MAKING THE MOST OF A FEW WONDERFUL INGREDIENTS

I. Am. So. Ticked! I spent the entire morning over at the Sunset Valley farmers' market, in Austin, snapping fabulous pictures to share with you all. You would not believe the energy in this place. When I think about all the moms I've seen, rushing down the aisles of the grocery store with screaming kids in their carts, and compare that to this festival-like atmosphere that is obviously one of the hi-lites of these families' week, it just makes you wonder, you know?

Anyway, back to the ticked part. I took all these great pictures, including one of my favorite vendor of the day - this fabulously funky, darling young lady, who sat there shivering in the morning chill, on a stool at a tiny table, with an old-timey typewriter on it, where she cranked out customized poetry while you wait. She was just too cute! But, when I got home and tried to download the pictures, I discovered that the dial on my camera had got knocked off it's setting somehow, and none of the pictures took! Arrggghhh!

So, all you get is the one I took of all the treasures I brought home with me. In case you're not familiar with them, those are oyster mushrooms in the middle, and they are delicioso! I'll probably saute' them in a little butter and olive oil, with a splash of lemon juice or wine, and have part of it over fettucini one day, and the rest on rustic toast with a bit of that chevre another day. The green beans will get roasted with garlic and olive oil until they are caramelized and crispy, and part will be eaten warm that day, while the rest will get tossed in a vinaigrette and eaten as a salad later, with some feta or bleu cheese and a little red onion.

I always pick up great tips when visiting my SIL, who is a much better cook than I. While we were in Ohio I saw that she had floured and sauteed a bunch of round steak cutlets earlier in the week, eaten part right away, refrigerated the rest in a covered casserole, and turned them into Swiss Steak for us one night. So, I plan on doing something similar with those chicken cutlets, and have Chicken Piccata one night, and either Marsala or Pomodoro another. I'll let you know how it all turns out!