In Her Chucks

My box is back…Yay!  Under normal circumstances, going a week without a box is usually hard for me.  But with everything that has been happening lately, between Harper’s croup, her party and 1st birthday, I was relieved not to have food in the house that I felt obligated to cook.  Besides the food that I made for the party, there wasn’t much time for me to cook anything else.  But after peeking inside this week’s box, I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen.

I have to start out by calling out that gorgeous bunch of purple kale.  It’s electric!  I love how vibrant it is.  And I love that I have such an amazing collection of kale recipes to choose from.  Considering that I have been nursing some unwanted congestion, a pot of Sausage White Bean Kale Soup might do me good.  Of course I would have to serve a delicious green salad on the side, using that spectacular looking red butter lettuce.  And who knows?  It might possibly end up being my Strawberry Salad because it has been a while since I have indulged myself and well those plump strawberries look too good to pass up.

I just love when leeks are in season.  They have such a mild taste but add such amazing flavor to any dish.  My first choice would be to prepare my favorite Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Leeks and Apples, but there are so many other recipes I have been dying to try.  Chances are one of the recipes will call for some fresh parsley, of which I have plenty.  I will probably find myself whipping up a batch of my famous mashed red-potatoes and steamed broccoli on the side.  Comfort food at it’s best!

I am most excited about the raddichio.  I have never cooked with it at home, but enjoy it when I am out in salads or as an appetizer.  Looking around at different recipes on the internet, I came across one for a Grilled Raddichio Salad.  Yum!  It looks amazing.  I have never tried grilled raddichio before but after reading a bit more, it seems that the grilling helps to mellow out the bitter and spicy taste.  I can’t wait to try it!

My best friends at the moment are the tangerines and the mandarins.  I am enjoying them as we speak, hoping they help me to get rid of whatever bug is trying to invade.

I am hoping I feel better by tomorrow because I have a lot of cooking to do.  And my belly is already doing the happy dance.  Here’s to great week of fresh, delicious meals!