Sooo late!

Wow, it's 5:30.  I wanted to wait to blog today until AFTER the Farmer's Market / Grocery store adventure.  And boy was it. 

So for tomorrow, the appetizer is FRESH-picked, locally grown Grilled Asparagus, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar reduction.  Grilled Chicken Breast, bone-in because it retains more flavor and moisture.  The chicken process begins this evening with a Passion Fruit Marinade.  I do sometimes feel like I live in food hell because it is so hard to get things at the grocery stores in a geographic area this size.  I could not find passion fruit in any form and then I had an aha moment...Cooperstown Natural Foods.  Of course they had Passion Fruit Juice, why did I even go to the grocery store?  I know better. 

The juice I can reduce and concenterate the flavor to make the marinade, which has a million other yummy things in it--ginger, orange juice, orange zest just to name a few.  I am serving it on a bed of baby greens from the Farmer's Market with a Passion Fruit vinegarette, carrying the flavors over.  I am adding edible pansy flowers to the greens mix.  They are pretty to look at and yummy to eat!  I am contemplating a Farro salad.  I love farro, I think it is one of the tastiest grains and easy to cook and really absorbs flavors.  So I'm thinking I will cook it, cool it, dress it with a little Blood Orange Olive Oil and White Balsamic Vinegar, a few wild scallions, some split grape tomatoes and viola! a side dish.

Dessert is Grilled Pineapple on Grilled Sourdough with a little Sweet Ricotta spread on it.  Yes, I made homemade ricotta again today.  I cannot imagine buying it in the store pre-made ever again.  It easy to make and so good, why not?

I picked up a new gadget this week...more on that tomorrow morning before the cooking begins!