Dates on the Way!

A couple days ago, I recieved an odd voicemail. It was a woman from a date farm in California calling to tell me that the date crop is being harvested and what would I like to order?

I had forgotten that months and months ago, I contacted The Date People to get something called "peanut butter dates". I love fresh dates and had been told by a couple of people that the peanut butter dates from The Date People are AMAZING. Alas, at the time, the harvest was done and I was told that they would contact me in November when the dates became available again. Lo and behold, they called.

But, alas again: No peanut butter dates this year. Evidently, the darn wind blew them all off of the tress...for the second year in a row. Much like the 30 minute conversation I had to order my Thanksgiving turkey, I ended up chatting for a bit with the date farmer about which dates I should now order since the peanut butter ones were not to be had.

I couldn't make up my mind so I went for the sampler pack. And, then, this happens every so often and I think it's so quaint -- they don't take credit cards so there will be an invoice with the product and I'm to send a check after I get the dates. There will be four different kinds of dates in the box. I'm hoping they will be here for Thanksgiving because they will be a great little treat stuffed with peanut butter and/or cream cheese.

Unfortunately, the website for the Date People is no longer up (although you can get a phone number if you google them) -- but here's the link to a video. After you watch it, you will understand that this is another example of people who are committed to bringing the best food to others and not out to make a buck by any stretch of the imagination -- like my turkey farmer and my CSA.

Food & Kisses, GiGi

What I Would Cook if I Could Cook Right Now...

Sounds kind of like, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck...?"

Busy weekend and now, another busy week. I will not get into my kitchen until Wednesday at the earliest. My farm share items are ganging up on me and Thursday is almost here again!!!

Two board meetings tonight so, all I can do is fantasize about what I would cook if I could cook.

(1) Crown Roast of Pork Stuffed with Wild Rice and Cranberries served with a Dijon Mustard sauce -- love this dish. Actually, it's my own creation too. The thing is, it makes a very large amount of food because when you order a crown roast, you are ordering a rack of pork chops and you need so many to make a circle. And, this is the time of year for it too. Unfortunately, no events on my horizon that call out for this dish. Boo Hoo. I continue to fantasize.

(2) A big pot of Spaghetti and Meatballs -- my all time favorite food in the world. I have not made sauce in ages. For starters, my freezer isn't large enough to hold the overflow. Secondly, I have to be home all day on a weekend day. Maybe one day this winter when it snows...

(3) Waffles -- especially, pumpkin waffles. I have a relatively new waffle maker. It could be that I've only used it once.

(4) A big day of using my new, fancy commercial dehydrator (an early and wonderful Christmas present).

(5) A day of getting comfy with my Green Star juicer.

(6) A successful sourdough bread experiment. I've had many, many failed ones. One day, my ship will come in.

That is enough for now. Why torture myself further? Working is getting in the way of cooking. Life ain't fair.

Food & Kisses, Gigi

A is for Apple

Dear Readers,

Today is a very significant day. Just a few minutes ago, I finished the preliminary work on "the cookbook". All the prep work is done!!!!

I have identified the 130ish dishes that go in the book. I know it doesn't sound like much but consider that I sorted and sifted through over 9,000 recipes to decide upon what I considered to be the real essentials. I'd rather the book be the best of the best and have fewer recipes rather than be some big, fat kitchen sink thing that you need two hands to lift.

And, after all this research, it turns out that the first dish I'm going to be playing with is none other than Apple Pie.

So, now the fun begins. Now, armed with my road map of 130 ideas, I begin my trek. How fun!

Food & Kisses, Gigi