I started to title this Farm Stand Tuesday, but then I realized that might obligate me to stop at this farm stand EVERY Tuesday, but sometimes I’m late, sometimes I telework, sometimes I’m cashless, sometimes I have to pee, and that obligation would just CHAFE me. So I’m avoiding that commitment, sorry.

So this is a farm out of PA that brings fresh, seasonal produce down thisaway several days a week through the growing season. Much they grow themselves, some is from auction, but the quality is good and the prices are competitive and I kinda like knowing WHERE my food came from, not that I’m militant about it (case in point, Peruvian-sourced asparagus in my fridge at home right now).

For me, the fun of a farm stand or farmer’s market is INSPIRATION. What caught my eye today was the rhubarb. Rhubarb has a fairly short growing season — you find it only briefly in conventional grocers. The leaves are poisonous apparently (that’s what I was told when I was little and now Wiki confirmed it, go figure). My paternal grandma used to make strawberry rhubarb pie in the spring — deliciously sweet and tart with a crust to die for. Of course, these farmers are also excellent marketeers, and right next to the bright red stalks were strawberries. Based on last week’s experience, I knew those strawberries were PDG, so I grabbed a box. Knowing I might cook them down, I bought the cheaper-by-$1 “older” ones — no worries — they’ll be good to eat out of hand today and sauced down tomorrow or the next. I also grabbed a bag of field-washed mixed greens — the staff and I discussed and decided they were “clean enough” since I don’t have a colander or lettuce spinner at work (I don’t mine the occasional germ — see Confessions). And the radishes were too pretty and pink to pass up.

So where am I going with this? Obviously — some sort of strawberry-rhubarb concoction is in my future. A crumble/cobbler? A compote? Maybe something in a quick bread? I’m definitely going sweet, out of memory for my Mimi.

As for the greens and radishes, I’ll put together an awesome salad for my lunch. I have some dried figs in the fridge here at work and I can scrounge some nuts from a co-worker. Tomorrow I’ll try to remember to bring in some tuna or cooked chicken from home, and maybe some crumbled feta, and if I bake off another loaf of that artisan bread, then I’m set for the week, right?

Ooooo … the possibilities!

*****

Lunchtime update: I am a total mooch.

Darling co-worker contributed goat cheese, sesame sticks, and shelled pepitas. I nabbed a handful of olives from an unlabelled jar in the office fridge. It is my own salad dressing.

Nom nom nom