Welcome to Produce Mamma!

About two years ago, I was plagued by nightmares of rotting artichokes, yellowing cucumbers, and soggy fiddlehead ferns (what the heck are fiddlehead ferns anyway??). This newly found produce anxiety was an odd addition to my usual repertoire of neuroses surrounding work deadlines, air travel, and the clutter that had become of my closet....and I had brought it on myself! It all came about after a lovely summertime jaunt through a neighborhood street fair here in Manhattan where I decided that it would be a smart move to sign up for a local organic produce delivery service called Urban Organic. What fun, I thought! A weekly delivery of fresh organic produce that I would whip up into gastronomical delights for my new husband and friends!

Little did I realize that I had pretty much no time for such kitchen craftiness, what with my crazy job and being too slow in the kitchen as a novice home cook. Week after week, the fresh produce would wilt and wither away and I would be grief-stricken at having let it go to waste. The nightmares had to end and so I had to cancel my membership.

Fast forward to present day: I am home with my lovely 7-month old twin boys and have some time on my hands (thanks to our wonderful babysitter and their somewhat regular nap times!). Since healthy food is now more important to me than ever, I've decided to give Urban Organic another shot. I'll be posting about the contents of my weekly organic produce delivery -- which I can't select in advance, it is whatever the service bulk-buys from the farms that week-- and what I decide to create with the vegetables and fruits before the next box arrives. I hope that you'll find inspiration in my recipe decisions and please feel free to post your own ideas to help me reach my culinary goal!