This week I received Beets, Asparagus, Red Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Crimini Mushrooms, Ramps, Parsley and Green Leaf Lettuce.

Fresh Picks for April 25th

That evening I grilled the asparagus with a little salt, pepper and olive oil on the grill along side the home made turkey burgers I already in the fridge.

I had never heard of a Ramp before and had to do some research. Turns out it is from the wild leek family and has an oniony-garlicky flavor. It has a very small season, after winter and before summer.

In the end I substituted the ramp for leek in a potato and leek soup. I found this recipe which was creamy but didn’t actually have cream in it.

This pregnancy has gotten to the point where going to the supermarket, picking Ben up to put him in the cart and walking all the aisles to get what I need is a daunting task. In fact, just standing up long enough to cook these meals is a struggle. I hope I get through them all before I pop!

I decided to combine the onion, crimini mushrooms, some of the parsley together to make a risotto. But then I realized I didn’t have risotto rice so I just used white rice and made it more like a mushroom pilaf. Sautéed chopped onions and chopped mushrooms in a little olive oil, then added rice until it showed clear, then added double the amount of chicken broth to rice ratio, brought to a boil, then covered and simmered on low for 20 minutes. Added grated parmesan.

The green leaf lettuce got paired with the tomatoes, cucumber, roast chicken, red onion, and feta, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice that i had in my cabinets and fridge already to make a greek salad.

The beets made me smile. I love them, but normally buy them cooked already since they take so long to bake in the oven and I seem to be the only one who likes them. Still, I wondered if cooking them at home would drastically change the taste. Since I didn’t want to venture out, I’m going to try simply baking these with some olive oil and salt. I’ve read you scrub them, then add olive oil and salt then wrap them in tin foil and bake until tender. Can be 20 minutes and up to and hour depending on the amount, size and temperature you use. I’ll let you know how they turn out in my next update…