today i feel: epicurean.

Don't get me wrong, I love a great cheese, good wine, and especially the artisianal butter I recently found.  But what I mean when I say epicurean is enjoyment of good food, good for you food.  Fresh, locally grown, organic GOODNESS!  I really need to find a better word for this.  I love the feeling of making a dinner solely of vegetables, especially those grown close to home!

Today I went to the MFM with my good friend Michele.  I love that place, and I love the Saturday morning atmosphere.  It's like a big social outing and I usually see 2 or 3 people I know.  I went because I wanted to stock up on veggies since the Dormition Fast began yesterday.  This fast commemorates the falling asleep of the Theotokos (The Virgin Mary.)  I love to cook fresh veggies during fasts, along with plenty of beans.  (The perfect food, cheap, fiber filled and protein rich, yum!) 

I need to sing the praises of my striped C bag.  I bought it years ago at Happi Stores and realized today it's the perfect farmer's market bag.  It held everything, and I saved a few plastic bags.  Plus it doubles as a nice sized purse.  I'm so glad I took it this morning!

Today my purchases included:

(You like the photos, I'm house-sitting and just hijacked Meribeth and Charlie's mac photo-booth! Do you guys mind?) 

1. Four (very expensive, and I hope worth it) heirloom tomatoes.  I hope to make a tomato salad with them.  Something like tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Very simple, just showcasing the tomatoes.  I know they look kind of funny. I've heard it's a chef's trick to buy the ugliest tomatoes, because they always taste the best.  
2. I got some fresh green beans, honestly is there any other kind?  I despise canned green beans.  (Although I admit, green been casserole is a guilty pleasure of mine, and I can tolerate canned green beans in that case.)  
3. I bought some ears of corn.  I'm a bit nervous, I haven't shucked any fresh corn in years, I hope I can remember how to do it.  
4. I got some fresh peaches from Jones Orchard in Millington, my grandfather loves their peaches.  I plan to make some sort of peach crisp.  
5. I got two loaves of Cucina bread, kalamata olive and cranberry walnut.  
6. I also bought some eggplant, I'm not sure what I want to make with it yet.  
7. My crowning glory this week was the bouquet of flowers I bought.  They are so bright and colorful with zinnias.  I love fresh flowers.  They make me smile! 

I saw some beautiful squash blossoms, and I though about buying them, but I wouldn't be able to stuff them with cheese this week, so I had to resist.  

Now, working backwards:  Last night I went to my friend Melissa's house for a dinner party.  Mel's sister, Jennifer is home for about a week from Hawaii, where she is studying law.  It was so nice to get to hang out with such good friends. Have you ever had friends that you can go months without seeing and still be able to pick up where you left off?  It's wonderful, I feel like no matter what changes I go through I can still spend time with these friends and have 10,000 things in common.  I truly value their friendship.  

Plus to top it off, Jennifer and Melissa are wonderful hostesses.  I've never been to their houses and not felt completely at ease.  They get it from their mother!  Every party of theirs is like something pulled from a much more chic and modern Southern Living Magazine.   Overall, it was a fabulous time.   

I promise to post about Vacation Church School very soon.  Until then, enjoy Kh. Susan's post about her time with the kids from Tuesday.  

Happy Saturday dear readers, I will update you as soon as possible about tonight's dinner.  

P.S.- Please post any favorite recipes for the veggies I bought.  I need some fab new ideas! And I would much rather make friend's recipes than google for stranger's recipes.