Experimenting

Look what I got!

That is one heck of a lot of farm fresh veggies.  There is a local farm called Hidden Valley Farm here in Nashville that I love.  You can go to their website and sign up for their weekly newsletter, which explains what is in their CSA produce box every week.  You can then sign up to pick up a box--$20 for a couple's size and $40 for a family size--or you can ignore it if you're not interested.  The couple's box is big!  They have also had a pack-your-own box option for the last two weeks, which costs slightly more.  I chose this option last weekend, and, because I worked in bookstores for so long, I know how to pack a box very efficiently!  Above are my spoils.  Now, what to do with all those beautiful veggies?

Remember last week when I featured the veggie-licious Tizza Soup?  Well, I started to build on that idea.  I ended up roasting the red peppers and tomatoes and cut some corn off two of the cobs and made a really yummy soup.  Add some cumin and maybe even a pinch of cayenne for heat, and you've got yourself a Southwest Soup.  I'm just sad it didn't make more.

I also roasted all of the zucchini and squash and carrots, washed a leek, and tossed in a few spare artichoke hearts from last week and made a really nice warm-you-up vegetable soup.  I added some Gorgonzola to that as an experiment, and it was awesome!  Call me crazy, but I have another idea for this soup.  I made a TON of Gorgonzola Portabella risotto last week.  I ate a lot of it, but I also had to freeze a lot.  What if I added that and then blended it to make it creamy and mushroomy and Gorgonzola...y?  I know, it sounds crazy--What?  Ruin some lovely risotto?--but trust me when I say I got plenty of stand-alone enjoyment out of the risotto by itself.  That's just how I am.  I am crazy enough to try these mad idea just for a bit of deliciousness.  Since I know the Gorgonzola cheese was really good with it, I really think the risotto will do really well well, too.

I have discovered the cornucopia of delicious and healthful food options when you combine vegetables, water, and seasonings.  I cannot be stopped!  What kind of crazy experiments have you tried in your kitchen, only to discover a new hidden food-treasure?