It never fails to amaze me how much better fresh produce tastes! I have done my share of gardening but my current residence is, to say the least, less than hospitable to edible plant production. Now I do love farmers’ markets, but never seem to execute a trip before a desperate run to the grocery store is made. So, I have turned to the CSA box. For me this is the best of both worlds; farmers market freshness on a schedule plus a little forced variety.

Recently I was turned on to Rutiz Family Farms, a local Arroyo Grande sustainable ranch and market stand that I am practically giddy over. One of the coolest things about the Rutiz program is that you do not need to prepay a subscription. An email is sent out each Tuesday listing what will be in the box that week (plus cooking suggestions, announcements, and prices of other stand produce). You simply need to decide by Thursday evening whether or not your fridge needs stocking, email in the affirmative, and pick up on Friday.

Local family farming

But wait, there’s more!

I love to try out new recipes from my bimonthly Cuisine at Home. The magazine is so fabulous that I have bought it for friends, who have bought it for friends, who have (you guessed it) bought it for friends. One of my cooking comrades always receives her in the mail before me. On delivery day, I get a slew of texts from her talking about the latest recipes that she wants to try which leaves me nothing short of antsy to get my hands on my own copy.

This week I was feeling the fall air so I threw together a meal for the season: Chicken Breasts with Mushroom-Artichoke Ragout, Mashed Potatoes, and Apple Calfouti “Pie”. And the best part? I had it the leftovers lunch the next day!

But wait, there’s more!

Extremely prolific.  In fact, I do not know that prolific is a strong enough adjective to truly express the bounty produced by one squash plant, let alone the seven in my backyard.  Last year there I planted five squash plants, and since that was definitely over kill I naturally planted five again this year.

  But wait, there’s more!

After publicly admitting my food sins, I knew that I couldn’t change my course alone (if I could, it would have changed about 20 years ago). To combat my “lonely chore” perception of cooking, I asked for company from my sister and nephew. And to address my “I don’t know what the heck to do in the kitchen” barrier, Michelle Ward of Seasonal Custom Cuisine quickly came to my rescue with some recipes and guidance (thanks for the tips on how to cut corn off a cob – that could have been ugly and dangerous left to my own devices).

Armed with a couple of totes shoved deep within the dark recesses of my cupboard, some cash, and a list, we headed off to the local farmer’s market (knowing that there’s a great, local grocery within a block should I hit a snag).

But wait, there’s more!