Exciting news of what's to come for my first few entries!

After my last few trips to my local Southwest Safeway left me (and more importantly, my vegetables' lifespan) in a sad state, I decided to take the leap into full-on yuppiedom and start getting my produce delivered. I'm just sick of the stuff I buy in big box grocery stores going bad on me within two days.

A few of my coworkers use Washington's Green Grocer and have been singing its praises to me. While not all the produce is local, I've been assured it's all in good condition, so it definitely sounds like a step in the right direction.

My first delivery is set to hit my doorstep this Thursday and will be filled with these yummies:

Russet potatoes
grape tomatoes
broccoli
zucchini
navel oranges
Bosc pears (one of my favorite fruits!!!)
fuji apples
portobello mushrooms
bunched carrots
romaine lettuce

Glad to see some mainstays mixed in with a few items I don't normally buy. The big challenge for me this week will be portobellos, since they're not one of my favorite mushrooms.

I know, I know — they're delicious. To mostly everyone this is true, but liking mushrooms for me has been slow coming. Right now I'd say my favorites are straw and whatever those teeny, tiny ones are that grow in bunches. I've never had morels or truffles (except for their delicious oil), so I guess I can't write off that those might be stand outs in the future, since they're so prized.

I'm going to do my best with each of these recipes to really make the ingredient the star of the show. I could all too easily throw a bunch of these in some quinoa or a pasta primavera and call it a day. Let me know if you have any ideas, and let the cooking begin!