(Foodish) Odds and Ends

On Saturday I went to Rainbow Grocery for the first time -- perched on the edge of the Mission District, it is a vegetarian, organic lover's paradise. How have I not gone there before this?! I've been living in San Francisco for about a year now, and a visit to Rainbow was the perfect anniversary present. There, I was able to find my very favorite soy milk, bulk bins full of every item I could ever dream of, and oh, the cheese aisle, so beautiful and bounteous! I managed to reign myself in pretty well, but still left with a new salad spinner (a necessary extravagance, don't you know?), portabello mushrooms (never in season, always expensive), and something called napa beans (dried), which are purported to be similar to pinto beans but much yellower and firmer in consistency. Needless to say, I shall be back.

I'm (already) planning my pie submission to Sebastopol's Gravenstein Apple Fair. The contest takes place in August, but I like to think ahead, obviously. Luckily, by that time my parents will have a tree-full of organic, delicious Gravenstein apples just begging to be folded into a flaky pie crust. And if I get even more daring I might incorporate a few blackberries from the backyard bushes. There are definitely some perks to having a house in the country, and I intend to take full advantage.

Also on Saturday, I made my cauliflower soup recipe, but this time added a bag of farmer's market spinach to the pot when the cauliflower was nearly soft. I let it cook for a few minutes until it wilted quite prettily, and then pureed the lot. It turned a very nice, springy green -- perfect for a belated St. Pat's Day.