It’s been an unbelievable time away, slurping and savoring various foods I’ve been craving all year. But now that I’m soon coming home, I’m in that mode to set aside what I’ve enjoyed so much and think about what I am coming home to. And there’s quite a lot!
First, I can’t wait to see (and cook with) my friends, sharing some of my seaside inspiration with them, parlaying what I’ve been soaking up into various food concoctions. I’ll be coming home to my weekly farm share, a variety of farm fresh organic vegetables and fruits — multicolored beets, kale, radishes and carrots are my favorites — an endless source of cooking inspiration.
And then there’s the Saturday morning visits to the Montclair Farmer’s Market, where the kids and I will pick out what’s most fresh, bring home a variety of colorful foods and make fabulously fresh meals together. I’ll begin writing my regular Monday morning “Family Farmer’s Market” series on BaristaKids.com, with farm fresh recipes, photos and stories.
There will be numerous cooking sessions in July and August, canning and freezing the farm fresh foods from summer — jam, corn stock, pesto, tomato sauce, salsa, pies, muffins and breads — to enjoy for months to come.
It may take some time to mentally make the transition from one cooking world to another though, as I merge the coastal flavors and techniques from my time away with a whole new crop of “Jersey fresh” ingredients. I’m confident that this beautiful blend will enhance my cooking experiences and produce a whole new lot of recipes.