Omnivore - Cooking the Whole Foods way
Guided by the market, cooking without a net
- Brad Kaplan
- Fresh, local field peas hatched the idea for a David Sweeney-esque grain bowl
Lately I've been letting my trips to Whole Foods determine my meals. No, I'm not pigging out at the new dessert bar (though it is tempting). I have a simple approach... Start in produce. What looks especially good? Is it local (and seasonal)? Is it on sale (goodness gracious Whole Foods can be expensive)?? Can I figure out what to do with it??? If the answer to at least three of those questions is yes, then there's a good chance that fruit or vegetable will end up in my cart. It doesn't HAVE to be on sale. But it sure helps. It doesn't HAVE to be local. But I really prefer that it is - both in concept and for the fact that it's inherently fresh and in season.
Once I'm through in the produce section, I usually have a few ideas simmering. Those peaches? Maybe a grilled peach salad, or a peach salsa. Those field peas? Definitely into a grain bowl with some quinoa a la David Sweeney. That corn? Hmmm, cold corn soup? Or an accent to an unusual salad?