This is why you do your research

This is one of those weeks where even though it is only TUESDAY and yesterday was only MONDAY I already feel like I don't have enough time for anything ever again. It's probably because The Husband and I have a fully booked August, and I am not quite sure if I am ever actually going to get around to watching all the TV currently building up on my DVR. Hypothetically I know it will slow down eventually but for now it feels like rush, rush, rush. Anyway. Last night The Husband walked in quite late with the Farm Box in his arms. Actually in a Large Bucket in his arms. Apparently our Farmer has been over feeding his crops. I mean some of this stuff was HUGE. And all really exciting. It makes me want to cook for days. Here's what I got:

• Chard
• Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
• Parsnips
• Broccoli
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Red Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• NY White Garlic
• Blackberries
• Sweet Basil

Oh man do I really just want to bake and cook for the rest of my life. And everything was so OVERSIZED. The Zucchini looks like it was trying to escape the farm by growing weird and large. The Blackberries were fat and plump. The Heirloom tomatoes barely fit in my two hands. The Chard was as big as my head, at least and a gorgeous hot pink. And the Parsnips had greens attached that were at least 3 feet long. 

As I am going away this weekend, I wanted to try and make sure my produce lasted as long as possible. So I was doing some research on storage. One of the things I wasn't sure about was the Parsnips. I figured, since they were attached, that the greens were edible and was wondering if I should store them separately or still attached. Of course it didn't take me long to learn my mistake. Parsnip greens are NOT edible. I repeat NOT EDIBLE. This is why you research folks. Not everything that comes from the ground is safe for eating, no matter how pretty they are. Ah well, into the trash they go. 

Berry Delicious!

Sometimes I browse the culinary internet just to browse. When I find something that looks delish it often gets linked to The Husband and when I get a positive response I hit "print."  That recipe goes into the big folder of ideas marked "too make." OK, not really. I'm not that organized. In honesty they either disappear into some dark corner of my personal desk at home before eventually being tossed along with other mess. Or, if they are lucky, pushed between the leaves of a cookbook for future "oh I should make that" commentary before I get to the recipe I was really looking for.

But every now and then a recipe actually makes it past that phase. It usually involves some combination of fate and luck. And this week, while I was contemplating The Box, I happened to look up and notice, peaking out from under some mail, a recipe I had printed off from just last week. A recipe that, with a little modification, could make this:

Into a fantastic, moist, cake.

Week 8 Box 8

The Husband and I are getting into a nice little rhythm. I guess we've moved into that sweet spot after the wedding where we start just being comfortable with each other and our roles. Not that we didn't have the sweet spot before the wedding, just that planning a wedding tends to mess with the natural equilibrium of things. Now we are just fat, happy and trying not to stress over the unplanned expenses that arise, and furniture shopping. It helps that the heat has subsided; I woke up this morning to 67 degrees and sunny. BEAUTIFUL. Now if we can make it through August without the heat rising above 90 I will remain a very happy girl.

This week's box arrived unceremoniously with no terrifying surprises, but again, no immediately clear cooking ideas came to mind.  Here's what we got:

care to guess?