"Flowers and Fruit with a Woman Picking Grapes," Christian Berentz, 1689. Oil on canvas. Museo Nazioale di Capodimonte, Naples.

Today is not going very well. I’m a little emotionally hungover from Sunday’s (very successful) pie fundraiser, and I forgot to eat breakfast for the umpteenth day in a row this morning. I also just saw that Jada and Will Pinkett Smith are getting separated. I keep asking myself, if the couple can’t make it whose kid makes me want to Whip My Hair, who can??

The light at the end of my tunnel is the big, juicy watermelon waiting for me in my refrigerator today. I have plans to make salad, margaritas and sorbet with that melon tonight and, if I am feeling extra ambitious, I will pickle the rind.

Besides last week’s watermelon and some nice pears this week, we’re still getting the dregs of summer produce in Central Texas. (Thanks, Mr. Drought.) We’re on week 6 of summer peas, and the eggplant continue to come, too. Here’s what I’m cooking with this week:

  • Asian Pears – Engel Farm
  • Assorted Eggplant- Fruitful Hill Farm & Animal Farm
  • Shallots OR Garlic- Fruitful Hill Farm
  • Red Potatoes – Gundermann
  • Assorted Summer Squash – Gundermann Acres
  • 1015 Onions – Bar W & Fruitful Hill Farm
  • Salad Mix – My Father’s Farm
  • Butternut OR Acorn Squash – Gundermann & Bar W
  • Summer Peas – Just Peachy Farm
And here’s what I’m planning to make:

Meal One: That bag of salad mix is begging to be eaten as soon as we get our Local Box. I’m going to make caramelized onion salad dressing with those sweet 1015 onions and serve up a big green salad with Mom’s Zucchini Bread on the side.

Meal Two: Szechwan Eggplant Stir-Fry served over rice.(Substitute shallots or half of a finely chopped 1015 onion for the green onions in the stir fry recipe.)

Meal Three: Creamy Summer Squash Potato Soup with sliced pears on the side

Meal Four: Achiote Rubbed Butternut Squash Tacos

Meal Five: Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart, steamed summer peas (no recipe needed: put the peas in a steamer basket and steam over boiling water, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a little butter, if desired.)