Half a Bok Choi (the other half taken by the MIL)
4. Micro Greens
5. Rhubarb
6. Two Tomatoes
7. Garlic Curls  (those curly tops of the garlic that gave me such a heart attach last year)
8. And Garlic Chives (which are neither garlic nor chives, but still yummy)

I was already making plans in my head, the Rhubarb is OBVIOUSLY being turned into Jam again because it came out so yummy last year and I know I only get it once, twice if I am lucky. Salad greens to be washed up and made into salads (Duh) and I was getting really excited about the Bok Choi when a sadistic smile on The Husband's face reminded me that in my joy in finally having my farm fresh produce back, I had forgotten something...My basket ingredients.

is that, Kiwi? Yes yes it was, and wasabi peas, AND apple chips... not to mention A WHOLE FRIGGEN CHICKEN. 

Mastering the Farm Box... Chopped Edition

Hello everyone and welcome back! The Husband and I are expecting our first Farm Box delivery next Monday, and now that I am no longer a major Newb, I am ready to take it on with full creativity and decisiveness. Of course this as led to The Husband deciding that it was time to throw in a nice little twist for me to handle. You see, Dear Reader, in the past year The Husband has changed jobs and he now works as a sales representative for a Major Food Company. This means he is in and out of grocery stores all over the local area, in all kinds of neighborhoods, with all kinds of primary ethnicity and backgrounds. The twist he proposes is to bring home with him the odd, unique and terrifying ingredients he finds while out and about and require me to incorporate the ingredients into the dishes I decide to make. It's Chopped in my home kitchen, except without eliminations and The Husband has to taste the end result.

Here are the Rules:
1) The Husband will bring home 1-3 "Basket" ingredients.
2) I must use all of the Basket ingredients in one dish.
3) I may NOT use the internet to look up a recipe, we're cooking off the top of our head.
4) The Husband MAY use the internet to advise me and answer direct questions, specifically so I don't accidentally kill us by preparing an ingredient wrong.
5) I have access to our pantry and fridge which will be kept well stocked.
6) I also have access to The Box and may use anywhere from 1-all of The Box ingredients

Sounds like fun huh?
Frankly I am terrified. I have a week to read up on culinary techniques and get ready for this mess.

Wish me luck?!?!?!