I rolled out of bed at 6 am this morning and have been on auto pilot ever since. It is now evening and I feel as though I've lived several days in the space between the alarm shocking me into a semi waking state and now. I am not a morning person at all-especially not on a Saturday... but I have to admit that it is lovely here in the desert early in day. (I had heard that this was true but seldom rouse myself early enough to enjoy the beauty.)
I picked up my co-op produce share at the unholy hour of 7 am. I managed-pre coffee-to find pleasant conversation with the others there as we assembled in a grassy park and filled our sacks and boxes with fruits and vegetables. The humor of the coconut at the bottom of my share basket was not lost on me at that early hour. I haven't cracked a fresh coconut since I was a little kid! I remember being sent happily out into the yard with a coconut, a hammer and a large nail! (The trust!!!) Ah the 1970's!
I found a recipe in the Fields of Greens cookbook for Salsa Roja which sounded perfect for my 'lot' of tomatoes which I can't bring myself to eat raw. I want to like fresh tomatoes-they sound really good especially all of the heirloom varieties but I just can't do it. I love them sauced, sun dried, or roasted in the oven with balsamic, olive oil, garlic & herbs. Made a trip over to Native Seeds Search to pick up some dried chilies and found great joy in perusing the shelves of whole & dried chilies, the numerous varieties of native beans, spices, mole powders and garden seeds. I gave in to my serious hand made soap addiction and carried my bar of prickly pear & aloe soap around with me like a treasure. Sometimes it is the smallest things that can make me feel complete... soap, native tepary beans, Hopi white cornmeal... I love that the cornmeal package informs that it was grown, dried and ground by Millie & Jeff Polewytewa of Kykotsmovi, AZ. The ancho chilies that I came home with are gorgeous! I gave them a quick roast in the oven and filled the whole house with a deep rich slightly smokey note. Is it wrong to be excited by produce, spices and baking supplies!?!
The Salsa Roja found its way onto a large plate of butter fried polenta, sauteed yellow crookneck squash and cotija cheese. (So much for the diet!!)
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