Back in the kitchen

It's so good to be back in the kitchen! I have finally moved into our house and our kitchen is unpacked. More importantly, my dining companion is now in town so I have someone to experiment on again.

In an effort to avoid unpacking, I ventured out to the South Bend Farmers' Market on Saturday morning -- only a five minute drive from chez nous. Unlike the North Market in Columbus, you don't have to get there at the crack of dawn to get the best selection. I got there at 10am and there was still lots to choose from. All of the produce is so heavy this time of year. I had to make two trips to the car. Walking around with a yellow seedless watermelon, a basket of honeycrisp apples, a basket of Michigan Red Haven peaches, and a bag of redskin potatoes got to be a little bit much, even though I've been lifting weights and am pretty darn strong.

The South Bend Farmers' Market is much more downhome than my beloved North Market in Columbus. It's going to take some getting used to. Another local said it well when she said, "It's a little heavy on the tchotchkes and soft pretzels." And, I would add, crocheted items and antiques. Um, and Obama T-shirts and non-local produce. (Asparagus from South America? At a farmers' market? C'mon people!) I already miss my favorite cheesemaker in Columbus and the stone-ground cornmeal from a farmer whose name escapes me now. Fortunately I stocked up on some Columbus goods before I left.

There were some bright spots on Saturday. I saw one woman selling beautiful bittersweet for $6/bunch, and one produce stand sold me some lovely cremini mushrooms that I'm going to make into a mushroom ragout. South Bend food shopping is going to be a little bit of an adjustment -- I'm realizing now how spoiled I was in Ohio -- but I'm up for the challenge.

The move from hell

Hello, dear readers!
I had hoped to be up and running on Second Breakfast sooner in the wake of my move from Ohio to Indiana. Alas, it seemed that one thing after another has distracted me (and prevented me) from getting into the kitchen. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. After living a somewhat spartan, solo existence in our new house for the past seven weeks, I'm anxiously anticipating the permanent arrival of both my husband and our moving truck. Life is going to improve exponentially beginning on Thursday.

I'll spare you the laundry list of hassles I've been dealing with since I've moved here. Let's just say the low point was the morning that I discovered that someone had smashed my car window and stolen about $400 worth of brand-new (cute!) maternity clothes that Jim had helped me pick out. And of course, having the fridge and freezer on the fritz for a few days was a pain, but reading about the struggles of those affected by Hurricane Ike put that into perspective pretty quickly.

I do have a few good recipes to share and recommend from the past couple of weeks:

• No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from the Minimalist. Enjoy the last of the late-season blueberries!
• Chickpea Salad with Ginger. Also from the Minimalist. A healthy, filling lunch that packs easily for work.
  

I'll be back soon!

I fear I have no more readers since it's been so long since I've posted! I'm in the midst of moving, starting a new job and getting ready for a new baby. As if all that weren't enough, my refrigerator and freezer died last week, which has really put a kibosh on my cooking.

But the good news is that the new one is arriving on Wednesday, so I hope to be back in the kitchen (and posting) on Thursday.

Thanks for your patience.